Thoughts From Acts 9 - Part 3

 

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah. 23 After many days had gone by, there was a conspiracy among the Jews to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.26 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. 27 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. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the believers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. Acts 9:20-30

           Everywhere the converted Saul/Paul went, the Jewish leaders tried to kill him. Charlie Kirk was killed for his beliefs but his killer will probably get the death penalty. The Humana CEO was killed but the assassin will receive the penalty for murder. What's crazy about this time is that you could kill people that you disagreed with and get away with it. We can't do this today. What changed?

        Tom Holland writes in his book Dominion that the Christian revolution led by the death and teachings of Christ and spread worldwide by His followers replaced the classical Greek and Roman teachings which Paul lived under. These Ancient Historical views saw the strength, power and status of individuals defined what could be done to the outcasts with no regard to any inherent worth of the individual. Christianity reverses that thinking. The cross made the victim and sufferer the central focus of moral concern. The teachings that all people were made in the image of God and equally valued by God gave everyone intrinsic worth. In other words, centuries later, thanks to Paul's and the disciples' teachings for which they were martyred, no one can get away with this behavior anymore.

       And what made them so mad that they wanted to kill him? First of all, he won all the arguments. Have you ever seen a debate or argument where one person gives an irrefutable argument. Usually, the loser doesn't concede but resort to a character attack or an F-you. This is what Paul was experiencing; they couldn't refute his wisdom, so they tried attacking him physically. Secondly, he would have been a traitor - a person immersed in a group who realized the fallacies of the group and sought to destroy it using inside knowledge. We see this with gays who come out of that life and become heterosexuals and speak against the homosexual lifestyle. Gays would attack this person saying once gay always gay and you probably weren't gay in the first place. Paul attacked the pride of the Pharisees from the place of an ex-Pharisee and they hated it.

        The central teaching of Paul was proving that Jesus is God. He didn't focus on politics, human rights, societal evils, but only preaching Jesus. Maybe a good question for us to ask people is "Who do you think Jesus is?" and follow up with "Can I tell you what the Bible says?" Could you tell them what the Bible says? Paul could because that was his priority in life. Is it yours? Learn the answer to that question and memorize the verses.

Thoughts From Acts 9 - Part 2

  In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered.11 The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”15 But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Acts 9:10-19

        I love Ananias' response to Jesus, "Yes, Lord". I think in context it should actually be "Yes, Lord?" My wife's first answer to everything is "No". Then she thinks about it for a while and gets to "maybe it's possible." Finally, she might get around to "OK". Her personality looks first at all the reasons something won't work and one by one has to dismantle each obstacle to them working. I'm just the opposite. I see something as working and go for it and deal with the obstacles along the way. I will admit that sometimes my way will be questioning in the middle, "Was this really worth it?"

        I've heard it said, "It's impossible to say, "No, Lord." Why?, because that is an oxymoron. Lord means master or boss. If someone is your master, you have to do what they say. That's what master means. Therefore, the only proper response is "Yes, Lord." If you say, "No, Lord", you are in effect saying Jesus is not your Lord. Romans 10 says that if you confess Jesus as Lord you are saved. Many other passages affirm that if Jesus isn't your Lord, you aren't saved. Sometimes, however, like Ananias we put a question mark on the end of "Yes, Lord". It's like "OK Lord but why or are You sure about this?"

       Getting back to my wife, when the Lord calls her it's always "Yes, Lord". This weekend she is speaking to a number of moms of teens to a bunch of women she doesn't know, in an unfamiliar venue, on a topic they gave her that she feels ill-equipped to handle. Why? Because the leader called and asked if she would speak and she felt like it was from God, so she said, "Yes, Lord". God has given her the verses and the words to speak and she has witnessed the Holy Spirit opening the word to her and her faith has increased that much more because she said "Yes, Lord -but with a question mark. "Why me"? "What will I say?" "These women don't even know me, why should they care what I say?" "But Lord, this is out of my comfort zone!" Ananias had the same question mark. "But Lord, why me and even more, why him?" "This is very dangerous, are you sure?" "What if this is a trap?" Nevertheless, "Yes, Lord".

        What are you saying "no" to? You realize, if He's truly your Lord that you can't say "no", right? It's Ok to question but make sure you question on your way. Moses was questioning God about going back to Egypt, but his questions weren't while going, they were to avoid going and eventually God got angry and basically said, "You're going!" Don't make that mistake - when God calls you the only proper response is, "Yes, Lord."

Thoughts From Acts 9 - Part 1

 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 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. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could see nothing. So, they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind and did not eat or drink anything. Acts 9:1-9

        What are the greatest events in the History of the World? Viewing things through the Kingdom of Heaven mindset we would have to say the incarnation of Jesus where God invaded this planet as a human to save us. Secondly, Jesus death on the cross where He made a way for all mankind's sin to be forgiven and a relationship restored with our Maker. Third, the resurrection where death was defeated and God made a way to live forever with Him. And fourth, the sending of the Holy Spirit so we can be made spiritually alive with God living inside us. There are more to come but after those four not many events are much more significant than what happens here in Acts 9, the conversion of Saul. The gospel was spread completely throughout the known world because of his faithfulness. When we get to Heaven, Paul's family tree of believers is going to resemble Noah's family tree of humans. And where would we be without Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon and possibly Hebrews?

      I am big into free will where a person is headed one way and repents of their sin being convicted by the Holy Spirit, and turns and chooses to follow Christ. Here is an instance where God invades and does the turning. God sees who He wants and knocks him off his donkey and sends him the other way. I still see it as free will though where Father God, not the Godfather, makes him an offer he can't refuse. 

       Why Saul? He was perfectly suited for the task. He had a zealous personality. Like a dog sniffing a scent, Paul's scent would be evangelizing Gentiles, and nothing could stop him. He also was multilingual being highly educated, which would serve him well as he crossed continents with the Gospel. He was a Roman Citizen which got him a "Get out of Jail Free card" in a few instances. He was an Old Testament scholar so once his wrong thinking got turned around as he sat in darkness for three days, he "saw" the scripture through the eyes of Jesus being the prophesied Messiah who would come two times; the first as a suffering savior and the second as a conquering triumphant king. This enabled him to preach while reasoning effectively from the scriptures and write epistles that effectively transitioned new believers from the old covenant to the new covenant.

      You may not be a Saul but God has knocked you at some point off your donkey and headed you in a direction following Jesus for a unique calling that only you can perform. Are you zealously, faithfully performing it? Do you even know what "it" is? Paul said, "We are His workmanship whom God created to perform previously ordained for us, good works." God has given us gifts and abilities to perform these. Are you just sitting around in the dark or are you up and doing them?

Thoughts From Acts 8 - Part 4

 So he (Philip) started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of the Kandake (which means “queen of the Ethiopians”). This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the Book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.”30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.32 This is the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading:

“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
    and as a lamb before its shearer is silent,
    so he did not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice.
    Who can speak of his descendants?
    For his life was taken from the earth.”

34 The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What can stand in the way of my being baptized?” 38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea. Acts 8:27-40

And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Hebrews 11:6

            One of the objections to Christianity is, "What about the innocent native in Africa who has never heard about Jesus? Are they going to spend eternity in the torment of hell? That's not fair!" There are a lot of different ways to go at that objection, but in this passage, we have the innocent native in Africa who has never heard of Jesus. Yet he knew there was a God and chose to worship Him. He also realized that he wasn't innocent, because no one is, and he had "pilgrimaged" to Jerusalem to atone for his sins. So the first way to answer this objection is, "There is no innocent native in Africa because 'All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God' Rom. 3:23"

       Second is that we don't go to hell, which by the way a number of solid Evangelical Christians don't believe the Bible teaches Eternal Conscious Torment (ECT), for rejecting Jesus but rejecting God. Romans 1:18 through the end of the chapter makes this abundantly clear. If rejecting Jesus was what got you to hell, everyone born BC would be in hell. Also, please don't send out missionaries because no one is going to hell until we tell them about Jesus and they reject it according to this reasoning. Leave them alone if rejecting Christ sends you to hell. No, it's rejecting God and worshipping the created rather than the creator that earns us eternal separation from Him in Hell. This Eunuch, although a sinner, was a worshipper of God and was not going to hell. But was he going to Heaven? No. At this point he was an Old testament believer who needed to hear about Jesus' atoning sacrifice for his sin. So if he had died without knowing Christ, where would he have gone? I have no idea. All I know is God is good and will do what is right.

        So maybe a better question is "How can people get to Heaven who haven't heard about Jesus?" First of all, this question should drive us to use the rest of our life to get the Bible to the masses in all languages (note the Ethiopian had a "Bible"), and second to send missionaries to tell them about Jesus. We have to believe, like Hebrews says, that if someone is diligently seeking God, like the Ethiopian or Cornelius (spoiler alert), God will send a Philip to him. Was Philip a real person? Yes. Did the Ethiopian tell people that a person came and talked to him? I don't know. The fact that Philip showed up in the middle of nowhere supernaturally running as fast as his chariot, knew his language, explained the word, found water to baptize him in the middle of the desert, then disappeared would make the Ethiopian wonder if he had a dream or a vision or an angel visited him. I believe that all those methods are possible means of God reaching those who are diligently seeking Him. Even today, a number of Muslims are coming to the Lord through dreams of Jesus. These outlier methods, however, do not relieve us of the primary plan of God for us believers to tell the good news.

           Are you available to be sent? Are you funding missionaries and Bible distribution? Are you even mentioning the name of Jesus to those you rub shoulders with daily? There are a number of religious people all around you who don't know Jesus. Tell them from the Bible. Be a Philip!

Thoughts From Acts 8 - Part 3

  When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road—the desert road—that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”  Acts 8:14-17,26

    Yesterday we looked at Simon the sorcerer and questioned was he truly saved? I have to believe that like the other Samaritan believers, he received the Holy Spirit when the Apostles with apostolic power and authority, laid hands on believers. I think he was one of them. The problem is, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit still battles against our flesh. If not, you and I would be sinless. Simon's sin was that he wanted to be that guy that could lay hands on people. He wanted to buy his way into apostleship. He wanted to be somebody. Is that you? Is that me? Are we content with being nobodies? In Luke 17, the disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith, and he tells them a story about servants waiting on everyone and then He asks the disciples, "What should they do when they're finished - sit down and have the master wait on them? No, keep serving." The way to increased faith and increasing responsibility in kingdom matters is to prove yourself a worthy nobody. Annanias and Saphira wanted to leap over nobodies, too, with money. They wanted to be up there with Barnabas. Money talks in the Kingdom of Earth but it shouldn't talk and doesn't talk in the Kingdom of Heaven.

       Unfortunately, money does talk in today's church. The quickest path to church leadership is to be the biggest giver. If you prefer organ music to guitars and drums, donate a pipe organ with pipes worth tens of thousands. If you want an "in" with the pastor, let him vacation for free at your house in the Keys. Fly him to conferences on your private jet. As a person with means or influence, it takes a deliberate effort to be a nobody. Simon went from being a somebody to being a nobody and his flesh didn't like it.

      Are you content with being a nobody, an anonymous servant of Christ? Am I? Now actually in the whole scheme of things we aren't nobodies, we are children of the King. But the king has a million children. Are you content with being one in a million? The history books of the Old Testament are full of accounts where children wanted to rise above others. I'm watching House of Dragons right now at one of the resident's suggestions and though I don't know what's going on because I jumped in at season 3, one thing I can tell is that all the white-haired siblings are fighting to be superior. There would be no drama and no show if this wasn't the case. There should be no drama in the family of God. In fact, the only stories or documentaries you see about the church are based on people wanting to rise above being nobodies - being servants. What a boring story that would be if we all considered others more important than ourselves. That's what Jesus wants - He isn't into drama.

Thoughts From Acts 8 - Part 2

 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” Acts 8:9-13,18-24

         Simon and Philip, the two disciples, right? Nope. Different guys. Simon was a sorcerer in Samaria who was an important person due to his abilities to do sorceries. He wasn't like David Copperfield doing sleight of hand, but picture Baalaam in the Old Testament or Jannes and Jambres, the ones who turned their rods into snakes or turned water to blood in Moses' days. Somehow, these men had tapped into powers of the unseen world, maybe demons or maybe even angels. Philip was one of the seven "deacons" commissioned by the apostles to serve the church. The apostolic power flowed from the apostles to Philip through the laying on of hands which enabled him to perform supernatural signs that like the conjured-up snakes of Moses' time, the wonders done by Simon were totally devoured by Philip's. It appears that because the apostles gave him the ability to perform signs and wonders, Philip could lay hands on people too, and they also would receive the ability to do miracles.

           First off, you have to admit this was an unprecedented time. As the gospel went out it came with powers of signs and wonders to confirm it was the truth. We don't see this today. Maybe if a missionary went into an unreached area, God would give preachers apostolic power initially but after that faith comes through hearing, not seeing miracles. Jesus told the rich man who died and was in Hades, that even if they see a man rise from the dead they won't believe; they have the Bible (law and prophets), let them listen to that.

          Second, what kind of faith does it produce? I have a friend who went to a signs and wonders conference, I think it's called power evangelism, and saw so many things that, like Simon, he believed. Now he is discontent with all churches he goes to because he isn't seeing enough miraculous happenings. He thinks none of them are spirit- filled. Simon saw these things, knew it was real and as Jannes and Jambres said, "We can't do this, this must be the hand of God", and Simon believed. He then wanted to do the "stuff" but in order to have this power, Philip needed to lay hands on him. Who was Philip laying hands on? It appears that he was also given the gift of knowledge to look into someone's soul and see them for who they are. He probably gave it to people like him who were full of faith and would use these gifts to further the gospel not just to draw attention to themselves. Drawing attention to yourself is not necessarily a bad thing if once you have a crowd you preach to the crowd about Jesus. Philip discerned that Simon, who loved attention just wanted power for the wrong motives.

      Will we see Simon in Heaven? I kind of think so although I'm probably in the minority. I think it says he believed and was baptized but his old man needed to die and it was harder for him because he had fame and had dabbled with evil forces that they still might have had a grip on him. He had a lot of growing to do but the last verses showed that he knew it and was confessing his sin of pride. I'm hopeful that I will see him there among the many other Simons not with the Simon that invited Jesus to his house where the prostitute washed Jesus' feet.

Thoughts From Acts 8 - Part 1

 And Saul approved of their killing him. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city Acts 8:1-8

      Jesus had told the disciples that they would be witnesses for Him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the Earth. Little did they know that what would send them off was persecution. It was like in the shows I watch; "Honey, kids, pack up your bags; we have 5 minutes to get out of here." "Where are we going?" "I don't know, just far away." A lot of the places where they ended up, they had freedom to share the gospel, and it spread in those regions. Unfortunately, Saul was so zealous that he was not content with just wiping this "heresy" out in Jerusalem, he would travel great lengths to play "whack-a-mole" everywhere a church popped up. It was pack up and run time again when Saul came to town.

        The amazing thing is that everywhere they went, despite the hardships and persecution, they told everyone about Jesus. I wonder if that's our mentality. When is the last time you mentioned Jesus outside of your house not in a church related event? Are we being witnesses in our Jerusalem, Judea, or Samaria? Chances are we've grown cold while the brand-new believers were still on fire. Chances are we've quenched the Spirit while He burned in their hearts. I was blessed the other day by seeing a guy standing in an airplane preaching the gospel to a captive audience. You may have a problem with that, but that guy truly believed in the truth and urgency of the gospel.

      Maybe we think that people will hate us or think we're weird. Maybe. Probably. But in one city in Samaria the gospel came, and the city was filled with joy. Christianity doesn't bring problems, it solves them. In societies where Christianity is illegal there is oppression, lack of freedom, life is treated cheaply, degradation of women and the poor, totalitarianism, loss of human dignity, rights and worth. The gospel comes to bring life, freedom, peace and joy. Don't share it apologetically but boldly proclaim it so joy might come to your city.