Thoughts From Acts 13 - Part 3

 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not the one you are looking for. But there is one coming after me whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.’26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.32 We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: “‘You are my son today I have become your father.’34 God raised him from the dead so that he will never be subject to decay. As God has said, “‘I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.’35 So it is also stated elsewhere: “‘You will not let your holy one see decay.’36 “Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.38 Therefore, my friends, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is set free from every sin, a justification you were not able to obtain under the law of Moses."

      Paul's message continues. He had already established that God created man and chose the Israelites to be in a relationship with Him but because of their trespasses they couldn't be and were receiving, even right then in their oppression by the Romans, the punishment for their sins. He then goes on to tell them that John the Baptist told them that they needed to repent and show it by humbling themselves to wash in symbolic water of becoming a new Jew the way the Gentiles had to if they wanted to convert. Then he introduces Jesus, from the lineage of David whom John the Baptist introduced as greater than him because He could actually remove sins because as God, the sins were done against Him. Jesus did this by dying on the cross. He took away the sin of the world, as John the Baptist said He would by taking on the curse we deserved because "cursed is everyone who dies on a tree" and the death we deserved because "the soul that sins must die." He shed His blood for us because "without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sin." He was the ceremonial scapegoat if we by faith put our sins on Him, He would take them "out of the camp." Then He rose from the dead as Isaiah said, "After He suffered He would see the light of life and God would prolong His days." Because of this when we die we too can live on by trusting in Him.

          This is the whole gospel to Jews as spelled out in the Old Testament. He spoke to them in their language. Using the New Testament we have

 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. Rom. 3:23-25

 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.”  1Peter 2:24

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. Rom.10:9,10

 God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. 2Cor. 5:21

 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

    Do you have these verses memorized or some others that at a moment's notice you can share and lead someone to Christ? Paul did and he had some for every distinct audience. We need to also.

Thoughts From Acts 13 - Part 2

  From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have a word of exhortation for the people, please speak.”16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: “Fellow Israelites and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our ancestors; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt; with mighty power he led them out of that country; 18 for about forty years he endured their conduct in the wilderness; 19 and he overthrew seven nations in Canaan, giving their land to his people as their inheritance. 20 All this took about 450 years.“After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’23 “From this man’s descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised  Acts 13:13-23

         Paul was always ready with a sermon. Are you? I remember being in Dominican Republic on a surgical mission trip and my friend Jehosophat came running up to me and excitedly said, "Come with me!" He had somehow arranged for us to share the gospel to an assembly at the public school. He turned it over to me to preach and he would interpret. I wasn't prepared but God gave me the words to speak. I talked from the account where Jesus heals the 10 lepers but only one had healing of his soul. I related it to why we were there, not just to offer temporary healing but the healing that lasts forever. Paul was prepared for whatever audience he would come upon. When he spoke to the Jews, like in this case, we get a glimpse of his method.

       First he would build them up as Jews and get them on his side. He'd talk about them being the chosen people and their rich heritage with God fighting for them against all foes. Then he would develop their pattern of rebellion against God and their unworthiness compared to God's faithfulness and goodness to them. Certainly, unless they were in denial they would have to admit that their years of wandering in the wilderness, the age of Judges, and their choice of a king, in particular Saul, were not their finest hours. Then, after establishing that God loves them and they have failed God, he presents Jesus as the Messiah who came to fix their relationship with God.

      When we present the gospel, likewise it starts with God. Contemporary Christianity makes it all about us but that's got it backwards. God is our perfect creator who made us to be in a relationship with Him but we ruined it. Our sins separate us from a Holy God just like germs separate us from an operating room. But God sent His Son Jesus to wash away our sins with His blood on the cross - but Paul will get to that next. Suffice it to say Rom.3:23 says that we've all sinned and are separated from the glory of God. If I was sharing this to Paul's audience, I might use the example of the person who touched the ark and died, Uzziah entering the Holy place and getting leprosy, Aaron's sons getting killed for offering unauthorized fire or Moses being hidden from God's presence so he wouldn't be consumed. I would probably use Habakkuk 1:13 which says, "Your face O Lord is too holy to look on sin".

       Are you prepared to grab a mike and start preaching?

Thoughts From Acts 13 - Part 1

 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.  Now 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. 2 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.” 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 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. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 “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? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind for a time, not even able 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. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

          Christianity isn't for the unintelligent. Sure, a lot of people who are simple come to Jesus because unless you become like a child you can't enter the kingdom of Heaven. It's a simple faith. When Paul came to Corinth he came with simplicity. Apollos came later with complexity and the people ate it up because they wanted the deeper things of the gospel. Here, Paul is coming with the kid gloves off. Sergius Paulus was an "intelligent man" and didn't come to Christ because of the miraculous blinding of Elymas, although I'm sure that didn't hurt, but because he was amazed by the teaching about the Lord. When Paul first arrived, as was his custom, he went to the Jews at the synagogue and taught. You know he must have used all his intellect to reason with them from the scriptures. When we look at the Church in Antioch that sent them, I see intelligent, schooled men.

      I just listened to an interview by Sean McDowell of a Mormon leader. He asked the LDS guy if he had any doubts or how he wrestles with lack of archaeological and historical substantiation of the Book of Mormon and the Book of Abraham that we have parts of the original manuscript that Joseph Smith interpreted from Cuneiform by totally fabricating. He answered, "I have faith and I have the assurance of the Holy Spirit that this is true, so I don't doubt." Christianity doesn't require that to believe the Bible. It is archaeologically, historically, and "manuscripturally" (new word) verifiable. It still does require faith to give our lives to a God who is invisible, though. Although we can't see Him, like the wind we see His effects and they are convincing. Just like Paul, Barnabas, and John got in a boat trusting it would float (because it was currently floating) and sailed to Cyprus trusting in a wind that they couldn't see to blow them there (because they saw it blowing other boats), we put our trust in a God we can't see yet know He is the Truth. We have seen His power and what He can do and he is trustworthy. Several times in the passage it says Paul taught what was right. The gospel is truth, it is right, it is the explanation of why the world and people are the way they are and gives the remedy.

       You don't have to check your brains at the door of the church. It's reality, it's comprehensible, it's reasonable and we don't have to be ashamed of it especially among the academic elite. Paul wasn't and through the power of the Holy Spirit, God can break through the hardest of hearts and minds.

Thoughts From Acts 12 - Part 3

 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. After securing the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king’s country for their food supply.21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died.24 But the word of God continued to spread and flourish.  Acts 12:18-24

        There are four significant Herod's in the Bible, Herod not being a name but a title like "president" or "Pharoah". Herod the great was the Magi guy and is in the Christmas story. Herod Antipas arrested John the Baptist and crucified Jesus. Herod Agrippa I is the one here who had James killed and gets eaten by worms and Agrippa II tells Paul, "You're great learning is making you insane."

       This account is not a once upon a time story but corroborated by ancient history. Documentation of this visit to Tyre and Sidon, wealthy, proud seaport cities who had everything but grain because they were land locked during a time of famine, had to "suck up" to Herod to get food. They planned games at the arenas and made this a big "to do" and Herod agreed because his trusted aide Blastus, who had received a bribe from the cities, encouraged him to go. Josephus records that in 44AD this happened and at the end of his speech after receiving undeflected worship, he collapsed with severe abdominal pain and died 5 days later. Having done surgery in 3rd world countries I'm reminded of taking out an appendix filled with parasitic worms. What probably happened is his appendix ruptured allowing the worms and feces into his abdomen and he died of sepsis 5 days later.

       Several points here. First the Bible is accurate historically. When people say, "How can you believe the Bible is true?", you never have to apologize for or explain away the narrative. It's always proven to be accurate from outside sources and from archaeology. Second, don't mess with the Children of God. Their father won't let you get away with that. It doesn't always happen in this life but it will in the afterlife. It happened to Pharoah in Exodus, it happened to Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel, and it happened here in Acts 12. As average a Christian as I am, when people mess with me it never ends well for them over time. Third, Peter could have felt responsible for the death of the guards. Herod was completely responsible just like the Magi going home the other way weren't responsible for the death of all the children under 2, but Herod the Great was. Our obedience to Christ can rattle the beehive of the devil and the sinful world we live in. The evil is always responsible for causing more evil, not us.

      Today, I'm going to boldly obey the Lord confident that He loves me, defends me and His word is truth and rattle the devil's cage.

Thoughts From Acts 12 - Part 3

  Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”12 When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying. 13 Peter knocked at the outer entrance, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer the door. 14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she ran back without opening it and exclaimed, “Peter is at the door!”15 “You’re out of your mind,” they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel.”16 But Peter kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. 17 Peter motioned with his hand for them to be quiet and described how the Lord had brought him out of prison. “Tell James and the other brothers and sisters about this,” he said, and then he left for another place. Acts 12:11-17

           I was amazed by the power of angels when I read chapter 12. They treat our total reality like it's nothing. They break all the physical rules that we live by. They appear out of nowhere and then just disappear. They could be in my room right now and I wouldn't know. Is that why my dog is barking at apparently nothing? The chains on Peter just fell off. They weren't unclasped with his superhuman strength like Samson would have done but the metal became air for a second and fell right through the wrists. If I were Simon the Sorcerer, that's the trick I'd pay for. The clanging of chains falling didn't wake up the guards so it appears the angel had put them into a deep sleep so obviously he could mess with their minds like a Jedi master. He had a physical presence because he poked Peter in the side to wake him, yet he didn't push the iron gate open, but it just opened by his thought. Ebony Maw, the Voldemort looking guy on the side of Thanos in the Avengers comes to mind, but he had a physical substance that could be punched. I feel like a punch would pass right through an angel.

         When people doubt the Bible because of miracles it shows that their minds are enslaved to the rules of nature that we are bound to. Isn't it possible that if there is a God that transcends these and servants not bound to the laws of science, that miracles aren't even miracles for God? It's just Him doing what He wills whether it fits our planet or not. The Christians praying for him expected God to act according to the rules of Earth. That's why, even though they were in a prayer meeting praying for his deliverance, they didn't let him in because they didn't believe it was him. Lack of faith? Yes, in the fact that they thought God had to abide by the rules He created. Maybe He'd use an earthquake, but they didn't feel one. Maybe Simon the Zealot would mount a rescue extraction except he is here praying with us. Maybe the people would ask for Peter's release or Herod would change his mind, but an angel recue wasn't on their BINGO sheet.

       When we pray we need to remember this; God is not limited to solving problems in ways that we can conceive of. No problem is too big. No answer is impossible. He's the same God and He doesn't change.

Thoughts From Acts 12 - Part 2

 18 Very truly I tell you, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” 19 Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God.  John 21:18,19

The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries stood guard at the entrance. 7 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.8 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. 9 Peter followed him out of the prison, but he had no idea that what the angel was doing was really happening; he thought he was seeing a vision. 10 They passed the first and second guards and came to the iron gate leading to the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went through it. When they had walked the length of one street, suddenly the angel left him. Acts 12:6-10

         When I was maybe 12 years old I met this kid named Bill. He was several years older than me and we became good friends. One day he brought out a Ouija board, and we asked it lots of questions. I in subsequent years was informed these are demonic and not to mess with them but on this day we had a lot of fun with it. Bill asked it how old he would be when he died and it said 49. I always remembered that because if that was me, when my 49th birthday came along, I would have been wondering all year when it would happen. That's why I didn't ask it that for me. I've since seen him on Facebook and he is well past 49 which tells me that either the devil doesn't know the future nor control it or Ouija boards don't work. Either way, he is alive and well. While I was looking on the negatives of knowing the year of my death, what would be the positives? I could enlist in the military, go overseas and hunt Al Quieda without fear of getting killed. I'd be a fearless American war hero knowing I was invincible until 49. I could participate in every Life Insurance disclaimer activity without fear.

       God's word is infinitely more certain than a Ouija board. He told David that he would be king so since he wasn't yet, David knew he was invincible against Goliath. He told Peter that he would live until an old age in John 21 and therefore, even though his friend James was killed by Herod and he was next on the chopping block, Peter could sleep so soundly the night before that he thought he was dreaming an angel delivering him and found himself in the middle of the road. Good thing there weren't cars back then.

      What promises of God are you claiming? God's promises always come true because He never lies and He controls the future. His promises should be taking away fear and anxiety from our lives, so if you are struggling with these, you probably aren't trusting God. Read your Bible. Know His word. He never fails unlike a Ouija board.

Thoughts From Acts 12 - Part 1

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) 29 The disciples, as each one was able, decided to provide help for the brothers and sisters living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul. It was about this time that King Herod arrested some who belonged to the church, intending to persecute them. 2 He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. 3 When he saw that this met with approval among the Jews, he proceeded to seize Peter also. This happened during the Festival of Unleavened Bread. 4 After arresting him, he put him in prison, handing him over to be guarded by four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring him out for public trial after the Passover.5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was earnestly praying to God for him. Acts 11:27-12:5

            After the martyrdom of Steven, we learned that Christians ran from the hub of the persecution and the first what I would call real church formed in Antioch. This had Jews and gentiles meeting together and a pastor, Paul, and they let others exercise their gifts like prophecy and even passed the offering plate! They had prayer meetings and even sent off and supported missionaries. The onlooking world took notice and called them "Christians" or "Little Christs" which may have been derogatory but I'm sure to them it was a compliment. If someone called me a little Jesus, I would thank them profusely but then end with you have no idea how far I am from being like Jesus. 

        I would have liked to be in that Church but I'm not so sure I would have wanted to be in the Jerusalem church like James and Peter. I've often wondered why they didn't run. Did they think that they were protected by God from harm? Obviously not because the early chapters show them getting arrested, beaten, and threatened. Did they think that thousands of people converted around Pentecost would protect them? Obviously not because they easily arrested Peter and James, the first of the 12 to be martyred, and it made the people happy. It reminds me of today where leaders make their decisions based on approval ratings. No, they must have had clear instruction from God to stay for now. It makes me think of religious persecution from today where many missionaries will leave till the threat is over yet some stay refusing to back down. Are the ones that stayed bolder or had greater faith? Maybe. But before we look down on the ones who ran, maybe God told them to leave and they were just being obedient.

       What's the application? First, are you in a church? Second, does anyone know that you are a Christian? Third, are you being obedient to the Lord and doing whatever he tells you? Fourth, are you praying for and supporting the less fortunate believers around the world? They are your family. You owe it to them.