Thoughts From Acts 15 - Part 3

 When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14 Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15 The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written:

1 “‘After this I will return
    and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
Its ruins I will rebuild,
    and I will restore it,
17 that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord,
    even all the Gentiles who bear my name,
says the Lord, who does these things’—
18     things known from long ago.

19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20 Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21 For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” Acts 15:13-21

          This is one of those passages that torments me in Acts. Another is rolling dice for a new apostle. I see Acts as a history of the early church that isn't to be taken in every instance as God's prescription to us as to how to make decisions for example. Isn't it possible that these guys sometimes got it wrong? Should our elders and deacons be picked by coin toss? And in this passage, should we tell people to partially follow the Levitical laws that Christ fulfilled?

      Seventh Day Adventists elevate teachings by Ellen White that command certain Old Testament laws to still be followed today like Sabbath and unclean foods. Common dilemmas are, "Can we eat duck?" Jehovah Witnesses would die rather than be transfused quoting this passage and Leviticus 17:17 saying, "The life is in the blood." Eastern Orthodoxy follows the laws of not trimming beards in Leviticus 19:27 and 21:5. Mormons wear holy underwear based on Leviticus 16:4. Certain Church of God traditions celebrate the annual feasts while Messianic Jews observe circumcision customs, Sabbaths, festivals, and Kosher laws.

       For James to negotiate a trade of circumcision for strangled animals with blood in them, sexual immorality, and food offered to idols looks like a midseason baseball trade where you trade a big-name player for three lesser players in order to dump salary. Circumcision came at a high cost - ouch! The others are avoided without pain. Let's take the win, right? Wrong. Peter said let's not lay a yoke on people that we ourselves couldn't bear and yet James is compromising here - I feel. Is this introducing the addition of the Law to certain factions of Christianity? I believe yes. No wonder Paul had to rebuke Peter later on. Paul penned these words to the Galatians who were mixing Leviticus with the New Covenant;

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You who are trying to be justified by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace." Gal. 5:1,4

     I think James dropped the ball here. Sounds like one of our elder or deacon meetings.

Thoughts From Acts 15 - Part 2

  The apostles and elders met to consider this question. 7 After much discussion, Peter got up and addressed them: “Brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you that the Gentiles might hear from my lips the message of the gospel and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us. 9 He did not discriminate between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith. 10 Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear? 11 No! We believe it is through the grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they are.”12 The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.  Acts 15:6-12

        Have you ever seen that little gem that I highlighted tucked away in this passage? Sure, we know Eph. 2:8,9, Titus 3:5,6, and are familiar with Romans 3 & 4, but here is the gospel tucked away in the first church council as stated by Peter.

      What is "grace". Unmerited favor is one definition. Another I like is getting what we don't deserve. The Jews were thinking, "The Gentiles don't deserve salvation because they aren't obeying the law, specifically circumcision". Peter would say, "Yes, you are right, they don't deserve salvation and neither do you because the law is a yoke that none of us can bear. All of us fall under the weight of the law."

      Every religion in the world except true Christianity believes you earn your salvation. C.S. Lewis was asked, "What's the one thing that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions?" He thought for a second and replied, "Grace."

     Islaam teaches heaven can be reached through practicing worship and doing good deeds and you'll find out in the end if you got there.

      Judaism teaches obey the law and live a faithful life

    Hindu teaches meditation, discipline, ethical conduct and Karma

    Buddhism teaches follow the 8-fold path

    I say "true Christianity" because Catholics believe we are saved by grace plus works. Mormons believe that to reach the highest heaven you must follow the temple ordinances. Jehovah Witnesses believe that to get to be one of the 144,000 you have to be obedient and faithful. Church of Christ believes you have to be baptized, and certain groups of Christians believe that you can lose your salvation which implies you are doing works to maintain it. Reformers go as far as saying that if you believe that your faith saved you then it's your effort that saved you - faith must be given by God, therefore only reformed Christians are saved. This goes against Paul's teaching in Romans 3:27&28 and Chapter 4 which distinguish faith from a work, but I'm getting off track.

       So what is the gospel that Peter is preaching? Everyone likes to go back to what the earliest churches believed to prove their beliefs are right, so it doesn't get any earlier than this. Peter teaches in verse 9 that God purified their hearts by faith. What's that mean? Admit that your heart is dirty and trust in Christ's gift of forgiveness or cleansing done by his death on the cross as the only remedy for your sins. Then walk in that grace.

     Someone on Twitter asked today, what song would you play if there was 5 minutes left till the Earth was destroyed by a meteor? For me it would have to be "The Grace by Which I Stand" by Keith Green. That is my only hope for the future. That and the fact that my parents circumcised me as a baby. Ha

Thoughts From Romans 8 - Part 2

 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. 30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:28-35,38,39

       So several questions - first off, is the opposite also true that all things don't work together for those who don't love Jesus, who haven't had an effectual call? Second, when predestination is mentioned, is this predestination to be saved or just conformed to the image of Christ, or is that the same thing?

      First question, are unsaved people living a random life determined by fate and luck with no divine guidance or plan? I would have to think yes except for a group of people who I would call "pre-christians". Who are they? They are the group of unsaved people who God in His foreknowledge, knows that they will someday receive Christ. God is working everything in their lives to bring them to that point, and nothing can get in His way. He is working out their life story so that they will have a unique experience so that they can serve His plan to reach all people for Christ. In other words, while they are living for themselves, they may have an abortion and when they get saved, they may have a special ministry to crisis pregnancies. They may have a substance addiction so when they are saved, they can work for recovery training. So even in their unregenerate state, He is working the bad for eventual good.

 "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." Eph. 2:10

Paul, in Ephesians explains what one aspect of "called according to His purpose" means. We have a divine plan and He is accomplishing it through all things both in Christians and "pre-Christians" and nothing can interfere with that. The other aspect of His purpose is conforming us to His Son's image which He is accomplishing through "all things" in true believers.

      Second question, so is predestination to conformity to Christ's image the same as predestination to salvation? That would imply that conformity to His image and salvation are inseparable. This would leave no place for carnal or back-slidden Christians who are living like the world. While this may be the case, I would have to say in the context of working all things for good both in helping lead us to fulfill our purpose in life and working all things for good in conforming us to his image, the predestination or predetermining in verse 29 refers more to his predetermined plans to bring about this twofold "good" both in Christians and Pre-Christians".

     So, in summary, God knows everything ahead of time because He is outside time. He knows who the Bride of Christ will be and is calling them and working situations in their life to accomplish a plan on earth that He has uniquely gifted them for and moving them both physically and spiritually to accept the call for salvation. Once they do that, and they will, they are forgiven all their past sins and given the glory of Children of God status but also the internal glory of the Holy Spirit living in them. He then works all future situations to accomplish His twofold purpose in our life - to accomplish His works or mission for our lives and to conform us to look like His Son. He will accomplish this because if He went to all the trouble and pain of sacrificing His own Son, certainly His plans for us can't be thwarted, He is committed to them because He loves the Son and therefore loves us, too.

Milwaukee Brewers Top Prospects 2026 - 27

 

SP

Luis Aguayo  18y/o  RH  DSL   ERA  2.36  IP 34  BB 6  K 33

Daniel Garcia  18 y/o LH  DSL  ERA 2.40  Avg .176

Tanner Gillis 26y/o RH AA injured but career stats ERA 2.91 Avg. .227 WHIP 1.08

RP

 Paul Hoff  19y/o RH  DSL  W-L 6-0  ERA 2.01  IP 44  K 45  Avg .183

Jesus Vasquez  18y/o RH  DSL  W-L  7-2  ERA 2.70 Avg .192

Jose Meneses 21y/o  LH High A  W-L 6-0  ERA 2.21  IP 57 K 72 WHIP 1.04  Avg. 165

Anferny Reyes  22y/o LH  Low A  ERA 2.05  IP 22  K 31  AVG. 181  WHIP  .91

Michael Fowler  24y/o  RH  High A  ERA  2.23  IP  40  K 43  Avg. .184

Cameron Wagoner 25y/o RH AAA  ERA 1.48 IP 42.2 K 59 WHIP .84

Brian Fitzpatrick 26y/o LH AAA injured but ERA 1.13 AVG .222 WHIP 1.00

Infielders

SS Leonard Rijo  ACL  18y/o R/R   .308/.427/.451/.878

2B  Leanders Matos  DSL  17y/o R/R   .346/.455/.598/1.053  BB 35  K 30 HR 10  SB 18

SS  Ricki Moneys   DSL   17 y/o  R/R   .286/.434/.470/.904   BB 44  K 44  SB 27

SS  Santiago Garcia  DSL  17y/o  R/R  .307/.459/.360/.819   BB 31  K  27  SB 16

SS Diego Frontada   DSL  17y/o R/R   .285/.443/.535/.978   BB 36  K 28  HR  10  SB 15

3B/1B Andrew Fischer AA  22y/o L/R  .273/.413/.654/ 1.067  HR 48 RBI 114 BB 102

2B  Daniel Dickinson  AA   22y/o R/R .283/.428/.438/ .866  SB 61 BB90 K 104

1B  Blake Burke  AA  23y/o L/L  .285/.367/.603/.970  HR 30  RBI 88

2B  Luis Pena High A 19y/o R/R  .298/.384/.420/.804

SS  Jesus Made  AA  19y/o S/R  .271/.344/.430/.774  RBI 91

1B  Luke Adams AAA 22y/o  R/R  .267/.423/.547/.970 BB 42 K 42 HBP 21 HR 16

Catchers

  Matthew Wood  AA  25y/o  L/R  .257/.398/.492/.890  BB 71  K 52  HR 18

Outfielders

Brailyn Antunez  Low A  18 y/o R/R  .302/.407/.529/.936   HR 16  RBI 74

Josh Adamczewski  AA  21 y/o L/R  .300/.417/.509/.926  HR 18  RBI  72

Damon Keith AA  26 y/o R/R  .300/.367/.516/.883 

Braylon Payne AA 20y/o  L/L .277/.358/.552/.910   HR 28

So 26 legit prospects. Got to go to DSL for starters which is sad but Arnold will find us some and Hook and Henderson will do their magic. Made is number one prospect but his numbers need to improve. Hated to lose Ragsdale whose numbers were arguably some of the best in our minors. Fischer was top Milb player in all of baseball but his whiff numbers give him bad MLB comps. However his 102 walks have to count for something. Maybe Adam Dunn is a better comparison. At best Shwarber? Payne had a good year but needs to cut back on K's. Wood, our only catcher made big jumps in slugging this year. Maybe him and Naylor platooning will replace Contreras in '28. Why isn't Wagoner getting a try at Milwaukee? If Harrison bombs again, I'd give him a shot. Pena had another good year but had a hard time staying healthy. Look for a great year from him next year. Boeve didn't make the list but had 112 hits and makes great contact every time I've seen him play. Hope he goes to AAA next year and excels. Tyler Black, sigh, we had such high hopes! Adamczewski fell off a little at AA but look for him to be promoted to AA midseason as he seems to be an accomplished hitter and OBP guy. Burke will be a great AAA power hitter but Fischer and Adams will keep him blocked.

They say we are the top minor league system but when you look at our pitching I don't see how. Hopefully we drafted some good ones this year.

Thoughts From Romans 8

  In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. Rom. 8:26-28

         Have you ever watched a Hallmark Christmas movie? Here is the formula that repeats itself over and over;

1. Setup - A strong female lead is working a high-pressure job and has little time for Christmas or love.

2. Disruption - Due to a crisis such as a broken-down car or an unrealistic deadline, the lead is forced to travel to a small festive Christmas town aided by a bachelor who annoys her because he is not on a deadline and loves Christmas.

3. Warmup - Forced to work together either setting up the town festival or baking cookies, the two begin to develop feelings

4. Misunderstanding - Some untruth or partial or previous truth comes out driving a wedge in their relationship with a breakup

5. Resolution - The explanation comes out with a confession of love under falling snow and a kiss with a happily ever after.

    This is Romans 8:26-28 in a nutshell. God, the author knows the beginning and the end of our story and it has a happy ending. We don't know the story as we are the actors going through it in real time. Therefore when we get to #2, the disruption, quite often we are frustrated, anxious, annoyed as we pray for God to deliver us from this crisis. Quite often our prayers would be to be taken out of the mess or something totally contrary to the trajectory and happy ending of our story which God knows. Therefore, the Holy Spirit, who is God inside us, prays for us to the Father in accordance with His will;

The Spirit searches all things, even the deep things of God. 11 For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God. 12 What we have received is not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may understand what God has freely given us. 1Cor 2:11,12

 In other words, the lead is praying, "Lord, help my broken-down car to start so I can get out of this hick town and get back to New York City", and the Holy Spirit is praying, "Father, Holly (usually named after a Christmas pun) doesn't know what she is praying for so don't listen to her. Help the rugged bachelor to show up soon." And later, during stage 4, the misunderstanding, the rugged bachelor is praying, "Lord heal my broken heart and lead me to the woman you have for me and help me be more discerning next time", and the Holy Spirit is praying, "Father, Joe doesn't know the end of the story so ignore that prayer. Soften his heart to accept the explanation for the letter he just read on her typewriter. Fan those flames of forgiveness and love in his heart."

      And then, the "all things" - the heartbreak, misunderstandings, crises, frustrations - work together for good when the end is revealed.

       I'm sure you have numerous Hallmark movie experiences in your life. I know I have too many to tell. Some you might be in the midst of and may not even see the resolution until Heaven, but God's word promises that He is interceding for you through them and He is going to bring good out of them. This is a promise from God's word. Rest in it!

Thoughts From Acts 15 - Part 1

 Certain people came down from Judea to Antioch and were teaching the believers: “Unless you are circumcised, according to the custom taught by Moses, you cannot be saved.” 2 This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with them. So Paul and Barnabas were appointed, along with some other believers, to go up to Jerusalem to see the apostles and elders about this question. 3 The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad. 4 When they came to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders, to whom they reported everything God had done through them.  Then some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “The Gentiles must be circumcised and required to keep the law of Moses.” Acts 15:1-5

       I had talked earlier in the "Left Behind" book series, people saved in the tribulation would receive a smudge mark on their foreheads. This is taken from Revelation 7:3-8, 9:4, 14:1, 22:3,4. The first-generation believers, as the gospel went to Romans, Gentiles, Samaritans to confirm salvation spoke in tongues. This was their "smudge mark". There was confirmation of the Holy Spirit coming into them by speaking in tongues, the way it was confirmed at Pentecost to those OG's praying in the upper room. This confirmation was essential as seen in chapter 15.

 A group of "Twitter Bible Scholars" were arguing theology, specifically that gentiles couldn't be saved without circumcision. They weren't arguing that once you are saved, circumcision like baptism is an act of obedience but rather circumcision was required for salvation. I guess women couldn't be saved or were granted an exception? Maybe they had to wear hats, I don't know. But anyway, just like Cornelius and friends received the Holy Spirit before baptism, they also received the Holy Spirit before circumcision. This confirmation should have been the end to that argument but to make it official, they are going to have the first church counsel to make it official.

     I just saw that Deion Sanders spoke in tongues at a press conference. I'm not saying he isn't saved but speaking in tongues is not proof of salvation today. Paul says that tongues aren't a sign for believers but unbelievers. Therefore, if you are requiring someone to speak in tongues before you grant them positions of leadership in the church like in the Assemblies of God. I've had Assemblies of God people pray over me to receive tongues and when I didn't, they were concerned for my salvation. They wanted tongues to be a sign to the believers which Paul says it isn't. They were wanting me to have that "smudge mark" but today we just don't know for sure if someone like Deion is saved. Only God knows the heart.

     Fortunately, he has given me the Spirit and I know because the Spirit testifies to me that I'm saved. It would be nice if we could tell for sure on others but that's just not the way that God has chosen to work in this period of time. Instead of just looking for unbelievers to witness to, we share to everyone not knowing who is saved. Instead of hiring Pastors with "smudge marks" we occasionally hire imposters and let imposters lead worship and teach our kids in Sunday School. It happens all the time and can't be avoided. What question would you ask that would weed out 99% of phonies? Let me think on that one.

Thoughts From Acts 14 - Part 3

 Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20 But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe.21 They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,” they said. 23 Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24 After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25 and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.26 From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27 On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they stayed there a long time with the disciples. Acts 14:19-28

         Of all the things that Paul went through, and he lists them all in 2Corinthians 11, this stoning had the biggest impact, I believe, on Paul. First, I think he had a near death experience as described in 2 Cor 12;

" I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the body or out of the body I do not know—God knows. 3 And I know that this man—whether in the body or apart from the body I do not know, but God knows— 4 was caught up to paradise and heard inexpressible things, things that no one is permitted to tell."

       This beatific vision kept him going during hard times because he had already seen the glory awaiting him so he could say, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain"

       Second, he knew he was invincible. What do I mean by that? I think he joined Peter who didn't need to fear Herod's imprisonment because in John 21 Jesus had already told him that he would live to an old age, and David who didn't need to fear Goliath because he was told he'd be king someday. Ananias, and I believe he relayed this to Paul, when sent to lay hands on Paul to remove his blindness, was told that Paul would preach before kings. That hadn't happened yet, so Paul was invincible until then. If you can survive a stoning, you can survive anything. He was so emboldened that on his way home, instead of avoiding that city, he went right back through it.

      Third, I think it physically, permanently damaged him. Maybe this happened at another time, but Paul alludes to bad eyes or a malady of vision, possibly his thorn in the flesh which may have been a direct result of this stoning. This malady kept him humble and reliant on God and allowed churches to minister to his needs when he came, not just the other way around. Paul came in at times like a sick puppy rather than a roaring lion and softened his normally brash personality endearing him to the churches.

      Lastly, this doubles the mission efforts. When Paul gets back to Antioch, there sits John Mark who left the trip after a nice time on the island of Cyprus. He missed out on all the rejection, running for their lives, stoning, and establishing of churches in the midst of persecution. Paul says, "He's not coming on any more trips with me!" Barnabas, always the encourager takes John Mark with him. Paul takes Silas, and now two missionary teams set out.

      When he later penned, "All things work together for good", this event was an "all things". Look at the pain in your life and see how God is working in it to bring good. You may not see it yet, but you will either in this life or the next.