1. Paul and Barnabas spoke in the Jewish meeting place in Iconium, just as they had done at Antioch, and many Jews and Gentiles put their faith in the Lord. 2. But the Jews who did not have faith in him made the other Gentiles angry and turned them against the Lord's followers. 3. Paul and Barnabas stayed there for a while, having faith in the Lord and bravely speaking his message. The Lord gave them the power to work miracles and wonders, and he showed that their message about his great kindness was true.
4. The people of Iconium did not know what to think. Some of them believed the Jewish group, and others believed the apostles. 5. Finally, some Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, decided to make trouble for Paul and Barnabas and to stone them to death.
6-7. But when the two apostles found out what was happening, they escaped to the region of Lycaonia. They preached the good news there in the towns of Lystra and Derbe and in the nearby countryside.
The political wisdom in some camps suggests the nation of Israel should negotiate a peace with Hezbollah...a group that has sworn to destroy Israel. I don't understand the logic. This is like the mouse negotiating with the cat over how close they should sleep.
But, believe me...stranger things have happened...with predictable results.
In the first century there was nothing that could get a pious Jew to work in concert with a Gentile. To them, Gentiles were dogs...beneath contempt. Except...when it comes to Jesus.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend!"
So, we have the Gospel of Jesus posing such a threat to Jewish sensibilities that they courted the Gentile vote in order to get rid of the Apostles.
This tells me one thing for sure. When I catch myself saying "I shouldn't be doing this", I shouldn't be.
Even at that, they were unable to stop the power of the Gospel. It's such a silly notion...form an unholy alliance to stop the unstoppable.
But we try. We take the wrong jobs, we marry the wrong people, we hang with the wrong crowd...all unholy alliances...just to keep God from having His way in our lives. If we're honest, we know it's true. Not that we consciously intended to violate the things we hold dear. It's in our nature we do it naturally. Ask the Jews in Iconium.
On the other hand, we could determine in our hearts to give God what He's going to get anyway...His way. In the process our relationship with God deepens, our joy expands, and our peace grows beyond measure.
Or, we could live lives of futile anxiety and desperation. I'm just saying...
Live boldly out there today...
May 21, 2011
May 20, 2011
Acts 13:13-52, Paul and Barnabas at Antioch in Pisidia
Paul and the others left Paphos and sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. But John left them and went back to Jerusalem. Then on the Sabbath they went to the Jewish meeting place and sat down. After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders sent someone over to tell Paul and Barnabas, "Friends, if you have anything to say that will help the people, please say it."
Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said: People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, and for about forty years he took care of them in the desert. He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. All this happened in about 450 years. Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, but the people demanded a king. So for forty years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, "David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do.
God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and that one is Jesus. But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, "Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals." Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets that they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said. They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. But God raised him from death! Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him.
God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,"You are my son because today I have become your Father." God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,;"I will make to you the same holy promise.
And in another psalm it says, "God will never let the body of his Holy One decay." When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay. My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. Make sure that what the prophets have said doesn't happen to you. They said,"Look, you people who make fun of God! Be amazed and disappear. I will do something today that you won't believe, even if someone tells you about it!"
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the meeting, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath. After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them. The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord. When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said. But Paul and Barnabas bravely said: We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles. The Lord has given us this command"I have placed you here as a light for the Gentiles. You are to take the saving power of God to people everywhere on earth."
This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord. The message about the Lord spread all over that region. But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of that part of the country. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium. But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jealousy is an ugly thing...it turns good into bad.
All of this started out fine. In fact, it was the Jewish elders who actually asked Paul to come and speak. By all accounts they were pretty sanguine with the message...until Paul became a Rock Star. He was received well enough to be asked back the following week. When he showed up, the entire city was there. "When the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with jealousy."
Not jealous for their tradition...jealous of Paul's popularity. In other words...we don't care what you say as you don't get any attention.
So, Paul and Barnabas were kicked out of town. But, not before everybody that God had chosen...believed. It's hard to stand up against those kinds of results.
Paul went away happy. I'm reminded that pettiness and jealousy virtually never hurt the object of scorn as much as it hurts the perpetrator. Who are we jealous of today? I'll bet if we're honest, we don't even have a biblical reason.
So...why bother. Its a waste of energy and only makes us look foolish.
Live boldly out there today...
Paul got up. He motioned with his hand and said: People of Israel, and everyone else who worships God, listen! The God of Israel chose our ancestors, and he let our people prosper while they were living in Egypt. Then with his mighty power he led them out, and for about forty years he took care of them in the desert. He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and gave their land to our people. All this happened in about 450 years. Then God gave our people judges until the time of the prophet Samuel, but the people demanded a king. So for forty years God gave them King Saul, the son of Kish from the tribe of Benjamin. Later, God removed Saul and let David rule in his place. God said about him, "David the son of Jesse is the kind of person who pleases me most! He does everything I want him to do.
God promised that someone from David's family would come to save the people of Israel, and that one is Jesus. But before Jesus came, John was telling everyone in Israel to turn back to God and be baptized. Then, when John's work was almost done, he said, "Who do you people think I am? Do you think I am the Promised One? He will come later, and I am not good enough to untie his sandals." Now listen, you descendants of Abraham! Pay attention, all of you Gentiles who are here to worship God! Listen to this message about how to be saved, because it is for everyone. The people of Jerusalem and their leaders didn't realize who Jesus was. And they didn't understand the words of the prophets that they read each Sabbath. So they condemned Jesus just as the prophets had said. They did exactly what the Scriptures said they would. Even though they couldn't find any reason to put Jesus to death, they still asked Pilate to have him killed.
After Jesus had been put to death, he was taken down from the cross and placed in a tomb. But God raised him from death! Then for many days Jesus appeared to his followers who had gone with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. Now they are telling our people about him.
God made a promise to our ancestors. And we are here to tell you the good news that he has kept this promise to us. It is just as the second Psalm says about Jesus,"You are my son because today I have become your Father." God raised Jesus from death and will never let his body decay. It is just as God said,;"I will make to you the same holy promise.
And in another psalm it says, "God will never let the body of his Holy One decay." When David was alive, he obeyed God. Then after he died, he was buried in the family grave, and his body decayed. But God raised Jesus from death, and his body did not decay. My friends, the message is that Jesus can forgive your sins! The Law of Moses could not set you free from all your sins. But everyone who has faith in Jesus is set free. Make sure that what the prophets have said doesn't happen to you. They said,"Look, you people who make fun of God! Be amazed and disappear. I will do something today that you won't believe, even if someone tells you about it!"
As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the meeting, the people begged them to say more about these same things on the next Sabbath. After the service, many Jews and a lot of Gentiles who worshiped God went with them. Paul and Barnabas begged them all to remain faithful to God, who had been so kind to them. The next Sabbath almost everyone in town came to hear the message about the Lord. When the Jewish people saw the crowds, they were very jealous. They insulted Paul and spoke against everything he said. But Paul and Barnabas bravely said: We had to tell God's message to you before we told it to anyone else. But you rejected the message! This proves that you don't deserve eternal life. Now we are going to the Gentiles. The Lord has given us this command"I have placed you here as a light for the Gentiles. You are to take the saving power of God to people everywhere on earth."
This message made the Gentiles glad, and they praised what they had heard about the Lord. Everyone who had been chosen for eternal life then put their faith in the Lord. The message about the Lord spread all over that region. But the Jewish leaders went to some of the important men in the town and to some respected women who were religious. They turned them against Paul and Barnabas and started making trouble for them. They even chased them out of that part of the country. Paul and Barnabas shook the dust from that place off their feet and went on to the city of Iconium. But the Lord's followers in Antioch were very happy and were filled with the Holy Spirit.
Jealousy is an ugly thing...it turns good into bad.
All of this started out fine. In fact, it was the Jewish elders who actually asked Paul to come and speak. By all accounts they were pretty sanguine with the message...until Paul became a Rock Star. He was received well enough to be asked back the following week. When he showed up, the entire city was there. "When the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with jealousy."
Not jealous for their tradition...jealous of Paul's popularity. In other words...we don't care what you say as you don't get any attention.
So, Paul and Barnabas were kicked out of town. But, not before everybody that God had chosen...believed. It's hard to stand up against those kinds of results.
Paul went away happy. I'm reminded that pettiness and jealousy virtually never hurt the object of scorn as much as it hurts the perpetrator. Who are we jealous of today? I'll bet if we're honest, we don't even have a biblical reason.
So...why bother. Its a waste of energy and only makes us look foolish.
Live boldly out there today...
May 19, 2011
Acts 13:4-12, Barnabas and Saul in Cyprus
4After Barnabas and Saul had been sent by the Holy Spirit, they went to Seleucia. From there they sailed to the island of Cyprus. 5They arrived at Salamis and began to preach God's message in the Jewish meeting places. They also had John as a helper. 6Barnabas and Saul went all the way to the city of Paphos on the other end of the island, where they met a Jewish man named Bar-Jesus. He practiced witchcraft and was a false prophet. 7He also worked for Sergius Paulus, who was very smart and was the governor of the island. Sergius Paulus wanted to hear God's message, and he sent for Barnabas and Saul. 8But Bar-Jesus, whose other name was Elymas, was against them. He even tried to keep the governor from having faith in the Lord.
9Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10and said, "You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while."
Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
A friend of mine is sending his daughter to college. He texted me and asked if it would be OK for his daughter to join a sorority if her intention was to witness. I told him it was the wrong question. It is, however, the question we generally ask..."can I do "X" if I also do "Y"?
We send a lot of people to do a lot of things. I wonder if our list of people sent is the same list the Holy Spirit has...
We should be able to answer based on clear biblical evidence. Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit...When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
1. Are we sending "Spirit filled" people?
2. Are people putting their faith in the Lord?
That's all the evidence we need. So...my advice to my friend: Your daughter can go wherever she wants if she's filled with the Holy Spirit.
Live boldly out there today...
9Then Saul, better known as Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit. He looked straight at Elymas 10and said, "You son of the devil! You are a liar, a crook, and an enemy of everything that is right. When will you stop speaking against the true ways of the Lord? 11The Lord is going to punish you by making you completely blind for a while."
Suddenly the man's eyes were covered by a dark mist, and he went around trying to get someone to lead him by the hand. 12When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
A friend of mine is sending his daughter to college. He texted me and asked if it would be OK for his daughter to join a sorority if her intention was to witness. I told him it was the wrong question. It is, however, the question we generally ask..."can I do "X" if I also do "Y"?
We send a lot of people to do a lot of things. I wonder if our list of people sent is the same list the Holy Spirit has...
We should be able to answer based on clear biblical evidence. Paul, was filled with the Holy Spirit...When the governor saw what had happened, he was amazed at this teaching about the Lord. So he put his faith in the Lord.
1. Are we sending "Spirit filled" people?
2. Are people putting their faith in the Lord?
That's all the evidence we need. So...my advice to my friend: Your daughter can go wherever she wants if she's filled with the Holy Spirit.
Live boldly out there today...
May 18, 2011
Acts 13:1-3, Barnabas and Saul are chosen and sent
1The church at Antioch had several prophets and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon, also called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who was Herod's close friend, and Saul. 2While they were worshiping the Lord and going without eating, the Holy Spirit told them, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul to do the work for which I have chosen them." 3Everyone prayed and went without eating for a while longer. Next, they placed their hands on Barnabas and Saul to show that they had been appointed to do this work. Then everyone sent them on their way.
First...a brief history lesson from Wikipedia :
Herod the Great was elected King of the Jews by the Roman Senate and ruled Israel until 4 BCE; at his death his kingdom was divided among his three sons.
Herod Archelaus, was given the main part of the kingdom: Judea, Edom and Samaria. He ruled for ten years until 6 CE when he was "banished".
Herod II (Philip I), was given jurisdiction over the northeast part of his father's kingdom; he ruled there until his death in 34.
Herod Antipas, was made ruler of the Galilee and Perea; he ruled there until he was exiled to Spain by emperor Caligula in 39. Herod Antipas is also the person who played a role in the death of John the Baptist and the trial of Jesus.
Agrippa I , the grandson of Herod, was appointed as ruler of the territories of Herod II after his death in 34, and in 39 he was given the territories of Herod Antipas. In 41 emperor Claudius added to his territory the parts of Judea province that previously belonged to Herod Archelaus. Thus Agrippa re-united his grandfather's kingdom under his rule. He died in 44.
Agrippa is the King referred to in Acts 12...so what has taken a dozen chapters in the Book of Acts accounts for about 14 calendar years. It is now 44AD.
And...in those years, the Body of Christ had infiltrated the highest reaches of power. I find this pretty amazing. Manaen (in today's account), identified as a close friend of Herod, was actually Herod Antipas' foster brother. A brother of the pagan king...was a prophet and teacher in the church at Antioch!
Amazing...those Christians are everywhere! The White House. the Pentagon, just name it. There are Christians wherever we go...if we just inquire. I'm sorry to say I've worked with many people for years before I knew they were believers.
I'll bet our lives would be far more comfortable and joyful if we knew exactly how many friends we were dealing with daily. Maybe we should ask around a bit.
Live boldly out there today...
First...a brief history lesson from Wikipedia :
Herod the Great was elected King of the Jews by the Roman Senate and ruled Israel until 4 BCE; at his death his kingdom was divided among his three sons.
Herod Archelaus, was given the main part of the kingdom: Judea, Edom and Samaria. He ruled for ten years until 6 CE when he was "banished".
Herod II (Philip I), was given jurisdiction over the northeast part of his father's kingdom; he ruled there until his death in 34.
Herod Antipas, was made ruler of the Galilee and Perea; he ruled there until he was exiled to Spain by emperor Caligula in 39. Herod Antipas is also the person who played a role in the death of John the Baptist and the trial of Jesus.
Agrippa I , the grandson of Herod, was appointed as ruler of the territories of Herod II after his death in 34, and in 39 he was given the territories of Herod Antipas. In 41 emperor Claudius added to his territory the parts of Judea province that previously belonged to Herod Archelaus. Thus Agrippa re-united his grandfather's kingdom under his rule. He died in 44.
Agrippa is the King referred to in Acts 12...so what has taken a dozen chapters in the Book of Acts accounts for about 14 calendar years. It is now 44AD.
And...in those years, the Body of Christ had infiltrated the highest reaches of power. I find this pretty amazing. Manaen (in today's account), identified as a close friend of Herod, was actually Herod Antipas' foster brother. A brother of the pagan king...was a prophet and teacher in the church at Antioch!
Amazing...those Christians are everywhere! The White House. the Pentagon, just name it. There are Christians wherever we go...if we just inquire. I'm sorry to say I've worked with many people for years before I knew they were believers.
I'll bet our lives would be far more comfortable and joyful if we knew exactly how many friends we were dealing with daily. Maybe we should ask around a bit.
Live boldly out there today...
May 17, 2011
Acts 12:20-25, Herod Dies
20Herod and the people of Tyre and Sidon were very angry with each other. But their country got its food supply from the region that he ruled. So a group of them went to see Blastus, who was one of Herod's high officials. They convinced Blastus that they wanted to make peace between their cities and Herod, 21and a day was set for them to meet with him.
Herod came dressed in his royal robes. He sat down on his throne and made a speech. 22The people shouted, "You speak more like a god than a man!" 23At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.
24God's message kept spreading. 25And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do, they went back to Jerusalem with John, whose other name was Mark.
Do you think God will ever share his glory? His response will not always be as direct as it was with Herod, but we can be sure of this: If we make even the most benign efforts to assume glory reserved for God, it will cost us.
It might look like "great sermon, pastor!" (not a lot different than "you sound more like a God than a man") and we simply nod our head knowingly...when the truth is, that parishioner got it wrong.
Or it might sound like "thank you for your gracious gift. I don't know how we would have built that addition without you."
Please! It's not false humility to respond by saying "really, it's nothing". It's the truth.
Live boldly out there today...
Herod came dressed in his royal robes. He sat down on his throne and made a speech. 22The people shouted, "You speak more like a god than a man!" 23At once an angel from the Lord struck him down because he took the honor that belonged to God. Later, Herod was eaten by worms and died.
24God's message kept spreading. 25And after Barnabas and Saul had done the work they were sent to do, they went back to Jerusalem with John, whose other name was Mark.
Do you think God will ever share his glory? His response will not always be as direct as it was with Herod, but we can be sure of this: If we make even the most benign efforts to assume glory reserved for God, it will cost us.
It might look like "great sermon, pastor!" (not a lot different than "you sound more like a God than a man") and we simply nod our head knowingly...when the truth is, that parishioner got it wrong.
Or it might sound like "thank you for your gracious gift. I don't know how we would have built that addition without you."
Please! It's not false humility to respond by saying "really, it's nothing". It's the truth.
Live boldly out there today...
May 16, 2011
Acts 12:6-19, Peter is Rescued
6The night before Peter was to be put on trial, he was asleep and bound by two chains. A soldier was guarding him on each side, and two other soldiers were guarding the entrance to the jail. 7Suddenly an angel from the Lord appeared, and light flashed around in the cell. The angel poked Peter in the side and woke him up. Then he said, "Quick! Get up!"
The chains fell off his hands, 8and the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, "Now put on your coat and follow me." 9Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. 10They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared.
11Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, "I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me." 12Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord's followers had come together there and were praying.
13Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there.
15"You are crazy!" everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, "It must be his angel." 16But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed. 17Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail. He also said, "Tell James and the others what has happened." After that, he left and went somewhere else. 18The next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to Peter. Herod ordered his own soldiers to search for him, but they could not find him. Then he questioned the guards and had them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
So this is what happens when people pray!
The results were so amazing the people praying couldn't even believe it. Of course, that didn't deter God. I think God gets a great deal of pleasure out of demonstrating His power for us. Yet...we act like we're trying to take some pressure off Him by lowering our expectations.
So really...what were those folks praying for? "Lord, grant Peter peace in this time of adversity?" Now there's a safe one. If Peter lacks peace we can always say it's his fault, not God's. Our construct of an omnipotent God is not threatened. On the other hand, "Lord, remove Peter from that prison cell" would be more risky. After all, how often do those things happen?
I notice God did it anyway...and not really "in spite" of those prayers. Prayer of any kind accesses the power of God. However, I'm not unconvinced that the miraculous evidence of God in our lives is somehow related to our ability to imagine the unimaginable in our faith and our prayers.
What are we praying for?
Live boldly out there today...
The chains fell off his hands, 8and the angel said, "Get dressed and put on your sandals." Peter did what he was told. Then the angel said, "Now put on your coat and follow me." 9Peter left with the angel, but he thought everything was only a dream. 10They went past the two groups of soldiers, and when they came to the iron gate to the city, it opened by itself. They went out and were going along the street, when all at once the angel disappeared.
11Peter now realized what had happened, and he said, "I am certain that the Lord sent his angel to rescue me from Herod and from everything the Jewish leaders planned to do to me." 12Then Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John whose other name was Mark. Many of the Lord's followers had come together there and were praying.
13Peter knocked on the gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14When she heard Peter's voice, she was too excited to open the gate. She ran back into the house and said that Peter was standing there.
15"You are crazy!" everyone told her. But she kept saying that it was Peter. Then they said, "It must be his angel." 16But Peter kept on knocking, until finally they opened the gate. They saw him and were completely amazed. 17Peter motioned for them to keep quiet. Then he told how the Lord had led him out of jail. He also said, "Tell James and the others what has happened." After that, he left and went somewhere else. 18The next morning the soldiers who had been on guard were terribly worried and wondered what had happened to Peter. Herod ordered his own soldiers to search for him, but they could not find him. Then he questioned the guards and had them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea to stay in Caesarea for a while.
So this is what happens when people pray!
The results were so amazing the people praying couldn't even believe it. Of course, that didn't deter God. I think God gets a great deal of pleasure out of demonstrating His power for us. Yet...we act like we're trying to take some pressure off Him by lowering our expectations.
So really...what were those folks praying for? "Lord, grant Peter peace in this time of adversity?" Now there's a safe one. If Peter lacks peace we can always say it's his fault, not God's. Our construct of an omnipotent God is not threatened. On the other hand, "Lord, remove Peter from that prison cell" would be more risky. After all, how often do those things happen?
I notice God did it anyway...and not really "in spite" of those prayers. Prayer of any kind accesses the power of God. However, I'm not unconvinced that the miraculous evidence of God in our lives is somehow related to our ability to imagine the unimaginable in our faith and our prayers.
What are we praying for?
Live boldly out there today...
May 15, 2011
Acts 12:1-5, Herod Causes trouble for the Church
1At that time King Herod caused terrible suffering for some members of the church. 2He ordered soldiers to cut off the head of James, the brother of John. 3When Herod saw that this pleased the Jewish people, he had Peter arrested during the Festival of Thin Bread. 4He put Peter in jail and ordered four squads of soldiers to guard him. Herod planned to put him on trial in public after the festival. 5While Peter was being kept in jail, the church never stopped praying to God for him.
It was an ugly time for Christians in the first century...but in context, more Christians were martyred in the 20th century than all other centuries combined. It's never really safe to be a follower of Christ. From the very beginning there has been opposition. Whatever the visible source, we know that opposition derives directly from the gates of hell.
Which is why it is so formidable...
We don't often see this in the United States. We believe we are being persecuted when we hear there is a move afoot to eliminate tax exemption for churches. We feel abused when the name of Jesus is maligned in the media. We have no clue.
Jesus is hated with a vengeance. Why else would James be beheaded...except to send a message? We cannot expect the the church in America will escape for ever. Which makes me wonder...was 9-11, in some measure, perpetrated because we have traditionally been a christian nation? After all, scripture tells us the name of Jesus will be an affront to all nations.
It may have already started here...for real.
What do we plan to do about it? I notice the church in Peter's day never stopped praying...unlike the modern day church in America...which has never really started praying. This could be a bumpy ride.
Live boldly out there today...
It was an ugly time for Christians in the first century...but in context, more Christians were martyred in the 20th century than all other centuries combined. It's never really safe to be a follower of Christ. From the very beginning there has been opposition. Whatever the visible source, we know that opposition derives directly from the gates of hell.
Which is why it is so formidable...
We don't often see this in the United States. We believe we are being persecuted when we hear there is a move afoot to eliminate tax exemption for churches. We feel abused when the name of Jesus is maligned in the media. We have no clue.
Jesus is hated with a vengeance. Why else would James be beheaded...except to send a message? We cannot expect the the church in America will escape for ever. Which makes me wonder...was 9-11, in some measure, perpetrated because we have traditionally been a christian nation? After all, scripture tells us the name of Jesus will be an affront to all nations.
It may have already started here...for real.
What do we plan to do about it? I notice the church in Peter's day never stopped praying...unlike the modern day church in America...which has never really started praying. This could be a bumpy ride.
Live boldly out there today...
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