What’s the theme of the Bible? Most would say something about redemption, salvation, or hope. All that is wrapped up in what Jesus came to offer us – eternal life. That is in a nutshell, the Good News. When someone realizes they’ve been a slave to sin, and then finds there’s a way out, it would seem difficult to understand why they wouldn’t want freedom. However, freedom isn’t free, and often times, isn’t easy to come by.
Throughout the Bible we read of many stories about people facing seemingly impossible tasks and situations, but they trusted in God and amazing things happened. In the book of Acts in particularly, we read of many conversions of people coming out of bondage to sin. But there was a cost. Some were ostracized from family, kicked out of town, abused terribly. All because they wanted to be free.
Peter and John set the tone for the beginning story of Christianity in Acts 4:13-20 when they were arrested for preaching the gospel. Here we read, “When [the Sanhedrin counsel] saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus… (17) They ordered them not to speak about Him anymore, but Peter answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”
Paul also demonstrated that kind of boldness in proclaiming the good news to the Gentiles. He reminded the brethren at Thessalonica in 1 Thessalonians 2:1-2, “You yourselves know that our visit to you was not a failure. Remember how badly we were treated at Philippi, yet our God gave us the courage to declare his Good News to you boldly, in spite of great opposition.”
The boldness of Peter and John lives on in those willing to stand unashamed for the freedom Christ brings us. There are many people hungry to hear the good news. People that recognize that where they are at is spiritually (and physically) dangerous. They are people who will listen if we’ll be bold enough to tell them. But we must do as Joshua commanded those heading into Canaan land in Joshua 1:9, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.”
Christians today need to understand that they’re not alone. Knowing that faithful people all around the world are standing in the gap proclaiming the Good News to those trapped in spiritual darkness, should inspire each of us to be more bold in our own faith. Paul reveals the kind of battle we are facing, and the kind of weapons we have to boldly fight with in Ephesians 6:10-17. But then he concludes in (18-19), “pray at all times… keep alert with all perseverance… so that [our] words may be [preached] boldly to proclaim the mystery of the gospel…”
Friday, June 23, 2017
Friday, June 9, 2017
How do your shoes fit?
Have you ever bought a new pair of shoes that look and feel great in the store, but once you’ve worn them a day or two discover that they wear blisters on your feet? At that point you have to decide if the blisters are worth the wearing. It would be easy to go get new shoes, or put those on the shelf somewhere in the back of the closet. While that might be good advice when you’re talking about shoes, but when it comes to spreading the gospel it’s a different story.
Paul said in Romans 10:14-15, “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”
Try to put yourself in Paul’s “shoes” when it comes to his efforts in Thessalonica. You show up to Macedonia’s largest city where you had tremendous success in spreading the gospel. But your success also came with a lot of opposition. While the Gentiles welcomed the message, the Jews caused such havoc for you that you had to sneak out of town at night.
How would you feel about the new brothers and sisters in Christ who stayed behind, who lived there, worked there, and worshiped there? There’s an old saying, “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water,” which basically means just because the water's dirty, don’t get rid of the treasure inside of it. Paul had a longing to see those brethren strengthened so that they would stay “faithful unto death.”
In his letter to those who worshiped there, he says in 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.”
In spite of those who made it their aim to ruin the work and influence of the church in Thessalonica, the genuine followers of Christ let their light shine beyond their borders. This is the challenge for any congregation anywhere in the world – to let their light shine regardless of those who may do everything within their power to snuff out the light. Keep burning bright for our Lord!
Paul said in Romans 10:14-15, “But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”
Try to put yourself in Paul’s “shoes” when it comes to his efforts in Thessalonica. You show up to Macedonia’s largest city where you had tremendous success in spreading the gospel. But your success also came with a lot of opposition. While the Gentiles welcomed the message, the Jews caused such havoc for you that you had to sneak out of town at night.
How would you feel about the new brothers and sisters in Christ who stayed behind, who lived there, worked there, and worshiped there? There’s an old saying, “don’t throw the baby out with the bath water,” which basically means just because the water's dirty, don’t get rid of the treasure inside of it. Paul had a longing to see those brethren strengthened so that they would stay “faithful unto death.”
In his letter to those who worshiped there, he says in 1 Thessalonians 1:6-8, “You became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything.”
In spite of those who made it their aim to ruin the work and influence of the church in Thessalonica, the genuine followers of Christ let their light shine beyond their borders. This is the challenge for any congregation anywhere in the world – to let their light shine regardless of those who may do everything within their power to snuff out the light. Keep burning bright for our Lord!
Sunday, June 4, 2017
Joseph's Lesson
Why did the Prodigal son wait until he was eating pig slop to go back home? Maybe it was pride, maybe stupidity, maybe something else; but regardless our reasons, we can only imagine what was going through his mind before he came to the realization of his situation.
We can read in Luke 15:17-20 and learn something about his situation that perhaps we can all relate to at one time or another. “When he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger…'”
Maybe coming to your senses would be equivalent to waking up from a hard fall that you can’t remember, or waking up in a fog after being under anesthetics. No matter what picture it paints in your mind, Jesus is describing a man who had been blind to his condition and/or the consequences of his decisions.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan, the god of this world, is who presents situations to us that make it easier not to see God’s will for our life.
But Hebrews 5:14 describes those who aren’t blinded by Satan; they are the mature, “…who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Solomon said in Proverbs 22:3, “The prudent (wise) sees danger (evil) and hides himself, but the simple (the blind) go on and suffer for it.”
The Prodigal Son accepted that coming to the father may require a totally submissive position, one filled with humility. He not only accepted it, but made every effort to get there. The story of Joseph found in Genesis 37-45, and his journey from Canaan Land to Egypt. He endured a lot of things that caused him to feel like he was living in pig slop. Even though God was leading him there in order to save many people, Joseph didn’t figure that out until later.
As you consider his journey, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see how his pride in who he was, or what God was going to do for him, caused him to act in such a way that resulted in being beaten up and rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and sent to prison.
The point I hope you take from this is how much humility may have changed his situation in life. As was stated, God had a plan for him, but doesn’t He have a plan for you and me? God is working in our lives, and one of the best things we can start putting into practice is that quality of humility. Joseph learned it; so can you.
We can read in Luke 15:17-20 and learn something about his situation that perhaps we can all relate to at one time or another. “When he came to himself, he said, ‘How many of my father's hired servants have more than enough bread, but I perish here with hunger…'”
Maybe coming to your senses would be equivalent to waking up from a hard fall that you can’t remember, or waking up in a fog after being under anesthetics. No matter what picture it paints in your mind, Jesus is describing a man who had been blind to his condition and/or the consequences of his decisions.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, “If our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.” Satan, the god of this world, is who presents situations to us that make it easier not to see God’s will for our life.
But Hebrews 5:14 describes those who aren’t blinded by Satan; they are the mature, “…who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” Solomon said in Proverbs 22:3, “The prudent (wise) sees danger (evil) and hides himself, but the simple (the blind) go on and suffer for it.”
The Prodigal Son accepted that coming to the father may require a totally submissive position, one filled with humility. He not only accepted it, but made every effort to get there. The story of Joseph found in Genesis 37-45, and his journey from Canaan Land to Egypt. He endured a lot of things that caused him to feel like he was living in pig slop. Even though God was leading him there in order to save many people, Joseph didn’t figure that out until later.
As you consider his journey, it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to see how his pride in who he was, or what God was going to do for him, caused him to act in such a way that resulted in being beaten up and rejected by his brothers, sold into slavery, and sent to prison.
The point I hope you take from this is how much humility may have changed his situation in life. As was stated, God had a plan for him, but doesn’t He have a plan for you and me? God is working in our lives, and one of the best things we can start putting into practice is that quality of humility. Joseph learned it; so can you.