Archive for the ‘Acts’ Category

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »

Day 206: Acts 16:1-24 — A Bad Endorsement

Sunday, July 25th, 2010

When I was a student at Texas Tech I majored in two areas of study — Public Relations and Political Science. It was always my intention to become involved in politics. In short, I wanted to become the next Governor of Texas. At some point, I might still have to try to make this happen because it was part of my pitch to get Leah to marry me.

Public relations and political science are actually quite similar. Both deal with how you present and communicate a set of ideas or product. One of the overriding differences is publicity. Some PR professors will tell you that any kind of publicity is good. Political science professors will tell you that a bad endorsement or bad publicity can cripple not just your campaign, but cripple your career. The apostle Paul was very aware of the danger of a bad endorsement.

Turn with me to Acts Chapter 16. I would like to focus on Acts 16:16-24. There is a slave girl that is making money for her owners as a fortune teller. The fact that she had made a lot of money probably indicates that she was pretty good at her job. As Paul and the other disciples enter a place of worship, this girl recognizes them and begins to follow them. She continually exclaims “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept it up for days. Now, you may be wondering why that is a problem. Here you have a fortune teller that probably had a good record of being right (based on the fact she made a lot of money for her owners) exclaiming that these group of men were servants of God and that they could tell you how to be saved. Where’s the harm?

The harm comes from the fact that she was a fraud and Paul knew it. Pay special attention to the language she used to describe them. “Servants of the Most High God…” Recognize that? Turn over to Mark 5:7 and see if you see a similarity. This girl was possessed by a demon and Paul was deeply troubled. Why? Because an endorsement by a demon is still an endorsement by a demon. Just as this demon proclaimed them to be servants of the Most High God, the next day the demon could proclaim something false. Paul commands the demon out of the girl and causes Paul and Silas to be stripped, flogged and thrown into jail.

Brothers and sisters you better believe that the Devil knows who is righteous and who is not. Evil people will greet you with a smile and shake your hand and tell you how great it is being a Christian. Be very aware and do not fall into their trap. Just as Paul could not afford a false endorsement from a demon, neither can you.

May God bless you and keep you this week,
Matt

Tags:
Posted in Acts | Comments Off

Day 204: Acts 15:1-21 — Yoked

Friday, July 23rd, 2010

In Acts 15 Luke gives us the story of how believers were trying to impose their beliefs (fragmented as they were) on other believers. Acts 15:1 says “Some men came down from to Judea to Antioch…” They were teaching that unless believers (paraphrased) were circumcised according to the custom taught by Moses that they “…could not be saved.” Most likely the same group of men again brought this forward in Acts 15:5. Here they are identified as believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees. So, learned men who were Jews but converted to Christianity brought at least one and likely other beliefs from their former religious practice to their Christian practice AND they were going about wanting to impose their beliefs on believers who had not come from the same prior religious practice.

SOUND FAMILIAR? Or more to the point, does this sound like you or maybe I should say “ME”. When each of us individually was saved and became a “believers, we brought a bag of beliefs with us (baggage). We may have come from no religious background, a Christian denomination, or other religion (i.e. — Judaism, Islam, etc.). In order to maintain some sense of who we are and where we came from, we hang onto some of the past. That is what these men were doing, but worse, they were trying to impose their beliefs on everyone else.

In Acts 15:7-11, Peter states that God knows men’s hearts, made no distinction between men, and purified men’s hearts (Romans 5:1). He goes on to ask why, when the Jews couldn’t live up to required acts, such as circumcision, should Jewish Christian brothers try to put a “yoke” (the Law) upon gentile Christian brothers. So, the burning question is how do we try to make other Christian brothers and sisters abide by the same exact belief that we have? Don’t fool yourself into thinking that we don’t all do it, because we do. Each of us may have different views on acts of worship or Christian life, but we should not be about trying to impose our belief or will on others. Invariably, when we do, disorder and conflict results. Should we talk with each other, study the Bible individually and with each other to try to let God guide our actions — YES. Should we idly stand by and let something happen that we know is unscriptural — NO. That is when we have to stand up and speak out. In matters that don’t go against scripture, we should be willing to work together for the good of all, which will enrich the lives of Christians and the Church.

Tags: , ,
Posted in Acts | 1 Comment »

Day 203: Acts 14:8-18 — “Who is your God?”

Thursday, July 22nd, 2010

I remember Captain Picard on the Starship Enterprise visiting a less sophisticated and under-developed planet. The inhabitants on the planet confused Picard as being a god. He took extreme efforts in proving he was not. I remember in Ghostbusters, Gosher the Babylonian god asked Ray if he was a god. He answered negatively and they were all zapped. The other Ghostbusters chided Ray and told him next time when asked if he was a god to answer in the affirmative.

I find it interesting that even in our sophisticated world, we still do not understand the issue of god. We may have a learned society that no longer believes in a god, but that’s not true, because in reality, we have just changed the names. Now, we worship the god of economic systems and materialism, the environmental god, the familial god, the god of narcissism and ego-centrism, the hedonistic god, etc. We are just like the Gentiles in Lystra that Paul and Barnabas ran into in Acts 14:8-18. They thought Barnabas was Zeus and Paul was Hermes (Acts 14:12). Paul and Barnabas tried to correct them and teach them about the true living God who made everything (Acts 14:15) but to no avail. They went on trying to worship their gods.

Who is your god? We make fun of the ancients for being a pluralistic society that worshiped ancient gods. Many discard the idea of one God who created everything. We as Christians are often made fun of as old, outdated relics. Yet, if everyone is honest, what is really different with the ancient pluralistic societies and our society today? Man-made peace is still far from us, social equity is confused with socialism, justice is run by politics, mercy is more about what is in it for me than real mercy, and man is psychologically sicker than ever. Maybe we have forgotten about sin and the need for a Savior. I am glad I have a God who created all things and knows I need forgiveness from my sins. He provided me with His Son. I am proud of my God and he ain’t me and he ain’t you! He ain’t the environment and He ain’t the government!

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Acts | 1 Comment »

Day 201: Acts 12:20-25 – “The Word of God Increased and Multiplied!”

Tuesday, July 20th, 2010

I grew up watching the old Western movies. I always like the scenes where the hero was put in jail and we were left with the dramatic question of how would our hero be rescued. Of course, for the younger generation of movie goers that grew up with Iron Man, Transformers, Superman etc., the Westerns are probably boring because there is no super hero power or technology that saved the day. Usually in a Western, someone came along with a rope and a horse and tore down the wall and our hero would escape.

In Acts chapter 12, Herod is the bad guy and kills James and has Peter arrested. The situation is dire. There is no escape for our hero. Well, there is no escape unless of course you have the church praying for you (Acts 12:5) and God on your side. In Acts 12:6-11, Peter is woken by an angel (messenger of God). Peter can’t quite believe it and thinks it is a vision but he is told to get dressed and wrap a cloak around himself. I don’t think Harry Potter has anything on God’s angel. The angel leads Peter past the guards and he is rescued. Now this would make a great movie escape scene. Yet, we don’t have to wait for some Hollywood rendition; we have the Biblical account which is by far more realistic and interesting.

In our reading for today (Acts 12:20-25), the bad guy Herod is confronted by a unified group shouting for a “voice of a god, and not of a man” (Acts 12:22). Herod is struck down by an angel because he does not give glory to God. He was eaten up by worms and died (Acts 12:23). I know some of you are laughing about my earlier statement that this Biblical account is more interesting. Yet, I ask you which high tech movie provided you with something more than a cheap thrill, a few moments of escape, and a lot of conversation over whether it was realistic or not? The Biblical story of Peter and Herod reminds us of how God has acted in history to preserve His Gospel. The death of Herod means that the “word of God increased and multiplied” (Acts 12:24). God’s word continues in the church even unto this day. It may have its critics but God goes through some extreme measures to ensure His purpose here on earth. Thank you God for what you have done, what you are doing, and what you will do through your people on earth!

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Acts | Comments Off

Day 200: Nehemiah 4:1-7:4; Acts 12:20-13:13 — How to stop a steam roller

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Let me see… How do you stop a steam roller? Ah yes! Threaten it! “You just think you’re the biggest steam roller around? We’ll see about that!” The steam roller keeps on going. If that doesn’t work, just stand right in front of it, that should do it, right?

How do you stop the plans and purposes of the Creator of heaven and earth? You don’t. One of my favorite passages in the English translation of the Old Testament is right here in Nehemiah 6. Sanballat and Tobiah invite Nehemiah to a conference in the plans of Ono. While the Hebrew may mean “Vigorous” the serendipity of the sound of the Hebrew in English ears gives us a sneak peek at their real intentions and Nehemiah’s answer to come: oh no, I won’t go. I will not stop the work of the Lord to quibble with you about rumors and power struggles. The walls rebuilt, the plans moved ahead to rebuild and resettle Jerusalem.

How do you stop the spread of the story of Jesus? Magicians and wizards and demons and jails and threats and death — nothing stands in the way of the gospel and the promises sealed by the resurrection of Jesus!

Sometimes we fear that the culture around us will snuff out the gospel, extinguish morals and decency. One very powerful comment in Nehemiah, Neh. 4:6, 9 instructs and encourages us: the people had a mind to work; we prayed… and set a guard. Rather than fear the powers of this realm, set your mind to do the will of God, pray to Him and set a double guard, Phil. 4:7, the guard of God for His people and the guard of your heart, mind, and abilities to live faithfully in the present age. Titus 2:12.

Prayer: Holy, Righteous Father: I have promised to be faithful. In the power of your Holy Spirit, I commit my life to Your will today. All within me says, “Yes!” to You. May I broaden and build the path for You to work in my life and the lives of others. In Jesus name, thank You!

Tags: ,
Posted in Acts, Nehemiah | 1 Comment »

Day 199: Acts 11:27-12:19 — Careful LeBron…

Sunday, July 18th, 2010

This week’s blog might be a little short as Leah and I are traveling and I’m having a hard time getting my wireless to work. Turn with me to Acts 12. I want to focus on something that I think is still relevant today. You can open a newspaper (yes, people still read them) or watch the news. One thing that isn’t hard to find is people proclaiming themselves to be the “best ever” or accepting the praise worthy of a god. No, really, people do this. I’m not making it up.

In Acts 12 we read about Herod accepting the praise of a god. The king glorified himself before the people of Tyre and Sidon with the throne and apparel of royalty and a public oration. It was a huge diplomatic success, and the people accorded to him, and he accepted, honors due to “a god.” At that moment the angel of the Lord smote (bonus points for King James Version words?) him. He, a mere mortal, accepted honors that were due to God. Today powerful, yet mortal, men are coming very near to doing the same thing, and we may yet see them also disappear in miserable fashion from the stage of life.

How does this apply to us? I think that I, at times, get a little too full of myself. I think that I overcame adversity. I think that I resolved a major problem in my life. May God forgive me for the times that I do not give him full praise for all of the good things in my life.

May God bless you this week!

Tags: , ,
Posted in Acts | Comments Off

Day 195: Acts 9:32-10:8 — Resurrection

Wednesday, July 14th, 2010

Have you met her? That one special woman in your congregation who is always freely giving just because she loves God? She is not looking for anything and a thank you is more than she expects. She just loves people and loves being able to do something for them.

Tabitha was just such a person. Acts 9:36 offers an incredible description of her. “Abounding” is the English word the NASB uses to describe the extent of this woman’s activities. No more room for anything else. It seems to indicate that before she was finished with a task she already had another one waiting in line. How rare to find a servant of God with such energy and dedication.

Then all of a sudden she was gone. A severe, sudden illness had taken her life. The disciples knew Peter was near by and sent for him. Yes, he, by the power of God, raised her from the dead. Her restoration to life had an effect in the community. Many obeyed the gospel because of this event. So her death did more good than her life.

Standing beside the casket of many faithful servants of God, I have wished for their resurrection. The only comfort I take is that I know it will happen. I don’t know the when but I know the fact because of Tabitha, but more especially because of Jesus. He rose never to die again and He will raise us (the faithful) never to die again.

Tags: ,
Posted in Acts, Resurrection | 1 Comment »

Day 193: 2 Chronicles 33:10-35:19; Acts 8:26-9:9 — drastic measures to make drastic changes

Monday, July 12th, 2010

My dad used to say that it takes drastic measures to make drastic changes. So it was for those in the readings for today. Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, became more evil than those before him. God moved him into a position from which he could see things more clearly. Repent or die. Although so evil and abusive, the pleas and repentance of Manasseh were heard by God and he was returned to Judah. A short book in the Apocrypha, the Prayer of Manasseh reflects a broken and contrite heart. I still wonder how Manasseh, son of Hezekiah, came to be evil in the first place.

Josiah was blessed with a good heart and good advisers at a early age. In his zeal to restore loyalty to the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, he reached north into Syrian territory to destroy the pagan shrines and brought back the tribute money from those peoples to refurnish the temple. He ground to dust the idols, burned the bones of pagan priests, and turned the Place of Burning, Topheth, into that infamous of all New Testament places Gehenna, valley of the sons of Hinnom, the ever burning, foul, city dump. Then of all things, they find the Torah in the Temple! As a teacher of mine in school said, “What a place to lose the Bible, in the church (building)!”

How do you deal with a raging inferno like Saul?! Jesus struck him down, dead in his tracks, made him to be led, not the leader of this band on their way to Damascus. He was blind three days. His story continues later.

How can you stop a world that is hell bound? What great, extreme drastic measures could it take to change an entire world?

Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this: “Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter and like a lamb before its shearer is silent, so he opens not his mouth. In his humiliation justice was denied him. Who can describe his generation? For his life is taken away from the earth.” (Acts 8:32-33 ESV)

What will it take for you to break down the lurking shadows of evil in you? the places of unfaithfulness? What do you need today to make this a day of praise and victory for God Almighty in you?

Prayer: Holy, Righteous Father: Today help me to remove every idol from my life, to refurnish my heart, my mind, and my body so that I am holy to You, a place of constant praise and renewal by Your Spirit. Thank You, in Jesus name.

Tags: ,
Posted in 2 Chronicles, Acts, Repentance | 3 Comments »

Day 192: Acts 8:4-25 — Maybe You Just Don’t Get It…

Sunday, July 11th, 2010

One of the most frustrating things in life is to teach someone something and then assume for a very long time that they understand only to find out that they don’t. I once worked with a person for two years and she witnessed everything that I did. She went to meetings with me. She was a part of everything that I did for two years. One day I heard her explain to someone what my job was and what I heard her say shocked me. It was very apparent that she had missed the point of what we had worked on together. I was incredibly disappointed.

Open your Bibles to Acts 8:4-25 and you’ll read a story that is somewhat similar. A local magician named Simon had started following the apostles around Samaria. He was so taken with them that he believed and was baptized. However, when Simon saw that the Spirit was transferred through the hands of the apostles, he offered them money to teach him how to do this same thing. Peter gives him a very strong rebuke beginning in verse 20. I can only imagine that the apostles were shocked by his lack of understanding of what they had been doing all this time. Buy it with money? Really?

Do we get it? I hope so. But there are sometimes that I think that, if the apostles were around, they would rebuke me as well for my faults in my life.

May God bless you and keep you this week!

Tags: ,
Posted in Acts | 2 Comments »

Day 191: Acts 7:42-8:3 — Choices & forgiveness

Saturday, July 10th, 2010

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death…But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Acts 8:1, 3

Those are, I think, some pretty sad verses. Fortunately, that’s not the end of the story, because we know very well of Paul’s life & ministry, and we’ve read his letters. We also know that when Paul was doing these horrible things, he believed them to be the work of God, so he slept very well, having a clean conscience (Acts 22:3-5; Acts 23:1).

Do you believe Saul/Paul was forgiven for persecuting the Church? Of course you do. I do too, and so did he (Romans 8:1). Can you imagine Paul writing to the church at Corinth, telling them “I beat my body daily because the sins of my past are too great for me to bear”? I can’t imagine that at all. No, Paul was very convinced of God’s forgiveness, offered to Paul through His grace, bought with the blood of Jesus.

We have been offered that same grace, yet we hear people today say things like, “I know God has forgiven me, but I just have a hard time forgiving myself”, as they hang their head in shame. Consider this — if someone sinned against you and he repented, wouldn’t God forgive him? Wouldn’t you forgive him? Then what right do you have to not extend the same forgiveness to yourself that God has already given? To refuse to forgive oneself is to reject the forgiveness God has given us through Jesus, and we do not have that right.

Paul made some pretty terrible choices, as have all of us, but what part of “no condemnation” doesn’t cover that? Friends, we should thank God each day that we don’t have to live lives of despair and regret. We cannot change anything done in the past; we can only accept God’s mercy and move on to the future. That’s exactly what murderer, persecutor, and sinner Saul of Tarsus did.

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Acts, Free Will, Grace, Mercy | 4 Comments »

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »