Year 1, Day 243: Acts 10

Keeping Track of Time

For the record, if anyone is curious about a timeline, this chapter takes place about 10 full years after Pentecost and Christ’s death.  I give this for a little perspective.  It takes Peter 10 full years of growing in the Lord before he is really ready to change his perspective on the Gentiles.  This is not insignificant.  It takes time to change perspective.

Cornelius

This chapter opens with Cornelius: a good man.  He was a soldier and God spoke to him.  This kind of destroys the ‘God only loves pacifists’ movement.  He was a God-fearer, which was a title used to describe people in faith who are committed just below the level of proselyte, who were people committed to a level just below a full Jew.  However, being a Gentile and not having been converted fully into Judaism means that Cornelius is in a neat position.  Cornelius is in a position of still seeking salvation.  Cornelius may have been a God-fearer, but he was smart enough to know that simply fearing God doesn’t save him!  Cornelius is actively looking for something more in his life.  Cornelius is the seeker, and I give him credit for that.

Slow to Change

Now we see Peter’s vision.  Clearly God is preparing Peter.  God is looking to Peter and saying quite bluntly, “It’s been a decade, Peter.  It’s time for you to get serious about changing who you are for my sake.  It’s time for you to get serious about doing my work.”

Now, I’ve been a little mean to Peter there and he doesn’t fully deserve it.  Twice we’ve seen Peter use the “keys of the kingdom” to open parts of the world to salvation.  Peter uses the keys in the temple and invites the Jews during Pentecost and the weeks/months following the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Peter uses the keys in Samaria a second time and opens the door to the “half-breed” Samaritans.  Now God is going to have Peter use the keys a third time to open the door to the Gentiles and thus the remaining portion of the whole world.  So Peter has been growing slowly over time.  I do him disservice when I speak so as to make a point about humanity in general and don’t really mean to insult him personally.

But seriously, how often are we slow to change?  How often do we miss what God is doing simply because we’re closed to doing something new?  How often are we dumb to what God is doing because it just doesn’t fit what we expect to be doing?

Peter’s Proclamation

Let’s move on to Peter’s proclamation.  Peter says to Cornelius “God shows no partiality.” 

If that’s true, why do we show partiality?  Why do we as people get so hung up on outside appearances?  Why do we get hung up on education, gender, rites, rituals, dress, tradition, and things like that?  I’m beginning to sound like a broken record here; but that’s the truth, folks.  God doesn’t care!  God doesn’t care if you are rich or poor, male or female, smart or uneducated, whether you dress in an alb to worship or come in your jeans, whether you say the traditional or contemporary version of the Lord’s Prayer (or don’t say it at all!), or anything else like that.  So long as we are faithfully and humbly listening to Him and living out obediently, God doesn’t care about the external things!

What God cares about is what Peter says next.  “Anyone who fears God and who does what is right is acceptable to Him.”  God doesn’t care how we dress; God cares that we dress in a manner that shows respect to Him and doesn’t lead other people into sin.  God doesn’t care what traditions we use; God simply cares that our worship is meaningfully done and inspires spirituality within us.  God doesn’t care what instruments we use; God cares that we fear Him and worship Him.

But remember, that is a change that took Peter 10 years to make.  Peter’s whole life he’s been told: “Jews do it this way, don’t be like the Gentiles.”  It took him some time to wrap his head around the fact that God was calling him to do something new.  It took time for him to be willing to loosen his grip on his own “ways” and let them go in favor of accepting God’s ways of doing things. 

This is not an easy position to hold in modern religion.  Everyone seems to have their idea of “Do it this way or I’ll go home and leave.”  Some want guitars and drums; other will leave if they’re brought in.  Some want screens and videos; others will leave if they are brought in.  Some want bread and wine; others want wafers and grape juice.  Some want suits and ties; others want jeans and T-shirts.  Some want hymns; others want praise choruses.  I think the hardest position to hold is actually the position of God: None of this stuff matters, because none of it is wrong.  All these things can be used to praise God’s name, so pick what works for you, be open to the other, and get started in the worship of God!

Now don’t get me wrong.  I’m not saying that any old behavior is acceptable.  We are called to avoid sin.  We are called to rebuke sin when we see it.  We’re also called to forgive it when we see repentance.  So I am not trying to make the case that all behavior is acceptable in the church – because it isn’t.  What I am saying is that we need to learn how to distinguish between sinful behavior and behavior that isn’t sinful just because it is different.  We must absolutely reject sin; we must also be open to non-sinful differences.  That’s why I think it takes Peter so long to understand. 

True Righteousness

Having said that, part of it also is that Peter’s understanding of sinful behavior needs to change, too.  No doubt he was taught that Gentiles were sinful just for being who they were.  We see here that Peter now understands true righteousness.  The righteous one is the one who fears the Lord and does what is right is acceptable – whether they are different from us or not!

Holy Spirit

Then something amazing happens.  Peter’s declaration of Jesus Christ brings about the coming of the Holy Spirit.  Note that it isn’t their baptism since here we clearly see that in this case the Holy Spirit precedes baptism.  Peter’s proclamation of both Christ and true salvation opens the door for the Holy Spirit to come. 

God is at work.  The Holy Spirit not only comes to Gentiles but to unbaptized Gentiles!  Now there’s a twist, right?  Cornelius finds salvation in the promise and declaration of God, not the human act of baptism.  Can I get an amen here, please?  That’s the way it should be.  Salvation is made evident through the Holy Spirit, not some act performed at a particular time by a human being.  Salvation comes when the heart is rent, not when a certain number of prescribed steps are followed.

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Year 1, Day 242: Acts 9

The Depth of Paul’s Pit of Despair

I find this third mention of Paul amusing as well, simply because the point I made of it yesterday.  First we hear of Paul approving of Stephen’s death.  Then we hear about Paul ravaging the Church.  Now we hear about Paul not being content with the ravaging in Jerusalem so he has permission to go to the countryside (or at least Damascus) and persecute any follower of Christ.  Oh how the mighty have indeed fallen.  But just because they are fallen does not mean God cannot lift them up!

Personal Jesus

That is actually precisely what happens.  Paul is on his way to Damascus when Jesus makes it a point to introduce Himself.  I love Jesus’ introduction: “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”  Jesus doesn’t say, “I am Jesus and you’re persecuting those who follow me.”  Rather, Jesus says that Paul is persecuting Jesus personally. 

It is easy for us to think of God in heaven, watching us struggle against this world – or more precisely watching this world struggle against us.  But that is just not true.  God takes the persecution personally and feels each and every attempt.  Jesus knows it is Him that the world hates.  But the world cannot harm Him any longer, so the world attacks His followers and His ways instead.  But they are really still assaulting Jesus.  He knows it.  He does take it personally.

Opened by God

I also love the description of Acts 9:8.  The Greek literally says (and I’m intentionally going to leave the word order in its original form so it may sound a bit like Yoda):  “And got up Paul from the earth, and after having been opened his eyes nothing he was seeing.  And after leading him by the hands they brought into Damascus.”  There are a couple of reasons why I love this description. 

First, the word for “after having been opened” (ἀνεῳγμένων) is in the passive voice and the perfect tense.  In ancient writings this is a voice/tense combination reserved for the work of deities.  This is because the perfect tense describes action that was done in the past, the effects continue into the present, and the effects will likely continue being done in the future.  Only divine beings can accomplish that kind of action, especially in the passive voice! 

Because of the tense/voice of this passage we know for certain that Luke is telling us that Paul’s eyes were opened by God.  They weren’t opened by Paul’s sudden willingness to follow or by the righteousness of Ananias.  They were opened by God.

Furthermore, we know that the opening of Paul’s eyes was a process.  It started in the past (Paul’s hatred of the followers of Christ), the effects were still happening now (The Damascus Road moment), and they will continue in the future (Paul’s ministry).  In other words, this Damascus Road moment isn’t the end, but just some point in the middle of Paul’s faith journey.  Paul has got more room to grow!  Is this not true for us?  We think of the mountaintop experiences as great moments of faith, but the truth is that spirituality is a journey, not a point in time.

The other reason I love this description is because of the word order in that same section.  The verbs are on the opposite ends with the nouns being in the middle (after having been opened his eyes nothing he was seeing).  The verbs are intentionally out-of-place in the traditional word order to bring attention to them.  (Proper word order would be: after his eyes having been opened he was seeing nothing.)  Although God was in the process of opening Paul’s eyes, he was still not truly ready to see yet. 

Again, how true is this?  We think we are ready to see God, but most of the time we are not ready.  How patient is God?  God spends years – decades! – preparing us for ministry.  And we want it now whether we are ready or not.  Ha!  How blind we really are in truth.

Ananias

I also want to take a good look at Ananias here.  Notice that Ananias and God have a little discussion about what God wants him to do.  There is nothing wrong with asking God about His plan.  There is everything wrong with doubting God’s plan.  Ananias neither refuses God’s way nor does he doubt.  He merely asks for clarification.  He says to God something like, “You know, I’ve heard about this guy and he’s bad news for someone like me.  I’m just making sure I heard you right.”  God reaffirms the message, and Ananias follows God’s will.  It’s a beautiful thing.  God doesn’t mind questions and asking for clarification as long as we are genuinely willing to do whatever He asks of us – whether for our benefit or even destruction.  After all, remember Stephen’s example from a few chapters back?

Barnabas and Peter

I’m nearly out of space, but I want to talk about Barnabas and Peter before I end.  So let’s talk briefly about Barnabas here.  The Jerusalem disciples – who were likely still mostly directly tied to the Apostles since they remained in Jerusalem when the followers of Jesus scattered – are afraid of Paul and won’t let him into their trust. 

That doesn’t sound familiar at all, does it?  What is one of the hardest parts of repentance?  One of the hardest things about repenting is regaining trust. 

Fortunately Paul had Barnabas as an ally.  Barnabas had a great reputation for being faithful and generous.  When Barnabas steps up to vouch for Paul, Paul benefits from Barnabas’ action.  Notice that Paul is careful not to allow his actions to tarnish Barnabas’ reputation.  Paul takes what Barnabas does for him seriously.  Thanks be to God that there are faithful people who are capable of looking beyond a person’s past and into their future!

Peter and Spiritual Power

We’re almost to the part where we lose Peter in the story, so allow me to talk about the healing of Aeneas and the resurrection of Dorcas.  I use resurrection there because the Bible clearly says she died – but not in the sense that she was raised into perfection as Jesus Christ was raised.  Peter heals Aenaes in Christ’s name. 

It is clear that the power was Christ’s power and that the glory should be given to God.  Again we see a healing done not for the benefit of people but for the proclamation of God’s name.  The same is true for Dorcas.  Acts 9:42 tells us that when people saw what had happened they believed in the Lord.  They didn’t believe in Peter or Dorcas, they believed in the Lord.  So it should be with us.  When God uses His power to work through us, we should be sure to turn to the Lord and give Him the glory.

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Year 1, Day 241: Acts 8

Saul

I love the first sentence of Acts 8.  “And Saul approved of his execution.”  You know what?  I love the Apostle Paul.  And I think the reason I love him is because we can look where he came from. Look where he was and what God did with him.  Paul was approving of the death of Stephen.  And who is this Paul?  This is the same man to whom every Gentile Christian can thank for bringing Christianity to us.  Of course, it was God working through Paul; I don’t want to miss that obvious point! 

You think you’ve got obstacles to overcome?  The first word mentioned of Paul in the Bible is how he approved of the death of a Christian.  The second word mentioned of Paul was how he was ravaging the church afterwards.

Now that’s a barrier to get over, folks!  You think you are unreachable or know someone who does?  You think your thoughts are impenetrable or know someone who does?  If God can get through to someone who absolutely despises the very work of His hands, then God can get through to anyone.  I think this is why I love Paul.  He isn’t just someone like Peter who is known for making simple mistakes.  I love the Apostle Paul because he shows us that someone who loathes the very work of God can turn around and become a great evangelist!  What an incredible testimony!

{For the record, I will refer to him as Paul and not Saul.  Please don’t let that confuse you.  It’s not a religious thing … it is just more that my mind associates the name Paul with him.  So when I call him Paul and the Bible says Saul, no, I’m not actually making a statement.  It’s just how my mind works.}

Self-Testimony

Don’t forget that Luke was a disciple of Paul.  Therefore, most of the book of Acts – especially these points forward – likely came from Paul’s own recounting.  What does this mean?  It means that when Paul told his story, the words “Saul approved of his execution” came out of his mouth.  It is a highly confessional moment.  Paul shows us what it means to be a true disciple of Christ.  It means confessing and owning our brokenness.  From there we are in the best position to give glory to God for what He has done in us!

Product of Persecution

What is the product of this threat against the Christian church?  The product is simple: the Gospel spreads.  But think about how it begins to spread as it is laid out in the Bible.  Acts 8 is the Samaritans, but it is also the first step to the Gentiles.  Acts 8 is a huge moment in our own history as Gentile worshippers of God!  The word spreads to the Samaritans – a people who the Jews loathed because they were a strange half-breed hybrid of Jewish heritage and Gentile heritage.  But Philip certainly doesn’t seem to have a problem going to them!

For the record, Philip also takes the Gospel to the Ethiopian eunuch.  While not being too graphic, remember that in the Hebrew Scriptures being a eunuch was enough to keep one out of the presence of God (see Deuteronomy 23:1).  So what does Philip do?  Philip tells this eunuch that in Christ he can have complete fellowship with God.  Under the Hebrew Scripture this man was banned from being in the presence of God in the temple.  In Christ, this eunuch can know God intimately!

Here we see two examples of how the first step in reaching the world is taken.  Acts 8 gives us two stories about the destruction of what traditional Jewish belief argues is required in order to be in the presence of God.  Acts 8 is about setting a new standard for God.

What is required of a person in the Christian era?  It is not heritage, genealogy, gender, education, or socio-economic status.  That is the very door that Acts 8 begins to kick down.  What is required is that the heart is rent, repentance is declared, and we humbly follow our Lord.  Who is it that takes that very first bold step?  It is Philip the evangelist; and he is driven there by the heated threats and loathing of Paul.  Nothing is impossible for God!

Humbleness and Desire to Learn

I want to look a little more at the interaction between Philip and the eunuch.  Philip asks, “Do you understand?”  The eunuch is honest, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?”  Wow.  What a confession!  The eunuch is a proselyte – which means that he’s no immature follower of God.  Yet his humbleness is impressive. 

He doesn’t want to go around toting how much he knows.  He goes around looking for someone called by God to explain it to him.  He may be a eunuch – and according to the Hebrew Scriptures be blocked from the true presence of God – but I daresay that a more honest seeker of Christ may never have been found.  He has earthly power, access to human wealth, and a good education.  Yet he is incredibly humble. 

How can he learn unless someone teaches him?  What an incredible testimony to us!  His focus is not on himself, but on becoming the person God wants him to be. 

Philip is there; Philip is there because of Paul’s heated threats against the church.  How good is God to take such loathing and turn it into the very plan to bring the Gospel to the Gentiles!

Simon

In contrast to the Eunuch, let’s return to Simon.  Here was a man that was accustomed to having the people’s amazement.  Here was a man who was accustomed to having the eye and admiration of the people.  Here was a man that was being outclassed by a humble servant of God.

Look at how he approaches God.  He wants the eye of the people.  He is willing to even buy power!  Unlike the humbleness of the eunuch, who is content with the presence of God, Simon wants the spotlight.  He wants God on his own terms.  He wants control.  Simon doesn’t ask God how he will fit into God’s kingdom.  Simon want to use God to his own glory.

To make this point drive home, look at what happens when Simon is rebuked.  He is told to repent, but he does not!  Instead, Simon asked Peter and John to pray for him!  Furthermore, notice the subject of his desired prayer.  He doesn’t ask them to pray for his relationship with God at all.  What he asks them to pray for is that he might avoid the consequences of his actions.  He’s afraid of the consequences, not desiring a genuine relationship with God.

When we go into the world, we’ll find many people who are curious about what God is doing within us.  Some will humbly come like the eunuch and desire to do what the Lord asks of them.  Others will come like Simon looking for the power and the glory that they can use for themselves. 

It is inevitable.  It will happen as God works through us.  But the good news is that it also happened to Peter and John and Phillip.  If it can happen to them, then it can happen to us, too.  When we come upon someone who wants to use us to tap into God’s power for self-serving reasons, it doesn’t necessarily mean we’ve done anything wrong in attracting them to our side.  It’s between them and God, not us and God.

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Year 1, Day 240: Acts 7

The First Martyr

The Stoning of Stephen is a well known passage.  Not only is it the story of the first Christian martyr, but it is a great summary of the history of the Hebrew people – although admittedly it is a bit Cliff’s Notes in its scope.  But Stephen does a good job trying to logically argue his point.

Logical Argument

Of course, we see how well that works for him, don’t we?  Stephen dies in the end.  But this does not prevent him from trying.  Stephen begins with a logical evaluation of the Hebrew history to set up his argument.  No doubt the Sanhedrin members who were evaluating him were listening intently to see not only how well he does with his history but how Stephen plans on turning their own history against them!  In that light, we realize in this world that logic can only take us so far.  Logic can and will be twisted to make sense to the user as well as the listener.

Yes, we must use logical arguments as Christians.  But we must not assume that just because an argument is logical that we will win the day.  Stephen’s argument here is very logical.  While he does ultimately “win” in Christ, his logic does not “win the day” with the Sanhedrin.

Pulling Punches

Another amazing thing that Stephen does here in the face of certain danger is that he puts his own neck on the chopping block.  In the midst of the Sanhedrin he brings out the language of “stiff-necked,” “uncircumcised hearts,” and “resisting the Holy Spirit.”  Stephen pulls out the language of “persecuting the prophets.”  Stephen doesn’t pull any punches.

I wonder if this is because Stephen – and the rest of the disciples – has all-but-given-up on the ruling Jews.  As a pastor, I should probably be much more aggressive in rebuking people than I actually am.  But the reason that I am not aggressive is because I have not yet given up on the people.  I continue to hope that through love people will change.

I wonder if Stephen doesn’t really have the better approach.  Speak truth; don’t sugar coat it.  Let people get mad if they can’t handle the truth.  But at least they’ve heard the truth and not some love-softened airy speech made up from excuses I make for other people.

On the other hand, in many respects giving license to speak harshly to others sounds like the easy way out.  I don’t mean it to be that way.  I’m not saying we have license to say whatever we want to whomever we want just simply because it is the truth.  There is no doubt that God’s way lies somewhere between in the balance between speaking harsh truth and showing love.  Unfortunately, that is a position that changes with every circumstance – and I find that it is a position I miss with some frequency!

Stephen’s Death

Of course, all of this conversation rests upon the fact that Stephen dies in the end.  And for me, that is where the crux of the issue rests.  Stephen is willing to speak the truth regardless of the consequence.  Stephen is willing to give up his life so long as the truth is proclaimed. 

I think there we’ve found my proverbial chink in the armor, how about you?  Am I willing to lose my job to proclaim the truth?  Am I willing to be alone and lose my friends by proclaiming the truth?  Am I willing to not have the money and thus miss out on things like cell phones, internet, and television because I speak the truth?  Am I really willing to rest in God’s hands and rest on the way God provides for my needs?  Or in my heart am I really more satisfied with what the world can offer like TV, cell phones, internet, etc.

Provision

Hmmm.  Perhaps the best way of asking the question I am wrestling with is this: am I really content with what God is going to provide for me?  If God calls me to die like Stephen, am I going to embrace that calling?  Or am I not content with God’s provision so instead I look to the world to provide what I really want?  Oh wretched man that I am.  I know God is the answer.  I know nothing can truly fulfill me but God.  I know that to die like Stephen is to gain life rather than lose it.  Yet I don’t live that belief nearly as often as I should.

Now don’t get me wrong.  I do think I turn to God deeply.  I’m not having a crisis of faith, nor am I hoping anyone reading has a crisis of their own faith.  But I do think it is important to ask oneself.  Do I really believe that to die like Stephen is to gain life?  Or do I just say that because it’s in the Bible and I know it is true, but I don’t really believe it?

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Year 1, Day 239: Acts 6

Unity Among Disunity

The choosing of the 7 is a neat passage.  The reason it is neat is because it demonstrates the true unity of the church.  Some people (Hellenists = Greek Jews) come with a problem.  The apostles gather, they understand the problem, and they establish a course of action. 

It is interesting to note that if we can tell nationality according to name origin – and that is usually a pretty reliable means in ancient history – then the apostles appointed six Hellenists to the task.  Furthermore, one of the appointed ones was still a proselyte and not a full-fledged Jew!

What this tells us is that the church wasn’t concerned with affirmative action, equal representation, or proper grooming for a job.  The apostles heard the need and appointed the people who were mostly likely equipped by God to handle the task.  It isn’t about politics or old-boy’s-networks or pre-meeting parking lot meetings.  It is about getting the job done.

Results of Doing the Work of God

What is the result of appointing those who God equipped and trusting those appointed to do the job that God has asked them to do?  Read Acts 6:7.  The Word of God spread.  The numbers of the disciples grew.  Even temple priests were being converted into the faith! 

Imagine what it must be like for people to actually come and worship God because truth is being proclaimed.  Imagine how different this is to coming because they are getting their way in their building to which they have always gone and with people who are just like them!  Sometimes I find it ironic how easy the worship of God should be and how we as human beings put so much in its way.

Stephen

In the next story we have Stephen, who is never called an apostle, doing signs and wonders.  I throw this up because as I mentioned a day or so ago there are people that like to argue away miracles by saying the “age of the apostles” is over.  Stephen was not an “apostle.”  Technically, I suppose he is an apostle because the word apostle means “one who is sent to accomplish the agenda of the sender.”  But he is never called an apostle in the text. 

Therefore, if Stephen was not officially an “apostle” and yet God was doing signs and wonders through him then it clearly isn’t the title that gave him the power.  If it wasn’t the title, then it must have been the Holy Spirit through which he received his power.  And if it was the Holy Spirit, then who in their right mind would argue that signs and wonders do not happen today?  Who in their right mind would think that the Holy Spirit – or God Himself – has lost power?  As if He could be neutered of His power!  No, Stephen does signs and wonders to bring glory to God’s name – a process that continues to this day where God sees fit.  It isn’t the title but the Spirit; the same Spirit lives and acts within us as well.

Finishing up Acts 6

Okay, I now have to confess that I was really ticked off to have to stop before going into Acts 7.  I was all geared up for a “How cool is God’s witness through Stephen’s words?!?” blog entry today … only to remember all too late that I will have to wait for tomorrow to accomplish that task.  Oh well.  Just know that it’s coming down the pipeline!

So let’s return back to Acts 6, which is the topic of the day.  Notice that the people with whom Stephen debates could not stand in the presence of his teaching.  Why could they not stand?  Simply put, they could not stand because the power of the Holy Spirit was upon him.  This (and Peter and John’s story earlier in Acts) is the beginning of the literal fulfillment of Jesus’ promise when He tells the disciples that they should not fear when they will be dragged before trials because the Holy Spirit will give them the words to speak. 

Stephen isn’t resting on his own power and his own logic here.  Stephen is engrossed in the Holy Spirit and nothing can stop him!  Of course, before you get too excited here remember that he dies in the next chapter.  So before you think this is too cool – as I do – remember that people who receive this much of the Holy Spirit often end up dead or at least humiliated at the hands of other people.

But that brings me back to the point I have been mourning in the last several blog posts.  Stephen is ready to die for the truth.  Stephen is ready to go to trial for the truth.  Stephen can’t help but speak out the truth.  Stephen is full of the Holy Spirit!  How much of that do I see today?

How often do I not speak out the truth because I am afraid of how people will look at me, how it might affect my job standing – and I’m even a pastor, and how it might affect things like my health insurance and the health of my wife.  We have a lot of things that we trade for in our compromise of the truth, don’t we? Jesus died so we could be set free.  Stephen died because he was set free.

Unlike Stephen, we often trade in our freedom for bondage because the price is just too high from our worldly perspective.

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Year 1, Day 238: Acts 5

Ananias and Sapphira

Ananias and Sapphira give us a wonderful story about lying.  No, this isn’t a story about greed; it is a story about telling the truth.  The sin of Ananias and Sapphira was not in their wanting the money; their sin was the deception they harbored in their hearts towards the church and towards God.

There is no coincidence that this story comes on the heels of Barnabas’ gift.  No doubt Ananias and Sapphira saw Barnabas’ gift and saw the glory given to God.  And I’m going to give Ananias and Sapphira the benefit of the doubt and assume that they saw the glory being given to God and not given to Barnabas.  I’m going to assume that Ananias and Sapphira genuinely wanted to also give so that God’s name would be glorified.  Admittedly, that is a courtesy not usually extended to them.

Why do I make that point?  Because in making the point it shows the problem of lying rather than putting the emphasis on greed.  And that really is what Peter accuses them of doing.  Peter tells them that the land was theirs.  Peter tells them that they had the right to do whatever they wanted with the land.  The problem is not that they kept back some of their money; the problem is that they told everyone that they sold the land for what they were giving the apostles!  The problem is that they lied about keeping some of it back! 

Going by Peter’s words – especially the words to Sapphira about the amount gained from the sale of the land – I genuinely believe that there would have been rejoicing if they would have come in and said “Peter, we sold this land of ours and we’re giving 80% of the proceeds to the apostles for the purpose of ministry.”  The problem isn’t that they kept money; the problem is that they were deceptive about it.

God knows we all need to buy food, pay for bills, etc.  God does not mind us having monetary resources.  But what God does mind is when we try to deceive people.  God wants us to be honest with each other about what we have and what we are doing with the resources God has given to us.  A church born out of deception is not going to be any church that does worthwhile ministry.

Return to the Temple

Then we move to another scene in the temple.  Peter and the apostles are doing great works.  Again I pause and ask the simple question: what is the point of these works?  Certainly not for the glory of the apostles or even that a few specific people would have their burdens eased.  No!  The point is that God’s name was being praised, the truth was being told, and disciples were being made.  That is the point of the signs and wonders from God!

Gamaliel’s Advice

Once again these signs and wonders lead Peter and the apostles into trouble.  They get arrested and thrown into prison – although the Lord sees fit to deliver them out of the prison without anyone knowing about it.  Here is another sign and wonder from God that brings glory to His name!  And what is the result of this trial?  Gamaliel stands up to give a great piece of advice to the gathered Sanhedrin.

Gamaliel says to be patient with these disciples of Jesus.  Other “messiahs” have come and gone; and after their death their movement dispersed and things went back to normal.  So it will be with this Jesus.  If Jesus was just a man, people will soon forget about Him and go back to their lives.  If Jesus was God, then nothing they can do will stop the movement because those who truly follow God will never go back to their lives.  Those who truly follow God will always proclaim God’s truth.

I think that is a very important piece of advice.  Those who truly follow God and who are truly spiritual beings can’t stop proclaiming God’s truth.  Those who are following someone out of their human desires will go back to their human ways after a short time of loyalty. 

I am reminded of the story of the feeding of the 5,000 as told in John 6.  A great number of people are fed and call Jesus a prophet.  They even follow Him to Capernaum to listen to even more teaching.  But then Jesus begins to reveal truth to them.  Jesus begins to tell them that they only follow Jesus because He gave them food.  Jesus tells them that they need to really follow Him because He is the Son of God, the true bread from heaven.  The Jews grumbled against Jesus because He called Himself God.  The Jews grumbled against Him because He taught them that unless they “eat of His flesh” they cannot know salvation.  And after this teaching John 6:66 gives us a wonderful insight into humanity.  “After this, many of the disciples turned back and no longer walked with Him.” (ESV)

Those people with Jesus didn’t have what it took to be spiritual beings.  To return back to Acts 5, Gamaliel points us to what it means to be a spiritual being.  The one who is spiritual and who is in God cannot be defeated by a human agenda.  The truly spiritual person will continue to speak about God regardless of the circumstances and danger to self.

Gamaliel’s words bear out truth.  The church grows into what we see of it today (faults and all).  And in many cases, the church grows because the early apostles were willing to put their life on the line for it.  Jesus died for them; they gave up all for Him.  That is the true disciple.

As for the one who follows until it gets tough and requires a sacrifice … ? 

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Year 1, Day 237: Acts 4

Before the Sanhedrin

So in continuing in the theme of yesterday, we find Peter and John even more boldly proclaiming their faith.  Keep in mind they are speaking directly to the Sanhedrin in this chapter – and leading the Sanhedrin is none other than Caiaphas and Annas.  They were quite literally the ring leaders for Jesus’ death!  If there was anyone on the face of this earth that they might want to be careful around it would be these two!

But what do Peter and John say?  They speak boldly the name of Christ.  They speak boldly the truth of Jesus’ crucifixion and how it was these very people who had Him crucified.  They continue to throw their life in “the path of the bus.”  Their safety and their livelihood are irrelevant at this point.  The truth is relevant, and that is what they talk about.

Power of the Holy Spirit

We should note here that it clearly says that Peter makes this bold claim through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Peter doesn’t do this under his own power; rather, Peter is filled with the Holy Spirit and lets the Spirit speak through him.  It is obvious that Peter has the Holy Spirit. 

But that makes me wonder.  It is obvious that I have the Holy Spirit?  Or is it obvious that you have the Holy Spirit?  If occasionally the Holy Spirit makes us act like this, how obvious is it to the world that I have the Holy Spirit?  How often do I throw life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in front of the bus so that I can proclaim Jesus Christ as Lord?  Or, more likely, do I stand up and try to finagle God into proclaiming a message that lets me rest securely in my pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness?

Response of the Sanhedrin

The Sanhedrin understand that their hands are tied.  They were able to incite the crowds against Jesus because He called Himself God.  They were able to twist that declaration into something they called blasphemy and from their perspective legitimize the crucifixion.  But Peter and John were doing no such so-called blasphemous act.  They weren’t claiming to be God; they were still claiming Jesus to be God!  So the Sanhedrin couldn’t use the blasphemy angle on them.  Furthermore, the crowds once more supported them because a miracle had happened and God’s name was being praised!  So the Sanhedrin let them go with a stern warning.

A Warning

I wonder if Peter and John were at all disappointed in only receiving a warning.  Could they have been so ready to follow their Lord that they expected to be jailed and executed like Jesus – and John the Baptizer before Him?  I don’t know, and the text doesn’t tell us.  I just had that thought cross my mind and I had never really thought that way before.

Pushing the Envelope

So Peter and John hear the warning and decide to push the envelope even more.  Is it right to obey mankind or is it right to obey God?  Sure, we all know the answer.  Even the Jewish Sanhedrin knew the answer to that one.  The problem is that we as human beings tend to think that God supports what we think rather than questioning whether we are contrary to God.  Not too many of us are really willing to question whether or not we represent God’s opinion.  In this case, Peter and John are bold enough to make the statement.

So where does this lead us?  What was the point of the miracle?  What was the point of the spiritual gift of healing used by Peter?  God’s name is praised.  God’s people are drawn closer to Him.  God’s people are emboldened to focus even more on proclaiming His Gospel truth.

I wonder – is that the result of most of our church gatherings today?  When we gather for worship, how many of us are really emboldened to go proclaim God’s Word, God’s truth, and give praise to God’s name?  Before we answer that, look at whether we actually do it or not.  Because if we say we feel it and never do it, then we don’t really feel it, either.  We just know that’s what we should be feeling and we are convincing ourselves that’s actually the way that we feel.  So … do our worship, our Bible Studies, and our times of fellowship with other Christians really bring us to praise God’s name and embolden us to tell the world about Him?  Do those things really cause us to want to live in fellowship with one another and have everything in common?

Honest Reflection

I don’t know.  I see an awful lot of people in this world come to church – maybe even slip out the back door early so they can get to their lunches – and not really show much interest in praising God’s name throughout the week.  I see an awful lot of people who say that there is a God but proclaiming God’s love is not their number one agenda item.  I see an awful lot of Christians who appear to have the prettiness of their church building and the joy of worshipping their way as a higher priority than actually proclaiming God’s love to the people in this world that really need to hear it.

When I look at the world full of Christians – even myself – I guess I don’t see much that resembles Peter, John, and the early church.  I don’t see much of the Holy Spirit.  I see lots of good talk.  I see people with great intentions.  But I don’t see much of the actual Holy Spirit.  And that makes me sad today.

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Year 1, Day 236: Acts 3

Power

How cool would it be to be able to reach out and touch someone and have their problem cured?  I mean, seriously.  Can any of us really say that we wouldn’t be interested in being able to do what Peter does here?  Or if not do it – at least see it done in person?

Unfortunately, my line of thinking really leads me down the path of the answer to the question: Why don’t we see this kind of act more often?  The truth is that I genuinely think we don’t see this often because our mind is in the wrong place.  Look at where this act leads those involved.  Peter and John get dragged before the Temple authorities (see chapter 4, which we’ll get to tomorrow).  Even before that, this act of healing turns to would-be healer (Peter) into the would-be preacher and actually into the would-be person of rebuke!  Yes, I’m sure at some level Peter’s notoriety increased, but it didn’t increase in a good way in terms of popularity!

You see, so many of us see spiritual gifts in terms of what they can do for us.  So many of us see spiritual gifts in terms of the popularity they can bring – or perhaps even the line of thinking that “we could use them to bring joy to the world.”  But here’s the truth about spiritual gifts.  They aren’t given to us to increase our popularity.  In fact, they aren’t even given to us to make other people happy!  They are given to us to make God’s name be praised and His truth declared.

How many of us – if we were able to heal someone – would have the guts to proclaim not only that it was through the power of God but also then say to the gathered crowd: “Shame on you all for not believing in Him as seriously as you should?”  How many of us are willing to say that without the miracle?  What’s to make anyone think that if we aren’t going to say it without the miracle that we would even think to say it when the miracle would bring obstacles like notoriety and popularity into our midst?

No, gifts of God are used bring bringing glory to His name, honor to His name, and remind people that we should be worshipping God rather than ourselves and this creation.  How many of us really are about that message?  If we aren’t about that message, then why would we expect to see great healings like we see here?

Furthermore, how many of us welcome trouble?  Peter and John get dragged in front of the Sanhedrin and are sternly chastised (again, we’ll get to that tomorrow).  They get into serious trouble (a theme we’ll encounter in Acts).  The use of God’s gifts and the proclamation of God’s Word will bring us at odds with the world.  How many of us genuinely desire to be at odds with the world?  If we don’t really want to be at odds with the world – rather, we just want to honor God with our lips and still do our own thing – then why would God display His power through us? 

There are people out there that make the claim that these supernatural gifts like healing and speaking in tongues no longer happen because we are not in the “dispensation of the Apostles.”  Hogwash!  God is God.  You can’t possibly convince me that if God wanted to give me the power to heal someone who was born lame that God couldn’t do it.  Of course God could do it!  The problem isn’t that we are in the wrong “dispensation of time.”  The problem is that we are not the disciples (or apostles).  We don’t want to face imprisonment or death.  We don’t want to give up everything to follow Christ.  We don’t want to be crucified with Christ.  We do want God to dwell in our pretty church so we can come and do our thing, play nice with each other, hear the “word of God” that makes us feel good about ourselves, and then go back to the life we live for the other 167 hours of the week.

Peter and the Lame Man

Peter makes the lame man look at him.  The man hears Peter’s proclamation.  Peter isn’t afraid of proclaiming Jesus in the very place and among the very people that crucified his Lord a month or so earlier.  Peter wasn’t afraid of bringing in the stick of judgment.  Peter spoke harsh truth.  Peter boldly proclaimed God above the world.  Peter tossed his life in front of the bus and trusted God to stop the bus in time, pull Him out of the way, or deliver him safely into the life to come.  Now that’s apostolic power, folks.  That’s what Acts 3 is all about! 

So we wonder why God granted the apostles the ability to do supernatural things.  God granted it because they proclaimed God to the world unashamedly and without fear!  They didn’t hide in their fancy churches worried about keeping the “financiers happy.”

Other Things to Share

My post is long I didn’t mention quite a few other neat things.  I’d like to do so here:

• Notice that Peter and John are headed to the Temple – likely to pray.  They are keeping the commandments of Jesus and keeping up with Jewish traditions.
• In Jewish tradition, remember that it is the unblemished that are allowed to get close to God.  The healing of this lame man does more than just cure his physical problem, it allows him to become unblemished and quite literally “get close to God!”
• Notice that this first post-Pentecost miracle is done by John and Peter.  These were two of Jesus’ most prepared apostles.  They were with Jesus through it all as they were some of the first called.  And they were paired for ministry.  They didn’t compete, but complemented each other.
• Notice that the onlookers are filled, but not necessarily with the Holy Spirit.  They are filled with wonder and amazement.  Just because people see God’s power displayed does not imply that they will make the right connection to God without proper teaching and discipleship.
• Peter’s speech points us to true repentance rather than false repentance.  False repentance is along the lines of “I’m sorry I got caught” or “I’m sorry someone got hurt.”  True repentance is “I’m sorry I did what I did because it is wrong” and “I’ll try to not ever do that again.”

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Year 1, Day 235: Acts 2

They

Okay, let me rock your world right off the bat today.  If you are like me, when you think of Pentecost you probably envision Peter and the other 11 appointed apostles suddenly coming under the power of the Holy Spirit and speaking “in tongues.”  But who’s to say only the 12 were affected?  Read Acts 2. 

It says “they.”  When we hear “they,” we must go back in the text to find out who the “they” means.  We continue to find “they” as we backtrack through Acts until we reach Acts 1:15 where we see the identity of “they.”  Peter came among the brothers (a number of 120).  A true reading of the Greek and English in this passage would indicate that all 120 of the brethren received the Holy Spirit! 

This is confirmed by Acts 2:14 where Peter and the 11 stand up and say “these people are not drunk.”  If it were just the 12 apostles who received the Holy Spirit, would Peter not have said “we are not drunk?”  No, Peter is talking about a much larger group speaking in the tongues of the world than the 12 apostles who got up before the crowd.

Why spend all this time on this matter?  Again, it takes us back to the priesthood of all believers.  Peter was there with the other 11.  Among them no doubt were some men – a few of which we know their names and who were likely present for such an important festival: Cleopas, Barsabbas, Lazarus, Jesus’ brothers, etc.  Among them no doubt were women – a few of which we know their names and who no doubt were also present for such an important festival: Mary Magdalene, Mary Jesus’ mother, Joanna, Mary and Martha, etc.  It is most likely that the Holy Spirit came upon all these people and they all began speaking in the foreign tongues of other nations. 

There was no hierarchy present.  There was no established human system of qualification for receiving the Holy Spirit.  No, the Holy Spirit came upon all who followed Christ and who were present for Pentecost.  When God works, He works with all who are willing, not just the ones we “ordain” as being worthy because they meet our human qualifications.  That’s an incredibly huge point of emphasis.

Speaking in Tongues

So let’s move on to this “speaking in tongues.”  This story is often seen as a reversal of the Tower of Babel (See Genesis 11:1-9).  At the Tower of Babel, the sin of pride brings about a separation of people and a scattering of the nations and their tongues.  Here, a humble act of praising God through Jesus Christ gathers people together and God overcomes the difference in tongues. 

Furthermore, this can be seen as God’s power overcoming the effects of sin.  If sin drove humanity apart, only God can overcome this sin and make it possible for us to come together in order to proclaim the Gospel everywhere.  This is enhanced by the fact that the crowd identifies the followers of God as being “Galileans.” The Galileans were a people noted primarily for being rebels, for being uninformed, and for being radical religious folks who want to free Israel from Rome under a true Messiah.  Galileans would not want to bring people together – they would want to drive them apart!  Thus, here we see God’s hand at work: people who are ill-suited for God’s purpose are being masterfully used to display God’s power and bring people together.

So what is the role of tongues in this passage?  Primarily, tongues display God’s power of uniting people under God.  As a part of that process, tongues allow for the proclamation of God’s Word.  There’s a good understanding on speaking in tongues.

Mocking

However, this should not overlook the fact that while some respond to what God is doing, others mock what is going on.  Even when God displays His power, some people will choose to remain blind.  It is not our fault, nor is it God’s fault.  All people have the freedom to choose to accept or deny God’s power in their life.  Accept it or mock it, it is a choice all people will make at some point.

Peter

Okay, my time is short and I haven’t even talked about Peter’s speech yet.  I’ll try to do so quickly.  First, understand that Peter is using these quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures (see Acts 2:14-21 especially) to indicate that a Day of the Lord has come – but not necessarily the ONLY Day of the Lord.  Through Jesus’ life stars have appeared (birth), the heavens were opened (baptism), the sky has turned black (cross), and there were earthquakes (cross).  A Day of the Lord has come, and God is doing the new thing as promised.  These are the days of the Holy Spirit. 

What is really neat in this passage is that Peter specifically says “your sons and daughters will prophesy.”  What is a prophet?  A prophet is someone who brings God’s Word to their contemporaries.  Part of the new thing that God is doing is including women in the proclamation of God’s grace!  It fits with the beginning of Acts where all who were gathered received the Holy Spirit.

The second part of Peter’s speech (Acts 2:22-36) has a number of important points.   First, the cross was no accident – it was God’s plan.  Second, the fact that it was God’s plan does not excuse anyone who played a role contrary to God’s ways.  Third, the cross is the fulfillment of scripture.  Fourth, although the cross is the fulfillment of scripture and likely the most important event in history – it is not the end of the story.  We are a people born out of the resurrection.  We have repentance for which to call grace to proclaim people!

Peter’s speech has multiple effects (See Acts 2:37-41).  Hearing truth cuts a person to the heart.  Truth is oppressive until it is accepted and repentance occurs.  And that’s a good thing, because repentance changes how God relates to us.  No longer are we “guilty;” we are “justified through Christ.”  Sure, we still deal with the temporal consequences.  But after repentance God relates to us as spiritual beings and not a “condemned creation.”

Finally, let’s look at the gathering that happens in Acts 2:42-47.  Here’s a brief list of the qualities we see among the people of God:

• They are a learning church – devoted to the teaching of the apostles (which was given to them by Christ).
• They are a fellowship church – they did more than worship together.  They actually enjoyed the company of each other!
• They were a worshipping church – they had communion (breaking of the bread) in remembrance of Christ’s death as Christ commanded.
• They are a praying church – They understood that they needed to rely upon God’s strength to get through life as individuals and as a community.
• They are a reverent church – they understood the proper role for awe and fear of the Lord.
• They were a happening church – signs and wonders actually occurred.  Their gatherings were not rote and ordinary but filled with evidence of the Holy Spirit.
• They were a sharing church – when one had legitimate need, the need was met by the community.
• They were a happy church – they came together with joy instead of obligation.
• They were an irresistible church – people who came in contact with members of this church wanted to join them!

Oh … if we could only be like that first church, eh?  It’s a tall order, but through the power of the Holy Spirit it is possible!

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Year 1, Day 234: Acts 1

Acts

The book of Acts used to be one of my least favorite books to read.  Then I started studying it in-depth as a Bible Study at my current congregation.  It’s been 18 months and going strong, and my perspective with the book of Acts has certainly changed.  This book is about the presence of the Holy Spirit, and I find that almost every chapter is a greater fulfillment of the promise of the Prophets found in the Hebrew Scriptures that “Behold, I am doing something new.”  If you don’t like change and you don’t like seeing how God walks on the traditions of mankind, then don’t read Acts.

Setting the Story

Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a day to get into seeing the Spirit at work.  Instead, we have a day to set the story.  So let’s begin with Jesus popping in an out of the lives of the disciples for 40 days before the ascension.  This is pretty cool when you think about it.  We get the impression that these followers of Christ never knew when Christ was going to show up.  And we know from Luke’s account that there were more than just the 12.  We are told about Cleopas in Luke 24 and we are told that Matthias and Barsabbas here in the opening chapter.  They would be going about their life and suddenly they would realize they were in the presence of Christ.

That sounds very familiar, for the record.  I know what it feels like to be going about my daily life and suddenly find out that I am in the presence of God and didn’t even know it.  And when I put it that way, it sounds very Hebrew Scriptures, too.  Doesn’t that sound a little like Moses and the burning bush?  Or perhaps an experience like the prophets would have had?  I find it strangely comforting to know that this idea of Jesus “sneaking up on you and suddenly finding Him in your presence” is how it happened to the followers of Christ from literally Day One.

Acts 1:8

I’d also like to take a good long look at Acts 1:8.  “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.”  This sentence says at least three things:

1. They did not presently have power.  They will receive power.  Sure, we have human strength, human wisdom, and human ingenuity.  But what is that next to what God can give us?
2. The power comes through the Holy Spirit.  If you don’t have the Holy Spirit, you don’t have the power that God gives.  You might have your own charisma.  You might have power from your social standing or the place of your family.  But if you don’t have the Holy Spirit, you don’t have the power of God.  This is a theme that will be reoccurring through the first 20 chapters of Acts.
3. The Holy Spirit comes upon “you.”  In other words, He comes to those who follow Jesus.  There is no special club – well, other than following Jesus.  But all who truly follow Jesus will receive the Holy Spirit.  You don’t need to be the right gender, the right education, or the right socio-economic status.  You just need to crucify yourself with Christ, take up your cross, and follow Him.

Of course, when we finish the sentence we understand the point of the coming of the Holy Spirit.  The Holy Spirit comes to us so that we might be witnesses for God to the world.  It isn’t about the power; it is about drawing people to God.  It isn’t about the popularity, or the control, or the nature of being significant; it is about God.  The point of receiving the Holy Spirit is about the relationship between humanity and God.  {See the aside below my signature in this post for more ponderings on the Holy Spirit.}

Come Together: Oikos

After the ascension we see the first Post-Physical-Presence fellowship event.  {My use of alliteration is not meant to say post-Christ, but after His physical presence is gone.}  What do they do when Christ leaves them?  They get together: Men, women, Jews, Followers of the Way.  In a sense, it’s a family gathering.  No, not because Jesus’ brothers are there.  It’s family because spiritually they are all God’s children; they are all God’s heirs!  Jesus’ departure could have been such a down time in their life – and perhaps it did have some sadness to it – but these first followers come together.  What a wonderful testimony to how we should behave as well.  How do we as followers of Jesus Christ deal with the events of the world?  We should come together.

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Aside

I’ve spent much time lately pondering my amazement of how little I see the Holy Spirit around me – or even in me, I’m sorry to confess.  I wonder if this is because American Christianity has become ensconced in our desire to uphold our traditions, maintain the buildings that we (or our parents) built, and do things the way we’ve always done them.  Why would the Holy Spirit come to a people who are focused on physical, emotional, and psychological effigies to their own greatness?  The Holy Spirit is about the greatness of God, not the greatness of any of us or our things.  Do we see so little of the Holy Spirit because we genuinely don’t align ourselves to do what the Holy Spirit is sent to us to accomplish through us?