wi" # Early Church

Daily reflections from Pastor Darren

J!rney

 2012 First Baptist Church of Holdrege Permission is given to copy, and distribute free of charge. We ask simply that you not change anything or charge any money for this resource. If this resource has blessed you, please drop us a line and let us know (contact information is on the back cover).

Preface
Remember the good ole days? one old timer says to the other on the other side of his doughnut and coffee cup. Then, theres a sigh. Theres always a sigh. Thats because we usually remember things better than they actually were. When we look back we see things in the light of the outcome and realize that even the tough times worked out for the good. Oftentimes, thats what we see as wrong in looking at the present. We cant see itor wont see it through eyes of faiththrough the light of the outcome. It just looks bad in the moment. The truth of the matter is that there was some gooda lot of good in the old days. Life can get complicated and then we let it get even more so. We get distracted or misled and soon we are not just taking a bunny trail, we find ourselves in the hamster wheel of life going nowhere. There are two quotes that come to mind when I find myself in the hamster wheel of life. One is from CS Lewis. He stated: We all want progress, but if you're on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; in that case, the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive. The journey we take through the book of Acts is a journey with the original good ole days. It took place before anyone in our congregation was around. These good ole days make any current members memory of good ole days look absolutely new fangled and the utmost of contemporary. There were no ties, suits or ankle length dresses in these days. No hymnals, no pianos, no grand organs, no Sunday School classes, no church buildings, no trustee boards, no CE Boards, no Finance Boards; and for a good chunk of our journey, no deacons and not even pastors. We are going way back to the good ole days. Why? one may ask, would we do this? I mean its ancient history isnt it? To that, that second quote I was talking about comes to mind. Vince Lambardis famous quote goes something like this, The main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Lambardi would look at his team before every practice and hold up a ball and tell his team, Guys, this is a football! It starts right there with the basics and at the beginning. Its not about buildings, constitutions, dress codes, and order of services. If there is one thing that this study should highlight, it would be this: its all about letting the Holy Spirit do the right things through us despite what is going on around us. This is why we are going through the book of Acts. But I want to be clear in this journey right up front. This book is not a playbook for the
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church. It is not the Acts of the Church. The Catholic Church has labelled this book the Acts of the Apostles, and to that I also disagree. This book is about the Acts of the Holy Spirit. Its about how the Holy Spirit worked through individuals and churches to advance the kingdom of Christ. Its about the transformative power of the Holy Spirit in a broken world. That said, let me be blunt. If your faith is about church, this will be as boring as all get out. It will be a history lesson about things of days gone by. It will be full of things that just dont apply to todays modern world. If your faith is about doing things in the right waythe way they did it way back when, then this study will be overwhelming. By the time you get to the end and see what some of Gods people went through, you will want to walk away from God saying, That aint for me! However, if your faith is about something entirely different, this will be a transformative experience that you will never forget. Romans 10 tells us that If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. To confess that Jesus is Lord is more than just saying it. It involves letting God be the complete master of your life. Letting him make the calls in your lifenot trying to make them on your own with your own logic and understanding. It involves letting the Word of God dwell richly in you and permeate all that you do. To believe that God raised him from the dead means that you hold to a personal relationship with Jesus. Hes not a dead guy. You cant have a personal relationship with a dead guy. He is there for you every step of the way. In fact, the very Holy Spirit that guides everyone in this study is the same one that has promised to never leave you nor forsake you. The same Holy Spirit that guided James and John to heal the lame man, the same Holy Spirit that empowered Paul to speak to the Jewish and Roman authorities with such power and authority, the same Holy Spirit that empowered Peter to escape death and raise others from deaththis same Holy Spirit can live within you and take you on similar amazing journeys. It begins not with a football, but accepting Christs forgiveness for all youve done wrong. It begins with letting Christ have control of your life, letting him call the shots. It begins with a personal relationship with Jesus himself. From there, it involves becoming a part of a family where you can grow, and not just on paper. This journey is all about what the Holy Spirit can do in us as we look at what he did through the early church and commit to play by Christs lead and instruction. This includes personal reflections from me to you, to let you have a peek into my journey as well. The hope is that you use this daily for the next 7 weeks. It is also the hope that you make a commitment to do two other things: be in church each week, as the sermons fill the gaps in the journey through Acts and get yourself in a
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community group to grow closer to God as you grow closer to others of like mindto share with each other and learn from each other as well. May God richly bless you, those who you choose to journey with, and our family as a whole through this journey.

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Day 1!

Read Acts 1:1-11

Why are you standing here staring into heaven?

What a roller coaster ride it had been for Jesus followers. Hes there, then hes killed, then hes back and then he gets lifted to heaven and then there they were, standing there. Waiting. Why? Because they had come to depend upon Christ to help them understand their world. They had come to expect that if they had a question, hed be there with an answer. It might not be the clear answer he or she had hoped for, but there is something about asking, seeing in someones face that the question doesnt brand us as crazy, and then getting something back. Besides, not too long before this date, Jesus had looked into the eyes and faces of his followers and said, I am with you always even to the end of the age. They doubted that during the crucifixion and three days later, but once again Jesus proved to be an out of the box miracle worker. But then he left again. And they stood there staring up wondering when he was going to be back. Ive often looked at them and laughed a bit. How long were they going to stand there? It took angels to show up and tell them to go home. Not very bright, huh? Or were they? In reading this passage recently I was struck with the gentleness of the angels in their words. They didnt scold. They didnt preach. Their statement was simple and gentle. Someday he will return in the same way you saw him go. I think the angels were gentle because what they needed wasnt to be less dependent upon Christ, but to understand that he wasnt coming back physically right now. Their standing there was actually a beautiful act of faith. It said, We need you. And in that statement they were right. Do you need Jesus? Or do you think youve got life all wrapped up. Would you have stood there or would you have tapped someone on the shoulder and said, Hey, when he returns text me. But Ive got other things that need my attention right now. When he comes back, well get back to having fun. Until then, my schedule is full. Challenge: On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate your dependence upon Christ day by day? Are you comfortable with that?

DAY 2!
Let us choose one

Read Acts 1:12-26

It had to be difficult. Their Savior and Rabbi killed, resurrected, and then ascended away from them with the last words of the angels still ringing in their ears. Somedayhe will return. Someday. That could be tomorrow that could be more than two thousand years away. Someday. On top of that, Judas was now permanently and shamefully missing in action. The question of What next? can be and probably was completely overwhelming. And this is probably where the Heavenly Father smiles so big it squishes tears out of his all observant eyes. What do the disciples do next? Do they run in different directions to save their skins from a fate similar to either Jesus or Judas? Do they say, Enough of this? No. Instead this is what they do: 1. They stick together and praytogether. Jesus taught them that they would need each other and that the only way to stay within Gods will is to be seeking his face in all matters. They are proving here that they were listening when he taught. They allowed the Scriptures to speak to them and guide them. The fact that this is where they turned instead of feelings or circumstances to guide their next step was a positive one and a super wise one. Feelings often guide us in the wrong direction. The Scriptures properly interpreted never do. They stayed focused on what Christ asked them to. They sought out someone to replace Judasnot as a church leader or church planter. (Sometimes I forget that the early church wasnt about boards, constitutions, policies and procedures, and worship organization). They sought out someone who was with them from the beginning to better accomplish what Christ asked them to do before he left. Go and be my witnesses.

2.

3.

Challenge: when stress comes your way, how does the way you handle it differ from the disciples here?

DAY 3!
They must be drunk

Read Acts 2:1-41

Sometimes I kind of chuckle to myself and wonder if God could use a new PR guy. We have Jeremiah with the whole waving the decaying underwear through the temple. We wont even go where Ezekiel went at Gods command for fire burning material for his public square lunch. God even sent his one and only Son to earth and from a human perspective that ended as a public relations nightmare. Then we have this whole Pentecost debacle. Gods Holy Spirit descends, probably the third greatest thing in all of human historythird only to our creation and Jesus sacrifice. And how is it received? They must be drunk. God sends people and even his Spirit, and it almost always gets misunderstood. Ive often wondered if people who accept Christ get this better than they think they do. Im not going to step out and be Christs hands and feet today because someone will misinterpret my intentions. I had a conversation with someone a while back who used to love to entertain people in their home. Then the rumors that they were just trying to butter people up got back to their earsand with broken hearts they closed their doors to strangers and friends alike and withdrew into loneliness for the rest of their lives until God took one of them home. Then the tears of regret flowed freely because of missed opportunities and missed friends all because they let some negatively-minded gossiper steal their joy. The truth is that every person is broken and will look at life through broken lensesespecially when it comes to Gods workings. We have a natural bent that finds Gods will and his motives dangerous or suspect at best. We assume the worst. How do we handle that when they think were drunk? We do what Peter did here. We stand up firmly, yet lovingly and we tell the truth. We do not shy away. We do not let things go unsaid. We take the opportunity to share why we do what we do and perhaps open the door to sharing the Gospel with them. Thats what Peter did here. They didnt hide their flaming heads. They didnt whisper in the languages that the Holy Spirit gave them. They shared. Peter explained. Nay-sayers who earlier said, They are drunk, ended their day as a part of the 3000 who were now saying, He has Risen from the Dead! Challenge: Are their things that people might say that have kept you from doing what God wanted? Is there something now that fits that description?
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DAY 4!

Read Acts 2:42-47

They devoted themselves to

Church growth specialists tell us that anything over a 10% growth in any given church becomes problematic for the church. Long term members begin to mourn the loss of their church as they get overrun with new faces and different ways of doing things. New members get frustrated with not having the understanding behind the rules. They also struggle trying to fit in while everyone else is trying to fit in and find their place. Space issues surface. Style issues surface. Personality issues surface and as the pond grows bigger, the fish inside feel smaller. One Church growth specialist said, More than 10% growth is like shaking up a bottle of coke to the point in which blows its top and then trying to get all that spurted everywhere to fit back in the bottle. Weve experienced 10%+ growth over the last three to four years. Weve felt the uncomfortableness of growth. Certainly weve enjoyed it too, but growing painswhether physical or spiritualare called pains for a reason. Imagine that early church though. They went from 120 to 3000 in one day. Thats a little more than 10% growth. Thats 2500% growth! And none of these new members are transferring from another church. They are all brand new Christians, some of whom havent even heard of the 10 Commandments, Moses, Noah, or even King David. All they know is that they were sinners. Jesus died for them. They gave their lives to him and now they are forgiven. They are desperately hungry for more. They need to be disciple and trained. If this happened to us, I would be going to each and every one in the congregation and assigning you 25 people to disciple. If you said, Aw Gee, Pastor Im not sure Im cut out for it, Id probably give you an earful out of sheer desperation and keep it up until you said yes. How did that early churchthat first real churchhandle such growth? Simply. The devoted themselves to studying the Apostles teaching. They devoted themselves to fellowship. They devoted themselves to potlucks. They got together regularly to learn and to relate, and they did it intentionally. They didnt let their busy lives get in the way of the important. God was using them to change lives for eternity and with that perspective, soccer practice, the PTA and the bowling league became so trivial in comparison. They got together, learned a little more about God and about each other. And they made it a point to eat together too. Its hard to eat with enemies or strangers. Thats what pulled them through and made them stronger. Perhaps theres something here for us to learn as well.

DAY 5!
at 3:00 in the afternoon..

Read Acts 3:1-10

Peter looked at his little schedule book and then spoke up. Hey, John, if we are going to make that 3:00 prayer meeting at the temple, we better be going, eh? That means it starts at 3:00 not start out the door at 3:00. John smiles while he looks around for his other sandal one more time. He finds it then they are out the door. A prayer meeting. Thats always a good idea. But on the way, it becomes apparent to both in their hearts that although its on their schedule, it isnt on Gods. They see this guy, somewhere in his 40s being carried to the gate that separates the Gentiles from the Jewish Women in the Temple. Hes a Jew, but because he is physically handicapped, this is as far as he can go. Their heart breaks at the underlying message that they see. This mans brokenness is keeping him from the faith that could make this all make sense. They walk up to him and he expecting a few coins gets the surprise of his life. In the name of Jesus, they heal him and he goes leaping for joy. If I were him, the first place Id go running and leaping is through the gate that was the barrier for my entire life and through the next one toointo the actual temple where worship took place and see with my own eyes the altar where sacrifices were made for sins and Id find some way to offer something there. Legs are great, but being right with God is even better. Thats great for the guy who spent his life outside Gods dwelling place. But what about Peter and John? They didnt go to the temple to heal and then preach and then stand trial (oops, am I giving too much away here?) They went there to pray. And their plans got pre-empted. They had to adjust. They had to put their plans and perhaps even their needs on the shelf while God did something amazing through them. Yet, it didnt seem to bother them very much at all. It certainly didnt rattle them when they stood in front of the Sanhedrin. Their time was a window of opportunity created by and for God. And I would be hard pressed to say that they werent praying all the way through this days events. This story kind of makes me wonder how many God appointments like this I walked by because I had my heart set on the next thing on my agenda. Is my time really Gods time, or do I pridefully give Him what I think I can afford?

DAY 6!
why do you stare at us?

Read Acts 3:11-26

Ive been told that I have a gift in preaching. Im sure some would strongly disagree and have specific things that theyd readily point out. But when someone comes to me and asks how I do it, especially without notes, I am immediately taken back to my college speech class. Dr. Choate, my speech professor and my academic counselor, took me aside after my final speech and said in all the kindness she could muster up, Darren, youre a good kid, but do yourself a favor and everyone else one too. Get a good paying job in the back cubicle somewhere. Find something that will require absolutely no public speaking. You just dont have it in you. Im passing you because I know you did your bestbut your best is painful. Sorry. Its just the truth and someone needed to be honest with you. I took absolutely no offense. She was right. It was painful for me as well for everyone I was watching. I had to be glued to the note cards. I couldnt even remember the next point in a five minute speech aboutI forget. So there is always an awkward moment when someone compliments me. That awkward moment is fueled by the complete acknowledgement that Im the wrong person to compliment on a sermon. I get what Peter and John were feeling here in this passage. Why are you staring at us as if we did anything? Oh how tempting it is to stare at people instead of God when amazing things happen! We all want heroes. People often feel the need to try to fill that God void within with heroes. The problem is that only God can fill that void. When people look at us instead of God, the human temptation is to say things like, Aw Garsh! and blush. We could also be tempted to say something like, Oh, its really nothing. The right thing to say is the same thing that Peter and John said to the crowd wondering how they did it. Why are you staring at us? We didnt do it, but let us introduce you to the One that did. His name is Jesus Christ. He can do this and more in your life as well! Got a God-given gift? Dont hide it or explain it away. Dont even blush when it becomes a topic of conversation. When it comes up, take that opportunity to make the moment about the reason why God gave you the gift in the first place. Tell them Who is really doing it and how He has a wonderful plan for them as well.

DAY 7!
Judge for yourselves

Read Acts 4:1-36

Ever since Thoreau threw it out, civil disobedience here in the States has been a very hot topicespecially in the church. God wants us to follow him. Yet, there are passages like Romans 13 that tell us that part of following God is to follow the governing authorities. Now what happens when Gods word clearly contradicts what the government He put in place demands? My British friend calls that a sticky wicket. This is the passage of Scripture that Jesus followers often turn to when they find themselves in the midst of that kind of dilemma. And in this story some very great advice for those of us who might find ourselves in such a sticky wicket. Peter and John are accused of breaking the Jewish law. The first thing that jumps out at me is that they do not deny the charges or try to explain them away. They dont blame their parents or excuse away their behavior by hiding behind any rights they might have. You were preaching and teaching about this Jesus? Yes. It was that simple. When asked, By what authority do you do this, they answered with the plain and simple truth. No flowery words. No attorney speak. No spinning it or wagging the dog. They just answer. Its by Gods power through Jesus. The response was almost immediate from the Sanhedrin. Well, stop it! And just as they didnt try to explain it away, they didnt try to hide from any consequences. You judge for yourselves what we should do, should we follow you or God? The Sanhedrin probably didnt like the implication that God and they were on different tracks. But they were also stumped as to what to do. Peter and John gave them nothing to work with as to a criminal mindset. If they had asked for mercy or demanded rights, theres a point to argue. They didnt. Instead they said, This is what God asked us to do. We take his word over yours. Now deal with us as you see fit. Its a lose lose situation for the Sanhedrin. It was a win win for the Apostles. Because they made it all about God and nothing about themselves. Praise God that we live in a land that lets our worship of God dictate our actions and we have a government that has a long track record of trying to stay out of Gods way. It may not always be that way, though. If God calls us to do something contrary to what the government he has put in place asks of us. We, like Peter and John need to be ready to stand up and speak out for God and then accept whatever consequences that government sets. Our example of selfless conviction will be what turns
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the tide in such situations. At least, it will be our God that is talked about, rather than our fallenness.

DAY 8
Before Church read Acts 4:32-37 Two parts to unity brought out by todays text are these: Unity of heart Unity of mind Take a few minutes before worship this morning and think about these things: Where are we as a church most unified around being compassionate and caring? What truths from Gods word are we as a church most in agreement as core and vital to who we are? Where could we use more unity in compassion? Where could we use more unity in understanding Gods Word and Will?

DAY 9!
But

Read Acts 5:1-16

I really hate that word, but. It tends to negate everything just said. Yesterday, we saw how the unity of the believers hearts and minds created a fertile field where the Holy Spirit could spread the Good News all over the known world, and then the but shows up. Apparently, there was a couple who wanted to have their cake and eat it too. They wanted to be part of this whole giving thing that was going on; they just didnt want to give everything up. They set out to look like they were giving sacrificially out of love, when really they were giving responsibly out of pride. Now, some have said that it was their unwillingness to give it all up that brought about their divine executions. Thats not what Peter said in verses 3-4. They could have kept the land for themselves and survived. What killed them, literally was that they were being hypocrites. Literally, that word means to live beneath the truth. And just in case you didnt know, God really doesnt like it when people intentionally aim for living beneath the truth. I believe God is sending a strong message to the early church and to us through them. Living beneath the truth is not acceptable, and it doesnt take very many who aim for that to ruin it for a whole bunch of people. But what does that look like today? Try these on. Im completely sold out to God, but your Bible only gets dusted off on Sunday. Ive given everything that I can, and then drive off in a brand new car that has heated and cooled seats. Id love to help, but I just dont have any more time to give, as you try to end this conversation quickly so you can get home to watch your favorite TV show. Now, none of this is to make you feel guilty for not doing or giving more. God wants what we give to be given with a cheerful heart. I guess, for me, the lesson is to be more transparent with people. A lot of times, people really mean, I wont do that when they say, I cant. I wont is so much more honest, even if it makes us face our own motivations more squarely and it reveals who we are on the inside more than we might want others to see. Make no mistake. Hypocrisy is something that has derailed the advancement of the Kingdom of Christ in more than one place or time. What oftentimes draws people to Christ is when people are honest with themselves and with others. What turns them off is when we try to look good at no cost to us. It cost the lives of Annanias and Sapphira. It might also cost the eternal lives of those who are watching us.

Day 10!

Read Acts 5:17-42

The Apostles left the council rejoicing

God placed pain receptors in our bodies to act as a warning system. When something hurts, we pull back. We get out of the way. Pain sends a message to our brain that says, Avoid recurrence at all costs. Yet, God has also given us a brain that can consciously override that impulse or instinct for pain avoidance. Its what causes mothers and fathers to put themselves between the attacking dog and their child. Its what caused people like Polycarp to willingly walk up the wood stacked for his own burning at the stake instead of taking the safe route and renounce his faith in Jesus Christ. In fact, it was this brain and heart that caused Jesus himself to pray with sweat dropping from his brow like blood, Father if this cup could pass from me, please. Nonetheless, Your will be done not mine. When the scoffers and persecutors mocked him telling him to just come down off the cross, they had no idea what the God on that cross could have done. Certainly his pain receptors had suggestions! When I read passages like this, there is a conviction that stirs in my soul. It would have been truly amazing to be freed from public jail as the Apostles were. But how would I have reacted when that same freeing angel said, Go back to the temple and preach? It would be like being pulled from a raging inferno only to be told to voluntarily walk back in. Why would anyone in their right mind do that? It hurt the last time. Its probably going to hurt even more this time. The apostles saw things differently. Yes, this would hurt emotionally for sure and perhaps even physically. But not nearly as much as Hell would for those who didnt get to hear the Truth, the whole Truth, and nothing but the Truth. And so back they went. That led to a public trial intended to humiliate and intimidate them. Their lives were spared by a wise man, but that didnt keep them from being beaten publicly. And how did they respond? They felt the smile of God and smiled back. They put their own instinct of pain avoidance on hold for a greater good and they knew God was watching. Sometimes God asks us to take the painful route. Sometimes thats holding someone accountable that has the ability to shred people with wordsor it could end the relationship all together. Oftentimes, its sharing a bit of hope about Christ in someones life who might and probably will make fun of you for it. Yes, that will hurt. Sometimes a lot. But like it was for the Apostles, like it was for Christ himself, there is a greater good than pain avoidance.

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DAY 11!
It is not right for us to

Read Acts 6:1-7

As a pastor, I know exactly what the Apostles were feeling in this chapter. Ive lived on both sides of the pulpit and I know how easy it is to see the pastor as the go-to guy for everything. And for pastors, it can easily become a lose-lose situation. If we take on the expectations of everyone who has a great ministry idea, we quickly become a failure at everything because nothing gets done well. If we set boundaries and say, I cant or wont do that. Then we look like were just coasting. Ive gotten in trouble more than once in my 12 years of ministry for not reading someones mind that they were in the hospital and wanting a visit. Yet, if I lived my life in the emergency waiting room, when would the rest of the expectations get done. The answer is usually the same. Yes, pastor, I know you cant do it all. Im not asking you to do it all. What Im asking you to do is what is important to me! And I can hear that in over 300 different ways in a week from 300 different people. Now that might sound like complaining. It isnt. Actually, its a confession. As much as I would like to be everyones savior and the driving force to everyones great ideas, I am not God. And when I take on everything that everyone gives me to either keep the peace or impress you all, I am pretending to be the christ of our church. And this is where this passage becomes very convicting to me. The apostles are approached with a problem and it is assumed that they are going to be the ones that take care of it so everyone else can go home. Instead of taking on the problem, they recognize that it is out of the scope of their calling and basically put the problem back on the family of believers. We arent going to fix this. Instead, well endorse the solution you come up with. Now Im sure there were some that were murmuring, What a bunch of sluff-offs! What do we pay them for if not for things like this? Yet, look at the result. The ones being neglected are better taken care of than the Apostles could have done. The church is acting like a church, where everyone is a minister. The Apostles get to focus on their calling and the church is deepened both in understanding and in compassionin words and deeds. Because the church isnt an army of one. It is a family where everyone has a role. Challenge: For Darren, Jason, and Deb: where are you trying to be God for the congregation. For the congregation: where are you expecting your staff to be God for you or yours.

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Day 12!
But one day

Read Acts 6:8-7:60

Have you ever noticed that people only really enjoy success when they are the ones experiencing it? Ive worked with more than one addict who shared their devastation when they worked to rise above their addiction only to find that their former friends were now their greatest tormentors. Its no coincidence that videos that show someones failure or humiliation go viral far more than someones successes, even when were winning more medals in the Olympics than anyone else. That whole phenomenon of laughing at someone worse off and looking for ways to knock down a few notches someone who looks better off creates a huge issue for those who faithfully follow Christ. There are no two ways around this. Those who choose to follow Christ those whom God redeems and saves are phenomenally better off than those who choose to reject Him. Thats not a value statement that some are worth more than others or that some are more intelligent than others. God saves by grace, not by works. My salvation is a gift granted by God. I didnt earn it. I dont deserve it. I didnt even get lucky and stumble upon it. It was all God. I cant take any credit for it. And yet, I am far better off than any of my fellow human beings who chose a different path. I have a God who is all-powerful, all-personal, all-wise and allloving. No other faithwalk has anything close to compare. Stephen had the same problem. God was doing amazing things through him. Rather than seeing this as an opportunity to gain access to the same God that was working in Stephen, they decided to take him down a few notches. The important thing in this passage to see is how Stephen handled himself. He didnt take the guff they gave. He was bold in his faith. He neither arrogant nor condescending. It is impossible to read this passage and not see how every word, every action was an act of love, trying to help those who were persecuting him see a good God with an amazing plan for their lives. They were trying to pull him down and while they were doing that, he was trying to pull them up. Even his last breath was used to ask for forgiveness on their part. Something that probably angered them in the moment, but at their end they were either grateful or ashamed for. It would be easy to assume that this was a tragic meaningless end. Dont do that. Instead look at verse 2 and see how he addresses the council. This isnt the standard greeting. It is fairly unique. Then look at how Paul addresses the same council in chapter 23. This is the same guy who holds the coats of those who are murdering Stephen. Any coincidence that these opening lines are the same? I think not. Live today
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like Jesus saved you, keeping your eyes in his direction. People wont get you. Thats OK. The goal is that they get God through your living.

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DAY 13!

Read Acts 8:1-3

A great wave of persecution began that day.

Theres that verse in Romans 8 that I think most Christians hold to kind of loosely. All things work out for the good for those who are in Christ Jesus and called according to his purpose. It sounds amazing and wonderful. But in the world we live in, it can become very difficult to believe. How can the protesting of military funerals be something that works out for the good? How can churches that depended upon the use of public spaces to worship now on the streets be something that works out for the good? How does cancer or bankruptcy or divorce work out for the good? I remember attending a funeral of a wonderful young man of God. He left behind two very small children and a wife who was well over 2000 miles from any family. He was the pastor at the Fairbury church. One of the funniest, yet clearest ministers I have ever known. I remember being at a pastors retreat and walking by the empty conference room. There he was in there reading a Bible story to his kids over the phone before they were off to bed. Wow! That was one committed dada committed dad who was hit by an oncoming car when he was out for a run one morning and was pronounced dead upon arrival. I remember sitting in his funeral service wondering, almost out loud. God, how are you going to work this out for the good? Im sure that these are similar feelings for those who followed Christ in the days described by the opening verses of Acts 8. People were literally dying for their faith. People were packing up their stuff and leaving in the middle of the night to keep their kids from dying or being orphans. How does this work out for the good? A millennia later, we can look back and say that God used the persecution to scatter believers and thus spread the Gospel. It makes book sense to us now, but then it made no heart sense at all. Why do bad things happen to good people? Its a question that has been bantered around for centuries, with no clear definitive answer. The cold-hearted truth of the matter is that a good God has chosen to let the brokenness of humanity play out. And as Romans 11 tells us, God is both loving and severe. Certainly, He doesnt always make sense especially in the moment. But he is faithful. To those who lost their lives or the lives of their loved ones in this wave of Acts 8 persecution, there was a good as God rewarded them for their faithfulness. He used the persecution to spread His Word and deepen his relationship with those being persecuted. He didnt always answer the question, Why? But he has never stopped listening and being there in the midst of the
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circumstances that brought about the why. This we can count on every time.

Day 14!
Let me have this power, too

Read Act 8:4-25

Theres a commercial I think for a cell phone carrier. Its where this lady is trying to haggle over the price of Englands crown jewels. She wont take no for an answer, despite how ridiculous she looks or sounds. Shes got the cell phone that makes her feel like a bazzilionnaire. She doesnt get the jewels, by the way, even with her cool phone in her hand. Those jewels belong to the Queen. They are not for sale. They can only be worn by the ruling monarch or people in her family that she approves of. It is absurd to even ask such a question beyond that scope. Simon the Sorcerer, in todays passage, tries a similar trick with God. Hes got money and he sees something amazing that he wants to be able to do as well. The change that comes over ones face when they have been cleansed by the blood of Christ and filled with the Holy Spirit. Thats better than any potion hes concocted or any slight of hand hes pulled off. This is super cool! He goes to the Apostles and does what he has done with every trick hes learned. Teach me how you did that. I will reward you handsomely. The problem is that what he wanted to buy wasnt for sale. It wasnt off limits to him. It just wasnt for sale. You want to be able to do that? Great, get right with the King of Kings. Dont try to bribe him with your trinkets and bobbles. Dont cheapen one of the most amazing miracles in all of human history by trying to put a price tag on it. Its pretty easy to look at Simon and see him as an ignorant fool for thinking he could do something so brash and insulting to God. Yet, is he the only one who has tried to bargain with God or Gods servants? Is he the only one that tried to circumvent having to get right with God by offering a trade instead? Who hasnt prayed at least once, God if you will fix ____________, then I will pay you back by ___________. And Gods response is the same with us as it was with Simon. How dare you suggest such a thing? Your resources are meaningless to Me. Its all Mine anyways. No. What God wants is not our sacrifices, but our faithfulness from a place of being in a right standing with Him. Does that mean that we
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can stop giving? No. The faithful give. They give sacrificially. But they dont do it for favors. They do it from a cheerful, trusting heart that no matter what comes next; God will be there and make it meaningful for eternity. Dont cheapen Gods grace and mercy by trying to pay him back or pay him off. Stop bargaining with God. Accept his free gift and his blessings and love him back, not as payment, but as a normal response to such a gift.

DAY 15
Before Church, read Acts 9:1-31 Answer these questions: When have you felt most vulnerable in your faith?

What did God ask of you in that vulnerability?

If you had to live through that all over again, how would you have done it differently if you would have?

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DAY 16!

Read Acts 9:32-43

Please come as soon as possible!

Can you imagine how your world would change if God granted you the ability to just lay hands on people and in Jesus name, you could heal the sick, give sight to the blind, and even raise the dead? The ability to take away someones life long struggle or pain would be amazing. It would also quickly become overwhelming. Word would spread like wildfire all over the place. What such a power could do, couldnt it? I have to admit that Ive actually prayed for that kind of power. Ive seen a lot of pain, sickness and even death. To help alleviate that in the name of God would be so awesome! Peter heals Aeneas and word spreads like the wildfire I mentioned above. In the neighboring town of Joppa, a group of people hear that Peter was in the vicinity and they immediately sent a party to persuade him to come to Joppa with one goal in mind. They had just lost someone incredibly valuable to them and to God. Her name was Tabitha, or Dorcas in Greek. Peter agrees and when he gets there he is introduced to another miracle worker of sorts. As he enters Tabithas house, there are people in every square inch, all there mourning and also to convince Peter to use his special power on their special person. One lady holds up a blanket Tabitha had made for her, keeping her warm. A small child holds up a dolly Tabitha had fashioned out of some scraps. A father has a half full bag of grain that Tabitha had given to keep his family with full stomachs. One by one, as Peter passed them, he was introduced to another miracle worker of a different flavor. Tabitha had shown in real, down to earth, ways the miraculous love of Christ to everyone she ran into. A mentor once told me this simple truth. Flashy sells it to the masses. Love wins over the toughest of individual hearts. Now which one is more of a miracle? How true. I have prayed for healing over people who were dying. Ive also held their hand as they passed from this life to the next when there wasnt anyone else to be there for them. And from time to time, I prayed and cried wondering why God didnt answer my prayer for a miracle. Perhaps he did. It was just more of a Tabitha kind of miracle rather than a Peter kind. Challenge: when you look at the Apostles, are you ever tempted to believe that they are out of your league? That they were somehow more special than you are? That they could accomplish more because God was with them more? Stop that kind of thinking. You might not be called to raise the dead, but you can be an instrument of healing for the living. Go be a Tabitha today!
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DAY 17!
No Lord!...

Read Acts 10:1-23

Sometimes we forget that although Peter was a fisherman with a sailors tongue and an elementary education, he was still a Jew to the core. He was born and raised with certain traditions hammered into his head. He might not flair his pinky when drinking from a tea cup. He might not even know what a tea cup is. He might not be able to quote Isaiah and Jeremiah, but he still knows Genesis through Deuteronomy by heart. He was born, raised, and is fearfully proud of being a Jew. He might not have the pedigree of Gamaliel, but he can trace his heritage with pride and the accuracy of an IRS bean counter right back to the tent of Judah. Along with that pride there are just certain things that even a rednecked Jew doesnt do. Two things come to mind from this passage. They dont touch the forbidden foods and they dont fraternize with the Gentiles. We dont fraternize with the Gentiles; especially with the Romans because they arent as close to God as we are and they are the occupying enemy. We dont eat pig, shellfish, frogs, and other things because God said not toand thats all we need to know! There was pride, even for the lowest on the socio-economic status. You might be a trash collector, but at least you were a Jew that made you better in the eyes of God than Caesar himself. Now if they could only convince Caesar of that. So imagine poor Peter sitting on the roof of the unclean tanners house, wondering why God called him there. Then he gets this vision from God telling him that ham loaf actually doesnt taste half bad. Then he hears a knock on the door. Its a definitive knock. Romans soldiers had a way of making their presence known, even when they werent trying to be intimidating. And after the knock, God says, I sent them. Go with them. Every tradition that Peter had held with the utmost of pride just got thrown out the windowright where God wanted all of that baggage. It was that prideful baggage that was keeping the Jews from doing what they were chosen to do. They werent chosen because God plays favorites. They were chosen for a purposeto be Gods ambassadors to the rest of the world. But their pride and traditions were keeping them locked in the four walls of their synagogues and Temple. They looked down on others who didnt do everything by the book and sneered a prayer of thankfulness. Thanks God for making us better than them. Arent you glad we Gentile believers have evolved past this bad habit? Because we dont hold to our traditions so tightly that we cant spare a hand or a foot to take the gospel to someone who may need it,
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right? Seriously, what would our world look like if we made the effort to go into the bars to develop relationships with those who are trying to drown out their issues and share the good news of Jesus with them? How would our world be different if we showed up in divorce courts ready and willing to serve out of love instead of gossip and judge? How would our church be different if we said, How can I serve you? rather than whisper, serves them right? Convicting, yes?

DAY 18

Read Acts 10:23-48

I can see clearly now You ever play that game of what if? What if this happened and what if that happened. I had you read verse 23 both today and yesterday for a reason. Thats not a typo. The reason is that todays passage is completely dependent upon yesterdays. Yesterday, God confronted Peters addiction to tradition and his pride. From that confrontation, God stepped back and basically said to Peter, Now what? Peter had a choice. Was he going to abandon the tradition he worshipped for his whole life, or was he going to follow the God who was calling him to worship him for the rest of his life? The passage doesnt paint this choice, but it was there nonetheless. Peter could have blamed the vision on the kosher pizza he had the night before. Peter could have walked past the Romans outside wrapping his cloak around him like a good little Jew was taught to do with unclean people. No Jew would have found him at fault. They would have found him faithful for doing both! But its not how the people see things that make the difference. Its how God sees things. Peter was so committed to Christ that although the pills he was asked to swallow that day were huge, he just got a bigger glass of water to get them down. The result is something that I could only really dream of being a part of. He walked into the house of a commanding officer of the enemy, and watched as the Holy Spirit snatched souls by the handful out of the prison camps of Satan. He saw the shackles of sin fall. He saw joy where there was once despair. He saw healing where there were open wounds of the soul. Remember, that under Peters former way of thinking, what these people were experiencing was simply not
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theologically possible. They didnt have the right blood flowing through their veins to make this possible. If there was a Hell or even an afterlife, these people didnt stand a chance. But because Peter was willing to set aside his addiction to tradition and rules and regulations and his own personal pride and family prejudice, he said with tears of joy flowing down his face, I can see clearly now that God does not show favoritism. Being transparent here, I pray for this kind of revelation in todays church. I find all too often that we Christians look at people outside the church much like a Jew would have looked at a Gentile. We see their brokenness, their addictions, their repeated mistakes and we quietly pray a prayer of thanks for not being that way ourselves. But when God asks us to reach out into their world, we get wide eyes and back away. We cant have that kind of person in our church? we protest. And in so doing, we commit blasphemy against the Holy Spirit. How? We trick ourselves into believing that salvation comes to those who deserve it and think the Holy Spirit too common to be able to transform the lives of the broken, the not-like-us kind of people into more-like-Christ kind of people. We oftentimes cannot see clearly that God doesnt show favoritism because we dont want to see it. Yet it surrounds us. Look back through history. Some of the greatest saints of all times started out as some of the greatest sinners of all times: Francis of Assisi, Chuck Colson, Nicky Cruz, are just to mention a few.

DAY 19

Read Acts 11:1-18

You entered the homes of Gentiles and ate with them! A mentor once told me about church leadership, Never get so far ahead in leading your congregation so that they begin to mistake you for the oncoming enemy. Thats been a tough piece of advice to follow. Not because Im impatient. Its tough because people are in different places in their walk and comfort zones. Some are ready yesterday to do something completely different. Others will do just as they are told. Others will dig their heals in, cross their arms, and hold their breath until they pass out if someone beats them to their pew that their great, great grandpappy sat in a hundred years ago. Its hard to hold hands with a group like that. One can get pulled in a variety of directions and can have things dislocated pretty easily
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especially when you see everyones side. Tradition can be hollow and empty, especially when it isnt explained or understood. It can also be the only anchor that people have in a world spinning out of control. To just manage to keep these groups talking to each other is a daily miracle at times. Then, one throws into the mix that every once and a while, God says whether by a still small voice or a pillar of fire or smoke, Pick up your tent and start hiking that direction Leading in times like that can make a leader look like a lightning rod, or at least feel like one. Peter here is a great example. God said, Go and tell the Gentiles and enjoy some shrimp on the Barbie while you are at it. When Peter gets back to Jerusalem, his God has taken him so far ahead of everyone else that he is now mistaken for the enemy. Everything is put on the line here. Everything is at risk. Look back over it again and see how they dealt with this pivotal crisis. 1. 2. 3. 4. Those who had a problem went directly to the person they had a problem with and told him in clear terms what their issue was. The one being confronted listened, and without taking it personally, explained why he did what he did. Those who had a problem listened to the explanation with an open mind, not thinking of the next comeback or knock down strategy. They all ended up on the same page and rejoiced in the new step that they got to see God take in human history.

Oh, how I long and pray for this to be the norm for Christs bride, especially as the days grow more and more evil.

DAY 20

Read Acts 11:19-30

Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul

One of the biggest mistakes people make in reading the Scriptures is letting what they know about the chapters that follow where they are reading influence where they are in the storyline. We all know what Saul, soon to be Paul, will end up doing. Hes the Apostle to the Gentiles. With several missionary trips, he will give the Gentiles the push they need to take the Gospel where no Jew would be willing to go with it. We see him as a spiritual giant.
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But thats not how the Jews or the Jewish Christians saw Saul in this part of the storyline. He was a washed up Pharisee at best; a Christian pariah at worst. He was trouble with a capital T. The Jews hated him for abandoning and perverting the truth he once swore so adamantly to defend. The Christians were about as leery of him as they could get. Why anyone would go looking for him should be beyond anyone with any brainshumanly speaking. But Barnabas wasnt ruled by human brains. His faith was strong and he saw something in Saul, now Paul that God allowed him to see. He cut through the gossip and the stereotypes. He walked past the gossipers, perhaps even smiled at them as he passed them, asking, Is this the way to Sauls place? Then he finds the man, more than likely sewing on a tent. Then in my minds eye, theres a conversation that goes something like this. Barnabas: Wanna go on an adventure? Paul: Where? Barnabas: Wherever God takes us. Paul: Do you know who I am? Barnabas: Bigger questiondo you know who God knows you are? Paul: Let me get my stuff. Barnabasthe encourager. To encourage means to come along side where someone currently is and without being judgmental or condescending help them take the next right step in the right direction and help them celebrate each one of them. I can only imagine what the next year was like with Barnabas encouraging Paul until the student became the masterand with each step, Barnabas was completely all right with it. Our world needs a whole lot more Barnabuses. Could you be one of them with someone that everyone else has resigned to just talk about in quiet whispers? Who knows, you might be the one who helps the next Billy Graham get on his feet?

Day 21: !

Read Acts 12

While Peter was in prison, the church prayed very earnestly for him. Some call the medieval ages, the Dark Ages. I would beg to differ. I dont think it could get any darker than Acts 12. The horrible execution of Jesus isnt that distant of a memory when the event of this chapter
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takes place. Herod, the king of the Jews who bought his crown from Rome and was always on the lookout for ways to buy out the Jews affections, stumbled upon something that hit a Jewish nerve. What if he tried to get rid of these followers of Jesusthose whom the Jews thought were perverting the faith. Maybe that would win them over. Against Roman law, Herod executes James, one of the younger more vivacious apostles. Then he hunts down Peter to do the same with him. Put yourself in the sandals of one of those early Christians. People that you have grown to love and have grown to depend upon are being hunted down, imprisoned, killed and then put on display to make a point. All the while Herod is on this Christian hunt, Rome stands idly by not wanting to get involved. The Jews are reveling. Herod is getting motivated. Rome sleeps. Where does one turn when you are clearly the least important, the least powerful in the situation and everyone else knows it. Someone sent me a picture of a cobra snake surrounded by at least 20 mongooses. The caption read something like, Sometimes you cant help but be the only snake that shows up to a mongoose convention. Thats what that early church was feeling like. They had seen some pretty amazing things. At the same time, their current circumstances were impossible to deny. Humanly speaking, Christianity was on its death bedand so were everyone that followed that path. So what did they do? Give up? Scatter further? Try their best to blend in until things died down? No. The gathered together and they prayed. Just the gathering together part was an act of faith. The fact that they turned their attention upward instead of peaking out the windows through cracked curtains was another amazing act of faith. They saw with human eyes what was going on, but saw with transformed souls who was still in charge. Rome might be sleeping. The Jews might be rejoicing. Herod might be scheming. But God was laughing at their poor attempts to control what was going on. They turned their attention to God and God said, Watch this! Then with something that would even be difficult for modern day science fiction writers to top, God stops time and space except for one lonely apostle. He drops Peters chains, and that without a sonic screwdriver. And opens doors without a single phasar or plasma cannon shot. Is the same God you worship today? Does images and quotes about todays economy, job market, political scene, crime rates, and eroding personal rights keep you awake at night. Perhaps what would work better than a sleeping pill or a glass or warm milk would be to obtain a bigger more accurate picture of God. Pray in earnest, knowing that God will not be mocked. He will not be thwarted. He is not just on the
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winning team. He defines what victory is. What was supposed to look like a very dark time for Christians actually turned out to be one of the brightest. The same thing can be said about the darkness you are currently experiencing.

Day 22
Before Church read Acts 13:1-42

Answer these questions: What kind of threat to you feel to your stuff, your time, or your identity when you consider taking on a deeper relationship with God?

How would you honestly respond if God laid it upon your heart to do something outside your comfort zone? To forgive someone who had wronged you and not yet made restitution or even felt it necessary to make restitution?

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Day 23!

Read Acts 13:44-52

And they were jealous

Ill admit it. I do it too, at least in sports and perhaps more in my faith than I want to admit. Im much more of a spectator than a participant. I can sit on the sidelines or better yet in the bleachers and think in my head that if I were down there this or that is what would happen. Ive rolled my eyes at more than one play thinking that the coach or the player was off his complete rocker for making that call or doing that. I absolutely love the Huskersuntil you ask me to suit up. I love to talk about football. I love to talk about basketball. I love to talk about track and field. Ill even sit down and talk Olympics. But, if anyone brings up in the discussion that they want me to be on the team, Id probably burst out laughing. Even if it was the most amateur of teams, when on earth am I going to find time to practice or go to games? Ive got commitments and obligations. If we just keep it talk, we can keep talking. But if you actually want me to start doing, well this conversation is drawing to a close fairly rapidly. Thats exactly where we left the synagogue attendees in the passage before this. They were eager to listen but not willing to budge. So Paul and Barnabas went out to talk with people who were willing to join the team, and not just talk about it. I have this sneaking suspicion that if the Jews knew that they were going to do this, they were laughing at the possibility that God would actually do anything with the Gentiles, if God were in it at all. But then the crowds showed up and kept getting bigger and bigger. Suddenly, the keepers of God were finding themselves left out in the cold. They didnt like this. They didnt want to join in. That would have been more work than it was worth to them. They just wanted to go back to talking and get rid of all these pagans out of their hair. I suspect that Dr. Luke had a pretty good sense of humor. If so, then I dont miss the irony he includes as he closes what we would call chapter 13. Who ends up rejoicing? Who ends up fading into the background? Its the ones willing to get involved that end up rejoicing and being filled with the Holy Spirit. Its the ones that just want to watch others play the game that end up fading away filled with frustration and sour faces. Which life defines you? Are you filled with the Spirit, full of rejoicing? Or does the other side define you betterthe side that has their arms crossed, noses and eyebrows wrinkled, saying, Hey, thats not how it is supposed to be done. A mentor of mine from way down south used to say this all the time. Id be leery of being a spectator. My mamma used to cook and cut up taters. Dont reckon shed have much
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use for a tater the size of a speck either. Id rather participate. At least, then, I get to play a part.

Day 24!
These men are gods in human form!

Read Acts 14

Theres this really revealing passage in the book of James. James 1:17 says, Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father That phrase preaches well and slides off the tongue with finesse. The reality behind that statement can be a huge glass of cold water on a sleeping Rottweiler. Everything that is good comes from God. Yes, the beautiful sunsets, that extra check you got in the mail, how good that chocolate peanut buster parfait tastes on an empty stomach. All of those good things come from God, and its somewhat easy to give God the credit for those kinds of things. But those things arent everything. What about that pianists ability to play, that soccer players ability to score, that business owners ability to make the business grow, that farmer that can keep ahead of the curve with what and how to grow things? What about that counselors ability to help people heal, that teachers ability to get the material in the students head, making them beg for more? That singers ability to fill a stadium? Is that from God? When someone enters their sunset years and they have the ability to look back in present comfort seeing how their good choices and lifestyle paid off. When they look at their kids with pride at where they ended up and look forward with anticipation how their legacy is going to get carried on to the next generation? Are these things from God as well? Christians might be trained to answer with an astounding YES! but Id challenge that a bit. It was certainly God who brought about these good things.. and well, my hard work ethic and some really good decisions and some help here and there from those around and a good education and good goal setting a well thought out mission statement. And that list gets longer and longer, giving God less and less credit. Then to make matters worse, someone comes along and sees all the dots of your success or talent and connects them to you. Wow! You are really great at this or that! I hope you know that I really admire you for this or that. Who doesnt want to hear that kind of stuff? Ill tell you two who didnt what to hear any of that. Their names are Paul and Barnabas. Paul here sees a guy who has the faith to be healed and Paul calls upon God to do just that. The people go crazy. These guys must
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be gods in human form! they exclaim and the impromptu welcome party for gods is set in motion. When Paul and Barnabas catch the meaning of what is going on, they literally rip the clothes off their body in protest and in anguish. They didnt heal this guy. God is the author of everything good! If that was good, it was from God. And God did it to get your attention to turn to Him, not me. Heres the vital truth that was so basic to Paul and Barnabas. God does good things in us, around us, and through us to let those around us see how good He is. To take credit for anything good is to divert Gods will and to confuse the one God is trying to reach. I remember one pianist in particular in a previous ministry. She played a song for the offertory that really was exactly what I needed to hear when I needed to hear it. It was better than any sermon I had ever preached or had heard. I went up to her afterwards and thanked her. She smiled and said, My God who inspired me to play that and gave me the ability to do so says you are most welcome. That was the coolest answer ever. And therein lies the challenge for today. Go and do likewise!

Day 25!

Read Acts 15:1-35

some men from Judea arrived and began teaching the believers. To start out here, I have no ill feelings toward law enforcement officers. I am grateful for them. My brother is one, and Im not sure I could be more proud of him. So when I say that sheriffs in the church make the hair on the back of my neck stand straight up, please understand Im not talking about those who enforce civil law for a living. Here, what Im talking about are those self-appointed spiritual sheriffs who try to enforce their interpretation of Gods law in a crusade-like fashion. They certainly mean well. They see their cause as just and the times desperate to start locking people up, kicking them out or scaring them straight. If they were just mean spirited perpetrators trying to find the next victim, there would be little issue. Whether it be the Lead Shepherd or an under shepherd, the directive when a predator enters the flock is the same. Get rid of the predatorquickly, decisively and unmistakably. Theres a reason why the shepherd carries a rod and it isnt to itch his back. But when its one sheep trying to correct another sheep out of ignorant ambition in a wrong direction, then it becomes trickier. Their motivation might be partially good. The result isnt.

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Some self appointed spiritual sheriffs showed up in the church that Paul and Barnabas were working in and began to teach what they thought was a good thing. Gods grace is great, they said, but thats just the starting spot. If you want to seal the deal, its time to get out some scissors, guys. Theres some works to do here!It was just similar to what Paul and Barnabas were teaching to make sense, yet different enough to cause eyes to pop out of heads. Where there was unity, there was now confusion. Where there was safety and peace, there was now anxiety and frustration. The sheriffs thought they were doing the right thing, but couldnt have been more wrong. They think they are operating out of love, but only leave fear and unspoken hurts in their wake. Paul and Silas do the right thing here. They stand up immediately and challenge the sheriffs and when they dont back down, take it higher up. And I love the Apostles direction here. The sheriffs come into town telling people what they MUST do. The Apostles leave the Christians with a list of things that WOULD BE BENEFICIAL. Did you catch the difference? Its hard to miss. Sheriffs, at least the ones of the self appointed spiritual nature, are about the rules and enforcing them. They often cant explain why the rule is there, but they can pinpoint everyone who has broken them. God works very differently. Even though he is the one and only true judge in the universe, he is much more interested in your relationship than he is with the rules. Certainly there is right and wrong, but what is right is right because God created the world in a way that makes that the best long term choice. What is wrong is the worst long term path. And God is concerned about you, not his ticket book. Challenge: Where in your life have you appointed yourself to be a spiritual sheriff? Where have you put rules over relationship? Can you explain the reasons why the right things you do is right or is your answer, Because someone said so. Where is a sheriff making you do what you do? Perhaps its time to try it Gods way in these situations.

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Day 26!
John Mark

Read Acts 15:36-41

This passage is hard to read without tearing up. Paul is a passionate man, with a God-given determination and focus that God will use to literally change the face of the planet over the next few millennia. Barnabas, if we will remember, is the guy who went out of his way to find this washed up Pharisee that no one wanted to claim on their team. Barnabas seems to have a soft spot for what God can do in lost causes cases. What the two of them agree upon is that going back through the places where they started churches to encourage them and teach them further is a good idea. What they disagree about is John Mark. Paul is done with the kid. He bailed on them previously, crying I want my Mommie! Paul had absolutely no use for fickle. Barnabas, Im sure, saw the irony in Pauls words and actions. It was like listening to a former smoker rant and rave about how they cant stand the smell of smoke anymore to a loved one that smelled it from them for years. Barnabas, who saw great potential in the misguided Saul of Tarsus, sees great potential in John Mark, and isnt going to just sit there and let this potential world changer get sidelined by someone who couldnt see past the next town. Words are exchanged, some louder than others and these two decide that the best way is to go separate ways. I cant imagine that moment when that reality hits them for real. Do you remember when they thought we were gods? They thought you were Hermes, Paul. You do know that Hermes is bald, right? Kind of funny? Yea, Zeus was a bit on the pudgy side too. Muscular, not pudgy. All of this followed by some muffled laughter and then genuine tears probably flowed. Im going to miss you. Yea, me too. Then one went one way and the other went the other. Silas, with Paul, is probably wondering what this is really all about and what is it going to mean long term. Barnabas has probably put his arm around John Mark and said something like, Hey, all things work out for the good. This isnt your fault. This is Gods plan. I do find it very interesting that in Pauls last letter that we have, he asks for someone specifically to come and visit. In II Timothy 4:11, Paul begs Timothy to send none other than this John Mark, stating that he would be helpful to Pauls ministry. Paul realized that he was the one that was in the wrong about John Mark. Putting that aside, though. All things work out for the good for those who are in Christ Jesus and called according to his purpose. Even this fight. The fight wasnt good. But God does with bad things what he does with all things. He turned it into good. He took an amazing missionary team and turned it into two, getting twice the work done twice the area coveredtwice as many souls touched.
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Made mistakes and have past regrets? Yea, you probably blew it. Heres the beauty of it though. You have a God who can take some of the most stupidest things weve ever done and the biggest regrets of our lives and still make something beautiful out of it. Thats not a license to go out and be stupid. Stupid still hurts. But as in Paul and Barnabas case, God can take the ashes and turn it into beauty. Stop beating yourself up about that thing. Move on. And only look back to see how God is good even with that mess up.

DAY 27!

Read Acts 16
He arranged for Timothy to be circumcised.

This passage can be a bit confusing. Just a few chapters previously, Paul and Barnabas stood up to the self-appointed spiritual sheriffs about this whole circumcision thing. They took the argument to the Supreme Court, so to speak and the Apostles weighed in saying that such acts were not necessary, but other things were beneficial for the previously pagan to pay attention to. And now, Paul sees a young man who is a well respected believer in Jesus. He sees some leadership potential in this young man named Timothy. And the first thing he recommends to Timothy iscircumcision. Honestly, I have very little idea how one would start a conversation around that. Paul sees this as something important enough to not only bring up but to carry through with. Why put that poor young man through that ordeal? As much as it should turn the stomach of every single red blooded American, the reason dealt with race. Timothys father came from the wrong side of the tracks. His mom was a Jew, but his dad was a Greek. Traditionally, the Jewishness of a Jew travels down the moms lineage, but the Greek dad is going to be problematic for Jews, in particular, who are wondering where exactly Timothys loyalties lie. Apparently, in Pauls day, the act of circumcision would settle that concern once and for all. Pauls desire to help Timothy overcome any obstacle to sharing the gospel and Timothys willingness to go along with it shows in both men just how deep they held the conviction that everyone needs to hear the Good News of Jesus Christ. Paul said in I Corinthians 9:22, I have become all things to all men in order to save some. Did Timothy had to become circumcised to serve Jesus? No. He was released from that law when he accepted Christ. He was free from that. At the same time, Paul said in I Corinthians 8:9, be
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careful so that your freedom does not cause others with a weaker conscience to stumble. For both Paul and Timothy, whatever it takes to help people find a personal relationship with Jesus and an eternal home with Him was worth it. Can the same be said of you and me? Are there places where we just wont go becausewell, we dont do that? Are there people we wont hang out with becausewell, we just dont do that? Are there sacrifices that we could make, that God is calling us to make, so that others might see the light of the Gospel message and repent, but we arent willing to make those sacrifices becausewell, we just dont do that? Or we dont have to do that? Dont forget that Jesus didnt have to die on the cross for you or me. He didnt have to, yet He did out of love. When you compare the kind, the intensity, and the humiliation that was involved in Christs death on the cross, it makes even circumcision look like a picnic. Seriously, nothing compares. Perhaps if there were more Pauls and Timothys out there who were willing to put themselves, their rights, and their comforts on the shelves for Gods glory and for the souls of others, the revival that we all eagerly await might be more than just a dream, but a reality.

Day 28!

Read Acts 16:11-40

Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God You know that sound that fingernails make on the chalkboard? Very annoying, isnt it? Theres a pitch that my baby daughter can hit to that just makes my teeth hurt. In fact, now that I think of it, Im pretty sure every single kid of mine found that specific note as well. Its that sound that just makes you want to run out of the room plugging your ears and screaming yourself to drown out the sound. Its just plain painful. Ive often wondered if there is a sound that makes the Satan and his dark forces cringe in undeniable pain. And my theory on the matter is that there is. Its a song sung unto God. Heres an interesting factoid. Nowhere in all of the scriptures does it indicate that Angels can sing. It always refers to them as chanting. Some more modern translations say sing, but the root is always chant. Now that doesnt mean that they cant, but it opens the door of speculation for me. What if God created human beings with a specific and unique
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ability to sing praises to Him? Certainly God loves a song sung in His direction. Psalm 22:3 declares about God, You are holy, enthroned on the praises of your people. Other versions say that God inhabits the praises of his people. Honestly, I cannot think of anything that would grate on the nerves of any fallen angel more deeply than the perhaps uniquely qualified voices of fallen human beings being inhabited and protected by the God who condemned them to eternal horror. Can you think of anything more painful for them? In todays text, we see the dark forces of this world winning for the first half of the text. Paul is trying to teach and is sidelined by a demon possessed girl. He gets rid of the demon and gets in trouble for it. Then he gets locked up, shackled and put in stocks in the middle of the prison. The stinkiest, darkest dingiest, most dank aired place in the building. Could it get any worse? The spiritual prince of that region is smiling pretty big. He captured this threat and hes a non-threat now, right? Then the voices begin to rise and sing. Prayers are being lifted up. And the earth shakes. Is it shaking because God is doing it or is it shaking because the demons are in such a rush to get out of there they keep bumping into everything? OK. God did it, but notice for a moment that it was the point of when they began to sing that everything turned around. The prisoners listened. The jailer accepted Christ, and the church in Philippi was founded. It all fulcrumed on a song and a prayer. Funny, isnt it? That phrase usually means that there wasnt much left to work with, doesnt it? Yet, it is the most powerful tool in Pauls tool belt in spiritual warfarea song and a prayer. The next time you are having a really tough time, try this little experiment. Start out with a prayer. Ask God for perspective, for patience, for an opportunity for joy in the midst of your circumstances. And then ask Him for a song. Dont know the words? Hum what you dont remember. You will see things turn around rather quickly. Is it because you are grating on the last nerve of the demon trying to sideline you? Maybe. Maybe there isnt one trying to do that. What it will definitely do is put a smile on your Saviors faceand 9 times out of 8 for me, put a smile on yours too.

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Day 29
Before Church, read Acts 17:1-15

Answer these questions:

Weve all received the advice to avoid discussions about religion and politics. Why do you think religion is such an explosive topic when God makes it abundantly clear that Jesus is THE way, THE truth, and THE life and that no one comes to the Father except through him? Sounds like the discussion is already closed on this? Why is it so explosive?

What kinds of fears and anxieties keep you from being bold about your faith?

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DAY 30!

Read Acts 17:16-34

I notice that you are religious in every way

Paul here is actually in Athens to kind of recuperate. Hes been severely traumatized. It is a complete misnomer that godly people dont feel pain. The truth of the matter is that often times, the more godly one is, the more pain one feels. To see how the crowds treated Jason back in Thessolonica. To get this really familiar treatment of being bounced out of town in Berea. Say what you will, but I have to believe that Paul was traumatized on the inside. Then he gets to Athens where the Jewish population isnt as strong. Its probably safer here, right? He goes for a walk and at every street corner there is another idol. There are priests and priestesses standing by most of them ready to accept your offerings, many gods of which accept sex as payment. Can you imagine how revolting this must have been for Paul? Everywhere he looks, he doesnt see the Jew angry at himthats a relief. Instead, he sees Gentiles everywhere paving their own streets to Hell. Out of one trauma and right into another. Someone heard him preach and thought he had some good ideas, at least new ones. Athenians were extremely proud of the fact that they were extremely religiously open-minded. They had devoted a hillside to collect all of the known gods out there so that no one felt left out. It was called the Aeropagus. It was known throughout the Roman Empire and was a favorite vacationing spot for those who could afford it. Kind of like a modern Mount Rushmore, but the sculptures were much smaller and more plentiful. Someone who heard Paul preaching heard thought that he would be perfect for that nights open mic night at the Aeropagus. Paul saw the opportunity and seized it. That night he stood before eager listeners who wanted their ears tickled with some new philosophy or teaching. Paul could have said anything he wanted to at this point in time. He could have whipped out his 4 inch thick large print King James Bible and started waving it all about, pounding on it, with sweat and spit flying all over the place, telling them that they are all going to Hell for the sins they have all committed. He could have painted them as fools for spending so much time building and maintaining this sculpture garden for the superstitious. None of these were his strategy. Instead, he looked around the onlookers and found a positive place to start. I notice you are religious in every way, he said. Then he complimented them on the place set aside for the unknown god. Then with a smile on his face, said something like, You are so smart and wise for making such a place. But now let me tell you about that unknown god so that he is no longer unknown to you.
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Its a beautiful strategy for evangelism. Start with what they have right and build upon that. In doing so, they will automatically discard what is wrong. Remember back a few days ago, where we studied that all things that are good are from God? Thats true with the good in the unbeliever as well. That good in the unbeliever is there for you to notice and use to help draw them to the rest of the truth about Jesus. Some have said that they cant evangelize. What they really mean is that they cant be combative and create an awkwardness that can only be overcome by asking Jesus into ones heart. Im not really sure thats evangelism. Certainly isnt what Paul did here!

DAY 31!
Meanwhile

Read Acts 18

Coincidence is actually a cuss word in my vocabulary. I rarely use the word and when I do, I make sure it is just sopping wet dripping with sarcasm. I dont believe in coincidences. And passages like todays just prove my point. Heres Paul. Hes had a tough go of it and even when hes on vacation of sorts in Athens, he finds himself knee deep in controversial ministry once again. The guy cant catch a break. He leaves Athens and when he arrives in Corinth, he just happens to bump into two other believers who were just deported from Italy and all three of them just happen to have the same money making skills. They are all tentmakers. Corinth is a town of about 75000 people. Its a major city of commerce and travel. What are the chances that Paul and Priscilla and Aquila all meet and find out that they really need each other? Paul needs some people who he can just be who he is with, without fear of them beating him up. Priscilla and Aquila need not only a spiritual tutor but a friend in this new and strange place. Then Paul goes about what God asks of himsharing the good news of Jesus. He receives his usual reception. The Jews are out to get him and the Gentiles cant hear enough. In the midst of this, Paul just happens to get a message from God, saying, Hang in there. And that comes right before things get really ugly with Gallio and Sosthenese. Then, because of the support structure that just happened for him there, he stays for a while firmly establishing the church before moving on. Then this really zealous debater comes into town by the name of Apollos who has a good chunk of the message of Jesus Christ, but his message needs some tweaking. And guess whos in the audience. It just
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happens to be Priscilla and Aquila, disciples of sorts of Paul who do for Apollos what Paul did for themtakes him in, befriends him, and helps him along as he them. Coincidences? Seriously, anyone who thinks that needs some pretty strong medication. Truth of the matter is that this was all part of Gods plan. Pauls training as a tentmaker as a small boy had a purpose. Priscilla and Aquilas eviction from Italy, as painful and scary as that must have been, had a purpose. Apollos prepared but misguided message had a purpose. All of these things right down to the Corinthian street corner that Paul bumped into Priscilla and Aquila were all a part of Gods plan. In Gods economy, everything has a purpose. Everything will have a meaning. There are no accidents, no coincidences. God never ever ever ever says, Oops. So the question in this for me , and perhaps for you, is this, Why do I get so worked up about things that seem to be spinning out of control? Why do I worry about things, like its my job to come up with a plan to fix it? Why do I sometimes pray as if I am informing God of something Im pretty sure Hes missed? The next time I get all worked up about an unknown future, Im going to turn right back here to Acts 18 and see just how intricate a tapestry of time and place God can weave for His glory. Then Ill wrap myself up in it and let my soul rest.

DAY 32!

Read Acts 19:1-22

I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?

If there wasnt so much at stake in the situation, this whole scene of Acts would be fall on the floor funny. Paul walks into Ephesus, a town that had been oppressed by evil spirits for longer than anyone alive could remember. Its a town that holds the temple of Athena, the Roman goddess of war and fertility (fascination with sex and violence isnt just an American phenomenon, apparently). Apparently, God wants to make a huge impression on this popular place. Paul is so empowered with the ability to heal that the things he touches carry with it the ability to heal. The message here from God is very, very unmistakable. You want to be healed? You want that oppression to lift from your spirit? You want to be free? This man has the answers. People flock to Paul to hear what he has to say.
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Now into town come a band of Jews. They know about God. They have all the right verses memorized. They live moral, upright lives. They give regularly to the right places. They keep their noses clean. Like I said, they know about God, but they havent given their lives to God yet. They see Paul doing some amazing things in the name of their God, sort of. They dont like the whole Jesus part of Pauls story, but they know enough to make a go of it for themselves. They find a demon possessed guy and put their mumbo jumbo, hocus pocus on. They stand tall, probably surrounding the poor guy, with their chests puffed out and they issue the magic words, In the name of Jesus, of who Paul preaches, we command you to obey us. The possessed man responds with what in my mind is the creepiest voice ever. I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you? And then with a fit of superhuman strength, the once proud adventurous Jewish men barely get away with just their skin on. They probably sat down a block away in the shadows with the widest eyes, as they heaved for breath, asking, What on earth just happened? Why didnt that work? The demon just snickered and Satan laughed out loud. Its one of his oldest tricksto convince us that its all about what comes out of our mouths instead of what comes out of our hearts. One of my pet peeves in ministry is when people get hung up on how exactly to word a prayer request so that it betters the chances of getting a positive answer. Apparently, someone said somewhere that every prayer needs to start with , Dear Heavenly Father, and end with In Jesus Name, Amen. Jesus taught us to pray to the Father, but others prayed to Jesus and yet others asked specifically for the Holy Spirit to intervene. And not a single prayer in all of Scripture ends with, In Jesus name, Amen. Is it a bad idea? No. But when its just empty words, it means about the same as Dominos delivery. Want the ear of God? Want power over the dark forces in this world who are trying to make your life miserable and get you to give up? Dont think for a moment that the words put in proper order is going to save you. Thats witchcraft. What will get you through those tough times is the personal relationship with the God to whom you are praying. Thats where the power really is!

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DAY 33!

Read Acts 19:21-41

It began with Demetrius

Everyone has their tipping point, and Demetrius was no different. He wasnt a huge political figure. He was just a guy in the great city of Ephesus just trying to squeak out a living. OK, maybe a little bit more than just a living, but everyone has the right to make their fortune, right? He had spent years building up his business, making little statutes of Athena. With the promise attached to them of keeping the owners enemies at bay and their wives pregnant, they sold like hotcakes and had for quite a while. That is, until this Paul guy arrived in town. Did Demetrius have a personal vendetta against Paul? I doubt it. Its just that so many people were turning away from Athena to this Jesus that no one was willing to fork out the money for more statutes. That was beginning to affect his bottom line. And he wasnt the only one. He had a right to sell these things and these followers of the Way were impeding his trade! Whats the little guy to do? Well, how about start a riot? Well, that wasnt the first thing on his to-do list. He got together with some of his fellow tradesmen and started a complaining session.That turned into someone slamming their fist down on the table and saying, Weve got to do something about this! And that was followed by everyone thinking that if they stayed seated, that they would be considered the weakling. Before you know it, there are Roman guards everywhere. Yes, the leaders of this new Way were being escorted to get their just desserts, but those who wanted social change at the beginning werent feeling like they exactly were winning. Finally the mayor got everyones attention and said, Do you all realize exactly how this is going to end? Rioting was a very bad thing in the Roman Empire. Caesar didnt have kind things to say or do to cities that rioted under his watch. It could mean martial law for years. It could even lead to slave labor of any able bodied person for life. And they dispersed and went back to whatever they were doing previously. We kind of move on from here looking at the next chapter, but pause here instead for a moment. Did Demetrius little temper tantrum improve his business? Probably not. Did it kick the Christians out of town? Absolutely not. In fact, it brought more attention to it. The lesson here? One cannot thwart Gods plan, despite what that person thinks his or her rights are and whatever strategy they use to try to accomplish whatever they want to accomplish. There are a lot of people out there who are doing their level best to push God out of schools, out of public life and into the oceans
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themselves. Are they going to win? Not as long as God is thereand by the way, hes not only eternal, hes all powerful, too.

DAY 34!

Read Acts 20:1-17

He was hurrying to get to Jerusalem

For most people, pursuing Gods will has a kind of positive aspect to it. If we go here, God will bless us. If we do this, even if it stretches us, the outcome still has a feel to it that when the dust settleswell, it feels good. Theres a dark side to being faithful and sometimes God calls us there. Paul is antsy here. He just cant wait to get on his way to Jerusalem. At the same time, there is a bit of hurriedness to this. Its almost as if he knows that hell never be back in these parts. Its not almost. He knows. Yet, he is so passionately connected with these new believers that it just tears him apart to leave them for the last time. I love that scene from the second floor. Paul is so intimately connected with his spiritual children, of sorts, that he just keeps on teaching and teaching. I can almost hear him, Oh and another thing. Keep this in mind. It is so important. Oh, but when I said that, I didnt mean this. Oh and another thingand another thing. He wants to give them everything he can because he knows this is his last chance. HE keeps going so long that someone falls asleep, falls two stories down and dies. Paul goes down, prays over him, raises him from the dead and then climbs the stairs again and just keeps going until dawn. Then he meets up with the elders of the Ephesian church. With them, he is torn as well. He feels compelled to get to Jerusalem before Pentecost. Yet, he knows that this is going to be the last time he travels like this, if he travels at all. Believe it or not, we all have been where Paul sits in this passage. Im getting ready for it coming up here in about a year. I see the handwriting on the wall. My kids are growing up and I just want to give them everything I possibly can. They might descend out of a two story building with my speeches, not because they fell asleep, but because they are trying to get away as fast as possible from another lecture. The future is all about change, but sometimes that change looks clearer than other times.
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I suspect that there is an end of life application here as well. Who wants to leave loved ones behind, yet all of us will do it. Children get busy, grand children even busier. Yet there is so much to share with them. Are they going to be OK? Do they have what they need from me for whatever their future holds? Now this isnt part of this passage, but it is so applicable nonetheless. Paul never returns to these parts again. This is the last time these churches see Paulever. Yet, these churches surviveeven thrive even without Paul. Does that mean that Paul was looking at himself as more needed than he should? Was that why he didnt want to let go? I dont think so. He played a valuable part in these churches formation and development, but the most important part he played was introducing them to Jesus Christ and letting God fill them with the Holy Spirit upon their conversion. Those two pieces are the most important legacy someone can pass on. Without Christ, there is no hope. With Christ and the Holy Spirit, there is nothing but hope. Feeling time and relationships slip through your fingers? Remember this, make this your priority. Do you know my Savior, Jesus Christ? And are you familiar with what the dwelling of the Holy Spirit can do for your life? Two of the most important questions a person with limited time can ask.

DAY 35!

Read Acts 20:18-38

You know that from the day I set foot in Asia

Have you ever thought about your legacy? How will you be remembered? Its a sobering question. In a seminary class I took, the first assignment that the professor gave us was to write our own obituaries as if we had died yesterday. What kind of stories will be told about you in the funeral and the week or two after? He was a person who put people before things. It was the middle of harvest and I knew where he needed to be, but he was right there beside me in the hospital. Despite what life threw at her, she never complained. She always sought out the good in every circumstance. It drove the rest of us kind of crazy from time to time. When the doors of the church were open, he was there.
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I cant think of a single person who hasnt had her cooking on a bad day, and how that cooking could turn a day around! He was a good man, but you always had this impression that he was trying to get something from you. She meant well, but you certainly couldnt tell her anything you wanted to keep private. He was a very hard worker, just never around. She used to be so active in the church, then she started to withdraw and get real jaded about things. Do you remember how when he or she heard about a financial need, they always had some money in the back of their Bible to give right on the spot? Sometimes, I have come to the faulty conclusion that there will always be tomorrow to correct the mistakes of today. That is a very dangerous way to live. In this passage, Paul puts himself right out there for the record and for anyone to dispute. Notice that no one does. From the very beginning, Paul had some core values in his life and ministry and he could say with confidence that he stuck to them ardently. Can we say the same? Challenge: What are your core values and beliefs? Do you have them written down? If not, take some time today and start making the list of things that you intend to live by and post them where you can see them, giving you an opportunity to say as Paul said, I alwaysI never for Gods glory!

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Day 36
Before Church, read Acts 21:1-14

What or who are you willing to die for?

Who would you give everything up for?

Who or what would you go out of your way to lay down your lifestyle, your savings, even your legacy? Who would you go to jail for?

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DAY 37!

Read Acts 21:15-22:29

Brothers and esteemed fathers

It is kind of tempting to kind of skim over this particular passage. These details are not new to the book of Acts. Paul is telling his testimony and Dr. Luke has already given us many of these details. So rather than rehash stuff, let me take you instead to what surrounds this story. Let me remind us all exactly where Paul is when he makes this testimonial speech. Is he in the comfort of an evening body-life church service surrounded by fellow believers who asked him to speak? Is he standing in front of an eager audience at the Aeropogus telling people about the unknown God Noto all of those options. He is standing surrounded by arresting Roman soldiers with one very ticked off commander. No one wants a riot. The people dont want the strictest form of martial law ever enforced in human history. The soldiers dont really want the overtime. The guy who is apparently responsible for this riot is standing right there and has asked for the opportunity to address the rioters. Im fairly sure that the commander thought that what Paul was going to do was to say something that would clear everything up and everyone would go home. From a human perspective, even an unnecessary apology would have been a wise thing to offer here. This isnt what Paul takes the opportunity to share. Instead, Paul shares not what the audience wants to hear, but what they needed to heareven if it is something that they didnt want to hear. Surely Paul knew where this was going to go. They werent going to go home with this speech. They were going to get all riled up again. The commander would be ticked even further. Why on earth would Paul say what he said? It was because no one in that audience was going to spend eternity on earth. Paul knew where he was headed after his life was over here. He wasnt so sure about themand their racism was particularly concerning to Paul. Its what set them off once again. God is for everyone?!? Not just the Jews?!? This guy needs to just curl up and die! Perhaps we should help himnot with the curl up part, with the die part. Have you ever felt Gods calling to share your story with someone but held back because you didnt know how they would respond? We all want a happy ending with our stories. Sometimes, God wants us to plant seeds, though, that wont grow for years, decades perhaps. The ground we plant them in might not be receptiveyet. The world doesnt like the Gospel message at all. Friends might not ever talk to you again. Family members might blow up at you for being a religious fanatic. I knew a lady in Bridgeport who asked one of her co-workers
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every week to join her in church for 2 years straight. Each week, she was treated worse and worse by this co-worker, and the names got worse and worse. The co-worker even tried to get her fired for harassment. Then something changed. The co-worker decided that the best way to get her off her back was to go. A year later, the co-worker asked for this lady to come to her hospital bed as a final wish. She wanted to say thank you for never giving up on her. She said, See you up there! And with that she passed away in the night, saved because someone didnt give up and kept at it until they were open to the Gospel.

DAY 38!

Read Acts 22:30-23:35

Gazing intently at the high council

I am a theologian by necessity, but not by nature. There I said it. Whew! That felt good to get off my chest. Honestly, some of the courses I had to take in seminary made my eyelids curl the wrong direction. Hamartiology, Soteriology, Pneumotology, Bibliology, Ecclessiology, and a host of others that I can no longer spell or explain adequately when someone comes up to say, What does that word mean? Now dont get me wrong, they are essential to know and to work through. When faith becomes all about what one feels, life gets pretty topsy turvy. Simple things become extremely complicated and complicated things get all messed up because people try to make them simple. Knowing what you believe and why is extraordinarily important. I just dont have a natural bent towards it. Part of the reason is what Paul does here in this passage. Paul sees a no win situation in front of him. Hes got a peeved Roman Commander on one side and the Sanhedrin on the other, both would like the problem of Paul gone permanently, Im sure. Paul doesnt sense that his time on earth is quite done yet, but these two parties in the room are like nitrogen and glycerin. Shake them just right andboom! So what does Paul do? He gets theological. He knows that some in the room are Pharisees and others are Sadducees. Pharisees believed that there is life after death. Sadducees didnt (thats why they are Sad, you see?). Everyone in the room is there to pound out an agenda of how to pound out Paul and all Paul has to do to derail the whole thing is get theological. He proclaims himself as a Pharisee and I believe in life after
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death. The room erupts not at Paul, but at each other. It explodes all over the place to the point in which the peeved Roman commander has to once again pull Paul out of the fray and quell another riot. My point in this is that this wasnt the first time nor is it the last that theology has played a derailing role. Here, Paul was being smart and derailed a train that was going to crash anyway. But oh how many tears have flowed down the face of our Savior because we let theology derail his will and work in our lives. We dont associate with them because they believe that communion is essential for salvation. We wont go into that building. They have a woman pastor. You werent baptized unless you got all wet. You have to have an accredited degree to teach here. We wont feed the needy with you because our theology is different. Jesus prayed that we would be known for our love, not our theology. Theology is important. Its even fun for some. But when we begin to worship our theology instead of the God behind the theology. When it becomes a barrier to our loving God and loving others, then it does the same thing that happened in the Sanhedrin, except Paul isnt the one laughing. Satan is.

DAY 39!

Read Acts 24 and 25

When it is convenient, I will call for you again.

Convenient should be a cuss word. When is anything truly convenient these days? The levees in New Orleans didnt hold because it wasnt convenient to check them. Car engines freeze up because it wasnt convenient to check the oil or get it changed. Ive met people who have had to have their entire set of teeth pulled because it wasnt convenient to see a dentist regularly or it wasnt convenient to brush regularly. I fear that Hell has a high population of people who determined, like Felix and Festus here, that it just wasnt convenient to make a commitment to Christ yet. Ill get to it when I have time. Id get involved or do that thing; I just dont have the time. These are all statements of convenience, and they are really little more than excuses. Theres an ancient Irish proverb simply put states this, God gives us just the right amount of time to do what he wants of us. It is also true that no one on this planet has had, currently has, or
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ever will have more than 24 hours in a day. There is always time to do what we think is important. The problem isnt with the time. Its with what we think is important, isnt it? This study through the book of Acts has challenged me in many, many areas. The temptation is to let it all get theoretical, like both Felix and Festus do. Its so much easier to say, well said, or good sermon, pastor, than it is to walk away making a commitment before God to take the next right step in some way or another. Barna Research tells us that in the average American church, one out of every three people are a Felix or a Festus. They like hearing the words. They like to be intellectually and even spiritually challenged. They have a church home. They might even be serving in some capacity, but they never said yes to Christs forgiveness and his desire to have a personal relationship with Him. They will get to that when its convenient. There are even more sitting in the pews of the average American church who have felt the tug of the Holy Spirit to take a step out of their comfort zone and they smiled at God and said, Ill get to it when its more convenient. The problem is that it never gets more convenient and after a while the Holy Spirit moves on to someone else who is more willing. And those who get left behind continue in the rat race they keep to shelter themselves from the amazing adventures that God has in store. Felix and Festus (doesnt it sound like a comedy cartoon duo?) made poor choices and I sure hope that they had a change of heart before they faced Jesus at judgment. Dont be a Felix or a Festus. If you havent turned your life over to Christ, there is no better time than the present. If you have been avoiding Gods call in your life, there is no better time than right now to right your ship. Convenient isnt just a pipe dream, its a pipe bomb!

Day 40!

Read Acts 25:23-26:32

Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly? King Agrippa IIs full name was King Herod Agrippa II. How hes related to the king who killed all of the babies of Jerusalem to kill off the prophesied Messiah is a complicated mess, too big to clean up here. Suffice it to say that they are related and that he inherited some of Herod the Greats twisted ways. Bernice, the lady he walks into court with isnt
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just his love interest, its his biological sister, just as an example. Heres the flaw of the Herods, though that is even more sobering that this. Herod the Great was given the opportunity to worship the promised Messiah at his birth. It was something that had been predicted since the beginning of human history. He could have been a part of it, taken it in, and reveled in it for the rest of his life here on earth. What did he do? He tried to keep it from happening all together because it might infringe upon his plans for the future. Herod Antipas, Agrippas uncle, met face to face with Jesus at his trial. He had the opportunity to accept Christ face to face. He had the opportunity to learn from the one who was both 100% God and 100% man. His response to this opportunity? Send him back to the Romans because his story wasnt entertaining enough and there was no political clout to be gained in this matter. And then, Herod Agrippa II. He faces Paul in todays text and is given the opportunity to not only gain a relationship with the risen Jesus the very one that his two ruling relatives tried to get rid of, but to be filled with the Holy Spirit as well. He had the book smarts. He knew Jewish ways and law very well. He wasnt a Jew but when you buy the throne of the Jews from Rome and want to rule over them and gain their approval, then knowing these things can be helpful. He knew the Jewish ways better than any other Gentile out there. Surely he would take the opportunity that his fore-Herods foolishly discarded. His response? Do you think you can persuade me to become a Christian so quickly? Three generations of reaching out to Herods is too quickly? Now before we condemn him completely, lets take a moment for some introspection. How many times have we felt the tug of God and thought to ourselves, Wow! Some advanced notice would have been good, God. Yet, when we sit back and look, we see that weve been on a journey for a long time preparing us for whatever lied ahead. We just didnt recognize it as a journey of preparation. There arent a lot of kids being named Herod anymore. Is it possible that no one wants to name their child with a name that is synonymous with missing the greatest opportunities? No one wants to set their kid on that kind of path or predict that kind of future. Yet, I fear that too many times, Ive could have carried the name Herod with integrity. Praise the Lord that when God approached me, the Holy Spirit prepared me to be willing to let Him in. My prayer is that everyone who reads this chooses the path of life and lives on that path, rather than choosing the path of Agrippa, who ironically lost his a grip a on the opportunity of an eternity.
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Day 41!
So take courage

Read Acts 27

Death is an interesting phenomenon. I certainly dont make light of it. Everyone, including myself, that has faced the death of loved ones has felt great pain and grief. Ryan Bauer, the local funeral director, makes it a habit to share a very powerful truth with all whom he works with: the price of love is grief. Its not the death or the grief that I find interesting. What I find interesting is how people feel about death. Woody Allen once quipped, Im not afraid of death. I just dont want to be there when it happens. The truth of the matter is what one believes on this side of death makes all the difference of how we live the rest of the days on this side of death. If death is to be feared, then anything that draws us closer to death becomes something to be avoided at all costs. The closer to death one draws with a fear of death, the more extreme measures will be taken. There were the infants who were suffocated in hiding places during Nazi Germany for fear that their crying would give the hiding place away. Who can forget the guy who pushed his way on to the lifeboat in front of the women and children as the Titanic sank? And the miserable life he led from that point forward. Before the good news of Jesus was carried to the land of Ireland, the Celtics would regularly sacrifice their kings children in order to win over their gods help. People do weird and over the top kinds of things to avoid deathmany doing things that they would have said previously that they would never have even thought of previously. That is, except for Christians. One Chinese soldier who was ordered throughout his career to carry out executions faced a pastor who was to be executed. He pulled his gun, aimed it at the pastor, and then let it drop to his side. Before I shoot you, I must know the answer to a question that burns within. I have executed more people than I can remember, but this I do remember. Christians die differently. Why is that? Christians die differently. Ive witnessed death more often than I would like. Its a part of my job. Ive witnessed even more of people who are mourning the loss of someone they cared about and I can attest to this Chinese soldiers observations. Christians die differently and they mourn differently. Why is it that Paul can keep a straight head on his shoulders through all of this chapter? Hes with seasons sailors and weathered soldiers. Surely they have it within them to keep it together, right? Some try to escape with their own lives. Some just want to give up. All of them sacrifice the long term survival for in the moment survival and it takes
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Paul to say, Hey, guys keep your strength up and eat something! How does Paul do this? First, he trusts his God and his God said that everyone was going to survive. But even if God hadnt tipped his hand here, Paul could have easily been just as sure-footed on the sinking boat because he knew exactly what was going to happen to him after this life was done. We all face life threatening situations. At some point in time for all of us, the life we know here will be over. Are you ready for what lies ahead, or are you one of those who thinks that maybe just maybe you can not show up to your own funeral?

DAY 42!
All things work out for the good

Read Acts 28

Ok. That quote line above isnt from this chapter. Its from Romans 8:28, but it sure could be the tag line for this chapter. Think about this for a moment. Paul is arrested, almost flogged, tried several times over by many people who just think hes crazy. Hes shackled and shipped off to Rome to face Caesar who makes life or death rulings based upon whether he liked his breakfast or not. In his further back past, hes been imprisoned, stoned several times (and Im not talking drugs here), humiliated, run out of town. And in the very recent history, hes been shipwrecked, swam for shore, soaking wet. He starts to walk up the shore after a tough swim in a turbulent sea and then it starts to rain. Oh, yea! (You add the sarcastic tone to that when you read it, please.) The natives build a fire which couldnt have been that great becauseits raining. Paul reaches down to put another stick on the fire and pulls away quickly. Hes got a snake now attached to his hand. Everyone gasps. They know that snake by its markings. They watched in horror. This guy had minutes at most to live. What had this guy done for such bad karma? they all thought. Id be wondering the same thing if I were Paul and believed in karma (which he didnt, by the way). How does a terrible, no good, very bad day end like this? Well, for Paul, the next step in the day was to shake off the snake and go back to building the fire. And when he didnt die, he was invited to go and see if he could heal someone. When he did that, there were several others who needed healing. When he did that, it was time to sail on and everything
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they could possibly needeverything that was thrown overboard for their survival from the shipwreckwas replaced and then some. There was one added thing, though, that the text here only implies, but it implies it very strongly. Paul not only gave the soldiers and the sailors a level head that kept them alive in the perfect storm and the subsequent shipwreck. He not only fed the fire, and shook off the snake that should have killed. He didnt just heal Publius father and the sick island people. Knowing Paul and his style, everyone he talked with heard not only about how to improve their temporary circumstances, but also their eternal destiny. Lives were changed, or at least they were given the chance to change. Got a snake dangling from your hand at the end of a very trying time? Perhaps not a real one, but a proverbial one? It is working its way up to being the straw that is going to break the camels back? Shake it off. God has a plan with even the tough stuff you are going through. Ive heard story after story of nurses who found Christ because of a dying patients testimony. Ive seen people turn bankruptcy into a testimony that has changed the eternal destiny of many. Even the loss of loved ones has seen Gods glory shine like the noonday sun. Paul didnt get wrapped up in his circumstances or what he thought to be his personal rights. He saw God and serving God as his one and only focus. As a result, God used him mightily. The God of Paul can be the God of you as well!

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First Baptist Church of Holdrege P.O. Box 588 2110 Sunset Dr. Holdrege, NE 68949 308-995-2228 www.fbcholdrege.com