8:1-4
Did God cause the persecution to get the church "off its backside" and on with the plan (1:8)? Or did God take the opportunity created by evil and use it expand the church?
Frankly, we are not given the answer. Either way, we see God is in control and the church is an unstoppable force. (Matthew 16:18).
At this point in the book, we need to ask, "What can stop a church from succeeding?" The church started in extraordinary circumstances, the Sanhedrin has tried to stop it a couple of times, inside problems threatened it (Ananias and the Grecian widow problem), and now murderers threaten it; but each threat only makes it stronger.
Nothing can stop Christ's church. There are rough spots, but they can be used either as friction to slow us or as traction to speed us up.
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Friday, April 15, 2005
Achan and Ananias revisited
Ray Vanderlaan said that Achan was not punished just for stealing. Lots of people steal. You could even say that all of us steal in one way or another. The reason he was so severely punished was because his actions radically contrasted and threatened the community that God was trying to establish. He was not just disobedient, he was only thinking of himself.
As Achan's New Testament counterpart, the same could be said for Ananias. This would help explain God's severity toard Ananias and Saphira. Their deeds struck at the heart of this new community that God had established.
Look for posts on power as we move into Acts 8.
As Achan's New Testament counterpart, the same could be said for Ananias. This would help explain God's severity toard Ananias and Saphira. Their deeds struck at the heart of this new community that God had established.
Look for posts on power as we move into Acts 8.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
The death of a homeless man
Every other week, a group of our people from the church go down to Detroit to hand out meals to the homeless. They are led by my friend, Dave Thomas. I asked him to share about a recent experience they had down there.
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While much of the world mourned the death of Pope John Paul II, a homeless man layed on a loading dock in an alley, he was deceased. His cold lifeless body lay bundled up underneath a pile of blankets as though he had just went to sleep. Here he is, somebody's son or brother, someone’s husband or father and here he lays in an alley dead and his family may never know what happened to him.
We last saw him alive 2 weeks ago. He would always wake up to interact with us. He would always send us back to the van for another blanket or a pair of socks or another meal; he could devour one meal before you could get back to him with another. Maybe sending us back to the van for some other item was his way of keeping us there just a little longer.
But tonight he didn’t rise up to talk to us when we brought him a tray of food. I watched from the van as Ed and Terry tried to wake him up. The Holy Spirit had my eyes fixed on his lack of movement. After an unsuccessful attempt to wake him up the guys set his food down next to him and came back to the van. Several times I tried to drive away but the Holy Spirit stopped me. My eyes were fixed on the bundle of blankets where he laid. I couldn’t just drive away. Ed finally said “What ever the Holy Spirit is telling you to do you had better do it”. I immediately got out of the van to try to wake him up again. Ed came with me. We took a second tray of food knowing he would want more then one. I called him a few times to wake him and when he still didn’t move I kicked his foot to wake him. When I did the blanket came up and off his foot and a smell rose up, bad enough to tell us he was either very sick or he was no longer with us. Inside I wanted to pull the blanket off his head to see if he was ok but I was afraid of what I might see. We called 911 and said a prayer but deep down inside I think we knew he was gone.
How sad it must be to die cold and alone. Perhaps afraid, knowing that death was immanent. No one there that you can call to get help for that crushing pain in your chest or fever that seems to burn you alive. How horrible that no one was there to help him in his time of greatest need. But nevertheless it was his time and no one could stop that. He was probably one of a thousand homeless in a thousand different places across America that lay dead in some obscured place. This is probably the end that will come to most homeless people, to die cold and alone in an alley or an abandoned building somewhere unless God grants them the grace to come off the street and out of this life style. Seeing their life and their end, it is all the more important that we Christians do all that we can to make their life a little better without judgment of how they got there. Jesus said “What you do for the least of these my brothers you have done it unto me”. I think it was appropriate that we the chosen of God found this man at the unction of the Holy Spirit. It was as though God Himself picked him up out of the alley and delivered him to have a proper burial until the Day of Judgment.
Although homeless, nameless and an apparent nobody, this man was of the utmost importance to all Christians. In his death he was more important then the Pope himself. Why? Because the Pope was a dignitary and in this he represented the dignitaries of the world. He was a Catholic and represented all the Catholics of the world. But this mans death represented all the unsaved people of the world, not that he was not saved, I don’t know, but that he died cold and alone and in a dark and lonely place. The Bible says of the unsaved that they too are dead in their trespass and sins and I tell you that the stench of their sins as putrefying flesh rise before the nostrils of God continually. But we are the Called of God, a people chosen by God. You are the light of the world and the light on a hill cannot be hid. Through you the world shall not walk in darkness. You are the salt of the earth and those whom you touch with the gospel of Christ shall not see death. Without you the world is a graveyard full of dead men’s bones and with you the world has the light of life. Jesus said “All power is given unto me”. As he gave us the authority to make disciples.
You only are the caretakers of this world, you only have the bread of life in one hand and the word of life in the other and both are life giving only when we give them out.
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Thanks Dave.
****************************************
While much of the world mourned the death of Pope John Paul II, a homeless man layed on a loading dock in an alley, he was deceased. His cold lifeless body lay bundled up underneath a pile of blankets as though he had just went to sleep. Here he is, somebody's son or brother, someone’s husband or father and here he lays in an alley dead and his family may never know what happened to him.
We last saw him alive 2 weeks ago. He would always wake up to interact with us. He would always send us back to the van for another blanket or a pair of socks or another meal; he could devour one meal before you could get back to him with another. Maybe sending us back to the van for some other item was his way of keeping us there just a little longer.
But tonight he didn’t rise up to talk to us when we brought him a tray of food. I watched from the van as Ed and Terry tried to wake him up. The Holy Spirit had my eyes fixed on his lack of movement. After an unsuccessful attempt to wake him up the guys set his food down next to him and came back to the van. Several times I tried to drive away but the Holy Spirit stopped me. My eyes were fixed on the bundle of blankets where he laid. I couldn’t just drive away. Ed finally said “What ever the Holy Spirit is telling you to do you had better do it”. I immediately got out of the van to try to wake him up again. Ed came with me. We took a second tray of food knowing he would want more then one. I called him a few times to wake him and when he still didn’t move I kicked his foot to wake him. When I did the blanket came up and off his foot and a smell rose up, bad enough to tell us he was either very sick or he was no longer with us. Inside I wanted to pull the blanket off his head to see if he was ok but I was afraid of what I might see. We called 911 and said a prayer but deep down inside I think we knew he was gone.
How sad it must be to die cold and alone. Perhaps afraid, knowing that death was immanent. No one there that you can call to get help for that crushing pain in your chest or fever that seems to burn you alive. How horrible that no one was there to help him in his time of greatest need. But nevertheless it was his time and no one could stop that. He was probably one of a thousand homeless in a thousand different places across America that lay dead in some obscured place. This is probably the end that will come to most homeless people, to die cold and alone in an alley or an abandoned building somewhere unless God grants them the grace to come off the street and out of this life style. Seeing their life and their end, it is all the more important that we Christians do all that we can to make their life a little better without judgment of how they got there. Jesus said “What you do for the least of these my brothers you have done it unto me”. I think it was appropriate that we the chosen of God found this man at the unction of the Holy Spirit. It was as though God Himself picked him up out of the alley and delivered him to have a proper burial until the Day of Judgment.
Although homeless, nameless and an apparent nobody, this man was of the utmost importance to all Christians. In his death he was more important then the Pope himself. Why? Because the Pope was a dignitary and in this he represented the dignitaries of the world. He was a Catholic and represented all the Catholics of the world. But this mans death represented all the unsaved people of the world, not that he was not saved, I don’t know, but that he died cold and alone and in a dark and lonely place. The Bible says of the unsaved that they too are dead in their trespass and sins and I tell you that the stench of their sins as putrefying flesh rise before the nostrils of God continually. But we are the Called of God, a people chosen by God. You are the light of the world and the light on a hill cannot be hid. Through you the world shall not walk in darkness. You are the salt of the earth and those whom you touch with the gospel of Christ shall not see death. Without you the world is a graveyard full of dead men’s bones and with you the world has the light of life. Jesus said “All power is given unto me”. As he gave us the authority to make disciples.
You only are the caretakers of this world, you only have the bread of life in one hand and the word of life in the other and both are life giving only when we give them out.
****************************************
Thanks Dave.
A hero of faith
The following was written by my friend, Jeff McGuire. He is an Ohio State, Nascar, and Country music fan. Other than that he is a really guy, and I really appreciate what he has to say.
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Acts 6:5 - 7:60. Stephen
When you think of the great men of Christianity who comes to mind??? the disciples, Paul maybe Abraham or Moses? Stephen is probably not one of the first people to come to mind. But what a man he was, he is truly one of the pillars of Christianity. He is only mentioned in the book of acts and scarcely more than a chapter there.
How do you want to be remembered? What is the first thing that comes to peoples minds when they are asked to describe you? Would they describe you by profession, looks, family, wealth, maybe personality?
The first thing that came to Luke’s mind when he described Stephen was that Stephen is “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 6:5) How wonderful. I only hope that I am remembered in the same light. The problem is that my desire to be remembered as such is fueled by my sinful nature. The next thing we learn about Stephen is in Acts 6:8, here we learn that he is “a man full of God’s grace and power”. What more could one aspire to be than a man full of faith, The Holy Spirit, grace and God’s power. In these two verses we learn enough about Stephen to know that he is truly one of the great men of the Bible. There is so much more, Stephen emulates Jesus in his very being.
Members of the synagogue argued with Stephen but could not compete with his wisdom, which came from the spirit. This angered them so much that they brought forth false charges against him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. When his accusers presented their false charges, Stephen’s face was like an Angel. Although he knew that this trial could lead to his death he was totally at peace. Most would be trembling with a mix of emotions ranging from fear to rage to hatred towards the accusers but Stephen quietly waited his turn to speak. Then he proceeded to walk them through the scriptures from Abraham to Jesus. Stephen was bold enough to throw out some accusations of his own. He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit, killing the prophets, and of betraying and murdering the righteous one of God! The Sanhedrin was mortified they gnashed their teeth and covered their ears as they seized Stephen to stone him. Stephen with face like an Angel looked up and said "look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Then he prayed that God would forgive them and asked Jesus to receive his spirit.
I pray that I would handle that kind of situation with such dignity and grace, giving all glory to God. Stephen is a role model for us all.
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Thanks Jeff, Good insight.
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Acts 6:5 - 7:60. Stephen
When you think of the great men of Christianity who comes to mind??? the disciples, Paul maybe Abraham or Moses? Stephen is probably not one of the first people to come to mind. But what a man he was, he is truly one of the pillars of Christianity. He is only mentioned in the book of acts and scarcely more than a chapter there.
How do you want to be remembered? What is the first thing that comes to peoples minds when they are asked to describe you? Would they describe you by profession, looks, family, wealth, maybe personality?
The first thing that came to Luke’s mind when he described Stephen was that Stephen is “a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 6:5) How wonderful. I only hope that I am remembered in the same light. The problem is that my desire to be remembered as such is fueled by my sinful nature. The next thing we learn about Stephen is in Acts 6:8, here we learn that he is “a man full of God’s grace and power”. What more could one aspire to be than a man full of faith, The Holy Spirit, grace and God’s power. In these two verses we learn enough about Stephen to know that he is truly one of the great men of the Bible. There is so much more, Stephen emulates Jesus in his very being.
Members of the synagogue argued with Stephen but could not compete with his wisdom, which came from the spirit. This angered them so much that they brought forth false charges against him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. When his accusers presented their false charges, Stephen’s face was like an Angel. Although he knew that this trial could lead to his death he was totally at peace. Most would be trembling with a mix of emotions ranging from fear to rage to hatred towards the accusers but Stephen quietly waited his turn to speak. Then he proceeded to walk them through the scriptures from Abraham to Jesus. Stephen was bold enough to throw out some accusations of his own. He accused them of resisting the Holy Spirit, killing the prophets, and of betraying and murdering the righteous one of God! The Sanhedrin was mortified they gnashed their teeth and covered their ears as they seized Stephen to stone him. Stephen with face like an Angel looked up and said "look, I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." Then he prayed that God would forgive them and asked Jesus to receive his spirit.
I pray that I would handle that kind of situation with such dignity and grace, giving all glory to God. Stephen is a role model for us all.
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Thanks Jeff, Good insight.
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