As I read Acts 12, I am struck my several things:
1. I am struck by the power of prayer. What allowed Peter to secure his freedom? The passage implies that it was the prayers of the church. When God's people prayed, God worked.
2. I am stuck by Peter's peace. On the night where he is to be executed, what is he doing? He is asleep! Apparently he has no anxiety. That speaks to tremendous faith in God.
3. I am struck by Herod's death. At a moment when Herod had seemed to reach the pinnacle of his power (he is recognized as a god), he is struck down, dying a horrible death. (Note the worms eat him before he dies not after). God fights the enemies of His Church!
This passage gives great encouragement to Christians about God's protection of His people!
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
The Limits of Belief (Acts 11)
I was interested by Acts 11:21 today. In the ESV, the verse says: "And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord." The NIV translates that same verse this way: "The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord." What is interesting to me is that it sounds like there is a difference between believing and turning to the Lord. In the NIV, these things are separated as two actions. In the ESV, there is an implication that not all who believed turned to the Lord. It led me to wonder what could the distinction be between the two terms?
I think the question is answered by asking what the great number who believed, believed. The context tells us that they believed the preaching that was brought to them by those who came from Cyprus and Cyrene. In other words, they believed the content of the Gospel message. But, it could be that believing the content of the Gospel message is not the same as turning to the Lord. Becoming a Christian involves more than believing a story. Turning to the Lord, means confessing Jesus as King and letting Him be the boss.
Imagine a person who is dying of cancer. They are told that there is a clinic in Malaysia that has a drug that is bringing about a one-hundred percent cure rate in their type of cancer. The person dying of cancer believes the story. Will that belief save them? It will if it leads to them getting on a plane and flying to Malaysia with enough money to pay for their time at the clinic. But if they never board a plane, their belief is not enough. They may believe, but they have still not turned to the clinic for deliverance.
I wonder if our churches have many who believe but have not turned to the Lord. I realize this thought is probably more than exegesis of the passage can bear. But I think considering the difference between believing and turning remains a helpful exercise.
I think the question is answered by asking what the great number who believed, believed. The context tells us that they believed the preaching that was brought to them by those who came from Cyprus and Cyrene. In other words, they believed the content of the Gospel message. But, it could be that believing the content of the Gospel message is not the same as turning to the Lord. Becoming a Christian involves more than believing a story. Turning to the Lord, means confessing Jesus as King and letting Him be the boss.
Imagine a person who is dying of cancer. They are told that there is a clinic in Malaysia that has a drug that is bringing about a one-hundred percent cure rate in their type of cancer. The person dying of cancer believes the story. Will that belief save them? It will if it leads to them getting on a plane and flying to Malaysia with enough money to pay for their time at the clinic. But if they never board a plane, their belief is not enough. They may believe, but they have still not turned to the clinic for deliverance.
I wonder if our churches have many who believe but have not turned to the Lord. I realize this thought is probably more than exegesis of the passage can bear. But I think considering the difference between believing and turning remains a helpful exercise.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Power to Witness (Acts 4)
Have you tried sharing your faith in Jesus with anyone lately? It is not an easy proposition. We live in a world that is often inimical to faith and non-material realities. Our world tells us that faith is a matter of personal preference. It says that it is arrogant and condescending to claim that your truth is better than anyone else's truth. In a world like this, where can the power to be a witness come from? I think Acts 4 gives 4 answers:
1. Power to be a witness comes through the Holy Spirit (verse 8). Peter's words were powerful because they were not his. They were given by God.
2. Power to be a witness comes through prayer. Verse 31 tells us that the church continued to speak the Word with boldness after they had spent time in prayer together.
3. Power to be a witness comes through good deeds, done in God's power. Peter and John are not punished by the Sanhedrin because of the miraculous work they did with the lame man. Their compassion was a testimony to God's power and love in their lives.
It is interesting to note one thing that did not lead to a powerful witness: education (verse 13). Now, I am not taking a stance against education. (I have 2 masters degrees after all). But formal education is not a requirement for being a powerful witness. The first church that I pastored in Carteret was founded by a ditch digger. According to church records, he was a man full of the Spirit, devoted to prayer and deeds of compassion. Even though he spoke limited English, these things made him a powerful witness.
Acts 4 encourages me to strive for the power and boldness that the Apostles had.
1. Power to be a witness comes through the Holy Spirit (verse 8). Peter's words were powerful because they were not his. They were given by God.
2. Power to be a witness comes through prayer. Verse 31 tells us that the church continued to speak the Word with boldness after they had spent time in prayer together.
3. Power to be a witness comes through good deeds, done in God's power. Peter and John are not punished by the Sanhedrin because of the miraculous work they did with the lame man. Their compassion was a testimony to God's power and love in their lives.
It is interesting to note one thing that did not lead to a powerful witness: education (verse 13). Now, I am not taking a stance against education. (I have 2 masters degrees after all). But formal education is not a requirement for being a powerful witness. The first church that I pastored in Carteret was founded by a ditch digger. According to church records, he was a man full of the Spirit, devoted to prayer and deeds of compassion. Even though he spoke limited English, these things made him a powerful witness.
Acts 4 encourages me to strive for the power and boldness that the Apostles had.
Still Waiting (Acts 3)
I will admit it. I don't have profound thought or insights about Acts 3. But what does strike me as I read Acts 3 is Peter's sense of expectation. After the lame man is healed, Peter preaches a sermon in Solomon's portico. In the sermon, he calls on the people to repent of the crucifixion of Jesus (verse 19). And Peter says that when the people repent, three things will happen:
1. their sins will be blotted out (verse 19)
2. they will have times of refreshing (verse 20)
3. the return of Jesus will be hastened ("that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus," verse 20).
It is obvious that Peter had the idea that Christ was going to return quickly. He was motivated to evangelism by this thought: if Israel repented, then Christ would come again.
We live 2,00 years after these events. We know that Peter's hopes for a quick return of Jesus were not fulfilled. I guess that is why we often live without Peter's sense of expectation. Perhaps, though, we need to be more like Peter. Perhaps we need to be as eager to see Jesus come as he was. Perhaps our evangelism suffers because we don't have Peter's longing for Jesus' return.
1. their sins will be blotted out (verse 19)
2. they will have times of refreshing (verse 20)
3. the return of Jesus will be hastened ("that He may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus," verse 20).
It is obvious that Peter had the idea that Christ was going to return quickly. He was motivated to evangelism by this thought: if Israel repented, then Christ would come again.
We live 2,00 years after these events. We know that Peter's hopes for a quick return of Jesus were not fulfilled. I guess that is why we often live without Peter's sense of expectation. Perhaps, though, we need to be more like Peter. Perhaps we need to be as eager to see Jesus come as he was. Perhaps our evangelism suffers because we don't have Peter's longing for Jesus' return.
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