June 30, 2015

^{June 30}

^{2 Kings 17:1-18:12
Acts 20:1-38
Psalm 148:1-14
Proverbs 18:6-7 22} 

22 "And now I am bound by the Spirit^[f] to go to Jerusalem. I don't know what awaits me, ²³ except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead. ²⁴ But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

²⁵ "And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again. ²⁶ I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it's not my fault,^{[g] 27} for I didn't shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.

I read through Kings and my Psalm and Proverb - but the reading that stuck with me the most was Acts.  I went on to find a brief biography of Paul and it was encouraging.  I have pasted it below because I could not adequately interpret it.  It may be a bit lengthy, but it is worth the read.

And after reading Acts - I still dwell on Paul's advice.  He declares his faithfulness to accomplishing the work that was assigned to him by Jesus.  How many of us would actually strive to finish an assignment knowing from the Holy Spirit that no matter where you are headed - jail and suffering lie ahead.  I think I would try to pull a Jonah for sure.  But Paul persevered, and thus became known as one of the greatest influences on modern Christianity. 

At the age of fourteen Paul was sent to Jerusalem to train to be a Rabbi. His teacher was a prominent man named Gamaliel. Rabbis, at the time, were also taught another trade. The idea was to keep teachers from becoming a burden on society. They also wanted to have something to fall back on during hard times. Paul was trained to be a tent-maker.

Paul grew to be a man of firm convictions and fiery temperament. He always acted on his beliefs. Thus, when he was confronted with what he took to be a heresy to Judaism, he worked with all his might to quell it. This heresy would one day come to be known as Christianity and Paul was among the foremost of its persecutors.

Paul was present at the stoning of Stephen, and though he did not participate, he encouraged the violent act that destroyed the first of the martyrs. He then participated in a general persecution including, "going from house to house, he dragged out the believers, both men and women and threw them into jail."

He then undertook a mission to Damascus. There he intended to continue attacking Christians. However, on the way, he had a vision. This vision is described several times in the Bible, three times in the book of Acts. Paul saw Jesus who asked why Paul persisted in persecuting Him. He then commissioned Paul to preach His message to the Gentiles.

This meeting with Jesus made Paul a Christian. Even so, Paul always insisted that he remained both a Jew and a Roman. But before he could fully accept this message from Jesus, Paul spent some time in Arabia and then Damascus. Searching his soul, he undertook the mission he believed had been given to him directly by Jesus. He preached in Damascus for three years. His enemies were determined to kill him so he had to slip out of the city by night.

He went to Jerusalem and there gained official sanction from the elders of the Church, including Peter and James, to bring the message of Jesus to the Gentiles. Along with Barnabas, he then went on his first Missionary Journey to Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra and Derbe. During this journey they met many hardships. Paul was even stoned, though not killed, in Lystra. It was an ironic twist that Paul underwent the same gruesome punishment he had sanctioned for Stephen and for the very cause Stephen had suffered.

Around 50 A.D. he returned to Jerusalem to report to the church elders. His visit provoked a dispute over whether Christians had to first become Jews. Paul said no. The controversy was temporarily resolved in his favor and he went on his second and third missionary journeys to Galatia, Phrygia, Macedonia and Greece. He even went to Athens where he argued with philosophers as well as pagans.

It was during this period that he met Luke, a doctor who would become a close adherent and would eventually write one of the gospels as well as the book of Acts. After his third missionary journey, Paul returned to Jerusalem where he ran into a dispute with the Sanhedrin. He was the object of a huge civil disturbance. For this, he was arrested and eventually brought to Caesarea.

While there, he was questioned and tried several times, but his enemies could not seem to make their charges stick. Even so, he was held by the governor, Felix, who was afraid he might again create problems in Jerusalem. The next governor, Festus, seemed to be loathe to come to a decision on his case, so after over two years of house arrest, Paul invoked his right as a Roman citizen to demand a trial before the Emperor.

He was sent on the next ship to Rome. However, the ship met heavy seas and wrecked on the Island of Malta. Paul prayed and was visited by an Angel and the entire crew was saved. Paul eventually took another boat and reached Italy. He was met by supporters and eventually made it to Rome.

The Acts of the Apostles is an original source that largely chronicles Paul's life up to this point. It is thought by some scholars that the book may even have been a legal brief based on the recollections of Paul and the diary of Luke to help serve in his defense in his trial before the Emperor. Interestingly, neither the book of Acts nor Paul's surviving letters depicts the results of Paul's trial.

It is known that he spent at least two years under house arrest waiting his audience with Nero. Extant literature close to the time indicates that Paul was either tried and executed by the sword or he died during the persecution that came about after the great fire where Nero was reputed to have incited the blaze and to have fiddled during the conflagration in about 64 AD.

Some tradition also has it that Paul escaped the persecution and went on to continue his preaching in Spain. Whatever his end, it is certain that Paul was a great influence on modern Christianity, both through his missionary work and his writing.

July 1

2 Kings 19

King Hezekiah found himself in what seemed to be a hopeless situation when Sennacherib captured the cities of Judah.  Hezekiah had two choices - he could surrender at Sennacheribs request or he could acknowledge God's sovereignty and the nations total dependency on God and go to the temple and pray.  Hebrews 4:16 tells us that we can approach God's throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.  Hezekiah exemplifies this truth in his prayer.  He went to the temple and he didn't just lift up a prayer - he lifted up an entire nation.  "Now, O Lord our God, deliver us from his hand, so that all kingdoms on earth may know that you alone O Lord are God" (v.19)  As I was reading through this I realized the crisis that Hezekiah faced is one I personally battle with every day and also we as a nation face.  There is only One true Living God.  When the enemy shows up in my personal circumstances, or on a larger scale in our nation, and screams "surrender" - it's time for us to follow Hezekiahs model and approach the Throne of Grace knowing that God is Sovereign.  Hezekiahs prayer was heard by the God of Israel - the One who is enthroned between the cherubim (v.15).  Because of the cross, our prayers are heard by Jesus who has been seated at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19) and is able to save completely those who come to God through him because He lives to intercede for us (Heb. 7:25).  Today Lord as we lift up our prayers to you, we choose to claim Your Sovereignty.  I ask Lord that when the enemy screams "surrender" you deliver us from his hand and that every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that You are Lord.






Randi

Saturday, June 27, 2015

Saturday, June 27, 2015

[by Keesha Sullivan]

Even Paul, one of the greatest evangelists of all time, became discouraged at times. The people flogged, beat, stoned, and cursed Paul. Most times, Paul retained his courage and determination. He, mostly, "count[ed] it all joy... when [he met] trials of various kinds, for [he knew] that the testing of [his] faith [produced] steadfastness" (James 1:2-3 ESV). He knew how to run the race, and he did it extremely well. 

After testifying and preaching exclusively to the Jews in Corinth that Jesus Christ is Lord, they openly opposed him and became exceedingly abusive. This infuriated Paul. He stated, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles" ( Acts 18:6 NIV). He had finally got fed up and lost the courage that he had once held. 

The Lord saw Paul's pain, hurt, and fear. He knew that Paul was ready to give up and throw in the towel. "One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city" (Acts 18: 9-10 NIV).The Lord gave Paul what he needed; God gave Paul a word of encouragement that would boost his confidence. He wanted Paul to go back into the fiery storm with the same, if not more, courage and boldness. He also desired for Paul to know, "I am with you" and I have your back.

Seeing Paul at his lowest point reassured me that we all fall into discouragement at times. It also convinced me that the Lord sees us when we go through. He knows when we are ready to buckle under the pressure. In those moments of our weakness, God always speaks, and He is always there. These are the promises of His Word and He always keeps His promises. "God is not a man, that he should lie…" (Numbers 23:19 KJV).

Lord, I know many of my brothers and sisters are going through really tough times right now. I know that many of them are struggling through trials that are wearing them down. They are going through times that make them feel as though they are ready to give up. Please open our spiritual ears as well as our spiritual eyes so that we may hear and see you more clearly. Help us to remember that You truly never leave us nor forsake us, especially in our times of need. In Jesus Name, Amen! 

June 26

Acts 17 

 

"For in him we live and move and have our being." As some of your own poets have said, "We are his offspring."                               Acts 17:28

 

If you want to know what a nation believes about God, listen to their music, watch their movies and read their poetry. Their view of God will be revealed in these cultural art forms. Paul understood this principle and engaged it when he debated the scholars on Mars Hill. He recognized to reach the Athenians he had to use their culture, their language and their history. So he quotes one of their poets. This is absolutely brilliant. By boldly using this quote he shattered their philosophy that God was impersonal and distant from his creation. Paul reasons, that since we are his offspring, and since we are personal, then God must be a personal God. As a personal God every person on earth is ultimately subject to His rule and sovereignty.

 

The lesson for us in 2015 is that for us to effectively reach our post Christian generation we must use current cultural issues to open up conversations about Jesus. We must be familiar with current poems, songs, movies, TV shows, and newspaper articles to open the door to spiritual conversations. This requires us to do double the homework. We must study the Word of God as well as the cultural trends of our day.

 

I have a personal preference to ask questions to engage people in spiritual conversations. Here is a list of questions you can use to start conversations. You can also find all of these questions in current movies, songs, poetry and literature.

 

1. Is there good and evil in the universe?    

2. How does one know what is good and evil?

3. How would you define what truth is?

4. Where does morality come from?

5. Do you believe there is such a thing as evil? If so, what is it?

6. What do you believe about the Bible?

7. How did you come to this conclusion?

8. Is there more to this universe than what meets the eye?

9. Do you believe in the existence of God?

10. What would constitute sufficient evidence for God's existence?

11. Who in your opinion is Jesus?

12. How did you arrive at this conclusion?

13. Why are you alive?

14. Does your life matter?

15. Does your life have purpose?

16. How do you view yourself?

17. What place does the cross have in your life?

18. What do you count as significant?

19. What are the three top priorities in your life?

20. What legacy will you leave in life?

--

"Multiplying leaders to change the world"

Thursday, June 25

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2015

2 Kings 8:1–9:13

Acts 16:16–40

Psalm 143: 1–12

Proverbs 17:26

 

 

In today’s reading from Acts, we may observe Paul’s several approaches to authority, both worldly and spiritual.

 

In this passage and others, Paul willingly submits to the ruling authorities, even when their conduct impinges on the Gospel.  In Romans 13:1, Paul summarized this godly attitude towards “the powers that be”:  “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.  The authorities that exist have been established by God.”  Since God had sovereignly established these governing authorities, Paul trusted in God’s direction in advocating adherence to these authorities.  Peter argued for similar godly submission under ruling authorities.

 

In 2013, Reza Aslan gathered significant attention with his book Zealot, which argued that Jesus actually followed in a “rebellious” tradition and imagined himself as one to overthrow the Roman authority.  It also contends that Jesus’s disciples took a similar tack.  The book does not ring true with Biblical accounts, however, as Jesus Himself righteously submitted to Pilate’s authority, suggesting it had emanated from God’s own design.  The One Who fulfilled both the Law and the Prophets had come under authority, and His perfect obedience became the basis for the Christ-follower’s righteousness.  Jesus did revolutionize the Jewish conception of the Messiah as a conquering king; instead, He opened the door to the Kingdom of God and promises to return to bring the fullness of the Kingdom to its ultimate fruition.  Jesus’s disciples, led of course by Peter and Paul, urged submission to the governing authorities and willingly faced persecution and death as martyrs.

 

Yet, despite Paul’s submission to these governing authorities, he will call upon his Roman citizenship as a means of bringing his case ultimately before Caesar.  He strategically and wisely wishes to bring legitimacy for Christ-followers by demonstrating how the Way did not conflict with Roman authority.  His citizenship, granted through his birth in Tarsus, protected him from unjust imprisonment and guaranteed a hearing with Caesar’s courts, once he implored for this treatment.  The remainder of Acts will trace the course of Paul’s multiple imprisonments and his ultimate transfer to Roman house arrest, where he had opportunity to share the Gospel quite freely and boldly.  Acts itself marks an arc of expanding penetration for the Gospel:  first in Jerusalem, then in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth, including, quite importantly, Rome.

 

In addition, we find Paul’s calling on spiritual authority in countering demons and joyfully singing hymns in prison.  While he did indeed face trouble from worldly powers, Paul recognized that the advance of the Kingdom would come through a spiritual battle, not a worldly one.  For this reason, he explained how we might become ready for this battle:  “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.  Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.  Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

 

Standing on the testimony of God’s Word and revelation, Paul did indeed take up this spiritual battle.  He mustered joy by remembering God’s promises and trusting in them wholeheartedly.  He followed the pattern of Abraham, the pattern of all God’s faithful ones throughout history:  He believed God, and “it was credited to him as righteousness.”  Paul encourages us to take a similar viewpoint, both for salvation’s purposes and for the spiritual battle:  “Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.” (Romans 4:20,21)

 

 

Father God, I pray that you may strengthen us in faith so that we may give glory to You.  Reveal more of Yourself to us through Your Word and through prayer so that we too may become fully persuaded that You have power to do what You have promised.  Strengthen us for the daily battle with Your armor.  Give us courage to stand boldly for You, even in the face of opposition, name-calling, or rejection.  Send us Your Holy Spirit so that we too may be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.  To Your Name be all power, honor, and glory.  In Jesus’s Name, amen.

 

________________________________________
1) Blog:                  http://bit.ly/rV1Cw1

2) Facebook:        http://on.fb.me/tc6jkS

June 24

Psalm 142


I have never been in a cave hiding from someone who was trying to kill me like David was when he wrote this Psalm.  I have, however, been in circumstances where I felt stuck between a rock and a hard place.  I think that's why this Psalm spoke to my heart.  David cries, prays, pours out his heart, and declares his distress to the only One who he knew could help him - God.  To me those were powerful and visual words to describe when we are at the end of our road and totally depending on God to save us.  "When my spirit faints within me, then you know my path" (v.3)  The Hebrew word for spirit in this verse is "ruwach" - meaning breath.  I think David realizes that when his physical capacity has taken him to the end of his road only Gods spirit within him will lead him. I believe that's what makes his Psalms so appealing to us - David doesn't pray with a plan "B" in mind - he knows there's only God.  "I cried to You, O Jehovah, I said You are my refuge ,my portion in the land of the living" (Interlinear Bible v.5)  I found so much hope and comfort in this.  Like David, when we can also call out to God in those times of desperation. His promise is that He will never leave or forsake us (Duet. 31:6,8 Heb. 13:5).  And when He brings our soul out from prison (v.7), to Him be all the praise, glory and honor.  Lord we thank you for loving us.  You are our portion and we cry out to You. As you continue to work through each situation in our lives and Your spirit, Your Ruwach, sustains us and carries us, we continue to give You all the praise.  I lift up my brothers and sisters to You this morning Lord and pray in Jesus' Name.





Randi

June 22: Easy things for Him to do...

2 Kings 3:1-4:17

Acts 14:8-28

Psalm 140:1-13

Proverbs 17:22

Have you ever been at the end of your rope, brimming with frustration and failure, bereft of the strength to go any further on the journey you were convinced God had planned for you? The kings of Israel, Judah and Edom found themselves in that situation when, after 7 days' march to attack Moab, they found themselves without food or water, neither for themselves nor for their animals.  It is worth noting that, while the king of Israel claims the Lord called them to this action, there is no evidence of such.  In fact, the king of Israel "did evil in the eyes of the Lord" and "clung to the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat".  

You know what's amazing, though?  Through Elisha, God heard their prayer, saw their need, and provided for them.  They needed water and where they were there was neither rain nor river - and yet God provided them with pools, with a valley filled with water to drink.  And "this is an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord".  And as a bonus, God threw in victory over Moab.  All this, when they were helpless, their situation hopeless.

I've found myself in this situation often, either because I've gone ahead at something without His direction, or I've convinced myself that the inoffensiveness of my actions warranted God's support.  The amazing thing is this: however dire the straits I put myself in as a result of my disconnection with God, there is nothing He cannot save me from - nothing that isn't "an easy thing in the eyes of the Lord".  And He is able to take the defeat I face and, in ways I could not possibly understand nor anticipate, turn it into victory.  I need to remember that, that my heart might remain cheerful and good medicine, that I might not suffer a crushed spirit that dries up the bones.  

When He does that, however, unlike those who proclaimed that Paul and Barnabas were Hermes and Zeus, may I recognize His work and give Him the glory.