Talk about being unpopular

Please read Acts 21:27-36

Paul has made it to Jerusalem and celebrated God’s blessing in his ministry thus far. He has also faced slanderous rumors and proven them wrong. In today’s passage he is faced with the wonders of going against popular opinion. Paul is seized and in the process of being beaten to death when the Roman centurions step in to find the truth and make sure justice is served. His presence and testimony result in nothing less then pandemonium.

This brings to mind a youth pastor from my younger years.  When Pastor Dan stood before the City Council and the School Board voicing his concern for the degradation of morals and values in our public schools he raised some eyebrows. But when he went on to say that our church would be boycotting the public school’s arts programs so long as they intended for the high school drama program to perform a play with a rape scene in it, he drew outright disdain and public ridicule. He and our church were front page news in the local and area papers. We were labeled “right wing”, “ultra-conservative”, and even blind to the truth. Through all of this Pastor Dan stayed true to the Word and his convictions. Our youth group pulled out of the arts programs. The families in our church withdrew our support of all of these activities as well. After the school and our community saw that this was not an issue on which we would bend or surrender, they reassessed their position. They pulled the “questionable” presentation from the roster and moved on with a higher discernment for future programs.

Not always are we called to a life of leisure and comfort. Sometimes we will face a foe that is daunting and ominous. What we can and must rely on is the fact that we are fully in the center of God’s will and aligning with the standards which He has set in His Word. The day may be coming when we will even face death because of our beliefs and convictions. Are you ready to be unpopular? You don’t have to wait. Live a life of purity out load and you’ll get there fast, but that’s OK. I and Jesus are unpopular too. Won’t you join us?

Did you hear the news about…?

Please read Acts 21:15-26

Paul has finally made it to Jerusalem. He’s sharing stories of all of those who have come to the Lord on his journeys and the people are rejoicing for the Kingdom’s sake. And then James drops the bomb. People have been saying this and that about you. We know it’s not true but we know there are those who believe it. So Paul lets his life and actions show the error of these rumors.

Everybody likes a juicy story. It has all of the right elements: enough of the truth to make it believable; enough sensation to make it scandalous; and the right character as its victim to make you want to repeat it.  One might even add just a little to it to make it all the more juicy. We’ve all heard them. We may have even shared some of them. It’s possible that some may have even fabricated one of these juicy stories because of their popularity. The sad thing is that though we may estimate and attempt to perceive what could come of these stories, we can never know the amount of damage that will occur until it’s all over.

I’ve known more than one Christian who has faced the defamation of his or her character as someone assaulted them with attacks on their character, beliefs or actions. There are some who proved the horrible stories true by becoming what they had been called. And then there are those diamonds. There are those who have proven that they are true soldiers of the cross, because of their humility, long-suffering, and consistent faithful living proving the slanderous and defaming statements wrong. They’ve been passed through the fire and have come forth as pure gold. How are you doing? Is your faith in the right place? Can and will you withstand the fire of public and perhaps church scrutiny when the accusations are hurled? Trust God. Though you lose your job, or even your life, stay true to Him and you will have overcome.

Regardless of what you got, you can have More

Please read Acts 20:17-38

Paul knows that he must continue his missionary travels.  He also knows that this is the last time he will see these brothers and sisters this side of heaven.  Reminding them of their days together maturing and growing in the Lord, Paul now says Watch out!  You have hard days ahead.  Keep the faith.  Trust in Jesus and His words.  Live as I have lived, pursuing Christ and proclaiming His love to all you meet.

I don’t know anyone who enjoys saying “Goodbye” to those they love and care for; especially when you know it’s for the last time.  I know that when I got the call that my grandma had been rushed to the emergency room with congestive heart failure, I thought of of how much I wanted to see her again.  I thought of all the things we hadn’t said or done.  I thought of how much I longed for her to be with us forever.  Instead, God took her to His kingdom.  My memories of Grandma are good and challenging to me as I mature in my faith.  She set a high standard for living, not because she ever put herself above others, but because she served others through, and due to her love for God.  Grandma’s memories cry out, “Stand tall for the faith.  Don’t let the wolves tear you away.  Love and serve others in His name and you will see fulfillment.”

God created us holy beings.  He intends for us all to be holy.  He’s made a way for us to be holy but our selfishness and pride tears us away from that reality and will continue to get in the way of our experience of His holiness if we allow it to do so.  We must submit ourselves to His will every moment of the day, overcoming our dependence on possessions, wealth, self-reliance and pride.  As Paul and the New Testament church experienced we will know God’s love and purity in its fullness if we allow Him to maintain control in our lives.  His hand will never lead us astray. Trust Him today.

You mean money’s not where it’s at?

Please read I Timothy 6:6-19

When you stop to think about it, from the very beginning, the fall of mankind in sinfulness came about because of greed and selfishness. It’s the, “I want what I do not have and am willing to break the rules in order to get it” that gets us, hence the warnings and exhortations in today’s passage. Desire for wealth brings temptation. The love for more personal gain is foundational to our fall. Command those who are rich to verify where their faith lies. “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.” Store up your treasures in Heaven.

What a contrast to what our world today proclaims. We are often labeled or perceived as “misguided” if we put others ahead of ourselves, that is unless we  know that they’ll owe us one. We are delusional if we are committed to setting aside a percentage of our holdings for use by the church, unless we can then use it to manipulate the church to support us in some cause.

Can we actually fulfill these biblical exhortations? Is it possible to stand as a beacon of light in this world of moral decay? Can we really show them the truth through these archaic beliefs and methods? These questions approach the topic from the wrong perspective. We must recognize and accept that the Word of God was written long ago, but God is always in the now. He’s not just yesterday. His word is current and applicable to our lives in every moment. These are not archaic beliefs and methods. They are a heartfelt passion. They are the signs of life in our dying world today. They are the beacons of light shining into the darkness, drawing the lost and curious. When we have surrendered our hearts and lives to the shaping and molding of the Holy Spirit, we will live out the love and passion for God’s kingdom in all that we do. That means that He sanctifies our wallets, our homes, our businesses, our entire lives. All we have is His for the using. Let’s give it up.

Does it really matter what “they” say?

In Acts 19:1-10 we read of those who hear the truth and respond in faith.  We also read of those who hear the truth and reject it and even “malign The Way.”  To malign means to slander, smear, or criticize.  Paul spoke the truth for three months and yet some rejected, criticized, and slandered the truth.  In turn Paul took those who did believe and discipled them for two years.  His persistence and faithfulness in proclaiming and teaching the truth in the face of resistance brought results, “…all of the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord.”

Are you a mentor or discipler?  Have you ever fit one of these titles?  Both titles make me uncomfortable.  I am simply a sinner saved by grace.  That doesn’t qualify me to be a mentor or discipler, or does it?  It might help us to acknowledge our responsibility to others if we ask different questions.  Since accepting Christ as my Savior have I grown spiritually?  Have I experienced trials or temptation?  Have I resisted or overcome said temptation?  Have I sought the Spirit’s indwelling, to replace my old man with what God has designed me to be, holy, and in daily communion with Him?  Will others benefit from my sharing of these experiences?  Can I share these experiences with those within my spheres of influence on a daily basis?

I, and likely you can answer yes to most, if not all of these questions because of the grace of God and the continuing work of the Holy Spirit in us.  We could never accomplish the changes in ourselves of holiness and purification on our own.  Without Him we are nothing, but with Him we can be holy.  It is He who qualifies us to be godly mentors & disciplers.  We can share our experiences in Him with others to help them avoid sin and to stimulate growth and maturation.  After all, Jesus has commanded that we all be disciplers.  We can do it.

I wrote this post long in advance of today’s news that Oral Roberts has been promoted to Glory.  Regardless of his humanity and his publicized missteps, Dr. Roberts has served the Christian community and the world at large greatly through his years on earth.  I join his family in mourning this loss but praise God for allowing people like you, me and Dr. Roberts to make an impact for Him in this world.