Getting Our Attention
Well, I am at it again, Father – transporting the girls’ softball team for a scrimmage. I haven’t done many trips in a while. Thank You for a safe trip down and please protect us as we head back home here in a bit. Amen.
Acts 9:1-9 (<<click here to read the passage)
Karma is a popular term in our culture – instant karma in particular. Karen said one of her first-grade students kept using the term “karma” today in class…probably not even knowing what it meant.
Wikipedia gives this very basic definition: Good intent and good deeds contribute to good karma and happier rebirths, while bad intent and bad deeds contribute to bad karma and bad rebirths.
First of all, I believe the only rebirth we get is accepting Jesus’ gift of salvation. Many call it being “born again”, echoing Jesus’ proclamation in John 3:3,
“I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a person is born again [reborn from above—spiritually transformed, renewed, sanctified], he cannot [ever] see and experience the kingdom of God.” AMP
We get this one life to live, this one span of years to decide if we are going to accept God and follow Him – living with Him forever – or reject God and His ways – and be separated from Him forever. We’re not reborn as a worm, or a cow, or a flower until we “get it right”. We have one shot and this is it.
As I read through today’s passage I struggled. A few things came to mind, but nothing seemed right. My mind honed in on Saul and his misguided ways and instant karma seemed to fit. Yourdictionary.com defines instant karma as a circumstance where the actions of a person backfire by causing an immediate unforeseen and unintended effect that may be deemed just deserts for those actions. And boy does that definition shine a blinding light, if you will, on what happened to Saul.
He was on a mission to Damascus to bring great persecution on the followers of Jesus there, when…
…a light from heaven suddenly shone down around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?”
“Who are you, lord?” Saul asked.
And the voice replied, “I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting! Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
The men with Saul stood speechless, for they heard the sound of someone’s voice but saw no one! Saul picked himself up off the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind. So his companions led him by the hand to Damascus. He remained there blind for three days and did not eat or drink. v3-9 NLT
He most assuredly believed in what he was doing and went about it with great enthusiasm, but he was greatly misguided in his “mission”. Many people’s conversion are relatively quiet but that’s not how Jesus got Saul’s attention. I think he was quite a way past a subtle approach. Jesus chose to stop him dead in his tracks. Saul could have rebelled and denied the reality of the situation, but his only sensible choice was to just stop and do what he was told.
We don’t like this approach but we all probably know someone who was running fast and furious away from God but then something atrocious took place…and God had their attention. …and the only sensible choice was to just stop and follow His leading.
Mar 16th, 2022, Wed, 6:01 pm
Mourning Our Loss
Sisterly love was beautiful to behold this afternoon. Father, may we all live that way, living out Your example. Amen.
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Karen and I had the privilege of taking my parents to the funeral service of my dad’s sister Ruth this past weekend. She was a beautiful person in so many ways!
My dad’s family is close…but we’re not close at the same time. He regularly calls his siblings, all 5 of them. Several of us are on Facebook and interact to some degree. But it all pales in comparison to seeing each other face to face! We live all over the place – Arizona, Georgia, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, New York, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee (and maybe more?) – and being that at the least original six siblings have all been in pastoral ministry at some point, getting together was challenging. We’ve had reunions but the last one was at least 20 years ago!
As I sat looking over the room where we were gathered after the service, I couldn’t help but think how much loss I had experienced overall. I am grateful that Uncle Stan and Aunt Ruth pastored in Ohio, so I had the opportunity to interact with them a bit more. But even on that front, I hadn’t seen them in quite a while. In later years they had lived in Georgia, then Illinois.
All of my aunts and uncles, and the many cousins I have, have missed out on wonderfully rewarding relationships. None of us did it on purpose, life just happened. Families, jobs, school, church responsibilities, and so many other legitimate commitments have kept us apart.
Being with a handful of them this past weekend was like being limited to one bite of an elaborate smorgasbord. A few hours, short conversations here and there…and it came to an end. What we could learn…what encouragement could be had…what love could be given and returned in like measure…but to our loss, it was not meant to be. Time was not at our disposal…
We mourn our loss, but I think I can honestly say that the world is much the richer! All of us have impacted and continue to impact the world for Christ! All do so in our respective corners. We’ve each lived our lives reaching out and loving others. What a loss the world would have suffered if we had spent our time with each other instead of impacting those in our circle of influence!
Only the Lord knows how many people my Aunt Ruth alone touched! At every church my Uncle Stan pastored, she diligently, with a God-inspired drive, worked to bring others into a deeper relationship with Christ. Many of us strive to follow her example… But in reality, it is not her example we follow but the One that she followed! Early in her life, she chose – she was not forced or coerced – she chose to spend time with her Savior, and oh, the fruit it produced!
As the missionary, Jim Elliot said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”
I assure you and most solemnly say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone [just one grain, never more]. But if it dies, it produces much grain and yields a harvest. John 12:24 AMP
Lord Jesus, may we, as my Aunt Ruth did, devote our lives to loving You. And as we do so, we can’t help but love others and point them to You as well. Amen.
Mar 15th, 2022, Tues, 7:14 pm
Uttering Threats with Every Breath
In an attempt to get back into the routine of things I am grateful that You have kept me safe – especially after seeing two different people waiting for assistance this morning after hitting deer!
Acts 9:1-2 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of my favorite memories from childhood is the cartoons! And on the top of the list of my favorite characters is Bugs Bunny and his many compatriots. Weirdly enough, as I read the beginning verses of the ninth chapter of Acts, one of Bugs’ nemeses came to mind – Yosemite Sam (though in reality Bugs was more Sam’s nemesis than the other way around!)
The verse reads, “Meanwhile, Saul was uttering threats with every breath and was eager to kill the Lord’s followers.” And all I could think of was Yosemite Sam’s infamous cursing in gibberish – you know, “ya crazy rackin’, frackin’, varmint rabbit!”
One of the many theatrical cartoon shorts was From Hare to Heir, released on September 3, 1960 (a few years before I was born!) The general plot was that Sam, Duke of Yosemite, learns he is penniless, because his uncle, the King, has cut off his allowance. Bugs Bunny is sent to see if Sam can prove that he is worthy of a monetary gift from the king by not losing his temper. Every time he does, Bugs can deduct whatever he thinks is a suitable portion of the gift. In short order, Sam blows through it because he is constantly losing his temper and uttering threats with every breath, eager to get rid of that varmint rabbit!
Now the Merrie Melodies of the Warner Brothers were all in fun but there was nothing funny about what Saul set about doing to the “Lord’s followers.” Verse two states,
He requested letters addressed to the synagogues in Damascus, asking for their cooperation in the arrest of any followers of the Way he found there. He wanted to bring them—both men and women—back to Jerusalem in chains.
Saul was serious to the hilt and was so zealous for his Jewish beliefs that he began a persecution campaign against anyone who believed in Christ (“followers of the Way”).*
Why in the world would Saul want to persecute Christians as far away as Damascus? It was like 150 miles north of Jerusalem!
One big reason was that Damascus was a big crossroads of commerce in the Roman province of Syria. His goal was to stamp out the spread of Christianity to other major cities in the Roman world. But as we will find out very soon, the Lord Jesus had a whole different plan!
We can mutter whatever we want under our breath, and honestly, God allows us to pursue our own blinded ways, but He is always out to change the course of those ways, and thankfully He took a pretty straightforward approach to Saul’s threats and desire to kill His followers. Because Saul yielded to Jesus’ interaction with him, the world would forever be changed!
Lord Jesus, may we be more willing to change our ways and eagerly follow You! And though Bugs and Sam are a little out there may thoughts of them bring thoughts of You! And we are eternally grateful that our many failures, if repentance is sought, never diminishes the wonderful gift of salvation! Amen.
*Life Application Study Bible
Mar 14th, 2022, Mon, 6:52 pm
Our Hand in Yours
A whirlwind weekend has left me exhausted but sitting here before You, Father, there is peace and rest. Fill me, use me, as You would. Amen.
Acts 8:26-40 (<<click here to read the passage)
Over the years I have used this particular text a couple of times for a sermon. One of them spoke particularly of Philip “tuned in”. As we should all be, he was tuned into the Holy Spirit’s leading.
In our last passage, he was having a very effective ministry impact in Samaria, and in this passage, the Holy Spirit directs him to a desert road out in the middle of nowhere, giving him the opportunity to speak to one man. And immediately after that impactful encounter, he is swept off to minister in yet another setting!
We do not see one single complaint! Great impact here? Move on. Great impact there? Move on. And he does. He trusts the Spirit’s directives and gives each encounter everything he has for as long as he needs to do so. He was obedient to whatever he was called to do.
Many of us struggle there more than a bit…and it shows. How could we be used of God, if we let go of our hesitancies and just moved forward to wherever He led, whenever He called?
In one of my sermons, I shared a poem by Scottish author, poet, and Christian minister George MacDonald. It is entitled Obedience.
I said, “Let me walk in the fields.
He said, “No; walk in the town.”
I said, “There are no flowers there.
He said, “No flowers but a crown.”
I said, “But the skies are black,
There is nothing but noise and din.”
And He wept as He sent me back;
“There is more,” He said. “There is sin.”
I said, “But the air is thick,
And fogs are veiling the sun.”
He answered, “Yet souls are sick,
And souls in the dark undone.”
I said, “I shall miss the light,
And friends will miss me, they say.”
He answered, “Choose tonight
If I am to miss you, or they.”
I pleaded for time to be given.
He said, “Is it hard to decide?
It will not seem hard in Heaven
To have followed the steps of your Guide.”
I cast one look at the fields,
Then set my face to the town.
He said, “My child, do you yield?
Will you leave the flowers for a crown?”
Then into His hand went mine;
And into my heart came He;
And I walked in a light divine,
The path I had feared to see.
Lord Jesus, may we place our hand in Yours. And as You come into our lives may we, too, walk in that “light divine”. Amen.
Mar 13th, 2022, Sun, 7:17 pm
Everything Has Its Price
Father, thank You for the beautifully sunshiny day we are having. May I be as grateful for the rain (or snow?) tomorrow. Each is a gift that we cannot do without in season.
Acts 8:4-25 (<<click here to read the passage)
One of the most disheartening things about our world today is that pretty much everything can be bought or sold. Humanity has become so hard of heart that there are no limits, there are no holds barred.
As I poked around a bit online, I came across a quote by famed American historian and theorist of the evolution of civilizations, Carroll Quigley (1910 –1977). He stated in one of his lectures, “…today everything is commercialized—politics, religion, education, ideology, belief, the armed services… Everything has its price.”
It seems that nothing is sacred anymore. Regardless of how the world feels about such things, some things cannot be bought.
In today’s passage Simon, a sorcerer in Samaria, was “the” man, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great. (v9b) …that was until Philip showed up on the scene.
Many Samaritans came to believe Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ… and…were baptized. v12
Simon himself became a believer and was baptized! But as we continue reading it becomes more and more obvious that he still had a hungering to be “the” man. He followed Philip wherever he went amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.
When Peter and John got there to verify what was happening, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit and laid their hands upon them they did! Simon was wowed and his kneejerk reaction was to offer money to buy the power he saw Peter and John had.
Peter immediately cut him off saying,
“May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God. Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts, for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.” vs21-23 NLT
Simon quickly backpedaled asking for their prayers that what Peter had said wouldn’t happen to him.
Everything else in our world may have its price…but not the things of God! We have what God gives us out of His generous hand. Our faith is either the real deal…or it’s not. We can’t have our feet in both the worldly kingdom and God’s Kingdom.
Matthew recorded Jesus as saying,
“No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon [money, possessions, fame, status, or whatever is valued more than the Lord]. Matthew 6:24 AMP
Lord Jesus, help us. We can’t buy our way into a relationship with You. If we think we can buy power and prestige in Your Kingdom, it will all be a sham. Only what comes from You is genuine. May we seek that out and then live it out! Amen.
Mar 10th, 2022, Thurs, 12:58 pm