Hardships Are a Must
I am amazed, Father! You enabled me to accomplish so much this morning! I am very grateful; may our time together now be as fruitful. Amen.
Acts 14:21-28(<<click here to read the passage)
If someone were to ask me about the trials and tribulations throughout my life, I’d have to pause and think. I feel that I’ve been abundantly blessed. Yes, I’ve had difficult times, but those times seem so small in comparison to the times of blessing I’ve had. Honestly, it bothers me in that I feel like I haven’t had nearly the number of troubles that so many others have had. And I can assure you that it’s not because I am better or more holy than others. If you’ve read my blog for any time at all you realize that I have more than a couple of issues and am far from perfect! …just ask my family…
In the latter half of verse 22, Paul and Barnabas encouraged the disciples of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch of Pisidia to remain firm in the faith, saying, “It is through many tribulations and hardships that we must enter the kingdom of God.” AMP
I like the “remain firm in the faith” portion of the Amplified Bible, but the New Living Translation phrases that verse a little differently, and at least in my perception, it makes that part a little easier to understand.
They encouraged them to continue in the faith, reminding them that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.
It’s unusual, but my study Bible didn’t say anything about this verse, so I poked around some online commentaries and found studylight.org. (I don’t know anything about them, but this exposition was pretty sound, so I will share it with you.)
Their focus is on the concept of the word must and take that it is fit or proper that we should. Not that it is fixed by any fatal necessity, but that we are not to expect that it will be otherwise. We are to calculate on it when we become Christians. Why it is proper, or fit, the apostle did not state. But we may remark that it is proper:
(1) Because such is the opposition of the world to pure religion that it cannot be avoided. Of this they had had striking demonstration in Lystra and Iconium.
(2) It is necessary to reclaim us from wandering, and to keep us in the path of duty…
I used to wander off until you disciplined me;
….but now I closely follow your word. Psalm 119:67 NLT
My suffering was good for me,
….for it taught me to pay attention to your decrees. Psalm 119:71 NLT
(3) It is necessary to wean us from the world; to keep before our minds the great truth that we have here “no continuing city and no abiding place.” Trial here makes us pant for a world of rest. The opposition of sinners makes us desire that world where “the wicked shall cease from troubling,” and where there shall be eternal friendship and peace.
(4) When we are persecuted and afflicted, we may remember that it has been the lot of Christians from the beginning. We tread a path that has been watered by the tears of the saints, and rendered sacred by the shedding of the best blood on the earth. The Saviour trod that path; and it is enough that the “disciple be as his master, and the servant as his lord,” Matthew 10:24-25.*
Times innumerable, someone says it much better than I could. If need be, read that through once more, it gives us quite a bit to chew on. Amen?
*For reference purposes: https://www.studylight.org/commentary/acts/14-22.html
May 11th, 2022, Wed, 12:37 pm
Better Than a Turkey?
A full and interesting day, Father. Thank You for the opportunity of getting to know a couple of friends a little better on a shared bus trip. Use our interactions to strengthen the spiritual bond between us. Amen.
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This morning something very exciting happened to me! Some people seem to experience it regularly, but it had never happened to me. Early on my elementary route, I witnessed a large bird take into flight from the road several yards in front of me. It was a bald eagle! To my knowledge, I have never seen one in the wild. Oh, the joy of God’s creation in all its many forms!
It is commonly believed that early on in the history of the United States, there was a competitor of the bald eagle for being our national symbol – the turkey! Both are native to North America and are fairly common in the United States. I understand that the turkey was not really considered but that it was merely Ben Franklin’s private opinion on the matter.
What got me thinking, was comparing the two birds. We have come to hold the bald eagle as majestic and regal. And as far as the turkey is concerned, we are more apt to think of them as being much more common and not overly bright. Though they can fly (as I mentioned in a previous post – See How Fast You Can Fly!) they really don’t seem to match up to the highly held stature of the bald eagle.
Without going a great deal into comparing the two, the point I want to stress is, at least from a human perspective, we need to be careful of who we hold in high esteem. It is easy for us to admire those with power, talent, wealth, beauty, etc. For example, I am astonished that we put so much stock into what entertainers have to say about important topics! Yeah, I can sing better than most people, or I’m better at throwing a ball through a hoop than just about everybody. Oh, and did we mention that people pay good money to see us do these things? You really should be impressed! Oh, and by the way, this is what I think about such and such.
On the other hand, usually, we are much less impressed with regular Joes – custodians, mechanics…school bus drivers(?), and any number of others. Now I’m not totally ruling out entertainers from having wisdom any more than regular Joes having a corner on the wisdom market.
First and foremost, God and His Word should be at the core of our search for wisdom. James, the brother of Jesus and early leader of the Jerusalem church said,
But the wisdom from above is first pure [morally and spiritually undefiled], then peace-loving [courteous, considerate], gentle, reasonable [and willing to listen], full of compassion and good fruits. It is unwavering, without [self-righteous] hypocrisy [and self-serving guile]. James 3:17 AMP
If we personified the bald eagle and the turkey, doesn’t what James had to say sound a bit more like a turkey?
Regardless, let’s put God first and then consider what those who consider themselves to be His followers have to share, always holding up their words against His.
Paul sums it up pretty well in Colossians 2:8,
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception [pseudo-intellectual babble], according to the tradition [and musings] of mere men, following the elementary principles of this world, rather than following [the truth—the teachings of] Christ. AMP
May 10th, 2022, Tues, 7:41 pm
God Did Not Leave Himself Without Some Witness!
What a beautiful day! Thank You, Father, for the warmth of the sun and the green of spring! All praise to our awesome Creator God!
Acts 14:8-20(<<click here to read the passage)
As He so often does, God has made a connection with my opening praise to today’s passage! It never ceases to amaze me!
When Paul saw that a man who had been crippled from birth listening to him in the crowd had faith to be healed, he proclaimed, “Stand up on your feet.” And he jumped up and began to walk. vs9-10
After that, things got pretty crazy. The local Gentiles thought them to be gods come down in human form and set about honoring them with sacrifices and all! When Paul and Barnabas realized what was happening, Paul immediately exclaimed,
“Men, why are you doing these things? We too are only men of the same nature as you, bringing the good news to you, so that you turn from these useless and meaningless things to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything that is in them. In generations past He permitted all the nations to go their own ways; yet He did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself], in that He kept constantly doing good things and showing you kindness, and giving you rains from heaven and productive seasons, filling your hearts with food and happiness.” vs15-17 AMP
I think that even people who don’t really know God – at least not personally – have to stop and think, “How is all of this beauty possible?” There is so much intricacy and variance in creation, there is no way it could all have just randomly come about. And as Paul says, God did not leave Himself without some witness [as evidence of Himself]… Rain and productive seasons are two obvious reminders.
My Life Application Study Bible references Romans 1:20,
For ever since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through His workmanship [all His creation, the wonderful things that He has made], so that they [who fail to believe and trust in Him] are without excuse and without defense. AMP
It may be harder to find in our socio-political climate, but we absolutely cannot miss it in the world of beauty around us! May God’s creation cry out and may we, His children, echo the praise! Our God is at work in the world and is sovereign! Amen!
May 9th, 2022, Mon, 12:44 pm
Unanimity Is Not Guaranteed
Sundays are always full and so there is always plenty to thank You for, Father! People coming together for an uplifting time of worship and then a wonderful time meeting up with my parents and sister, including safe travels to and from. Thank You for Your watchcare and love!
Acts 14:1-7(<<click here to read the passage)
One thing that I’ve always wanted to do is to serve jury duty. I’ve received notifications several times, but I’ve never been chosen to participate. I think it would be very interesting, but I think one of the most difficult things would be coming to a consensus.
I looked up the word to make sure I fully understood the term. A consensus is a judgment arrived at by most of those concerned. That definition then led me to the question, do juries need to always make unanimous decisions. I discovered that, at least in the United States, juries in federal cases must come to a unanimous decision. In state courts, whether a jury needs to be unanimous depends on the state and the type of trial. For criminal trials, nearly every state requires the jury to produce a unanimous verdict.
Hmmm…I think unanimous decisions would be hard to come by. Unanimity is not guaranteed. Even in small decisions, it can be difficult to get everyone on the same page, regardless of age, gender, or any other qualifier. Just deciding on where to go to dinner can be a challenge!
Paul and Barnabas had wonderfully good news to share but I don’t know of a single time that ever got everyone on board to accept the truth. There was always dissension. There was never a unanimous agreement.
You would think that what happened in the latter part of verse 3 would have made a difference. It says, …the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. NLT
My Life Application Study Bible says “…we see here that even if we could perform a miracle, it wouldn’t convince everyone. God gave these men power to do great wonders as confirmation of the message of grace, but people were still divided.”
We’ve been touching on similar thoughts recently, but we simply cannot stress about the fact that everyone who hears the Good News of what Christ did for us will accept it. Some may never do so and others may have to just let it sit on the back burner of their minds for a while until it becomes a reality in their hearts and minds. The closing portion of the note reads.
Sow your seeds of the Good News on the best ground you can find in the best way you can, and leave the convincing to the Holy Spirit.
May 8th, 2022, Sun, 7:17 pm
There Is a Season for Everything
Father may the thoughts that have been percolating in my mind come together to express the truth of You in our lives. Amen.
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We are full swing into spring – even though there are far more cool days than warm days this year – I cannot help but notice the many beautiful flowering trees. There are a few I recognize – apple, crab apple, and the invasive (at least in Ohio) Bradford Pear tree, amongst many others.
Coming out of winter, at this point, the change in these trees is so obvious. Not that long ago every one of them was barren – there was nothing but stark emptiness, branches that carried nothing but bark. Then came the eruption of leaves and then the budding of beautiful flowers wafting with scent, carrying within them the promise of fruit. Some trees are still in full flower but already many are shedding their pedals, as they will soon be no more.
Stages, progress, and growth – they are all a part of the life cycle of a fruit tree. Soon the foliage with reach its peak and as the seasons progress fruit will appear and develop. That will be followed soon after by the fruit falling to the ground or being harvested by man or the birds and beasts of the wild. Then the leaves will not be far behind, at which time another season will come to a close.
Our lives are different in that the cycles of our lives do not rotate, as such. Rather it is one long cycle from beginning to end. I guess what the whole process made me think about was that as we journey through life, we must embrace each stage but in most cases, we will not see them again, at least not in the same way.
We begin innocent to the harshness of our world but all in all, we are a great blessing to those around us. As time moves forward, we develop and grow budding into that which we were created by God – it is a joy to love our Creator and others around us. As we mature, we have the opportunity to produce fruit – and we choose the type of fruit put forth. It can be sweet and pleasing or bitter and distasteful.
We can also influence the fruit that others produce as they can regarding ours – for the good or for the bad. This is where our relationship with Jesus factors in. The blossoms, the fruit, it can all draw others to Him if that is our focus.
This whole line of thought is sort of hard to put into words, but we are created to be fruitful. And even as we age, the fruit and foliage of our lives can enrich the soil around us, enhancing the future fruitfulness of all that we come in contact with. So even in our passing from this life to eternity, who and what we were will carry on in the lives of those we touched.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-14 (Read the passage by clicking on it, but here are a few verses.)
There is a season (a time appointed) for everything and a time for every delight and event or purpose under heaven –
A time to be born and a time to die;
A time to plant and a time to uproot what is planted. vs1-2
[God] has made everything beautiful and appropriate in its time. He has also planted eternity [a sense of divine purpose] in the human heart [a mysterious longing which nothing under the sun can satisfy, except God] – yet man cannot find out (comprehend, grasp) what God has done (His overall plan) from the beginning to the end.
I know that there is nothing better for them than to rejoice and to do good as long as they live; and also that every man should eat and drink and see and enjoy the good of all his labor – it is the gift of God. vs11-13 AMP
May 5th, 2022, Thurs, 12:53 pm