shore leave

Posted on September 18, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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shore leave

Acts 27:1-12 (JDV)

Acts 27:1 When it was decided that we were to sail to Italy, they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion named Julius, of the Imperial Regiment.
Acts 27:2 When we had boarded a ship of Adramyttium, we put to sea, intending to sail to ports along the coast of Asia. Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica, was with us.
Acts 27:3 The next day we landed at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul kindly and allowed him to go to his friends to receive their care.
Acts 27:4 When we had put out to sea from there, we sailed along the northern coast of Cyprus because the winds were against us.
Acts 27:5 After sailing through the open sea off Cilicia and Pamphylia, we reached Myra in Lycia.
Acts 27:6 There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.
Acts 27:7 Sailing slowly for many days, with difficulty we arrived off Cnidus. Since the wind did not allow us to approach it, we sailed along the south side of Crete off Salmone.
Acts 27:8 With still more difficulty we sailed along the coast and came to a place called Fair Havens near the city of Lasea.
Acts 27:9 By now much time had passed, and the voyage was already dangerous. Since the Day of Atonement was already over, Paul gave his advice
Acts 27:10 and told them, “Men, I can observe that this voyage is headed toward disaster and heavy loss, not only of the cargo and the ship but also of our throats.”
Acts 27:11 But the centurion was persuaded by the captain and the owner of the ship rather than to what Paul said.
Acts 27:12 Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided to set sail from there, hoping somehow to reach Phoenix, a harbor on Crete facing the southwest and northwest, and to winter there.

shore leave

Paul was allowed “shore leave” of sorts when he arrived at Sidon. Why did he not take that opportunity to flee from his captors to save his life? By now, you should realize that Paul was still a missionary. His motivation was his mission. God had sent him on a mission to declare the gospel among governors, kings, and the emperor himself. Even when he knew that the ship he was taking would wreck, he had to stay true to his mission.

Lord, may our hearts beat to a different drum. May they be tuned in to your mission: to spread your gospel and build your kingdom.

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first to rise

Posted on September 17, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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first to rise

Acts 25:23-26:32 (JDV)

Acts 25:23 So the next day, Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp and entered the auditorium with the military commanders and prominent men of the city. When Festus gave the command, Paul was brought in.
Acts 25:24 Then Festus said: “King Agrippa and all men present with us, you observe this man. The whole Jewish community has appealed to me concerning him, both in Jerusalem and here, shouting that he should not live any longer.
Acts 25:25 I found that he had not done anything deserving of death, but when he himself appealed to the Emperor, I decided to send him.
Acts 25:26 I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore, I have brought him before all of you, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this examination is over, I may have something to write.
Acts 25:27 You see, it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without indicating the charges against him.”
Acts 26:1 Agrippa said to Paul, “You have permission to speak for yourself.” Then Paul stretched out his hand and began his defense:
Acts 26:2 “I consider myself fortunate, that it is before you, King Agrippa, I am to make my defense today against all the accusations of the Jews,
Acts 26:3 especially since you are very knowledgeable about all the Jewish customs and controversies. Therefore I beg you to listen to me patiently.
Acts 26:4 “All the Jews know my way of life from my youth, which was spent from the beginning among my own people and in Jerusalem.
Acts 26:5 They have known me for a long time, if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party of our religion I lived as a Pharisee.
Acts 26:6 And now I stand on trial because of the hope in what God promised to our ancestors,
Acts 26:7 the promise our twelve tribes hope to reach as they earnestly serve him night and day. King Agrippa, I am being accused by the Jews because of this hope.
Acts 26:8 Why do any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?
Acts 26:9 In fact, I myself was convinced that it was necessary to do many things in opposition to the name of Jesus of Nazareth.
Acts 26:10 I actually did this in Jerusalem, and I locked up many of the devotees in prison, since I had received jurisdiction for that from the chief priests. When they were taken out, I was in agreement against them.
Acts 26:11 In all the synagogues I often punished them and tried to force them to blaspheme. Since I was terribly enraged at them, I chased them even to foreign cities.
Acts 26:12 “I was traveling to Damascus under these circumstances with authority and a commission from the chief priests.
Acts 26:13 King Agrippa, while on the road at midday, I saw a light from the sky brighter than the sun, shining around me and those traveling with me.
Acts 26:14 We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice speaking to me in the Hebrew dialect, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you chasing me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’
Acts 26:15 “I asked, ‘Who are you, Lord? ‘ “And the Lord replied: ‘I am Jesus, the one you are chasing.
Acts 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet. For I have appeared to you for this purpose, to appoint you as a servant and a testifier of what you have seen and will see of me.
Acts 26:17 I will rescue you from your people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them
Acts 26:18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the jurisdiction of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of failures and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’
Acts 26:19 “So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the sky vision.
Acts 26:20 Instead, I preached to those in Damascus first, and to those in Jerusalem and in all the region of Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should seriously change their minds and turn to God, and do works worthy of repentance.
Acts 26:21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple and were trying to lay violent hands on me.
Acts 26:22 To this very day, I have had help from God, and I stand and testify to both small and great, saying nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would take place –
Acts 26:23 that the Messiah must suffer, and that, as the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light to our people and to the Gentiles.”
Acts 26:24 As he was saying these things in his defense, Festus exclaimed in a loud voice, “You’re delirious, Paul! Too much study is driving you mad.”
Acts 26:25 But Paul replied, “I’m not delirious, most excellent Festus. On the contrary, I’m speaking words of truth and good judgment.
Acts 26:26 For the king knows about these matters, and I can speak openly to him. For I am persuaded that none of these things has escaped his notice, since this was not done in a corner.
Acts 26:27 King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe.”
Acts 26:28 Agrippa said to Paul, “Are you going to persuade me to become a Christian so easily?”
Acts 26:29 “I wish before God,” replied Paul, “that whether easily or with difficulty, not only you but all who listen to me today might become as I am – except for these chains.”
Acts 26:30 The king, the governor, Bernice, and those sitting with them got up,
Acts 26:31 and when they had left they talked with each other and said, “This man is not doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment.”
Acts 26:32 Agrippa said to Festus, “This man could have been let go if he had not appealed to Caesar.”

first to rise

Here is another time in Acts where the explanation of the gospel centers around the promise of a resurrection. Paul repeats his Damascus vision story because in that story Jesus speaks to him and proves that he has been raised from the dead. He alludes to the Prophets and Moses as if all the scriptures obviously proclaimn that blessed promise. If we want to get the gospel right, so that it is light to both the Jews and Gentiles — we cannot afford to soft-pedal the promise of the resurrection.

Lord, thank you for the powerful promise of a coming new life through Christ, the first to rise from the dead.

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ridiculous

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Jefferson Vann
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ridiculous

Acts 25:1-22 (JDV)

Acts 25:1 Three days after Festus set foot in the province, he went up to Jerusalem from Caesarea.
Acts 25:2 The chief priests and the leaders of the Jews presented their case against Paul to him; and they appealed,
Acts 25:3 asking for a favor against Paul, that Festus summon him to Jerusalem. They were, actually preparing an ambush along the road to take him out.
Acts 25:4 Festus, however, reacted that Paul should be kept at Caesarea, and that he himself was about to go there shortly.
Acts 25:5 “Therefore,” he said, “let those of you who are capable go down with me and accuse him, if he has done anything wrong.”
Acts 25:6 When he had spent not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea. The next day, seated on the platform, he commanded Paul to be brought in.
Acts 25:7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him and brought many serious charges which they did not have the strength to prove.
Acts 25:8 Then Paul made his defense: “Neither against the Jewish law, nor against the temple, nor against Caesar have I failed in any way.”
Acts 25:9 But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, reacted to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem to be tried before me there on these charges?”
Acts 25:10 Paul said: “I am standing at Caesar’s platform, where I ought to be tried. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as even you yourself know very well.
Acts 25:11 If then I did anything wrong and am deserving of death, I am not trying to escape death; but if there is nothing to what these men accuse me of, no one can give me up to them. I appeal to Caesar!”
Acts 25:12 Then after Festus conferred with his council, he reacted, “You have appealed to Caesar; to Caesar you will go.”
Acts 25:13 Several days later, King Agrippa and Bernice arrived in Caesarea and paid a courtesy call on Festus.
Acts 25:14 Since they were staying there several days, Festus presented Paul’s case to the king, saying, “There’s a man who was left as a prisoner by Felix.
Acts 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews presented their case and asked that he be condemned.
Acts 25:16 I reacted to them that it is not the Roman custom to give someone up before the accused faces the accusers and has an opportunity for a defense against the charges.
Acts 25:17 So when they had assembled here, I did not delay. The next day I took my seat on the platform and ordered the man to be brought in.
Acts 25:18 The accusers stood up but brought no charge against him of the evil things I was expecting.
Acts 25:19 Instead they had some disagreements with him about their own religion and about a certain Jesus, a dead man Paul claimed to be alive.
Acts 25:20 Since I was at a loss in a dispute over such things, I asked him if he wanted to go to Jerusalem and be tried there regarding these matters.
Acts 25:21 But when Paul appealed to be held for trial by the Emperor, I ordered him to be kept in custody until I could send him to Caesar.”
Acts 25:22 Agrippa said to Festus, “I would like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow you will hear him,” he replied.

ridiculous

A casual observer of the events being described in these later chapters of Acts might wonder what happened to all the power. I mean, in the earlier chapters, every move of the gospel was accompanied by a sign miracle that either prompted a mass conversion, or delivered a faithful disciple. So, where are all the miracles now that this missionary needs them? Paul is fighting for his life here. It just seems so apparently ridiculous.

The Holy Spirit has not left the building. Instead, he is working in accordance with his plan. Paul knew that he had been strategically placed so that he could share the gospel with governors, kings, and the emperor himself. He also knew that the work of spreading the gospel to the nations was now being done by the congregations which he and his fellow missionaries had founded.

Luke records the human element of these events, cluing us in to the political shenanigans and deals being made among the powerful who seem to have Paul under their control. It is right that he does so. Believers throughout the ages will experience times like this — times when everyone seems to be in control except them. They must learn to trust God during this ridiculous phase.

Lord, give us the insight to stay true to your message, even in the ridiculous phases of life.

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two year fiasco

Posted on September 15, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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two year fiasco

Acts 24:1-27 (JDV)

Acts 24:1 Five days later Ananias the high priest came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. These men presented their case against Paul to the governor.
Acts 24:2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus began to accuse him and said: “We enjoy great peace because of you, and reforms are taking place for the benefit of this nation because of your foresight.
Acts 24:3 We acknowledge this in every way and everywhere, most excellent Felix, with utmost gratitude.
Acts 24:4 But, so that I will not burden you any further, I request that you would be kind enough to give us a brief hearing.
Acts 24:5 You see, we have found this man to be a pestilence, an agitator among all the Jews throughout the Roman world, and a ringleader of the heretical cult of the Nazarenes.
Acts 24:6 He even tried to desecrate the temple, and so we apprehended him. By examining him yourself you will be able to discern the truth about these charges we are bringing against him.”
Acts 24:9 The Jews also joined in the attack, alleging that these things were true.
Acts 24:10 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul reacted: “Because I know you have been a judge of this nation for many years, I am glad to offer my defense in what concerns me.
Acts 24:11 You can verify for yourself that it is no more than twelve days since I went up to worship in Jerusalem.
Acts 24:12 They didn’t find me making a speech for anyone or causing a disturbance among the crowd, either in the temple or in the synagogues or anywhere in the city.
Acts 24:13 Neither can they prove the charges they are now making against me.
Acts 24:14 But I admit this to you: I worship the God of my ancestors according to the Way, which they call a heretical cult, believing everything that is in accordance with the law and written in the prophets.
Acts 24:15 I have a hope in God, which these men themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection, both of the righteous and the unrighteous.
Acts 24:16 I always strive to have a clear conscience toward God and men.
Acts 24:17 After many years, I came to bring charitable gifts and offerings to my people.
Acts 24:18 While I was doing this, some Jews from Asia found me ritually purified in the temple, without a crowd and without any uproar.
Acts 24:19 It is they who ought to be here before you to bring charges, if they have anything against me.
Acts 24:20 Or let these men here state what wrongdoing they found in me when I stood before the Sanhedrin,
Acts 24:21 other than this one statement I shouted while standing among them, ‘Today I am on trial before you concerning the resurrection from the dead ones.'”
Acts 24:22 Since Felix was well informed about the Way, he adjourned the hearing, saying, “When Lysias the commander comes down, I will decide your case.”
Acts 24:23 He ordered that the centurion keep Paul under guard, though he could have some freedom, and that he should not prevent any of his own from meeting his needs.
Acts 24:24 Several days later, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and listened to him on the subject of faith in Christ Jesus.
Acts 24:25 Now as he made a speech about righteousness, self-control, and the judgment to come, Felix became afraid and reacted, “Leave for now, but when I have an available period I’ll call for you.”
Acts 24:26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would offer him money. So he sent for him quite often and conversed with him.
Acts 24:27 After two years had passed, Porcius Festus succeeded Felix, and because Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul tied up.

two year fiasco

Felix had many motives to keep up the ruse of a trial. He had a Jewish wife, who would have been interested in many ways, and he might have wanted to entertain her with news of this trial. He was also hoping for a bribe. And, he kept Paul imprisoned, or “tied up” as a favor to his accusers, who would have been happy to have him out of the way.

But because of this fiasco, Paul had an audience with Governor Felix regularly for two years. He had an opportunity to share about his faith in Christ, to write epistles, to encourage his visitors, to defend his actions as a disciple of Christ, to refute the words of his accusers and to explain his theology, which centered on a hope in a resurrection when Christ returns. Imagine an audience with the governor and his attendants for two years!

Lord, give us insight to see how you are working in our lives to help us share the gospel.

today’s video.

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unwanted down time

Posted on September 14, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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unwanted down time

Acts 23:23-35 (JDV)

Acts 23:23 He called for two of his centurions and said, “Get two hundred soldiers ready with seventy cavalry and two hundred spearmen to go to Caesarea at nine tonight.
Acts 23:24 Also provide mounts for Paul to ride and bring him safely to Felix the governor.”
Acts 23:25 He wrote the following letter:
Acts 23:26 Claudius Lysias, To the most excellent governor Felix: Greetings.
Acts 23:27 When this man had been seized by the Jews and was about to be taken away by them, I arrived with my troops and rescued him because I learned that he is a Roman citizen.
Acts 23:28 Wanting to know the charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down before their Sanhedrin.
Acts 23:29 I found out that the accusations were concerning questions of their law, and that there was no charge that merited death or imprisonment.
Acts 23:30 When I was informed that there was a plot against the man, I sent him to you right away. I also directed his accusers to state their case against him in your presence.
Acts 23:31 So the soldiers picked up Paul during the night and brought him to Antipatris as they were ordered.
Acts 23:32 The next day, they returned to the barracks, allowing the cavalry to go on with him.
Acts 23:33 When these men entered Caesarea and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented Paul to him.
Acts 23:34 After he read it, he asked what province he was from. When he learned he was from Cilicia,
Acts 23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing whenever your accusers also get here.” He ordered that he be kept in Herod’s palace.

unwanted down time

David Young Jr. wrote “In the midst of trial, the best thing to do is to be faithful. God has not abandoned us, and will see to it that in the final assessment, true justice will be carried out. His children, wrongly accused, will be vindicated. He alone will be the final judge. In the meantime, consider the possibility that God is granting you an opportunity to share the gospel with one who is doing you wrong. You never know who it is that needs to hear the message of Jesus.”*

Paul was imprisoned for a long time although it was admitted that he had no charge against him that warranted the detainment. But God used that down time to give the gospel to his captors.

Lord, we trust you to use our unwanted down time for your purposes.

* Maranatha Daily Devotional “God Cares for his Own” Wednesday, January 20, 2016.

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no coincidences

Posted on September 13, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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no coincidences

Acts 23:12-22 (JDV)

Acts 23:12 When it was morning, the Jews formed a mob and bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul.
Acts 23:13 There were more than forty who had formed this plot.
Acts 23:14 These men went to the chief priests and elders and said, “We have bound ourselves under a solemn curse that we won’t eat anything until we have killed Paul.
Acts 23:15 So now you, along with the Sanhedrin, make a request to the commander that he bring him down to you as if you were going to investigate his case more thoroughly. But, before he gets near, we are ready to take him out.”
Acts 23:16 But the son of Paul’s sister, hearing about their ambush, came and entered the barracks and reported it to Paul.
Acts 23:17 Paul called for one of the centurions and said, “Take this young man to the commander, because he has something to report to him.”
Acts 23:18 So he took him, brought him to the commander, and said, “The prisoner Paul called for me and asked me to bring this young man to you, because he has something to tell you.”
Acts 23:19 The commander took him by the hand, led him aside, and inquired on his own, “What is it you have to report to me?”
Acts 23:20 “The Jews,” he said, “have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the Sanhedrin tomorrow, as though they are going to hold a somewhat more careful inquiry about him.
Acts 23:21 Don’t let them persuade you, because there are more than forty of them lying in ambush – men who have bound themselves under a curse not to eat or drink until they have taken him out. Now they are ready, waiting for your consent.”
Acts 23:22 So the commander let the young man go and directed him, “Don’t tell anyone that you have informed me about this.”

no coincidences

Paul had been rescued from danger before by God’s miraculous power. Why did he not simply trust God to rescue him that way again, instead of sending his nephew to the Roman commander? There are some good reasons. Remember, God had already told Paul that he would not die there, because his mission included proclaiming the gospel in Rome. When Paul saw a way for his captors to become part of that plan, he knew that was just like God. When Paul got the visit from his nephew, he knew God was in that too. There were no coincidences.

God’s plan and direction in our lives is a complex thing — always hard to figure out. But when we finally do start seeing some light, we will recognize that even many of the things we considered obstacles happened to us so that God’s plan could be accomplished. We will also realize that we wasted a lot of time being angry at obstacles that were not really obstacles.

Lord, we trust you with each step we take. Give us insight not to be angry at everything we might see as an obstacle.

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the next step in his plan

Posted on September 12, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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the next step in his plan

Acts 22:30-23:11 (JDV)

Acts 22:30 The next day, since he wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and instructed the chief priests and all the Sanhedrin to convene. He brought Paul down and placed him before them.
Acts 23:1 Paul looked straight at the Sanhedrin and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience to this day.”
Acts 23:2 The high priest Ananias ordered those who were standing next to him to beat him on the mouth.
Acts 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to beat you, you whitewashed wall! You are sitting there judging me according to the law, and yet in violation of the law are you ordering me to be beaten?”
Acts 23:4 Those standing nearby said, “Do you dare insult God’s high priest?”
Acts 23:5 “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest,” replied Paul, “because it is written, you must not speak evil of a ruler of your people.”
Acts 23:6 When Paul realized that one part of them were Sadducees and the other part were Pharisees, he cried out in the Sanhedrin, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am being judged because of the hope of the resurrection from the dead ones!”
Acts 23:7 When he said this, a dispute broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided.
Acts 23:8 You see, the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, and neither agent nor breath, but the Pharisees affirm them all.
Acts 23:9 The shouting grew loud, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party got up and argued vehemently: “We find nothing evil in this man. What if a breath or an agent has spoken to him?”
Acts 23:10 When the dispute became violent, the commander feared that Paul might be torn apart by them and ordered the troops to go down, take him away from them, and bring him into the barracks.
Acts 23:11 The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Have courage, because just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so it is necessary for you to testify in Rome.”

the next step in his plan

Paul was encouraged by the Lord’s answer to his prayer that night. The Lord did not reveal all his future to him. But he did get enough information to know that his journey would not end in Jerusalem.

In times of extreme anxiety, when we call on the Lord for a response, seeking where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do, we are not asking for everything. But we do need something. We need the next step in his plan.

Lord, God, we trust you not to fail us when we are desperately seeking the next step in your plan.

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his sovereign protective hand

Posted on September 11, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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his sovereign protective hand

Acts 22:23-29 (JDV)

Acts 22:23 As they were yelling and flinging aside their garments and throwing dust into the air,
Acts 22:24 the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks, directing that he be interrogated with the scourge to discover the reason they were shouting against him like this.
Acts 22:25 As they stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing by, “Is it legal for you to scourge a man who is a Roman citizen and is uncondemned?”
Acts 22:26 When the centurion heard this, he went and reported to the commander, saying, “What are you going to do? You see, this man is a Roman citizen.”
Acts 22:27 The commander came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes,” he said.
Acts 22:28 The commander reacted, “I bought this citizenship for a large amount of money.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul said.
Acts 22:29 So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately. The commander too was alarmed when he realized Paul was a Roman citizen and he had tied him up.

his sovereign protective hand

Sometimes a person arrested by Roman soldiers did not survive their so-called interrogation. Often the person being beaten for examination would confess just so the beating would stop. In was a very efficient means of forcing an admission of guilt. But Paul knew the one thing that would prevent this routine abuse of power. He knew that he was born a citizen of Rome. That one fact was not something Paul had any control over, but it was a way that God protected him for his mission. Even now, in chains, surrounded by hostile soldiers, Paul knew God’s protection.

Lord, thank you for your sovereign protective hand.

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the lost in other lands

Posted on September 10, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

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the lost in other lands

Acts 21:37-22:22 (JDV)

Acts 21:37 As he was about to be brought into the barracks, Paul said to the commander, “Am I allowed to say something to you?” He replied, “You know how to speak Greek?
Acts 21:38 Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt some time ago and led four thousand men of the Assassins into the unpopulated region?”
Acts 21:39 Paul said, “I am a Jewish man from Tarsus of Cilicia, not a citizen of an insignificant city. Now I beg you, let me speak to the people.”
Acts 21:40 After he had given permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned with his hand to the people. When there was a great hush, he addressed them in the Hebrew dialect:
Acts 22:1 “Men — brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense before you.”
Acts 22:2 When they heard that he was addressing them in the Hebrew dialect, they became even quieter.
Acts 22:3 He continued, “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia but brought up in this city, disciplined at the feet of Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors. I was zealous for God, just as all of you are today.
Acts 22:4 I chased this Way to the death, arresting and putting both men and women in jail,
Acts 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. After I received letters from them to the brothers, I traveled to Damascus to bring those who were there tied up to Jerusalem to be punished.
Acts 22:6 “As I was traveling and approaching Damascus, about noon an intense light from the sky suddenly flashed around me.
Acts 22:7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you chasing me?’
Acts 22:8 “I reacted, ‘Who are you, Lord? ‘ “He said to me, ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, the one you are chasing.’
Acts 22:9 Now those who were with me saw the light, but they did not hear the voice of the one who was speaking to me.
Acts 22:10 “I said, ‘What should I do, Lord? ‘ “The Lord told me, ‘Get up and go into Damascus, and there you will be told everything that you have been assigned to do.’
Acts 22:11 “Since I couldn’t see because of the brightness of the light, I was led by the hand by those who were with me, and went into Damascus.
Acts 22:12 Someone named Ananias, a devout man according to the law, who was testified about by all the Jewish residents there,
Acts 22:13 came and stood by me and said, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight.’ And in that very hour I looked up and saw him.
Acts 22:14 And he said, ‘The God of our ancestors has appointed you to know his desire, to see the Righteous One, and to hear the words from his mouth,
Acts 22:15 since you will be a testifier for him to all people of what you have seen and heard.
Acts 22:16 And now, why are you delaying? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your failures, calling on his name.’
Acts 22:17 “After I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a condition of ecstasy
Acts 22:18 and saw him telling me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, in view of the fact that they will not accept your testimony about me.’
Acts 22:19 “But I said, ‘Lord, they know that in synagogue after synagogue I had those who believed in you imprisoned and beaten.
Acts 22:20 And when the blood of your testifier Stephen was being shed, I stood there giving approval and keeping the clothes of those who took him out.’
Acts 22:21 “He said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'”
Acts 22:22 They listened to him up to this point. Then they lifted up their voice, shouting, “Wipe this man off the face of the land! He should not be allowed to live!”

the lost in other lands

The commander of the Roman soldiers was willing to protect Paul, even though he thought Paul had been a violent criminal. But the Jewish mob thought nothing of Paul’s past as a persecutor. What incensed them was his claim to have been sent by God to bring salvation to Gentiles. Their theology kept them from even considering what God might be doing through this missionary. They believed that God loved Israel, and that fact kept them from seeing that God loved others as well.

There are some things God wants to do through those he is calling today. We who claim to be his need to put our personal plans and petty ambitions aside and go, or send and support those God wants to reach. We need to take a close look at our attitudes about the lost in other lands.

Lord, forgive us for ignoring your love for those in other lands.

Posted in ambition, commitment, missions | Tagged | 1 Comment

crucial

Posted on September 9, 2020 by Jefferson Vann

brown wooden cross

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crucial

Acts 21:26-36 (JDV)

Acts 21:26 So the next day, Paul took the men, having purified himself along with them, and entered the temple, announcing the completion of the purification days when the offering would be made for each of them.
Acts 21:27 When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw him in the temple, put the whole crowd in uproar, and forced hands on him,
Acts 21:28 shouting, “Fellow Israelites, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this place. What’s more, he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this sacred place.”
Acts 21:29 For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him, and they figured that Paul had brought him into the temple.
Acts 21:30 The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul, dragged him out of the temple, and at once the gates were shut.
Acts 21:31 As they were trying to kill him, word went up to the commander of the regiment that all Jerusalem was in uproar.
Acts 21:32 Taking along soldiers and centurions, he immediately ran down to them. Seeing the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.
Acts 21:33 Then the commander approached, took him into custody, and ordered him to be tied up with two chains. He asked who he was and what he had done.
Acts 21:34 Some in the crowd were shouting one thing and some another. Since he was not able to get reliable information because of the uproar, he ordered him to be taken into the barracks.
Acts 21:35 When Paul got to the steps, he had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the crowd,
Acts 21:36 because the mass of people followed, yelling, “Lift him up!”

crucial

How did Paul go from being the darling of his people — a Hebrew of Hebrews — to being public enemy number 1, a target of violence and hatred? It was a simple choice. He found that Jesus is the Messiah and so he chose to serve him and announce his gospel. The gospel was the reason that Paul’s life was in danger that day. The cultural clash that led to such hatred centered around a gospel fact, not a misunderstanding. That cultural fact is that you do not have to be Jewish or do any of the Jewish things in order to be forgiven by God through Christ.

That fact is crucial. The word crucial comes from the word cross. It is fitting because the crucial cultural fact that Paul declared had everything to do with the sufficiency of the death of Christ on the cross for the deliverance of all sinners.

No one is ever asked to renounce their culture in order to become Christian. Paul was still a Jew, and he was no real threat to those Jews that day. But for those who insisted that following the Jewish law and worshiping in the Jewish temple was the way to reach God, Paul’s message was clear: Jesus is the Way.

Lord, thank you for the one way you provided for all in Christ.

Posted in ethnic Israel, Gentiles, gospel, Jesus Christ, the cross | Tagged | 1 Comment