Proverbs 20:22: "Do not say, 'I'll pay you back for this wrong!' Wait for the Lord, and he will deliver you."
Our tendency when we are wronged by others is to return the favor to them. If we perceive that someone has treated us unfairly, we want them to experience the same pain and embarrassment that we ourselves have had to endure from them. We might even allow a spirit of bitterness to feast upon our soul to the point that we would wish evil for them. If we look deeply enough, we may find the reprehensible bitterness and resentment of our hearts towards those who have hurt us.
No matter what has been done to us, we must remember that God is the ultimate Vindicator. He is the one who will bring deliverance to us for the wrongs perpetrated against us. Rather than harboring resentment and hatred for those who hurt us, we need to pray for them, "so that (we) may be sons of God the Father in Heaven" (Matthew 5:44). Our prayers should be saturated with pleadings of supernatural involvement in our lives and the lives of those who have hurt us, for we know that God desires all of us to experience the power of healing and deliverance that comes through intimacy with Him.
What I am not saying is that we are to condone the evil behavior perpetrated against us; in fact, we may need to distance ourselves from those who would continue to abuse their relationship with us . . . and unfortunately this "distancing" may have to be long term or even permanent. Still, we are able to pray for them, asking the Lord to bring deliverance.
The hope that we have through the power of the Holy Spirit is the ability to overcome any painful experience that we have incurred from others; and in turn we are able to transform that pain not only into triumph in our own lives, but opportunity of ministry to others as well.
Be encouraged through God's Word, for it tells us that if we wait on the Lord, He will deliver us from the painful encounters of life.
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Wickedness Burns Like Fire
Isaiah 9:18: "Surely wickedness burns like a fire; it consumes briers and thorns, it sets the forest thickets ablaze, so that it rolls upward in a column of smoke."
The imagery of a wildfire is an effective analogy presented by Scripture to help us appreciate the severity of impact that a rebellious, wicked spirit can have in our lives. Many of us have had the opportunity of seeing on television a breaking newscast of an uncontained fire, racing across an arid landscape. Hopeless are the faces of the people who live in the path of the blaze, wanting to find protection for their property from the approaching inferno, but being helpless to stop its advances.
I think that we can learn several things through the Scriptural analogy of wickedness and fire:
First, we can see that the fire "consumes briers and thorns . . . (setting) the forest thickets ablaze." One thing that a fire needs is fuel to burn; it feeds on any dry vegetation in its path in order to spread itself as far as it can. When combustible materials are absent, the fire loses its ability to endure and eventually burns itself out. We must remember that God calls us to live lives of obedience and submission to Him. Therefore, what we must do is remove anything in our midst that could be used as a fuel source for wickedness. That source may be an enticing temptation; a negative disposition toward the Lord, others, and/or our circumstances; or it may be a general lack of faith in God and His promises. Nonetheless, we must remove those ingredients that would fuel the flames of wickedness in our lives.
Also, we can observe that a fire "consumes" everything in its path. It is overwhelming for those called to assess the utter destruction of a fire after the blaze has passed through an area; nothing is left but the charred remains of those things that once were beautiful and precious. We can see a similar impact of a rebellious spirit, for such a spirit scorches all persons and opportunities that are in its path. The losses can be quite severe: lost marriages, neglected children, abused friends, lost dreams, loss of God's blessing, painful consequences, et al.
We can see in Isaiah 9 that the wickedness of the Israelites brought such a level of calamity upon their people, that they would not soon recover from the devastation. These Israelites would see the invasion of their land by their ruthless enemies (9:11); they would see the death of many of their people (9:17); and they would be deprived of many of the necessities of life (9:20). God chose to remove His Divine blessing from His people because they forsook their allegiance to Him as their Lord and Savior. Their wickedness ultimately burned up the blessings of the Lord.
God's Word is very intentional at teaching us of the perils of a disobedient spirit against the One True God. Now that we know the utter destruction that comes from such a disposition, we would do well to avoid such a path of wickedness and rather surrender our wills to the One who loves us beyond our comprehension and desires to shower us with the rains of His blessing . . . It is the Lord who provides us with protection from the destruction of wickedness, and it is the Lord who can take our scorched lives and restore them again to the beauty they once were .
The imagery of a wildfire is an effective analogy presented by Scripture to help us appreciate the severity of impact that a rebellious, wicked spirit can have in our lives. Many of us have had the opportunity of seeing on television a breaking newscast of an uncontained fire, racing across an arid landscape. Hopeless are the faces of the people who live in the path of the blaze, wanting to find protection for their property from the approaching inferno, but being helpless to stop its advances.
I think that we can learn several things through the Scriptural analogy of wickedness and fire:
First, we can see that the fire "consumes briers and thorns . . . (setting) the forest thickets ablaze." One thing that a fire needs is fuel to burn; it feeds on any dry vegetation in its path in order to spread itself as far as it can. When combustible materials are absent, the fire loses its ability to endure and eventually burns itself out. We must remember that God calls us to live lives of obedience and submission to Him. Therefore, what we must do is remove anything in our midst that could be used as a fuel source for wickedness. That source may be an enticing temptation; a negative disposition toward the Lord, others, and/or our circumstances; or it may be a general lack of faith in God and His promises. Nonetheless, we must remove those ingredients that would fuel the flames of wickedness in our lives.
Also, we can observe that a fire "consumes" everything in its path. It is overwhelming for those called to assess the utter destruction of a fire after the blaze has passed through an area; nothing is left but the charred remains of those things that once were beautiful and precious. We can see a similar impact of a rebellious spirit, for such a spirit scorches all persons and opportunities that are in its path. The losses can be quite severe: lost marriages, neglected children, abused friends, lost dreams, loss of God's blessing, painful consequences, et al.
We can see in Isaiah 9 that the wickedness of the Israelites brought such a level of calamity upon their people, that they would not soon recover from the devastation. These Israelites would see the invasion of their land by their ruthless enemies (9:11); they would see the death of many of their people (9:17); and they would be deprived of many of the necessities of life (9:20). God chose to remove His Divine blessing from His people because they forsook their allegiance to Him as their Lord and Savior. Their wickedness ultimately burned up the blessings of the Lord.
God's Word is very intentional at teaching us of the perils of a disobedient spirit against the One True God. Now that we know the utter destruction that comes from such a disposition, we would do well to avoid such a path of wickedness and rather surrender our wills to the One who loves us beyond our comprehension and desires to shower us with the rains of His blessing . . . It is the Lord who provides us with protection from the destruction of wickedness, and it is the Lord who can take our scorched lives and restore them again to the beauty they once were .
Sunday, August 10, 2008
To Whom Are You Listening?
Isaiah 8:11-13: "The Lord spoke to me (Isaiah) with his strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said: 'Do not call conspiracy everything that these people call conspiracy; do not fear what they fear, and do not dread it. The LORD Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, he is the one you are to fear, he is the one you are to dread.'"
Isaiah lived during an era that saw God's chosen people (i.e. the Israelites) living lives of utter rebellion against the Lord. In fact, God refers to these people as a "sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption" (Isaiah 1:4). Although they were great at practicing a formality of religion (1:11-13), their immoral, rebellious disposition toward the Lord's commands revealed their true hearts of disdain for the One True God. God recognized that their arrogant consumption with themselves was the systemic problem that caused their legitimizing any behavior that satisfied their wanton lusts, and all spheres of their lives were conformed to this self-idolizing philosophy. The ultimate tragedy came when the people began to flaunt openly their rebellion; these Israelites began to "parade their sin like Sodom . . ." calling their evil practices 'good' as they prided themselves in their "vast" wisdom (3:9; 5:20-21).
Although these Israelites believed that their strategies would prevail, the Lord told Isaiah that their pursuits would be thwarted. In the end, the Lord would bring judgment upon these people for their irreverence for the Lord and His Law. For this reason, God warned the prophet not to fall prey to the popular wicked disposition of the Israelites. Of course as Isaiah began to decry the evil perpetrated by the Israelites, he became a rather unpopular figure. History records that Isaiah would be executed by King Manasseh for his prophecies against God's chosen people.
Isaiah lived during an era that saw God's chosen people (i.e. the Israelites) living lives of utter rebellion against the Lord. In fact, God refers to these people as a "sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evildoers, children given to corruption" (Isaiah 1:4). Although they were great at practicing a formality of religion (1:11-13), their immoral, rebellious disposition toward the Lord's commands revealed their true hearts of disdain for the One True God. God recognized that their arrogant consumption with themselves was the systemic problem that caused their legitimizing any behavior that satisfied their wanton lusts, and all spheres of their lives were conformed to this self-idolizing philosophy. The ultimate tragedy came when the people began to flaunt openly their rebellion; these Israelites began to "parade their sin like Sodom . . ." calling their evil practices 'good' as they prided themselves in their "vast" wisdom (3:9; 5:20-21).
Although these Israelites believed that their strategies would prevail, the Lord told Isaiah that their pursuits would be thwarted. In the end, the Lord would bring judgment upon these people for their irreverence for the Lord and His Law. For this reason, God warned the prophet not to fall prey to the popular wicked disposition of the Israelites. Of course as Isaiah began to decry the evil perpetrated by the Israelites, he became a rather unpopular figure. History records that Isaiah would be executed by King Manasseh for his prophecies against God's chosen people.
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see the similarities of our culture today with the immoral practices of the Israelites 2700 years ago. We see in our nation, people who propagate attitudes and behaviors that clearly are in defiance to God's Will as recorded in Scripture. And what is tragic is the way in which our culture flagrantly promotes its antinomian behavior . . . even calling it "good." God will not be mocked by such tyranny; He will bring the sin of mankind to account.
We must follow a similar path as the prophet Isaiah, by resisting any temptation to follow the sinful ways of the unrighteous. We must yield ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ and follow His commands. To do so will be counter-cultural; still, we are not to fear what mankind might do to us. We are to revere the Lord alone . . . for He is Holy!
Thursday, August 7, 2008
When God Calls, He Provides
Acts 23:11: "The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, 'Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.'"
It is amazing to see God's hand upon the Apostle Paul as he served the Lord by sharing the Gospel throughout the Roman world. At the time of the citation above, Paul had completed two very difficult but successful missionary journeys. Despite the personal afflictions that Paul endured, the Holy Spirit used the apostle to draw many people into a personal relationship with Him.
In Acts 23, Paul found himself before the religious leaders of Jerusalem, who desired no less than Paul's execution; in fact, many Jews had "formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul" (23:12). They despised Paul for he was propagating what they believed to be the heresy of the Nazarene, Jesus Christ (24:5).
In the midst of these dismal circumstances, Paul remained focused on His calling from the Lord, to teach the Good News of Jesus Christ to all whom God sent to him. Just before the conspiracy plot to assassinate Paul in Jerusalem, the apostle had received a word of encouragement from the Lord, who told Paul that he would go to Rome to testify about God's grace through Jesus Christ. What is fascinating is the way in which the Lord protected Paul and opened the door of opportunity to share the gospel with the most influential people in Palestine before being sent to Rome.
As the 40 men who had taken the oath (abstaining from food or drink until killing Paul) prepared to ambush Paul in Jerusalem, God placed Paul's nephew in the crowd at the right place and time to overhear their plot. The nephew was able to get to Paul, who was being held by the Romans in their military barracks for personal protection before trial. Paul sent his nephew to the Roman commander to warn of the plot, and the commander decided that the situation was too grave to keep Paul in the city. Thus, the Roman military leader devised a quick escape for the apostle. Under the protection of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, the commander sent Paul out to Caesarea to be dealt with by the Procurator of Judea, Felix.
Felix was intrigued by the apostle and sent for him to hear of the Way of salvation to which Paul referred. Two years passed as Paul continued to teach righteousness, self-control, and God's eternal judgement to come. Eventually Felix was replaced by Festus by the directive of the Emperor Nero (AD 60). Just after three days after he arrived in the province, Festus went to Jerusalem and spent about a week and a half with the Jewish religious leaders, that he might learn of the disposition of the land to which he was called to govern. These religious leaders in turn pleaded with the new procurator to send Paul to Jerusalem, presumably to bring him to trial; however, they had not forgotten their clandestine plan to ambush him along the way and kill him. Festus refused their request; instead, he offered these leaders an invitation to join him on the trip back to Caesarea to bring their charges against the apostle. Although the Jewish leaders wanted Paul in Jerusalem, they nonetheless agreed to travel to Caesarea and present their charges. During the preliminary hearings in Caesarea, Festus, wanting to find the favor of the Jews, offered to Paul the opportunity to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before the procurator; however, Paul was aware of the intent of the Jews and also knew that God still had work for him to do in Rome. Therefore, Paul (a Roman citizen) appealed to Caesar. This was a proverbial "curve ball" not expected by the procurator; he conferred with his council as to the matter before releasing the prisoner to the court in Rome. Still, before Paul boarded the ship bound for Rome, he was given the opportunity to share the Good News of the grace of God to both King Agrippa and Festus.
In this rather descriptive account of Paul's final trip to Palestine, we again find that the Lord was resolved to protect Paul from the multitudinous threats so that he could speak in Rome. This is a good word for us, for we can trust that when God calls us to a task, He will be faithful to sustain us through difficult circumstances to fulfill the calling He has given to us.
It is amazing to see God's hand upon the Apostle Paul as he served the Lord by sharing the Gospel throughout the Roman world. At the time of the citation above, Paul had completed two very difficult but successful missionary journeys. Despite the personal afflictions that Paul endured, the Holy Spirit used the apostle to draw many people into a personal relationship with Him.
In Acts 23, Paul found himself before the religious leaders of Jerusalem, who desired no less than Paul's execution; in fact, many Jews had "formed a conspiracy and bound themselves with an oath not to eat or drink until they had killed Paul" (23:12). They despised Paul for he was propagating what they believed to be the heresy of the Nazarene, Jesus Christ (24:5).
In the midst of these dismal circumstances, Paul remained focused on His calling from the Lord, to teach the Good News of Jesus Christ to all whom God sent to him. Just before the conspiracy plot to assassinate Paul in Jerusalem, the apostle had received a word of encouragement from the Lord, who told Paul that he would go to Rome to testify about God's grace through Jesus Christ. What is fascinating is the way in which the Lord protected Paul and opened the door of opportunity to share the gospel with the most influential people in Palestine before being sent to Rome.
As the 40 men who had taken the oath (abstaining from food or drink until killing Paul) prepared to ambush Paul in Jerusalem, God placed Paul's nephew in the crowd at the right place and time to overhear their plot. The nephew was able to get to Paul, who was being held by the Romans in their military barracks for personal protection before trial. Paul sent his nephew to the Roman commander to warn of the plot, and the commander decided that the situation was too grave to keep Paul in the city. Thus, the Roman military leader devised a quick escape for the apostle. Under the protection of two hundred soldiers, seventy horsemen, and two hundred spearmen, the commander sent Paul out to Caesarea to be dealt with by the Procurator of Judea, Felix.
Felix was intrigued by the apostle and sent for him to hear of the Way of salvation to which Paul referred. Two years passed as Paul continued to teach righteousness, self-control, and God's eternal judgement to come. Eventually Felix was replaced by Festus by the directive of the Emperor Nero (AD 60). Just after three days after he arrived in the province, Festus went to Jerusalem and spent about a week and a half with the Jewish religious leaders, that he might learn of the disposition of the land to which he was called to govern. These religious leaders in turn pleaded with the new procurator to send Paul to Jerusalem, presumably to bring him to trial; however, they had not forgotten their clandestine plan to ambush him along the way and kill him. Festus refused their request; instead, he offered these leaders an invitation to join him on the trip back to Caesarea to bring their charges against the apostle. Although the Jewish leaders wanted Paul in Jerusalem, they nonetheless agreed to travel to Caesarea and present their charges. During the preliminary hearings in Caesarea, Festus, wanting to find the favor of the Jews, offered to Paul the opportunity to go to Jerusalem and stand trial before the procurator; however, Paul was aware of the intent of the Jews and also knew that God still had work for him to do in Rome. Therefore, Paul (a Roman citizen) appealed to Caesar. This was a proverbial "curve ball" not expected by the procurator; he conferred with his council as to the matter before releasing the prisoner to the court in Rome. Still, before Paul boarded the ship bound for Rome, he was given the opportunity to share the Good News of the grace of God to both King Agrippa and Festus.
In this rather descriptive account of Paul's final trip to Palestine, we again find that the Lord was resolved to protect Paul from the multitudinous threats so that he could speak in Rome. This is a good word for us, for we can trust that when God calls us to a task, He will be faithful to sustain us through difficult circumstances to fulfill the calling He has given to us.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Obedience May Involve Hardship
Acts 20:22-24: (Paul said) "And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace."
As Paul was concluding his third missionary journey, he was called by the Holy Spirit to return to Jerusalem to report to the church there what "God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry" (Acts 21:19). As the Holy Spirit gave these instructions to Paul, He also warned the apostle that hardships were awaiting him in the future. Paul had already been through so much personally on account of his propagating the gospel throughout the Mediterranean region . . . he had been imprisoned and beaten with rods in Philippi, he was stoned in Lystra, and he was threatened with bodily harm (even murder) by angry mobs in about every town he entered: (Damascus [Acts 9:23]; Jerusalem [Acts 9:29]; Pisidian Antioch [Acts 13:50]; Iconium [Acts 14:2,5]; Thessalonica [Acts 16:5f]; Berea [Acts 17:13]; Corinth [Acts 18:12]; and Ephesus [Acts 19:23f].
One could understand if Paul in the flesh would have told the Holy Spirit, "Look God, I've been through so much already for the sake of the gospel. Couldn't you propagate the Good News to the world in a way that would be less costly for me? In fact, I think I'm about ready to retire from ministry . . . . I've paid my spiritual dues to You and now I'm ready to live out the rest of my life quietly and peacefully."
Instead, we see that Paul was not encumbered in His determination to follow the will of God, no matter what it would cost him. Paul said, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." For Paul, the grace of God was too glorious for Him to quit now; he was more desirous of finishing the "race" given to him by the Lord, no matter what it would cost him personally.
When Paul and his companions reached Caesarea (not far from Jerusalem), a prophet named Agabus prophesied rather demonstratively that Paul would be bound by the Jews and given over to the Gentiles for prosecution. Paul's cohorts attempted to dissuade the apostle from going to Jerusalem; but Paul in his confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ exclaimed, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Paul continued with unabashed resolve to press on in his calling from the Holy Spirit, and as prophesied, he would in a matter of weeks be arrested in Jerusalem. As the "whole city was aroused" with Paul's arrival, angry rioters seized him and beat him mercilessly with the intention of killing him (Acts 21:31-32). He was only rescued by Roman troops who were alerted by the Jewish commotion and intervened to stop the escalating riotous behavior in the streets. This scene was only the beginning of a plurality of painful trials that Paul would experience; still ahead were imprisonment (Acts 21:33); assault (23:2); murderous threats (23:12); trial (24:2); shipwreck (27:27); and snake bite (28:3). What is so profound is the last verse found in the book of Acts; in testament to Paul's determination to remain steadfast in his calling, we find these words: "Boldly and without hindrance he (Paul) preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ" (28:31).
We must remember that God's calling in our lives may not always lead us down the path of peace and tranquility; in fact, God's calling may involve toil and tribulation. What we must not forget is that God's calling is always best for our lives, no matter what personal cost we may have to endure in fulfilling it. God is glorified when we respond in obedience to His commands, and we will receive His peace to press on in fulfilling the commission that He has given us.
As Paul was concluding his third missionary journey, he was called by the Holy Spirit to return to Jerusalem to report to the church there what "God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry" (Acts 21:19). As the Holy Spirit gave these instructions to Paul, He also warned the apostle that hardships were awaiting him in the future. Paul had already been through so much personally on account of his propagating the gospel throughout the Mediterranean region . . . he had been imprisoned and beaten with rods in Philippi, he was stoned in Lystra, and he was threatened with bodily harm (even murder) by angry mobs in about every town he entered: (Damascus [Acts 9:23]; Jerusalem [Acts 9:29]; Pisidian Antioch [Acts 13:50]; Iconium [Acts 14:2,5]; Thessalonica [Acts 16:5f]; Berea [Acts 17:13]; Corinth [Acts 18:12]; and Ephesus [Acts 19:23f].
One could understand if Paul in the flesh would have told the Holy Spirit, "Look God, I've been through so much already for the sake of the gospel. Couldn't you propagate the Good News to the world in a way that would be less costly for me? In fact, I think I'm about ready to retire from ministry . . . . I've paid my spiritual dues to You and now I'm ready to live out the rest of my life quietly and peacefully."
Instead, we see that Paul was not encumbered in His determination to follow the will of God, no matter what it would cost him. Paul said, "I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." For Paul, the grace of God was too glorious for Him to quit now; he was more desirous of finishing the "race" given to him by the Lord, no matter what it would cost him personally.
When Paul and his companions reached Caesarea (not far from Jerusalem), a prophet named Agabus prophesied rather demonstratively that Paul would be bound by the Jews and given over to the Gentiles for prosecution. Paul's cohorts attempted to dissuade the apostle from going to Jerusalem; but Paul in his confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ exclaimed, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
Paul continued with unabashed resolve to press on in his calling from the Holy Spirit, and as prophesied, he would in a matter of weeks be arrested in Jerusalem. As the "whole city was aroused" with Paul's arrival, angry rioters seized him and beat him mercilessly with the intention of killing him (Acts 21:31-32). He was only rescued by Roman troops who were alerted by the Jewish commotion and intervened to stop the escalating riotous behavior in the streets. This scene was only the beginning of a plurality of painful trials that Paul would experience; still ahead were imprisonment (Acts 21:33); assault (23:2); murderous threats (23:12); trial (24:2); shipwreck (27:27); and snake bite (28:3). What is so profound is the last verse found in the book of Acts; in testament to Paul's determination to remain steadfast in his calling, we find these words: "Boldly and without hindrance he (Paul) preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ" (28:31).
We must remember that God's calling in our lives may not always lead us down the path of peace and tranquility; in fact, God's calling may involve toil and tribulation. What we must not forget is that God's calling is always best for our lives, no matter what personal cost we may have to endure in fulfilling it. God is glorified when we respond in obedience to His commands, and we will receive His peace to press on in fulfilling the commission that He has given us.
Monday, August 4, 2008
It's All About the Name
Acts 19:17b: "And the name of the Lord Jesus was held in high honor."
There were some incredible events that occurred during the early decades of the early church, as God used men of faith to draw men into intimate fellowship with Him. One such amazing account is found in Acts 19:11-12: "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them." These events occurred while Paul was serving the Lord in Ephesus over a two-year period.
What is important is to know the spiritual disposition of Paul during this period of ministry. By looking at the first book of Corinthians (which Paul likely wrote while in Ephesus), we gain a better understanding of Paul's mindset during his missionary efforts then. One of the first things that one finds in I Corinthians is that Paul was driven by the praise and glory of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not by his own quest for personal accolades from his audiences. In 1 Corinthians 1:2, Paul says that the believer's sanctification comes to those who "call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." He continues by saying that the enrichment of the believer is all because of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 1:5) . . . so that all boasting should be for the Lord (1:31).
Thus, we see that the power made manifest through Paul occurred in his life because he had a reverential appreciation for the power and majesty of God. Paul was not conceited by thinking that the miracles that happened were on account of his superior knowledge or privileged position; rather, Paul knew that the power of God was being accomplished for the glory of God alone.
In contrast, we find that seven sons of Sceva (a Jewish chief priest) attempted to "invoke the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" so that they might impress their audience with their supernatural accomplishments and thus win the applause of men. The Scripture says that as they were attempting to use the Name of Christ to drive an evil spirit from a possessed man, the evil spirit responded to the men saying, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" (Acts 19:15). In an instant, the evil spirit used the possessed man to beat up the seven sons, leaving them bruised, naked, an bleeding.
God used this experience to gain the attention of the Greeks in Ephesus, for many of them were "seized with fear . . . (and) the Name of the Lord was held in high honor" (19:17). Many of these Greeks openly confessed their sins on account of the Name and destroyed their sorcery scrolls totalling about 50,000 days worth of wages . . . an incredible monetary sum. As a result of this mass act of repentance of the people, "the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."
We must remember that the power of God is made manifest so that people might glorify the Lord and respond to His offering of grace with repentance and submission. God will use believers to demonstrate His power to the world; still, we must remember that the power of God is demonstrated for His glory, not our own. And the more that we are focused on glorifying the Lord, the more He is able to demonstrate His power through us so that men might respond to Him in faith.
There were some incredible events that occurred during the early decades of the early church, as God used men of faith to draw men into intimate fellowship with Him. One such amazing account is found in Acts 19:11-12: "God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them." These events occurred while Paul was serving the Lord in Ephesus over a two-year period.
What is important is to know the spiritual disposition of Paul during this period of ministry. By looking at the first book of Corinthians (which Paul likely wrote while in Ephesus), we gain a better understanding of Paul's mindset during his missionary efforts then. One of the first things that one finds in I Corinthians is that Paul was driven by the praise and glory of the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and not by his own quest for personal accolades from his audiences. In 1 Corinthians 1:2, Paul says that the believer's sanctification comes to those who "call on the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ." He continues by saying that the enrichment of the believer is all because of Jesus Christ (I Corinthians 1:5) . . . so that all boasting should be for the Lord (1:31).
Thus, we see that the power made manifest through Paul occurred in his life because he had a reverential appreciation for the power and majesty of God. Paul was not conceited by thinking that the miracles that happened were on account of his superior knowledge or privileged position; rather, Paul knew that the power of God was being accomplished for the glory of God alone.
In contrast, we find that seven sons of Sceva (a Jewish chief priest) attempted to "invoke the name of the Lord Jesus Christ" so that they might impress their audience with their supernatural accomplishments and thus win the applause of men. The Scripture says that as they were attempting to use the Name of Christ to drive an evil spirit from a possessed man, the evil spirit responded to the men saying, "Jesus I know, and I know about Paul, but who are you?" (Acts 19:15). In an instant, the evil spirit used the possessed man to beat up the seven sons, leaving them bruised, naked, an bleeding.
God used this experience to gain the attention of the Greeks in Ephesus, for many of them were "seized with fear . . . (and) the Name of the Lord was held in high honor" (19:17). Many of these Greeks openly confessed their sins on account of the Name and destroyed their sorcery scrolls totalling about 50,000 days worth of wages . . . an incredible monetary sum. As a result of this mass act of repentance of the people, "the Word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power."
We must remember that the power of God is made manifest so that people might glorify the Lord and respond to His offering of grace with repentance and submission. God will use believers to demonstrate His power to the world; still, we must remember that the power of God is demonstrated for His glory, not our own. And the more that we are focused on glorifying the Lord, the more He is able to demonstrate His power through us so that men might respond to Him in faith.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
More Noble Character
Acts 17:11: "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
The Apostle Paul had much resistance to His presentation of the gospel in his first and second missionary journeys. In Acts 17, Paul and Silas had just left the large Greek city of Thessalonica, where certain Jewish people "rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob, and started a riot in the city" (17:5). After they had travelled 50 miles to Berea, Paul and Silas went to the Jewish synagogue where they spoke of the Messiah who had come, died on a cross, and was resurrected to pay the penalty for the sins of those who would surrender to Him as Lord.
Paul was impressed with the Bereans for they were eager to hear this message of hope from the apostle, and they poured over the Scriptures to verify what Paul was telling them. The Scripture continues by saying that "many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men" (17:12). What is fascinating is the description that is given to these hearers of the Word . . . they were considered of "more noble character." Notice that God proclaims in His Word that noble character is recognized in those who earnestly seek the Truth by pouring over the Scriptures and responding with surrender to that Truth.
We know that the proclamation of the Word of Truth leads to the hearing of the Word which for some leads to the belief in the Word and ultimately the "calling on" the One that brings salvation, namely Jesus Christ (see Romans 10:14f). May we all be considered of "more noble character" because we search out the Truth of God by saturating our souls with His Word, the Bible; and may we have pliable hearts that receive the truths that the Holy Spirit imparts to us through our pursuit of Him.
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