Burunche’s Blog

Acts 1: 6 ”So when they came together, they asked Him, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?”7 Jesus replied, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Acts 2:1 “When the day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like a mighty rushing wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 And when this sound rang out, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking his own language.

7 Astounded and amazed, they asked, “Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 How is it then that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome, 11 both Jews and converts to Judaism; Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!”

THE VIEW FROM THE STREET: Everybody knew those crazy Galileans! They kept meeting in that upper room and praying, and then they would go to the temple regularly as well. Nobody knew what had happened to their leader. Somebody told some wild story about the guy rising from the dead and hanging around for forty days and then just floating up into heaven. But hey! Who could believe that kind of stuff? And now it was 9 AM on the morning of the Feast of Pentecost. The Galileans were up in their prayer chamber again, but suddenly Jerusalem was assaulted by high winds. And then those on the street could see blazing fires hovering over the heads of all of the Galileans. But that wasn’t the weirdest part! What was really weird was that all of a sudden, these men who had never spoken any languages apart from their own were crying out in fifty different dialects…and speaking them perfectly! And every word they uttered was in praise of God. No wonder that some of the on – lookers wanted to assume that these men were drunk! But alcohol generally makes you dumber, not smarter. What was going on?

THE VIEW FROM THE UPPER ROOM: When Jesus gave us that promise, just before he ascended into heaven, we were all really excited! But now it had been forty days and nothing was happening! Frankly, I was getting pretty discouraged. Jesus had never made idle promises before. Were we just going to be disappointed? So, when we started the prayer meeting that morning, I was happy to be there and the praise and worship lifted my spirit. But part of me was still wondering if anything was going to change…. and then suddenly, everything changed, and nothing was ever the same again!

As we prayed that morning, suddenly we all felt the room shaking and we heard a loud rushing wind that filled the room with its roaring. Then there was a blinding bright light that filled the room. And when I could open my eyes, I looked over at Peter and Andrew and James and John. There were tongues of flame hovering over their heads; in fact, there were tongues of flame hovering over all of our heads. And when I looked up, I realized that there were tongues of flame hovering over my head as well. But that wasn’t the strangest part.

I was never all that good in languages. I could handle my own Aramean language, and a little trade Latin. But what can you expect from someone who had never traveled farther than the distance between their home village and Jerusalem? But all of a sudden, I found myself speaking fluent Pamphylian! Really, I wasn’t even sure what I was speaking, but these words were flowing out of my mouth and one of the fellows who came up to investigate was getting all kinds of excited! I wasn’t sure what I was saying, but he certainly understood! And it was the same for all of us. There were 120 of us in that room that morning, and each of us was praising God in a different language!

Sounds wild, doesn’t it? And we ask ourselves if this kind of thing really does happen. it does! 90 years ago there was an Assemblies of God missionary in Liberia who found himself surrounded by a group of cannibals. The chief accosted the missionary and asked, “Do you have anything to say before we kill and eat you?” The missionary opened his mouth and suddenly found himself making persuasive arguments in that tribal dialect, a language of which he knew very little. Whatever God said, did the trick; not only was the missionary’s life spared, but the tribe laid down their weapons and accepted Christ.

Today, many of us long to see the power of God working in our lives. God is a good Father and He gives good gifts to His children. God also does not play favorites. This Pentecost Sunday, you can ask for the Holy Spirit to move in a new way and He will. Many times, the Holy Spirit comes gently and not dramatically, but rest assured, there has never been anyone who has asked for the Holy Spirit to come who has been disappointed. And above all else, the mark of the Holy Spirit is a peace that passes understanding.

PRAYER: Father God, this morning we beg you to send your Holy Spirit! Send your power! Send your love! Send your light! Send your truth! And Lord, prepare our hearts so that when the Holy Spirit comes, we will be ready. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 11: 27 “In those days some prophets came down fromJerusalem to Antioch. 28 One of them named Agabus stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a great famine would sweep across the entire Roman world. (This happened under Claudius.) 29 So the disciples, each according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. 30 This they did, sending their gifts to the elders with Barnabas and Saul.”

When the crisis first hit the world, nobody was prepared! People were frightened and didn’t know which way to turn of how to behave. In fact, even Christians were at their wits’ ends! The entire Roman world was rocked!

“What?” you ask. “What do you mean ‘Roman?’” Wait, you thought I was talking about the COVID – 19 pandemic, didn’t you? Guess what? We are not the first generation to face a crisis, nor are we likely to be the last. So let’s look at the response of the early church.

The Christians knew that the famine was coming because one who was a trusted prophet said so. In those days, much of the grain was produced in what is now Libya and in parts of Israel and southern Italy and in some parts of what is now Greece. But if the rains failed in these areas, so did the grain. At the same time, it took days or weeks or even months of arduous travel to get from point A to point B; preparation was extremely important. And preparation is something at which the Christians in Antioch evidently excelled.

We know very little about the poverty level among the Christians of Antioch, but we can assume that most of them were small tradesmen or craftsmen and women eking out a living. There might not have been very many rich people in the Antioch church; however, these believers had two things going for them: they were loving and generous. As soon as Agabus gave the prophecy, the Christians in Antioch began planning and gathering their resources to send to Jerusalem. Why Jerusalem? At that point, Jerusalem was still the headquarters of the early Christian church. News might have reached Antioch that the rains had failed in Israel, leaving the coastal plane dry and barren. Since most of Israel was dry and barren anyway, this meant that things would be very difficult for the church leaders in Jerusalem. Fortunately, Saul and Barnabas were available and ready to travel. Everyone knew Barnabas to be utterly trustworthy. While people were originally quite skeptical about Saul’s conversion, everyone knew Saul to be an honest man. And by this point, Saul and Barnabas had spent an entire year in Antioch, so the believers there had gotten to know both of them extremely well.

In recent months we have witnessed sad examples of people grabbing and hording resources, including toilet paper and disinfectants. Much of this hording was motivated by fear. Why weren’t the Christians in Antioch afraid? After all, if this was a world – wide famine, wouldn’t they be affected as well? We have no answer apart from this: these people fully believed that if they would be generous to others, God would take care of them also. One of the good things about the early Christians was that they had intensively studied the sayings of Jesus that we have preserved in the Gospels. And Jesus had advised his followers “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide yourselves with purses that will not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “(Luke 12:32 – 34)

WHERE IS YOUR TREASURE? In recent months, we have seen jobs, money, and other “trustworthy” things evaporate. There is nothing on earth that cannot either fail or be destroyed or be stolen. If your faith is in anything than the one true living God, one day you will be severely disappointed. The early Christians in Antioch knew this principal well; they were not sharing out of abundance but rather out of faith. Each of us has a choice to make every day: will we act out of faith or out of fear? If you have no basis for faith, you are only left with your fears.

God told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 33:27 – 28 “The eternal God is your dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms. So Israel dwells securely; the fountain of Jacob lives untroubled in a land of grain and new wine, where even the heavens drip with dew.” Today you have a choice: Trust God and live in faith OR refuse to trust God and live in fear. The choice is yours. What will it be?

PRAYER: Father God, please help us to live in faith and to trust you always and forever. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 11:19 “Meanwhile, those scattered by the persecution that began with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message only to Jews. 20 But some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks as well, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.

21 The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. 22 When news of this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to abide in the Lord with all their hearts. 24 Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord. 25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. So for a full year they met together with the church and taught large numbers of people. The disciples were first called Christians at Antioch.”

Years ago, when we lived in New Orleans, we had a pastor friend who was incredible! Our friend, A.P., was a go – to guy when things went sour at a congregation. You could almost hear the commercial: “Has your pastor run off with the church pianist? Did they take all the money in the church treasury? Is your church on the verge of a church split? NO PROBLEM!!! Send for Pastor A. P.! We guarantee that within 6 months, your church funds will be replenished, your church will be peaceful, and nobody will care about your old pastor and the pianist anymore!” No joke! The man really was that good.

Barnabas, a.k.a. “Son of Comfort,” “Son of Encouragement” was that kind of go – to guy. Even though Peter had ministered to the Roman household of Cornelius in Caesarea, most of the Jewish believers had yet to get the memo that Jesus died for ALL mankind and not just for the Jews. And now there were Christians witnessing to Greeks, but what to do? This situation called for someone with an in – depth education, someone who could not only speak fluent Greek but who was thoroughly grounded in the Greek religion and philosophy. Enter Barnabas.

Barnabas was sent to Antioch to assess the situation. And true to his nickname, Barnabas immediately began rejoicing and encouraging these new believers. But Barnabas was humble enough and wise enough to realize that the situation demanded someone with a deeper background than he possessed. That’s when Barnabas went all the way to Tarsus, probably by foot, and got Saul to come back with him to Antioch.

Proverbs 24:6 says “Only with sound guidance should you wage war, and victory lies in a multitude of counselors.” Sometimes we are tempted to force our way into or through situations without taking adequate counsel. But humility is an excellent virtue. It’s always wise to realize that others might know about something than you do and to take counsel from a number of different sources, including people who will tell the truth at the expense of egos. The next time you are tempted to have a one – man consultation, remember Barnabas. By all accounts, Barnabas was an astute cosmopolitan businessman, who probably spoke several different languages fluently. If someone of that stature was humble enough to seek out someone he knew could do a job better, what is stopping you from doing the same?

PRAYER: Father God, this morning we thank you for the sterling example of Barnabas! It takes a great man to recognize his deficiencies. Lord, please help us to realize that none of us is complete within himself or herself. Help us to humble ourselves as did Barnabas, so that your kingdom may fully come and your will be fully done in the earth. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Acts 9:26 When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple. 27 Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.”

Well, Saul made it out of Damascus by escaping at night and he found his way to Jerusalem. But the Christians in Jerusalem were terrified! What was going on with this man? Had Saul really had a dramatic conversion experience, or was he merely trying to infiltrate the Christian group so that he could round up everybody and haul them off to prison? While many people doubted Saul’s sincerity, nobody doubted his intelligence. Saul had been one of Gamaliel’s star students; if you weren’t brilliant, Gamaliel would gently suggest you go study under someone else. What were the Christians to do? That’s when Barnabas stepped in to help.

Remember Barnabas? “Barnabas” was a nickname meaning “son of comfort” or “son of encouragement.” Barnabas’ actual name was Joseph and he was a Jewish believer from Cyprus. It was Barnabas who sold a piece of land and donated the entire amount to the disciples, an act that gave Ananias and his wife Sapphira the idea of selling some land without actually donating the full price. Throughout the Book of Acts we are going to see Barnabas quietly helping, encouraging, and healing situations.

Everybody knew that Barnabas was the “real deal,” that he was completely honest and had no hidden agendas. When Barnabas brought Saul to the church leaders, he described at great length what God had done to Saul on the road to Damascus, how he had been converted, and how Saul had then spoken out so boldly that the Jews in Damascus were ready to kill him. Barnabas probably described Saul’s narrow escape at night in vived details, leaving the disciples with no doubts that Saul had radically changed and that they could trust him. Later, it might have been Barnabas who helped get Saul to Caesarea on the coast and put him on a ship back to Tarsus while things cooled off in Jerusalem.

While the main focus in this passage has generally been on Saul, let’s look at Barnabas. Barnabas was from Cyprus, while Saul was from Tarsus – two geographically distinct places. Previously Barnabas had only known Saul by reputation, and that reputation was not a good one! But Barnabas was a man of great love and of great faith. Barnabas did not write anything that has been preserved. We have no idea where Barnabas was buried. Much of Barnabas’ life is shrouded in mystery. But this one thing we do know: Barnabas was the one who realized that Saul’s conversion was real and who paved the way for Saul to be accepted by the disciples in Jerusalem. Without that acceptance, who knows how stunted Saul’s ministry might have been?

Today you may feel that your contributions to your workplace or to your church are quite insignificant. Others get all the attention while you work in the background. But we know very few of the names of the early Christians; meanwhile, many of us know about Barnabas. God does not see as a man sees. God knows the intentions of the heart, and Barnabas had good loving intentions throughout his lifetime.

Do not become discouraged. Keep being a helper and an encourager. And if you begin to feel tired, just remember Barnabas.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you see our hearts and our intentions. Lord, help us to follow hard after you, not worrying about who gets the credit. Today, may we choose to walk with you and to seek your face, knowing that you are the one who keeps the books. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 9: 20 Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.” 21 All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” 22 But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ. 23 After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him. 25 One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.”

When Saul saw that blinding heavenly light and heard the voice of God on the way to Damascus, his companions only heard the voice. It’s possible that they didn’t even really hear a voice but only heard thunder instead. By the time Saul’s companions had gotten him to Damascus, they had undoubtedly convinced themselves that they had merely witnessed a bad thunder and lightning storm. Sure, they felt sorry for Saul, but they were men on a mission. If Saul was unable to carry out the original plan, there were several others just waiting for the chance to prove themselves to the Sanhedrin.

How did Saul wind up at the house of Judas in the first place? Was it because Judas was a prominent citizen of Damascus? Certainly, Straight Street suggests that Judas lived in the center of town on one of the main thoroughfares. Perhaps Judas was already a secret believer. Perhaps God even ordered Judas to hang around the main gate that day when Saul and his group entered the city. It’s possible that Judas was sitting there with other city leaders when Saul’s companions led him through that gate.

“Saul? Saul of Tarsus? What’s happened to you?” Judas might have seen that Saul was blind and being led by someone else holding a stick for him to hang onto. “Saul, it’s Judas. Can you see at all?”

 “No, Judas. It’s a long story but I was struck blind on my way here.” “

Do you need a place to stay? My house is just down the street here. My friends, why don’t you bring Saul to my house? Then you can carry out your business in town and I will take care of Saul.” And so Saul wound up at Judas’ house.

“Judas, do you have a room where I can just sit and be quiet and pray? Something incredible has happened and I am still trying to deal with it.”

“Certainly, Saul. What do you need?”

“Well, I need to bathe, but for now I don’t want anything to eat or drink. God has done something that has shaken me to the core, and I must seek Him and find out what He wants.”

And so Judas took Saul home with him, and Saul spent the next three days fasting and praying until Ananias came and prayed for him. Once Saul had received his sight, he began reviewing everything he knew about the Messiah. Saul was already a well – known student of Gamaliel, one of the finest Jewish teacher of the time. And when the word went out through the Christian community in Damascus that Saul was no longer an enemy but now a friend and a fellow believer, many came to talk with him. Evidently within a short time, Saul must have built up a small group of believers whom he was teaching, because this passage mentions Saul’s disciples. But Saul believed that he had experienced a divine revelation and that it was now his responsibility to share this experience as widely as possible.

It was no surprise to Saul’s close friends when Saul began making the rounds of all the synagogues in Damascus; after all, Saul was friends with many of the rabbis. And as a visiting scholar, Saul was invited to read the Torah and to speak in many places. But those friendships ended abruptly when Saul began to speak of his Damascus Road experience and proclaim Jesus as the Son of God. Now Saul’s years of study came to the fore and he quoted scripture after scripture, all underscoring the fact that Jesus really was the Messiah. There was not a single Jewish scholar in Damascus who was able to confound Saul. And the religious leaders were livid! This was NOT why they had invited Saul to come to Damascus! So incensed were these leaders that they refused to even entertain the possibility that God had really done everything Saul claimed that had happened. There was no question as to whether or not they were opposing God; they weren’t even thinking about God at all. They were trying to see how they could get rid of Saul as rapidly as possible. There were spies stationed at the city gates; if Saul had made any attempt to leave by that route, he would have been killed. Saul had come to Damascus with a number of other like – minded super – religious Jews, and these guys still had the warrants to arrest all the Christians in Damascus. Now that Saul had become a Christian, he was now their number one target.

When God was speaking to Ananias, God told Ananias that He was going to show Saul how much he would have to suffer.Now God was clearly demonstrating to Saul that nothing was going come easily. But Saul’s new disciples were an ingenious lot. One of the families lived in a house that was built into the city wall well away from the main gate. Under cover of darkness after the city gates were already closed for the night, some of Saul’s friends put him in a large basket and lowered him down on the outside of the wall. It’s likely that other friends had already left the city earlier that day, perhaps with a donkey or two, and these people were able to meet up with Saul and to get him away from Damascus.

Many times we try to do the right thing, only to find that those we thought would applaud are instead ready to attack us viciously. Saul was a very honest man, and he couldn’t help but tell people what God had done; however, the religious leaders were more worried about their orthodoxies and keeping the peace than they were about the truth. We are never told the names of those who helped Saul escape. It’s possible that when this account was first being written by Dr. Luke, there were still people in Damascus who might have carried out reprisals. But God knows the names of the righteous. Today, you might be faced with a difficult decision: do you maintain the status quo or bear witness to the truth, realizing that you might suffer as a result? Be at peace. God knows. God sees. God understands. And God has ways and means of delivering you …. even if someone has to let you down the city wall at midnight in a basket.

PRAYER: Father God, today some of us are facing difficult decisions. We know what we should do, but we fear the consequences. Lord, give us the courage and grace to make the right decisions and to bear witness to the truth. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 9:10” In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.11“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” 13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”

17 So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” 18 At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.”

Ananias was ready to freak out! Surely he must be going crazy! All the Christians in Damascus had heard about Saul coming to arrest them and most of them were already in hiding. A few people had heard some weird story about Saul being struck blind on the way to Damascus, but most of the Christians figured this must be a ruse, a trick to entice the Christians to come out of hiding so that Saul could make a clean sweep and haul all of them off to Jerusalem. No! Nobody was buying the story about bright lights and heavenly voices. And anyway, the men who were accompanying Saul were every bit as bad; if Saul was having health problems, these men could still carry out the arrests.

Ananias had actually sent his family out to the country where they would be safe, and that afternoon he was planning to join them. But Ananias decided to pray before he left town and that’s when he got the shock of his life! As Ananias was praying, God told him to go find Saul and to lay hands on him AND PRAY FOR HIM TO RECEIVE THE HOLY SPIRIT!!! And to make things even more interesting, Paul was lodging with some fellow named Judas on Straight Street, probably one of the major streets in Damascus. So God was asking Ananias to risk going into the main part of Damascus to pray for this man who was a sworn enemy of Christians.

Ananias must have prayed long and hard before he decided that yes, this really was God. Ananias probably asked the Lord, “Are you REALLY SURE about this? You know who Saul is! This man has come into town to haul us all off to Jerusalem for who knows what kind of punishment.” At the point, God probably didn’t say anything. And then Ananias continued, “Oh, all right, Lord! But if I go there and this man or his assistants arrest me, please take care of my family! And if I have to face crucifixion, give me the courage and grace to do so!”

God knew whom to send as a messenger. Ananias only figures in this one story in the New Testament, but it’s really a great story. What makes Ananias such an outstanding believer? He obeyed! What we are NOT told is what Ananias was thinking as he headed for Judas’ house on Straight Street. Was Ananias striding down the street as rapidly as he could to get things over with, or was he walking very slowly and greeting everybody he could on the way in the hope that God would change His mind before Ananias arrived at Judas’ house?

When Ananias reached Judas’ house, he did exactly as God had commanded. It must have cost Ananias a big effort to refer to Saul as “Brother Saul,” but he was obedient. And Saul was miraculously healed! Scales fell from Saul’s eyes and his vision was restored. Saul got up, was baptized, and took the first food and water he had had in three days. And after that, Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

There are many times when God asks us to do something unpleasant, and we react similarly to Ananias. ”Lord, you must be kidding!” But God’s ways are higher than ours. All Saul’s life, God had been preparing him to become the Apostle Paul who would write a great deal of the New Testament and who would become one of the major figures of the early Christian Church. And Saul had spent three days in complete darkness, fasting from both food and water. For Saul, fasting was a natural response; as an observant Pharisee, Saul was used to fasting at set times throughout the year. Why three days? That’s how long it took for Saul to come to the end of himself and to be willing to listen to God instead of his prejudices.

We all should be thankful for Ananias. Had Ananias failed in his mission, Saul might have remained blind for the rest of his life and might never have converted. Many times, important Christian leaders have been brought to a decision by someone very humble who was being obedient. Dwight L. Moody, the famous American evangelist of the late 19^th century, was led to the Lord in the back of a Boston shoe store by his Sunday School teacher. Many remember Moody, but few remember Edward Kimball, who told Moody of God’s love for him.

Today, God may be asking you to do something difficult and you rather wish He would ask someone else. But remember, Ananias was part of a big healing and also part of St. Paul’s ministry…all because he walked over to Judas’ house that afternoon and prayed fo a man named Saul.

PRAYER Father God, thank you for loving us. Thank you, that you allow us to be part of the things you are doing in the world. Lord, help us never to hold back but to follow your leading, knowing that we will be part of something wonderful, even if we don’t see all the results. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

MAY 25, 2020 GOD GETS SAUL’S ATTENTION!

Acts 9:The Road to Damascus (Acts 22:1-21; Acts 26:1-23)

1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out threats and murder against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest 2 to ask for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

3 As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

5“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied. 6“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.

Saul had watched Stephen die and he had been GLAD! That’s the only kind of death a heretic deserved anyway! Having driven the Christians in Jerusalem into hiding or out of town, Saul now wanted to move on to Damascus. This was Saul’s big chance to firm up his reputation as a defender of the faith. But things didn’t work out the way Saul intended.

Suddenly, a heavenly light flashed around Saul and Jesus spoke to him. None of Saul’s companions saw that light, although they did hear the voice. But when Saul picked himself up and tried to open his eyes, all that he saw was darkness. Saul’s companions had to lead him by the hand into Damascus. Saul was shaken to the core! He had been so sure that he was correct! Was it possible that this Jesus really was the Son of God, the Messiah?

Saul was a passionate scholar who had memorized the Torah and the Haftorah as a boy. In addition, Saul had spent years under the tutelage of Gamaliel learning all of the commentaries that the Jews had compiled during their years of exile in Babylon. Now in the darkness, Saul found himself scanning all that he had ever studied, particularly the Messianic prophecies. And what was it that Gamaliel, his teacher in Jerusalem, had said? At one point, Saul had been quizzing Gamaliel when Gamaliel surprised Saul by looking at him with those wise smiling eyes of his. “Saul,” Gamaliel had asked, “what if Jesus really was the Messiah? What if this move really is of God? What would you do if you found out that you were actually opposing God?” And Saul had had no answer. Now in the darkness, Gamaliel’s words found their place in Saul’s heart. If Jesus was not the Messiah, then where had that light come from? Where had that voice come from? And why had Saul been suddenly struck blind?

Finally, after three days of darkness, a light began to shine in Saul’s heart. “No matter what I thought previously,” Saul mused, “I must have been wrong.” And it was just after Saul had reached this conclusion that God sent a believer to minister to Saul.

There are times in our lives when God uses a crisis to get our attention, and frankly, this process is generally not a pleasant one. Had Saul been asked ahead of time if he was willing to be struck blind for three days, he would have probably shouted, “NO!” And yet, God used that temporary blindness to change Saul’s mind and heart.

Today, many of us are facing unpleasant circumstances. The things we thought we could count on have failed us and we don’t know which way to turn. But we can rest assured that God is still on the throne and that He still has control over our lives. Why was Saul blind for three days? We don’t know, but it’s likely that that was the amount of time it took for Saul to have a change of heart. God’s timing is perfect, and as soon as Saul was ready, God sent someone to help lead him into a new life, healing his blindness at the same time. Today, trust that God is working in your life, even in the bad stuff. Keep watching and God will show up when you least expect Him.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you use all kinds of circumstances to reach us. We lift up the problems we are facing and we place them in your hands. Lord, help us to trust you and to look for your divine answers, and thank you in advance for those answers. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

This was Saul’s big chance! Now was his golden opportunity to SQUASH this ridiculous cult before it could possibly threaten the safety of all the Jews in Israel. Signs and wonders? Miracles! Unthinkable! These people must have been faking things somehow. And swearing that their leader Jesus had been raised from the dead??? Anathema! And so Saul went on his way, totally unaware that God was using him for His own purposes.

Today is Ascension Sunday. When Jesus was about to ascend into heaven, he told his disciples, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by His own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be My witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8) Shortly after Jesus ascended, Pentecost came and the Holy Spirit descended on 120 of Jesus’ followers as they were praying together. This should have been the signal for the disciples to start going out from Jerusalem to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth. But the disciples were still meeting together in Jerusalem; none of them had yet ventured out of their comfort zones.

When I was growing up on a Midwestern farm, we used to raise pigs out in the field. Sometimes we would have to move a large number of pigs from one hog pasture to another. We would open a gate widely and then begin driving the pigs toward the open gate hole. We were trying to get the pigs to go to a new field with fresh clover and alfalfa, but the pigs weren’t interested! They were fine in their old pasture, just fine, thank you! and had no interest in moving. At that point, three of us holding long wooden gates would have to begin herding the pigs toward the open gate hole. We would literally have to make a temporary pen with the gates we were holding, moving closer and closer to the gate hole so that the pigs were forced to go through. Amazingly enough, many of those pigs had to be BACKED through the gate hole! Well, this is what God was doing with those early Christians. Jesus had given them a command and they had failed to follow it on their own. Now God was forcing them to flee to the very places they had been avoiding. Ironically, once the Christians reached those new places, wonderful things began to happen. It was only after the persecution stirred up by Saul that Philip went down to Samaria or that Peter went to Joppa. Had the disciples remained in Jerusalem, they would never have seen the miracles God had prepared.

Today there are many churches who are struggling to decide whether or not to open back up for regular services. I feel each congregation needs to pray about that decision and to take all reasonable precautions. But what if God is trying to get Christians OUT of the church buildings and INTO the world? It’s true that the Bible advises us in Hebrews 10:25 not to “forsake the meeting of yourselves together;” but what if God wants more small discipleship groups and fewer big showy programs? What if God has not been impressed with worship bands and slick singing groups but is rather trying to get Christians to worship Him “in spirit and in truth?” One missionary of our acquaintance told me that one of the most impressive worship services she ever attended was one in which the Christians had to WHISPER the words of the hymns for fear of being overheard and reported to the police in that country. When we insist on big programs and Christian superstars, are we really honoring God or merely entertaining ourselves in the name of worship?

The question each of us must answer for ourselves is this: What does God want from me in this particular set of circumstances? Is God trying to get me out of my comfort zone? Am I trying to hang onto the salt shaker while God is trying to get me out???

PRAYER: Father God, this morning, we confess that we want to be comfortable! We want things to go on just the way they have in the past and WE DON’T LIKE CHANGE! But Father, you are the One who has called us to be light and salt. Help us to go out and share the hope that you have given us because of what Jesus has done for us. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 7:51 “You stiff-necked people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit, just as your fathers did. 52 Which of the prophets did your fathers fail to persecute? They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One. And now you are His betrayers and murderers— 53 you who have received the law ordained by angels, yet have not kept it.”

54 On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were enraged, and they gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 At this they covered their ears, cried out in a loud voice, and rushed together at him. 58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 While they were stoning him, Stephen appealed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Falling on his knees, he cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep.”

Greco Jewish believers from the Synagogue of the Freedmen had brought false charges against Stephen and he had been hauled before the Sanhedrin. When the priests asked Stephen if the charges against him were true, Stephen proceeded to give a summary of the history of the Jews, demonstrating why Jesus had to come as the Messiah. Then Stephen turned to his accusers and accused them instead, claiming that those conducting his trial had received the divine law but had refused to keep it.

It was at this point that Stephen’s trial became a mob scene. What is fascinating here is this: if these men were certain that Stephen was wrong, why did they have to cover their ears? What were they afraid of? The answer may lie in the observation that Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. The men accusing Stephen were demonically influenced; the demons within them could not bear to hear any of the words of the Holy Spirit.

The mob dragged Stephen out of the city and found the biggest stones they could to throw at him. But Stephen still had the last word as he prayed for those who were killing him, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.”

Looking on at the back of the crowd was a proud young Jewish scholar named Saul, who was keeping track of the cloaks of those who were throwing the stones. Acts 8:1 says that “Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death.”

Stephen died because he witnessed to the truth that Jesus was the long – awaited Messiah. And although it appeared that Stephen had lost, in reality Stephen won everything. Stephen was faithful to God. Stephen died forgiving his killers. And Stephen left a lasting example for his fellow believers and also for those responsible for his death. And there was one more thing: Stephen left a lasting example for that haughty young Jewish scholar who was so full of religious pride.

To the early Christians, Stephen’s death must have looked like the worst tragedy they could imagine. And this incident sparked a persecution of Christians, the likes of which nobody had seen before. Those Christians were probably asking God, “WHY, LORD?” and yet, God was preparing to do incredibly wonderful things and the central character for much of those great works was to be that haughty Jewish scholar.

Today we may find ourselves in the middle of chaos. Nothing is making sense, and we really wonder if God has abandoned us. But all the time that we are getting worried, God is working out His purposes. Have faith! Hang on! God is still on the throne and He is still in control.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that your purposes are sure and that nobody can stand against you. Lord, help us to trust where we cannot see and to hold on. We thank you for your grace, for your mercy, and for your love. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Acts 6:8 “Now Stephen, who was full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 But resistance arose from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen, including Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and men from the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. They began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.

11 Then they prompted some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God.” 12 So they stirred up the people and elders and scribes. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.

13 They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.” 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.”

Stephen, along with six other Christian men, had been selected by the twelve disciples to handle the food distribution to widows, in effect, to be a glorified waiter. But Stephen literally WAS a glorified waiter because wherever Stephen went, God was demonstrating his power in signs and wonders and healings.

Now in Jerusalem there were a number of different groups of Jews, each group trying to prove that they were more religious and more dedicated than the others. One of these groups was the Synagogue of the Freedmen. Looking at the places from which these men had come, it would seem that some of them might have been slaves who had been given or who had earned their freedom and who had remained in Jerusalem. At any rate, the members of this synagogue would have been considered outsiders and just a little bit lower on the social/religious pecking order than Jews who were born in Israel. Perhaps these men picked an argument with Stephen in hopes that they would be able to carry the day and to portray themselves as defenders of the faith.

Unfortunately, things did not work out the way the Freedmen had anticipated. When these men tried to argue with Stephen, “they could not stand up to his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke.” Failing to win any argument, these men now resorted to hiring false witnesses so that the Sanhedrin became worried and arrested Stephen. (Remember that the Sanhedrin members refused to believe in any after life and also worked closely with the Romans. Members of the Sanhedrin were far more worried about suppressing this upstart cult and maintaining peace than they were about ascertaining the truth.) But when Stephen was brought into the court room, the Holy Spirit was glowing from his face, impressing all who saw him.

There is much more to the story, but let’s look at Stephen a little longer. Jesus warned his disciples in Luke 21:12 “But before all this, they will seize you and persecute you. On account of My name they will deliver you to the synagogues and prisons, and they will bring you before kings and governors. 13 This will be your opportunity to serve as witnesses. 14 So make up your mind not to worry beforehand how to defend yourselves. 15 For I will give you speech and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.” Stephen’s trial is the first recorded case in which these promises were carried out. And God did give Stephen all the right words. The only problem was that those listening to Stephen did not want to hear the truth and rejected what he said.

Facing accusations of any kind is always very difficult and unnerving. Most of us try our best but we worry that we might not be able to say the right things at the right time. We can take comfort in the story of Stephen. We can rest assured that if we are representing the Lord, at the right time He will give us the words we need and the grace to express ourselves appropriately.

Today business owners and church leaders and others find themselves facing stiff opposition from governing bodies in the matter of when to relax the COVID – 19 restrictions. Many times, these people may be called upon to defend their positions. If we pray, God will give us wisdom to make right decisions and the words we need to defend those decisions.

PRAYER: Father God, today we pray for all those who are trying to resume work, re – open businesses and churches, and otherwise resume more normal lives. Please give these people wisdom to make the right decisions and the courage and grace to defend those decisions. In the mighty Name of King Jesus. Amen.