"Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name." Acts 22:16
Paul's testimony to the mob that had been attacking him, and seeking to kill him contains an essential key to the opening up of a life-changing relationship with Jesus. It requires a rapid response to any love-initiated encounter with the Risen Christ.
Early this morning I was awakened by a call that my father, Don Miller was taken, by ambulance to the ER at the Baylor University/All Saints hospital in Ft. Worth, Texas. This has been the scene of many family gatherings over the years. They have become more and more frequent since early August. Dad's chronic condition, congestive heart-failure, triggered by high blood pressure, leads to painful and frightening breathlessness. One day the final call from Heaven will come, and he will gladly answer. For now, the crisis has passed. Thank you for praying.
As I was leaving the hospital this morning, I was taking a picture of Dad to send to my sister Joy. She is in Orlando, and at times like this she feels the separation from her Dad. She is his only daughter, a rose among the three thorns, and she wishes she could be by his side, when the crisis is at its worst.
I asked Dad if I could take a picture, and send it to Joy to let her know he was alright. He recognized me, and could understand what I was saying, but the lines of communication with him were just a little blurry. It had been a rough fight to get his breath back.
I had some prayer with Dad, and then before I took the picture, I asked, "Can you say, Jesus?" His eyes lit up and he said the name that turned his life around, and has made all the difference in his life since he first called upon Jesus to save him. I am attaching the picture.
One day, in Monroe, Louisiana, Dad was seated on the steps of a tar-paper covered barracks at Selmon Field. It was a training base for squadrons being prepared to bomb Germany during World War 2. Dad was a cadet, being trained as a navigator. He would guide the bombers to their correct location, in the face of a relentless enemy.
A young man from Alabama sat down next to Dad. Their conversation turned to the sermon that they had both heard that morning at the First Baptist Church of Monroe. Dr. L.T. Hasting preached a simple salvation message, and it had reached a tender place in both of their hearts.
Though they had never met before that moment in time, as they shared together what they had sensed God saying to them that Sunday morning, they agreed to respond to His voice. They didn't know exactly how to to it, but Dad said to his new friend, "Would you think it would be alright if we just shook hands and agreed to accept what the preacher said is true, and receive Jesus as our Savior?"
The two of them shook hands, and Jesus took over Dad's life, through The Person of the Holy Spirit. From that very moment in time, The Name of Jesus lit a fire in his heart. Dad's life has been a life-long passion of letting The Name of Jesus shine through his life to a dark world.
Thanks Dad! You may have volunteered to be a navigator in one war, but God called you to be a navigator in a spiritual war. Your life still lights the way, as you call on The Name of Jesus, and lead others to do the same. Thank you for responding to Jesus when He called your name, and for continuing to call on The Name of Jesus as a man of prayer. The world is a better place for all the light you have shed into it, by calling on The Name.
For the moment, the crisis has passed and the journey continues. Like Paul's, Dad's plans were interrupted, when he responded to Jesus. They were also improved. Through Paul's turn around, millions have found new life through Jesus. Through Dad's turnaround, thousands have found their way to Jesus.
Dad, you have been a great navigator! You have never stopped, "Calling on His name." v. 16
When Paul got up, he could not have known where he was going, but his dependency upon the voice of God intensified every step he took on the journey with the Risen Christ. This is true of all of us. The joy is rarely found in the destination. The joy is found in the journey.
Absolute availability, consistent companionship, daily dependence, or however it may be expressed are all expressions of the one thing that matters. A living, breathing rapid response relationship with Jesus is birthed in prayer, that is marked by "calling on His name." Persistent prayer breathes new life into the relationship on a moment by moment basis.
Note to self: Jesus has never stopped calling your name. Never stop, "Calling on His name." TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Defense
"Brethren and fathers, hear my defense which I now offer to you." Acts 22:1
After Paul was falsely accused of "hate speech" he was beaten by the mob, and taken into custody by the law. His appeal to the Roman commander granted him a brief opportunity to address those who sought to kill him.
Paul shared his personal testimony. It is a vivid presentation of the way God reaches down to a man full of passion and lost in the dark, and confronts him with the light of Jesus. He didn't leave him the way he found him, or make a mere name change. Jesus not only transformed Saul into Paul, but gave him a life full of meaning and purpose. He only does this...EVERY TIME.
"'Go! For I will send you far away to the Gentiles.'" v. 21b
Paul quoted Jesus. This has a peculiar impact upon those who hate The Son of God, and everything He died for. It drove them crazy. It still does. The lost world is not so much blinded by the Person of Jesus, as they are offended by The Light. They simply prefer the darkness.
Rebellious people know what they are doing is wrong. They have no interest in a debate about right and wrong. They intend to continue doing what is wrong. Their only alternative is to silence those who speak the words of Jesus and carry out His commission. The salt of Scripture and the light of a Christian testimony is an offense to them that cannot be tolerated. It must be annihilated.
Note to self: Phil Robertson is your brother. Stand with him. I know you have never watched his TV show, and the whole thing has seemed a little silly to you, up until now. But this current firestorm is why God placed him in that place of notoriety. Phil is a lightning rod, and God is going to light up a dark nation by letting The Light of Jesus shine through him. This is not an accident. It is a counter-attack. The enemy always overplays his hand. God is moving the troops to the front of the culture war. Move to the sound of the guns.
"They listened to him up to this statement, and then they raised their voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he should not be allowed to live!' And as they were crying out and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air, the commander ordered him to be brought into the barracks that he should be examined by scourging..." v.22-24
Recent reaction to remarks made by Phil Robertson in a "GQ" magazine interview have led to his suspension from his own TV show on the "A & E" TV channel. Opponents had either ignored or tolerated all of the antics and opinions of the extended family on show. Let us say, that Louisiana duck hunters aren't the rage at most liberal media cocktail parties, or the guests of honor at GLAAD award presentations. That was true, until the patriarch of the clan, off camera, began to speak freely about his Christina beliefs regarding homosexuality. He crossed the line by speaking his mind. This freedom is reserved for those on the Left. Those on the right are expected to exercise their right to self-muzzle, not to engage in self-defense.
This kind of Religious Liberty and Freedom of Speech always lights up those who want everything tolerated under the sun, except Christian values. What happened to all that obsessive compulsion the secularists hold so dear, about the right of all Americans to have to have freedom of choice, and access to unlimited freedom? It turns out to be a one way street, and the only way you can access it is to make a "Left" turn. It you move in the wrong direction, they will try to put you into the wall.
Paul simply spoke the very words he had heard from Jesus, and they lit up the listening crowd into a raging mob all over again. He was not going to win this debate. The enemy is never interested in a debate. The purpose of the enemy is to annihilate. The strategy is an ancient one.
Paul was dragged into the barracks and the commander ordered him to be scourged. Paul had been plucked from one form of death, and had it replaced by another. The only difference was a legal technicality. Either way, Paul was a dead man.
Once again, Paul claimed his rights of Roman citizenship, under the law. He may have to take the whipping, but he wasn't going to do it without claiming his rights. Only fools do that, and Paul was no fool.
Christian citizens in this nation, and this time, need to get over the foolish notion that turning the other cheek means suffering in silence while their rights as citizens are being peeled off, one at a time. They should follow Paul's lead, and defend their rights under the law. They need not react in fear, but they need to stand up with courage while they still have ground to stand upon.
"Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" v. 25
This one question had the effect of a red flashing light, and an ear piercing siren. It was more than a warning shot across the bow. It called for an immediate halt to the injustice that was taking place.
Roman Citizenship had its privileges and protections. Any nation that cheapens it citizenship loses its identity. Paul had been born with a passport to freedom, and he didn't intend to give it up without a fight. Christian citizens are saved by grace, but they could learn from Paul's passion for justice under the law.
"When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, saying, 'Take heed what thou doest; for this man is a Roman.' Then the captain came and said unto him, 'Tell me, art thou a Roman? He said, 'Yea.' And the chief captain answered, 'With a great sum obtained I this freedom.' And Paul said, "But I was free born." v. 29 KJV
The soldiers backed away from Paul, and the captain deferred to him. They had mistreated a citizen of Rome, and they would be held accountable for it under the law. Paul would still have to face many trials in the days ahead. By calling for the reinstatement and protection of his rights, he delayed the enemy's plan to destroy one Jew, and set in motion a counter-attack that conveyed God's plan to spread The Gospel to the Gentiles.
The defense of Paul's rights would be a long process that would end in his death. The delay would keep him in prison. Paul's prison letters would be penned and sent where his body could not go. They remain the heart of the Bible, and the final authority on the life of the believer and the mission of the church. It was all made possible by taking a stand, and making a defense of his citizenship, under the law.
Pray for Christian citizens to stand up and engage in the culture war that they have invited to come upon this nation, by failing to stand up for Christian beliefs, and to protect Religious Liberty. Pray that their stand would begin by kneeling before God, and asking Him for forgiveness, and mercy.
Pray that God's response to their prayers will lead to a Great Awakening. Pray for a movement of the Spirit of God that involves a long-term saturation of this nation with His Presence, and a climate changing infusion of Christ's character. Let it begin. Lord, do it again. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Stand
"I am a Jew of Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no insignificant city; and I beg of you, allow me to speak to the people." Acts 21:39
The Founders of this nation were very familiar with the Biblical narrative, and the rule of law as it flowed out of the Roman and Grecian cultures. The concept of a citizen is an ancient one, and rooted deeply in Paul's understanding of who he was, and the rights he held.
Paul was not ashamed to call for the protection of his rights, when they were being abused. For Christian citizens to do any less appears to be the path of least resistance, but it is a slippery slope that leads to annihilation. After Paul turned the other cheek, he turned to the law, and claimed his rights. Christian citizens always should.
When citizen's of this contemporary culture devalue their citizenship they withdraw from the public square. Inflating the role of the state, leads to the deflating of the citizen's freedom of speech. Without breath, there is no speech. Without breath there is no life. Take away speech and you take away life. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are birthed by God within the climate of freedom of speech.
The recent heavy handed efforts by the A&E TV Channel to punish "Duck Dynasty" star Phil Robertson for speaking the truth, by purging him from his own TV show, is a chilling reminder of how fragile freedom of speech has become for Christians in this nation. Apparently GLAAD is not "HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY." Go figure. You will be made to care.
The systematic purging of Syria from their ancient Christian heritage has led to the relentless murder of thousands of Syrian Christians. As a boy, I marveled that the nations of the world stood by and watched Hitler's Germany set in motion the annihilation of the Jews of Europe. I asked, "How could that happen in a Christian country?" Today Christians around the world are the victims of a new holocaust being carried out by Islamic Terrorists in many Muslim nations. Even Prince Charles has noticed, so it is really not a secret anymore. It is a scandal of epic proportions.
Rights are fragile things. "Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" are all in the right order and they are gifts from God, not the state. When life is lost, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are of precious little worth. "Happy, happy, happy", indeed. You may want to stand up with Phil Robertson, or you will find yourself standing alone. In this new culture of tolerance and diversity, remember this. You will be made to care.
Paul was exercising his religious liberty when he was attacked by a mob of people in the temple, and very nearly beaten to death before rescued by the commander of the Roman cohort. Freedom to worship has always been under attack, and the enemy is an ancient foe.
Even in Paul's day, freedom of speech and religious liberty were not abstract concepts. They formed the foundation of the lives of people then, and they inspired the founders to inscribe "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" as valuable commodities in the formation of a new nation. Thank God they did.
"While they were seeking to kill him, a report came to the commander of the Roman cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion,. At once he took along some soldiers and centurions and ran down to them; and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul." v. 31-32
Paul was dragged away from the mob, put in chains, and carried by the soldiers towards the barracks. He was given the dubious safety of protection by incarceration. Within the walls of this sanctuary, he would be scourged by the authorities. They exacted a high price for their protection.
"As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commander, 'May I say something to you?'" v. 37
By his appeal, Paul revealed to the commander that he was not a trouble-maker, but he was a well-spoken man with the credentials of valid, and respected citizenship. This earned him a hearing. Paul took advantage of the forum. Christian citizens should be no less prepared to speak up and to stand up in the face of this culture's own version of mob rule. Register to vote, and vote with Christian convictions. But I digress.
"Paul, standing on the stairs, motioned to the people with his hand; and when there was a great hush, he spoke to them..." v. 40
What we know about Paul is that he used his citizenship as a lever to speak truth into a mob that was motivated to annihilate him. He could have been carried away to the relative safety of the confines of the barracks, but he took his stand in the public square. Christian citizens should do no less.
It is worth remembering, that Paul was very familiar with the kind of rabble-rousing that had been going on to stir the mob up. He once was the man who led a crowd to stone Stephen. He would remind them that he held their coats while they did it. He confessed...
"I also was standing by approving, and watching out for the coats of those who were slaying him." Acts 22:20
There was a time when Paul took his stand against the Lord Jesus Christ, and he stirred people into a rebellious mob. This time, Paul took his stand with the Lord Jesus Christ, and chose to calm the mob down. What a difference in those two stands. The difference is not in the man, but the Lordship of Jesus, in the man. Paul stood up, under the authority of The Lord Jesus Christ.
Kneeling in prayer leads to the courage to take the right stand, at the right time, for the right reason. Paul would later encourage the Ephesian Christians,...
"Therefore take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. Stand firm therefore...With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit..." Ephesians 6:14-18
Paul knew that when a Christian rises to stand from a kneeling position, they are not just standing on the premises, they are standing on the promises of God. Christian citizens! Stand up! There is too much at stake to hide in the tall grass. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Dilemma
"They kept telling Paul through the Spirit not to set foot in Jerusalem." Acts 21:4
"This is what the Holy Spirit says; 'In this way the Jews at Jerusalem will bind the man who owns this belt.' " v. 11
"When we had heard this, we as well as the local residents began begging him not to go up to Jerusalem." v. 12
"For I am ready not only to be bound, but even to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." v. 13
Paul faced a dilemma. He was resolved to listen to one voice, and to do whatever he was told, and to go where ever his obedience to The Spirit of the Living Christ would lead him. His resolve ran up against the resistance of those who loved him most. This may be the hardest thing in the world to do. It hurts to disappoint the ones we love the most, while at the same time obey The One who loves us most. Prayer helps. More than an aid, it is essential to the resolving The Dilemma.
"After kneeling down on the beach praying, we said farewell to one another." Acts 21:5
The disciples of Tyre, the prophet Agabus, the local residents of Caesarea, and even his closest band of brothers all tried to influence Paul to disobey the sense of direction he was receiving from the Holy Spirit. They even dropped the name of The Spirit in their arguments to get him to make a course direction.
They misunderstood Paul's sense of direction. He was bound and determined to obey the voice of the Lord Jesus, and if The Lord's voice led him to be bound and delivered to the Gentiles, so be it. He had reached that remarkable point in his walk with Jesus that his reward of consistent companionship with Him far outweighed the price he had to pay to have uninterrupted intimacy with Him.
Paul was not in love with the ministry. He was in love with Jesus. Paul was not in love with the fruit of ministry. He was in love with The Root of ministry. Paul loved the disciples who had responded to his message, but he was in love with Jesus. Obedience for him was not marked by a tight-lipped grimace, but a great release of the ownership of his life into the hands of Sovereign God.
The Dilemma for most preachers is the discovery of the joyless existence that being in love with the ministry can bring. Getting off course always appears as such a slight detour, but in actuality it is a terribly significant departure from God's best. Satan is the enemy of the best in the lives of believers. He would be pleased if the ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ would settle for what is good, if it kept them from God's best.
Don't get me wrong. God's best for you is sometimes wrapped in some pretty scary packaging. My wife, Dana, calls her battle with breast cancer her Great Adventure. It looked like a Giant Mistake to me, and I let God know how I felt about it. Perspective is everything. From her close walk with God, Dana could see God at work. From my close proximity to the crisis, I was blinded by the fog of war. I just wanted the fight to be over. Dana wanted to win it. God ignored me, and heard her. YAY! GOD!
There is great danger in focusing on the work of The Lord, without spending time with the Lord of the work. Doing the work of the Lord may build a preacher's career, but walking with the Lord of the work will build his character. Attempting to carry out ministry without being carried through it, by Jesus, always leads to compassion fatigue. When preachers can't tell the difference between being tired of it, or tired in it, the work of the Lord becomes a thankless job, and a pointless journey.
When Paul heard from The Spirit, and headed towards Jerusalem, the greatest spiritual warfare he faced involved friendly fire. There were those who told Paul they had heard The Spirit tell him not to go. He didn't argue with them. He knelt with them in prayer, and when he got up, he simply said farewell to his friends, and got on the boat for Jerusalem. Good call, Paul.
All the way to Jerusalem, Paul would be hindered by well-meaning friends, and perfectly accurate prophets. They all missed the point. Paul's mission wasn't focused on either arrival or survival. He lived only for revival. Paul was a dead man who had no purpose in life, unless revived by The Spirit of God to carry out something "for the name of the Lord Jesus Christ." v. 13
With every breath, and every step Paul took, he was in synchronized rhythm with The Spirit of the Risen Christ. To people who were breathless to warn Paul from impending doom, it looked like Paul was on a suicide mission. They didn't understand they were a little late. Paul was already a dead man.
The infusion of courage for the course ahead, leads to the loss of fear for the consequences, come what may. Paul was bound and determined. If The Spirit led him to a confrontation with his enemies that would result in him being bound and delivered to the Gentiles, then The Spirit would lead him through it.
Paul's imprisonment would appear as a complete disaster, but it was actually all in God's plan to bring Paul to Rome. Along the way, Paul's letters to his friends would become most of the New Testament. Our hindsight on the will of God in this matter is now unimpaired by the fog of war. Sometimes it is hard to obey in the present tense, when there appears to be a clear and present danger. Prayer helps to clear the air, and remove the fear.
Thanks Agabus. If Paul had been deterred by your prophecy, he might not have ever given us Romans 8:28.
"And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose." Roman 8:28
The Dilemma often comes when confronted by the choice of listening to friends or obeying The Spirit's voice. The Dilemma can lead to a detour from God's best, to a settling for good enough.
Prayer purifies a believer's motives and improves their sense of direction. Well-meaning people may try to save a friend from pain, but at the same time a painful experience does not mean that a person has missed God. They might be right in the center of God's will for their lives.
Athletes are sometimes challenged to "Play through the pain." Anyone who has ever heard this platitude knows that it is easier said than done. For the believer, life is a marathon, not a sprint, and around every corner there is another steep hill, or a painful challenge to face. Perhaps obedient believers would have more joy for the journey if they would take a page from Paul's workout manual, and "PRAY THROUGH THE PAIN." He did, and he finished the course. Finish strong. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Company
I remember reading a book in college, entitled, "The Company of the Committed." It was a great title. I have always been a sucker for a good title. It doesn't always deliver what it promises, but I will typically forgive the author, for putting more in their show window than they have on their shelves. A good title is sometimes thought provoking enough to point me in the right direction.
"When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And they began to weep aloud and embraced Paul, and repeatedly kissed him, grieving especially over the word which he had spoken, that they would not see his face again, and they were accompanying him to the ship." Acts 20: 36-38
Paul was in the company of the elders of the church. While they were accompanying him to the ship, they were grieving over Paul's departure to Jerusalem. All of this was God's will for them and for Paul, but obedience to The Spirit rarely leads to abstinence from pain. They were hurting over the separation, and they couldn't contain themselves. Tears flowed freely, as they held Paul tightly. They said their good-byes within the context of prayer and pain. They are not mutually exclusive emotions. They are dear friends.
Paul led them in prayer. The bond between leader and elders was not organizational or missional. It was spiritual. They were not held together by an organizational chart, a leadership seminar, or any other kind of man-made substance. The bond had been made in Heaven, and The Spirit that had forged strangers into family filled them with love for one another.
Note to self: There is nothing like it. Settle for nothing less.
"He knelt down and prayed with them all." v. 36
Paul's ministry had been birthed in prayer, bathed in prayer, and it would be buried in prayer. Prayer was not a magic talisman, an invocation, a benediction, a length of beads, or a form of liturgy. It was Paul's passion.
Paul would not take one more breath, or speak one more word, without praying with all those who would be responsible for carrying on the ministry. Kneeling on the dock prepared him for stepping on the deck. It prepared the elders for leaving Paul, and carrying out their mission. The ship would separate Paul from intimate friends, but it would intensify his intercession for them.
"Prayer is how we set our sails to catch the wind of Heaven." G. Campbell Morgan
Prayerless passion may lead to great zeal, but it will shed more heat than light. With a world blinded by darkness, Jesus said, "I am the Light of the world." The childhood song reminds us of our mission in this world, "Let it shine. Let it shine. Let it shine."
"He knelt down and prayed with them all." v. 36
My father graduated from Baylor University in 1949. One of the presidents of the university, while Dad was a student, was Gov. Pat Neff. He had been a U.S. Senator from Texas, and Governor of the state. He was a distinguished, silver haired Christian layman called upon to lead the school through the dark day of World War II.
Dad was part of the wave of students who came to Baylor on the GI Bill. These veterans brought wives and children with them to Waco, along with their war record, and a chest full of medals. They were not typical freshmen.
When Dad sensed the spiritual climate of the campus needed an infusion of light, he sought an audience with President Neff. One of his fondest memories is the moment when he was invited by the President to get on his knees with him, beside his desk, and to pray for Baylor. With tears, and passion the old man interceded for the students and for a great spiritual awakening to sweep the campus.
At 91 years of age, it is the one thing Dad tells me over and over again about his days at college. I believe the great Student Revival of 1949 that swept over Baylor, and spread to campuses all over America was a direct response from God to the prayers of a brokenhearted President.
Anyone who has ever had to lead an organization, large or small, knows that prayerless devotion to the task may fill the room with hot air, but it raises no sails to be filled with The Spirit. Prayer prepares the sails to be filled with the wind of Heaven. Talk can suck the oxygen out of the room, and make life hotter than Hell. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Blessing
"It is more blessed to give than to receive." Acts 20:35
One memorable adventure of being on Dr. W. Fred Swank's staff was being his driver for a trip to First Baptist Church of Marble Falls, Texas in October of 1975. He was the keynote speaker for an Associational Evangelism Conference. The place was packed with preachers from all over the Hill Country. Bro. Fred, as they called him, was brought in to fire them up about evangelism, and to return to their churches with a renewed zeal to keep the main thing, the main thing. No one could do it better.
The whole trip was a snapshot of Texas Baptist life, back in the day. The room was packed, the preaching was fiery, and the music was a bit eclectic. Along with the choirs, soloists, and gospel quartets, the "special music" was a guy with a saw.
It was incredibly funny to me, when he walked out with his musical instrument, pulled out a chair, and sat down with the saw in his lap. I laughed. I remember Bro. Fred's words, "Shut up, NUTHIN'." Apparently my upbringing in New York had left me unfamiliar with the sacred harp. To this day, I can hardly listen to "Amazing Grace" without a smile on my face, and a trip down memory lane to Marble Falls. But I digress.
One of the huge responsibilities of any Baptist meeting is the "taking of the offering." This is not a a benign offertory prayer offered in some pious ministerial tone. It is a a heart attack serious attempt to get blood out of a turnip.
In this case, these country preachers had left town with a ten dollar bill and the ten commandments, and didn't intend to break either one. For a man to "take the offering" he had to have a unique skill set. This is best described as the capacity to write poetry while wrestling with alligators. It begins with knowing the audience and ends with transforming them from receivers to givers. It is no less of a miracle than turning water into wine, and in Baptist life, the man who cold do it was in great demand, and highly respected.
When it came time for the offering, a gregarious, red-headed preacher came up to the podium and said something I have never forgotten. "You shovel out, and God shovels in. Brothers, God's shovel is bigger than yours. Give like you believe, He will never be in your debt."
That one statement was worth the price of the ticket. I was a seminary student, working a full time job for part time pay, and I reached for my wallet and almost threw it on the platform. I gave all I had in it, and was glad to do it. I'm telling you, giving is not a matter of missing out on what you gave, but living on what God pours through you.
Note to self: When holding onto the money in your wallet becomes a way of life, and you lose the joy of the ten commandments, remember the words of Jesus. They are often referred to as the 11th Commandment. Take them to heart.
"It is more blessed to give than to receive. v. 35
For almost 40 years, I have tested the truth of that old boy's statement in Marble Falls. God does shovel in, and His shovel is bigger than mine. Any time I begin to believe I have reached the point where I have started out-giving God, He always has a way of restoring my perspective. I give by the ounce, but He shovels in by the pound.
I have had the privilege of knowing and serving God's people my whole life. Every thing I have, and hold is a result of the generosity of God's people. What I have is a result of God's love being passed from Him to them, and then on to me. Being a minister of The Gospel is a life of faith in God's capacity to move people to be conduits of His love, not just recipients of it.
Giving people are loving people. Selfish people are never satisfied with what they have, but hold onto it anyway. Paul set an example before the elders of the early church, and held them accountable to do the same with the people entrusted to their care. Giving is the sign of the life-giving Presence of the Risen Christ being released through believers, by the Person of His Holy Spirit.
"When he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all." v. 36
This may be the key. Giving and praying are two sides of the same coin. Prayerless people are prideful people. Prayerful people are humble people. Prideful people hold on to what they have because they believe they have earned it or they deserve it. They are wrong on both counts.
Humble people let go of what they have been given by God, because they know it ALL belongs to Him. Prayer loosens one's grip on things that the world values. Prayer increases one's net worth, by investing in what money can't buy and death can't take away. The Blessing is discovered when we...TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Hurry
"For he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost." Acts 20:16
Last night, I caught a plane out of Little Rock, Arkansas, and arrived in DFW airport. I was in a hurry to get home, and spend the night in my own bed. There is, simply, no place like home. It can't be replaced by the romance of travel, or the rented luxury of a great hotel. After all, renting a bed rarely provides the rest that is received from spending the night in one's own.
The airports were crowded with people trying to get home for Christmas. Students who had wrapped up finals were ready for relief, and trading college life, for Mom's cooking. They were on a mission. I talked to two young men from Glasgow, Scotland who were trying to connect in DFW for a flight to Heathrow. I wish I could tell you what they said. Their brogue was so thick I needed an interpreter. Still, the message in their eyes was very clear. They would be home for Christmas. The joy that it brings it brings to the heart is the same in any language.
This morning, when I read these words, my mind recalled the frantic and frenetic hustling, and bustling, and the scurrying and hurrying, I saw last night at both airports.
"For he was hurrying to be in Jerusalem, if possible, on the day of Pentecost." v. 16
My first thought was, "I know what that feels like." Then I continued reading, and realized I had no clue what Paul was talking about.
As Paul addressed the elders of the church, and prepared to leave them for his trip to Jerusalem, he revealed that he sensed a new level of intense warfare was waiting for him, not the warm welcome of a family reunion. Paul was not going to see a welcome mat. He was about to become a door mat. Big difference.
"And now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit solemnly testifies to me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions await me." v. 22-23
WOW! As I read this piece of information, I found myself saying aloud, "Paul, slow it down!" It is one thing to be in a hurry for a birthday party. It is another thing to be in a hurry for a neck-tie party.
The Spirit had made it clear to Paul that he was to go to Jerusalem and face another level of spiritual warfare. He didn't hit the brakes, to slow down. He turned his face toward the sound of the guns, and picked up the pace to race to the battle line.
Paul reviewed with the elders of the church, his experiences with them in Asia. It was a prelude to what was ahead of him.
"I was with you the whole time, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials which came through the plots of the Jews;...now, behold, bound by the Spirit, I am on my way to Jerusalem." v. 21-22
Paul was seasoned and scarred by the skirmishes of spiritual warfare in Asia. He was about to be sent on what looked like MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE. He was not going to be facing the wrath mounted by those stationed in distant outposts. Paul, "bound by the Spirit" was going to be taking the fight to HQ.
The "trials and the tears" of the past were only a foretaste of the challenges that were in front of him. Still, Paul was...
"...hurrying to be in Jerusalem." v. 16
Note to self: Stop whining. Be like Paul when you grow up.
Just in case, I was confused about the meaning of the word "hurry", I got out my Greek interlinear dictionary. It confirmed that this is the same word that is the source for the English word, "speed." It is the same word used to describe the passion of the shepherds who made haste to get to Jesus in the manger.
Apparently, the way we come on is the way we are to go on. The shepherds didn't delay to obey the directions they received, neither did Paul. Bound by the Spirit involves setting one's face in the right direction, and picking up the pace to get there. It is not about dragging one's feet with creative excuses and delaying tactics.
Note to self: #2 - Praying your way to obey something you already know God intends for you to do is prideful rebellion posing as pious reflection. Stop it!
"Delayed obedience is still disobedience." Henry Blackaby
Paul's prayer life kept him lashed to the Person of The Spirit of the Risen Christ. Too many people misread the price tag that the blood of Jesus Christ placed upon them. They look at it and read, "Expensive." The Spirit looks at it and sees, "Expendable."
In the 1980's there was a TV commercial that focused on motivating that decade's version of the "ME Generation" to indulge themselves in the delusion that they were very special. The catch phrase was this, "Sure it's expensive, but I'm worth it." This is a terrible mission statement for a child of God.
That Madison Avenue pitch sums up what most people believe about themselves. When they receive what they perceive to be their salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ, they may accept His gift graciously, but at the same time devalue His grace. They forget they didn't deserve it.
Rather than seeing themselves chosen as an expendable soldier in the battle against evil, they keep looking for the rank, privilege, position, and VIP seating on the float in the victory parade. In their estimation, others are expendable. They just happen to be expensive. After all, they were worth it.
Paul saw himself through the eyes of The Spirit of Christ. Anyone who sees themselves any differently needs a heart transplant, not new glasses.
"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." v. 24
Paul warned the elders of the church of Asia, that he would not be the only one who was going to have to take it up a notch. They too were about to enter into a new level of spiritual warfare. As he left the scene, powerful forces would move in to steal the sheep in their flocks.
"Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert, remembering that night and day for a period of three years, I did not cease to admonish each one with tears." v. 28-31
Prayer doesn't prepare a person for spiritual warfare. Prayer is the weapon of warfare. If you are in it to win it, don't be in a hurry to enter into it without taking up the weapon of prayer. You must use this weapon with the regularity and the intensity that comes with taking your next breath. Any weakening of the regularity and the intensity of prayer leaves a person vulnerable to the confusion, the chaos, and the consequences of spiritual warfare.
Martin Luther is often quoted as saying, "I have so much business today, I must spend the first three hours in prayer." He fell a bit short. He still had 21 hours left. Praying and breathing are essential to those who are in a hurry to meet the challenge of a MISSION: Impossible assignment. It is not courage to rush in where angels fear to tread. It is utter foolishness.
Prayer turns MISSION: Impossible into MISSION: HIMpossible. Paul came to the conclusion that he did not have to survive the battle, he just had to race to it, and take his stand in it. We should do the same. If you are in a hurry to make a name for your self, check your price tag. It says "EXPENDABLE." If you are in a hurry to make a difference, expend yourself. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Understatement
"And they took away the boy alive, and were greatly comforted." Acts 20:12
I just love the understated way, Luke expresses the obvious. His tendency to state the facts of faith, without filling the air with superlatives and sensationalizing the ministry of The Holy Spirit is one of the vital signs that his words are God-breathed.
Before church web-sites became the puff sheet du jour, there were church newsletters. Getting off the mailing list of a church newsletter was harder than getting on their softball team. The Pastor's Column was always on the front page, or the upper left hand corner of page two.
As I read these epistles, I pictured thousands of Monday morning quarterbacks sitting at their type-writer or scribbling in their legal pad, with a cup of coffee and a thesaurus next to them. Every article deadline launched a frantic search for all the synonyms for "spectacular" that could be used to describe what happened that past Sunday.
One of the timeless, classic headlines I recall reading was, "Yesterday's services were a spectacular culmination to SENSATIONAL SUNDAYS! Hundreds saved, thousands healed. Renting New Mexico for parking!" He needed to lay off the caffeine, and take a chill pill. He must have been using the AMPLIFIED VERSION OF THE THESAURUS.
The work of the Holy Spirit as revealed in the lives of the preachers of The Book of Acts did not always leave people riveted to their seats. It sometimes led them to fall asleep and out of windows. Slumbering saints are not a new expression of Christianity. They are an ancient people.
"Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight...And there was a young man name Eutychus sitting on the window sill, sinking into a deep sleep; and as Paul kept on talking, he was overcome by sleep and fell down from the third floor and was picked up dead." v. 7-9
Paul was an anointed preacher, and filled with The Spirit, but even he had the capacity to put people to sleep. The ears can only hear what the seat can endure. A stifling hot room, filled with burning lamps and perspiring bodies is not going to improve communication. Eutychus fell asleep and into the street, three stories below. This will break up the meeting every time. Eutychus took one for the team.
"Paul went down and fell upon him, and after embracing him, he said, 'Do not be troubled, for his life is in him." v. 11
Paul went back upstairs and continued preaching. Raising the dead was trumped by breaking of bread, preaching the word, talking with friends, and Christian fellowship.
"He talked with them a long while until daybreak..." v. 11b
A few years ago, I received a four colored brochure invitation to a church that advertised "The 20 Minute Service." From entrance to exit, they promised they would only take 20 minutes of my time. I decided it wasn't worth getting cleaned up to go see if they could do it.
Some things take time to get it right. Anything that grows overnight in my yard is usually a weed. When I think about it, this gives me a whole new idea for "ROUND UP! SUNDAY!" But I digress.
"They took away the boy alive and were greatly comforted." v. 12
I bet they were. This word for comfort is the same word that is often transliterated to describe The Person of The Holy Spirit as The Paraclete. Comfort is the work, and the very heart and soul of the Spirit of Christ.
The word comfort may not sound rigorous or vigorous to contemporary culture. This nation's restless values causes people to spend a great deal of money on the comforters they throw on top their beds, but in the end, the same weary people lay sleepless and comfortless underneath them. They have a comforter, but have no comfort.
Scripture indicates the family of Eutychus received great comfort, from the news that their boy was alive. They were going home with him by their side, not to a graveside.
The word comforter can also mean strengthener. Worship with friends, where the work of The Spirit is evident will always leave people greatly comforted. The fullness of The Spirit of Christ is essential in any service that begins and ends in the name of Jesus. The comfort is not in the length of the sermon, but in His Presence and the ministry of The Spirit.
"We must not be content to be cleansed, but be filled with the Spirit. The word 'comforter' as applied to the Holy Spirit needs to be translated by some vigorous term. Literally it means 'with strength.' Jesus promised His followers, 'The Strengthener' would be with them. No lullaby for the fainthearted. It is a blood transfusion for courageous living." C.P. Hovey
The prayerless church will always find itself breathless, trying to puff up what has been deflated when The Spirit departed the premises. The praying church will find itself in speechless understatement to describe the Presence and the power of The Risen Christ unleashed in His people and through His church.
Praying people are full of The Spirit and not themselves. They don't puff themselves up with false claims or threadbare superlatives. They simply state the facts of a living faith in The Risen Christ. The understated omnipotence of the Lord Jesus is always a great comfort. Don't settle for anything less. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Companions
"...when a plot was formed against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria, he decided to return through Macedonia. And he was accompanied by Sopater of Berea, the son of Pyrrhus, and by Aristarchus and Secundus of the Thessalonians, and Gaius of Derbe, and Timothy, and Tychicus of Asia..." Acts 20: 4
Out of this group of companions, Timothy is the only one that is given a great deal of press in The Scriptures. Still, five more names are listed along with Timothy's and should not go unnoticed.
Paul had no death wish. When the Jews plotted against him, he could have easily walked into the trap. He chose to avoid it. If martyrdom awaited him, it would just have to wait.
From my experience in fraternity life at Baylor University, I pass on this piece of counsel. Everyone wants to march in the parade, but few are willing to build the float. From my friend, David Lane, I submit to the reader, "Success has a thousand fathers, but failure is an orphan." Both of these observations may seem a bit pessimistic about the human spirit, but in truth they are just realistic. Many want credit for a success, they just don't want to pay the price for it.
The Companions of Paul were men who had to know they were not marching in a victory parade, but they were more likely courting death, every step along the way. They had seen Paul beaten, jailed, mocked, scorned, stoned and threatened with more. They walked with him anyway. Companions, indeed.
The Wisdom of God is revealed through Solomon in Proverbs 18: 24 b. "There is a friend who sticketh closer than a brother." KJV
New International Version
One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
New Living Translation
There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother.
English Standard Version
A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
New American Standard Bible
A man of too many friends comes to ruin, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
King James Bible
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Holman Christian Standard Bible
A man with many friends may be harmed, but there is a friend who stays closer than a brother.
International Standard Version
A man with many friends can still be ruined, but a true friend sticks closer than a brother.
NET Bible
A person who has friends may be harmed by them, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Aramaic Bible in Plain English
There are friends who are friends, and there is a friend that is closer than a brother.
GOD'S WORD® Translation
Friends can destroy one another, but a loving friend can stick closer than family.
Jubilee Bible 2000
The man that has friends must show himself to be a friend, and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
King James 2000 Bible
A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
American King James Version
A man that has friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticks closer than a brother.
American Standard Version
He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction; But there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A man amiable in society, shall be more friendly than a brother.
Darby Bible Translation
A man of many friends will come to ruin but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
English Revised Version
He that maketh many friends doeth it to his own destruction: but there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Webster's Bible Translation
A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
World English Bible
A man of many companions may be ruined, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
Young's Literal Translation
A man with friends is to show himself friendly, And there is a lover adhering more than a brother!
No matter how you say it, friends are rare. Solomon found one. Paul found six. If you are ever graced to find someone who will walk with you when people are plotting against you, thank God for them. They are not a dime a dozen. Paul paid a great deal more than a dime to find a half-dozen. He had the scars to prove he was a man worth following. The Companions had taken their share of hits, and stayed the course.
Jim Cymbala, pastor of the praying Brooklyn Tabernacle in New York City urges pastors to stop looking for sharp people to be their followers. He says, "Sharp people will cut you every time." Wise words.
"He was accompanied." This is the only time this word is used to describe this kind of specific action. It referred to one who was following behind, or beside another. It has the weight of a follower who is so close that they are clearly identified with the one who is in the lead. The Companions would not have to take a bullet for Paul, but before a rock hit him, it would have to bounce off them. Close enough.
Jesus saved his highest praise for a Roman Centurion who knew the difference between being "IN" authority and "UNDER" authority. The soldier knew that his power came from being under the authority of Rome. He could tell Jesus was under the authority of God. The Companion that wants to take all the credit for what God does through the leader reveals more about themselves than they want people to know.
Many times people associate with leaders in hopes that some of their "juice" will drip on them, and they can get through life without having to be squeezed themselves. These people are not life-giving, but life-sucking. When life gives their leader lemons, they won't help make lemonade. They will let the leader get squeezed, along with the lemons, and steal the credit for what comes out, and then ask the leader for more sugar.
The Companions of Paul had nothing to gain by following him. They had found all they needed in Jesus. With that they had something to offer Paul, companionship. Consistent companionship with Jesus leaves a person full of Jesus, not full of themselves. The fullness of Jesus satisfies a person's deepest need for acceptance, and turns their greed and need for more into a satisfaction that Jesus is enough.
What Jesus brings to them spills over onto those they follow. This is God's gift to leaders.
Paul needed The Companions to be full of Jesus, more than he needed them to follow him. The Companions needed to be full of Jesus, before they followed Paul. Jesus has what people need, and persistent prayer leads them to consistent companionship with Him. This kind of prayer prepares them to be The Companion who are life-giving, not life-sapping. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!
The Exhortation
"After the uproar had ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and when he had exhorted them and taken his leave of them, he left to go to Macedonia." Acts 20:1
Paul's preaching to the disciples, after the mob seized control of the assembly and threatened to carry out violence upon the leaders and the members of the church, focused on exhortation. The most visible and powerful leader of the church was about to leave town, and the residue of the riot was still on the hearts of the beleaguered disciples. They must have needed exhortation.
Note to self: People in the pews are always in need of exhortation. Leave them with hope. Thanks, J.C. Matlock.
Preaching without taking time for exhortation turns the pulpit into a lectern, and preaching assembly into a classroom. It is a training ground for warriors heading into a battlefield. At times I have placed signs at the exit of the churches I pastored that carried the message, "YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE MISSION FIELD." They would have been more accurate to say, "YOU ARE NOW ENTERING THE WAR ZONE."
When the sermon outline completes the list of explanation, illustration and application, but doesn't save some time for exhortation, the people in the pews may receive correct information, but they leave with little inspiration. A head filled with facts, and a heart filled with faith provide the fuel for the fire that lights the way in the dark, and heats the soul in the dark of the night. Include both.
When people refuse to doubt in the dark, what they learned to be true in the light, their faith grows through those dimly lit periods that come into the lives of every believer. The character of Christ always shines brightest through believers in spite of irritating people and intimidating circumstances.
"Exhorting" is a translation of the transliterated word "Paraclete." It is the name given to the Person of and the ministry of The Spirit of Christ. Christian preachers at their very heart and soul are not just educators, but exhorters.
The word is given a long list of options by the scholars of "The Blue Letter Bible." In its most basic definition it means to call to one's side, or call for, or summon. Other options include...
1. to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc.
2. to admonish, exhort
3. to beg, entreat, beseech
4. to strive to appease by entreaty
5. to console, encourage, strengthen by consolation,comfort
6. to receive consolation, be comforted
7. to encourage, strengthen
8. exhorting and comforting and encouraging
9. to instruct, teach
Note to preachers: My humble suggestion is to start at the top of this list of definitions, and work your way down. Don't start at the bottom and work your way up.
Education is a beautiful thing, but exhortation turns it into a powerful weapon in the battle against evil. Great churches and institutions of Christian education are always in danger of becoming museums. Exhortation inflames and sustains them as movements, inspired by The Spirit of the Living Christ.
Paul exhorted the disciples after the uproar. This word for uproar or riot was used to describe what Pilate saw happening in the crowd, just before he washed his hands of any responsibility for the death of Jesus. In the middle of the worst kind of chaos, confusion, and clamor, God may be up to His best. Looks can be deceiving.
Exhortation calls for the Spirit of Christ to come along side of believers to make sense out of the senseless, and to provide faith for the fearful. Praying puts preachers and people in the pews close enough to see the face of Jesus, and hear the voice of His Spirit. Exhortation refuses to panic in the face of a riot. It looks for a revival to break out.
Praying preachers will be exhorting preachers, having a perspective in the face of intimidation that can only come from sensing The Presence of the Risen Christ. Jesus has been raised from the dead, and is not likely to be put to flight by someone who threatens to kill Him. Praying people won't panic until He does. TALK LESS! PRAY MORE!