More of the Same

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     When they went to the next town, they used the same procedure, and got the same results.  More of the same – including stoning this time. Some things you don't really want to take up a notch.  Sometimes the same procedure does not bring the same result.



Lystra
     Acts 14:7-20
          Compare & contrast

The same kind of miracle took place in Acts 3. The result there was mixed. There was some hostility, but also the number of saved people in Jerusalem increasing dramatically (Acts 4:4). In both cases the people perceived that something superhuman had happened, and they called it a God thing. The difference came in what the word god meant to them. In Jerusalem that is Jehovah God. In Lystra the different culture prompted a different correlation and response. We need to know the culture we address.



Leaving
     Acts 14:21-28
          Encouragement & elders

It is impressive that in such a short time the apostles established churches, appointing elders in each location, and left them ready to be churches on their own. How did they determine who would be called elders, when every believer there had only been saved a short time? They followed the leadership of the Holy Spirit, and trusted Him. In our church outreach efforts, we need to set up viable, sustainable work wherever we go.



Learning
     Acts 15:1-6, 11-13, 19-21
          Customs & conflict

Circumcision and the Law of Moses became a point of contention as the church moved outside Jerusalem. Custom in Jerusalem meant that the people of that church were from a background where that was in place and not an issue. In Antioch and other Gentile locations it was not practiced and could not be assumed. Was that important? The question was taken up in a council in Jerusalem. The result was a letter sent from the apostles and elders to say that keeping the Law was not part of salvation, but there were some things recommended, because of the common presence of synagogues and the awareness of the Law all over the region. Even though it was not all essential, it was practical.



Intent

We need to be willing to go with some things that are not essential if it prevents trouble. Otherwise, our intentions will be suspect, and our effectiveness will be limited. It is subject to the culture we find ourselves in, and its difference from ours.

Aside: who are the apostles mentioned in Acts 14:14? Hmmmm.

Set Apart

    Graduation

It is the time of the year when people are finishing one part of their life and preparing to start whatever comes next. Saul is about to become the Paul we all know.

Returns
    Acts 12:25 -13:13
        Sent, successful

Barnabas and Saul were set apart and sent out, without a full itinerary or job description. They went to Cyprus, where Barnabas came from. It is there that things change from “Barnabas and Saul”, to “Paul and his companions”. Barnabas was the more prominent until then, but he was the kind of guy willing to invest in someone, and willing to see them do well.
BtW, Paul did not decide to blind the sorcerer, but declared that the hand of God was on him and therefore he would be blind. He said what he saw.



Rehearsal
    Acts 13:14-23
        Divine doings

Paul speaks and re-tells the story of the Israel. It is not just the story of things that happened, but the story of what God did. God chose, delivered, destroyed, distributed, gave… It is all about Him. Maybe we should see our lives that way.




Remission
    Acts 13:26, 29-32, 38-39
        Promise preached

The message leads up to David being the king, and the prophet who predicted that Jesus would not be left in the grave. It is the same point made by Peter in Acts 2. Unlike when Peter preached in Acts 10, when Paul says that forgiveness is available because of Jesus, there is no immediate response. The Holy Spirit does not fall. Paul warns the hearers not to miss the salvation promised by the prophets, as the prophets predicted many would.



Reception
    Acts 13:42-52
        Mixed multitude

Paul and Barnabas ended up leaving the town, shaking the dust off their clothes. Even so, notice the joy mentioned. The believers who were left behind had joy, because they had Jesus. Even Paul and Barnabas could have joy as they left, because they had been faithful to their calling.


    Graduations
Paul and Barnabas moved from one place to another and from one stage to another. That happens a lot. Don’t think of one of them as The One that your whole life revolves around. There are many graduations in life before all is said and done. The time you are in now is not just preparation for something else. It is life, here and now. And there is more to come.

The Voice of Jesus

“My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.” John 10:27



At the moment, there are two copies of the Bible on my desk. One is a New King James version and the other is a Holman Christian Standard. It is not unusual for me to look at more than one. In general I find it helpful to read a passage in multiple versions. Looking at the similarities and the differences helps me understand the intent of the author, or at least it seems that way to me.


In Revelation 4:1 there is an informative difference between the versions. The Holman says “The first voice that I had heard speaking to me like a trumpet said ‘Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after this.’” It seems to link this statement with the one in 1:10-11, which goes as follows – “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s day, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet saying ‘Write on a scroll what you see and send it to the seven churches…’”


According to the Holman (HCS) the voice that sounds like a trumpet in 4:1 appears to be the same one as the voice like a trumpet in 1:10-11. The New King James (NKJV) does not quite make that connection. It reads “And the first voice which I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying ‘Come up here and I will show you things which must take place after this.’” That voice could be the same trumpet-like voice as before, or another one like it.


There is another piece of information visible in the NKJV that makes it clear that the translators took it to be a different trumpet-like voice, not the same one. If you were to see the two versions you would notice that in the HCS version the quotations in both chapters have the words in red. The NKJV has red letters in chapter one, but black letters in chapter four. The people who put the HCS together believe that Jesus was talking in both instances. The NKJV people believe it was Jesus the first time but someone else later.


Why do either group of people think it was Jesus either time? In the NKJV there is a line that is not in the HCS, as part of Rev. 1:11. That verse begins with the red lettered statement “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last”. Those are words that would only be rightly said by Jesus. Why are they missing in the HCS version? Because they are missing in many of the manuscripts from which translations were made. Here again, there is a difference of opinion between the two groups. Whether or not they belong here is in question. They are present in 1:8 and in 1:17 without question, but some manuscripts have them in 1:11 and others do not.


The other factor which makes people think that Jesus was the speaker in 1:11 is that it is followed by a vision of someone who can be no one other than Jesus. John introduces that vision by saying “then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man…” John saw Jesus, without doubt.


One detail that appears in the continueing description of Jesus is that His voice sounded “like many waters” or “like cascading waters”. Not like a trumpet? Really. So what is up with the trumpet-like voice?


It seems to fit with the introduction of the book in the very first verse. That verse gives an ordered series of handoffs in the presentation of the revelation. “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave Him to show his servants – things which must shortly take place. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John…” There is an angel involved in the process between Jesus and John.


An angel spoke with a trumpet-like voice, to say that John needed to write down what he saw. Then he turned and what he saw was Jesus. Jesus spoke with a voice like many waters, and gave John the content of letters to seven churches. Immediately after that, the angel spoke again, with a trumpet-like voice. There should not be red letters in either place, and the questionable line should not be present in 1:11, because it is not Jesus speaking either time. He speaks between those verses. You can tell by His voice.


Every Bible I have looked at shows 1:11 in red letters, even if the questionable line is omitted. That leads us to believe it is Jesus speaking in that verse, but it probably is not. The choice of red or black letters is not part of the inspired Word of God. It is a product of interpretation on the part of the translators. They are scholars, work hard at what they do, and have good intentions.  Even so, they can be wrong.  A wrong interpretation may be backed by a long tradition, and still be wrong.


The Bible itself is right. Our interpretations of it may be wrong.  Makes me wonder how often they are.

The Hand of God

   Rehearsal
It takes a lot of preparation/work/practice to do something great. People do not usually show up for the rehearsals. They see the finished product. It looks easy then.


God’s Grace
   Acts 11:19-30


Antioch and Tarsus are across the northeast corner of the Mediterranean Sea from each other. Tarsus is where Saul grew up, and where he was sent back to after becoming too hot for Damascus and then Jerusalem. He stayed there under the radar for possibly as much as a decade, unheard from. Barnabas went to get him after visiting Antioch. He had been sent to Antioch to check on the church starting there. What he recognized was the work of God – “the hand of God” and “the grace of God” - the kind of thing we want to see, and not what we can work up.

Barnabas and Saul stayed there for a year, teaching, and the disciples became known as Christians. There was something distinct about them. What will be true about us one year from now? (Let’s check in a year.) What will be needed to make that happen?



Peter’s Prison
   Acts 12:1-17


Herod had James killed, which made the Jewish leaders happy. Peter is next - in prison, waiting trial and probable execution. People prayed for God to save him.


Peter was sleeping soundly! When an angel appeared, lit up the prison, and made chains fall off, he kept snoring. The angle poked him. Wake up, get dressed, we are leaving. Peter was escorted out of prison, thinking he was dreaming or seeing a vision. The hand of God worked a miracle, and Peter did not recognize it until it was over.


Neither did the church. They were too busy praying to be interrupted by the answer to their prayers. How much of the grace of God do we not recognize? Sometimes there is more to something than you know. Pray that we will not miss what God is doing, especially when we are standing in the middle of it.



King’s Conceit
   Acts 12:18-24


Yik! Eaten by worms, and died. (not the other way around) Instead of failing to recognize the work of God, Herod accepted acclaim as God - failing to recognize God. Delusion of Grandeur. Then the work of God was not pleasant. An angel came again, and worms  ate this guy. He died. The glory of God is not something we get. It is only His. Do not fail to recognize that.



   Revelation


This is Palm Sunday. It commemorates Jesus arriving in Jerusalem surrounded by praise. He accepted the acclaim, because it was appropriate. He was/is God. People seemed to recognize the work of God in Him, but not for long. They lost it.


How quickly and how often do we lose track? Even when God shows up, reveals Himself and we recognize Him in what we see, in a little while we can have it slip away. OR in a year’s time, we can become more Christian than ever.

Peter's Mission Trip

Not just Paul



We hear a lot about Paul as a missionary, but he was not the only one or first to go on a missionary journey. Phillip did. Peter too.




Healing
   Acts 9:32-43


On a line from Jerusalem to the coastal town of Joppa, you go through Lydda. There Peter healed a man known to the townspeople to be paralyzed and bedridden. The miracle led to salvation and joy in the town.
Meanwhile, in the nearby town there is grief. They sent for Peter. Not sure what they expected from him, but he went. God led him to resurrect Tabitha. More salvations and joy in town.


Hearing
   Acts 10:1-20


Meanwhile, Cornelius was doing what he did a lot – praying. An angel came to him and very specifically directed him to send for Peter. Three men headed for Joppa. Meanwhile, Peter was doing what he did a lot – praying. He had a vision telling him to eat what he considered unclean. The message repeated three times was that he should no longer consider them unclean. Then the three Gentile men arrived, and apparently Peter saw the connection with the vision.




Hospitality
   Acts 10:21-33


Peter extended hospitality to the Gentiles in a house that was not his. Then he went with them and accepted their hospitality. That had always been a no-no. Note verses 28-29.



Holy Spirit
   Acts 10:34-48


Peter assumed they had heard some things about Jesus. He points out who He is and mentions components of the gospel message. Jesus is Christ = Messiah = Anointed. Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and power, and lived a life that showed it. He died and resurrected. He will be the Judge. Belief in Him offers forgiveness of sin.
Bam! The Holy Spirit showed up in those listening to Peter. As soon as they heard the gospel, they accepted it, trusting Jesus for forgiveness of sin. It doesn’t take a particular prayer, or an altar in a church. It is about trusting Jesus. They were baptized.




   11:15-18


When the Jewish believers heard what Peter had done, they were somewhat shocked, and confronted him about it. He retold the whole story. They accepted the act of God for what it was.
Notice what Peter said in 11:17. “God gave them the same gift He gave us when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.” The Holy Spirit was given to Jews and Gentiles upon belief. We are those Gentiles. We have been given the Holy Spirit that Peter had. It is the same that Jesus was anointed with. Jesus lived as a man filled with the Holy Spirit, so that we who have the Holy Spirit can live like He lived.
We can go on mission trips like Peter and Paul, when God says to. When God says so, we can do the miraculous things they did, like Jesus. We need to be ready, and listening to what God says when He says it.

Re-Direction

Best laid plans


Mission trips are often tests of flexibility. You need to have a plan, and then be ready to not use it. On one trip I decided to keep track of the changes in our base plan for one day. We started with plan A, and moved through B, C, …up to J! In Acts 9 we see someone have their plans drastically altered.



Halt
     Acts 9:1-9


Saul was persecuting Christians in Jerusalem, and most of them left. He went after them. Along the way, ultra bright light hit him. What did he see and what did he hear? 9:17, 27 indicate that he actually saw Jesus. Acts 22, 26 indicate the others did not see anyone, and did not understand what was said. Jesus indicated He was changing Saul’s direction, and coaching him not to resist the change. (don’t kick against the goads – Acts 26).
Saul was blinded. He sat in the dark for three days, fasting completely. (Like Jesus was in the tomb, then re-born.) What did he do with that time? He prayed.



Heal
     Acts 9:10-19


Saul prayed and saw a vision of Ananias. At the same time, Ananias heard very specifically from God, but he held back. We often say that if we just knew what God wanted, we would do it. Sometimes we mean it, but not every time. Ananias acts like he has to tell God who Saul is. God says “Go!”
God says Saul will be someone special, speaking before Jews, Gentiles and kings. Being the Apostle Paul, sounds like a great thing. Being special to God sounds like a wonderful life. When Paul did speak before kings, he did it in chains as a prisoner. And he was stoned, beaten, arrested, ship wrecked, snake bitten…. We don’t know what greatness awaits us. There could be plenty. Don’t expect it to be risk free. We should not say “the safest place to be is in the center of God’s will” in the usual sense of those words.



Hate
     Acts 9:20-25


Saul pretty quickly jumps into sharing the gospel. He was an intense guy before he was saved, and he is intense afterward too. His personality was not eliminated. He moved from targeting to being a target. Galatians 2 indicates that he was in Damascus for three years. We do not hear that people responded to him, but we hear that he became too hot to stay there. He was evacuated.



Hold
     Acts 9:26-31


In Jerusalem, the believers did not believe that Saul had converted. Barnabas had to vouch for him. Like in Damascus, he jumped right into preaching Jesus, and soon became too hot to handle there. They sent him to Tarsus, where he was from. He was sent home, and his ministry put on hold. He was like Moses, who attempted to become a deliverer at age 40. He was not ready until age 80. Saul waited more than a decade.



Where are you?


You might find yourself at a point like Saul, or maybe like Ananias. Are you on hold, or looking for God’s will? Are you really willing to do what He says? Find out where you are, and ask the Lord what it takes for you to move to your next step.

Like Magic

How?


When we see magicians perform, we wonder how they do what they do. There is a trick to it, but we wonder where actual magical power will show up. Like the movie “The Prestige” says, “You want to be fooled.” We want to see supernatural power, as a reason to believe.


Samaria

   Acts 8:4-13


Philip shows up and things are good. He is one of the seven chosen in Acts 6, and he is one of the few who does miracles. They amaze the people of Samaria, who receive the gospel, believe and are baptized. The city becomes filled with joy.  It is good.


Simon is someone who had been seen as spiritually powerful and respected. Even he was amazed by Philip, believed and was baptized. If the others were saved in that way, he probably was too. His belief would have encouraged others.



Spirit
   Acts 8:14-24


The apostles heard that Samaritans were hearing the gospel and being saved. Had to check that out. It is the first time that people not completely Jewish were included. Peter and John found their faith to be real, but something was missing – the Holy Spirit. Really? How could that be? Is there a “second blessing” in which the Spirit is imparted after salvation. Not in Acts 10. The Lord can do it differently here if He chooses. Why might He? For the benefit of the apostles seeing it, participating in it, spreading the gospel to other regions, like Jesus said they would.


Simon tried to buy in on the franchise. No good. Peter said he would have no part in that, and saw bitterness in him. So was he really saved? I think so. Have you ever seen a Christian who did not live like one? (ever been that person?) Simon slid. Peter told him that could be reversed.



Solitary
   Acts 8:25-40


In the middle of a great move of God, Philip is told to leave all the action and go stand by a road in the desert. He would probably not be excited by that direction but he went. There was one man he was sent to: an Ethiopian who worshiped God as a Jewish proselyte. God had things set up perfectly, and Philip filled in the blanks. The man was saved, and baptized. Then (poof) Philip disappeared, and re-appeared about 30 miles away. Apparently, this guy did well in his faith, leading a community of Ethiopians to belief.


   Sudden or slow?


Contrast the experiences of Simon and the Ethiopian. Simon came to faith, surrounded by other believers and miraculous events. But he slid. The Ethiopian had no other believer around him, but left a legacy of believers. Why? He read the scriptures. That is about all we know about him, but it is huge. In my own experience, deciding to do that for myself became an unexpected life changing event. It made my faith my own, and no longer just part of what my family did.


It is not about how spectacularly you become a believer. It is more important what you do with it after that, yourself. It is not automatic or guaranteed that you will become a Christian whose life matters. Maintain a good, strong connection with your Father, and make a difference.