The Second Contact: In Bondage Twice

Acts 16:16-24
This 16th chapter of Acts introduces us to three different people from three different levels of the Philippi's society. Two weeks ago, we met the international seller of Purple cloth named Lydia. Next week, we will meet the jailer. Both these people have a life-changing event in their lives that brought them to know Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

This week, we meet a young girl without a name who has indeed an encounter with Jesus yet remains outside the faith. She is a slave girl and she has a demonic spirit residing within her.

Slavery has been around from when one person forces another person to do or go somewhere without their consent. www.antislavery.org

The International Labor Organization in 2005 estimated at least 2.4 million people have been trafficked with a worldwide number of 27 million-this year-are in slavery.

Q: Why are people trafficked? Is it a new problem? What causes it?

A: The trafficking in human beings is not new. But it is a rapidly growing problem. A number of factors have led to its expansion, such as the easy profits made from exploitation; growing deprivation and marginalization of the poor; discrimination against women; restrictive migration laws; a lack of information about the realities and dangers of trafficking and insufficient penalties against traffickers.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned the upcoming movie called Amazing Grace, about the life and work of Wilberforce, who helped bring the end to the slave trade-or so it seemed-that was supported by England. (From their web site)

The makers of Amazing Grace had two goals in mind when they began work on this film some ten years ago: They wanted to again make William Wilberforce, Britain's “Great Abolitionist,” a household name; and they wanted to offer, in our fiercely partisan (or political) era, a model for transcending cultural, racial, religious, and political barriers for the sake of destroying a barbaric social evil.The result is a lavish historical drama about the man who, more than any other person, is credited with bringing an end to the slave trade throughout the British Empire.

Today, it has been reported in many web sites, that over 27 million people are still called 'slaves.' Some are slaves to what was called “Indentured Servants”, in that they are working off a debt while others are stolen from their homes under cover of darkness and sold to inhumane masters who both mistreat them and kill them at will. Age, sex, color, national origin holds no special protection from the evil that still goes on in our world today. And it is not just somewhere else. Slavery is here in Japan. Underworld groups 'host' people from all over the world, taking their passports and making them work at all sorts of different jobs.

Here in Acts 16, we find the same misuse of an individual for financial gains.

But first, we have the group of men from Israel walking around Philippi. They must have been there for a while because of the wording Luke uses:

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl...

This became THE place to go for prayer and for the fellowship they and others needed. Time to pull away from the clamor and push of the society we all live in. They went there to pray.

Do you have a place to go to and pray? Maybe it is your office before everyone gets there, or a special park bench or sitting at your table at home before the crazies of the day begin…or on the train, or in a library desk or at Starbucks. Or you could come here on Sunday mornings; the doors are unlocked after 9 AM. You and I need a place to have some time of prayer. Paul had such a need as well.

And on one of these trips to the Prayer Spot, they were somewhat joined by a very interesting young girl. You might have seen someone like her on the train? Hope she/he does not sit or stand next to you! This one was shouting at them and about them to everyone around. She was somewhat well known and that was even more of an issue with Paul. But the time came when he could take it no more! After many days of this annoying clatter, he wanted this to end. These shouts were crying out repeatedly!

Verse 18 She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so troubled that he turned around and said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit left her.

This poor creature was enslaved twice; once by the evil money-hungry adults that keep her working for them and by another force quite a bit more forceful. The passage tells us that she was a slave girl who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. Did not work for her-did it?

This 'spirit' was called the spirit of Python. The Python was a mythological serpent that supposedly guarded the temple and oracle of Apollo. She had to do with prophesy. This term later changed a little to mean a demon-possessed person through whom the python spoke. The spirit supposedly took control of the person's vocal cords and spoke through them like a hand held puppet. She was the voice box of the Spirit of Python. Such a spirit was well known in that area and therefore she was somewhat of a pop star or celebrity. Python had a death hold around her & would not let go!

Those who owned her were not very pleased of her being release from this demon's control.

They could not rejoice that a poor young girl was finally free to be a young girl with dreams and desires of her own. They could only think of the loss of revenue. It seems that most people would tolerate just about anything until it hurts them in the wallet. Funny that a wallet has such feelings!

This made the owners wild in anger! They seized Paul and Silas and dragged them to the place the authorities held their hearings.

Today, I am told, you can stand on the very steps Paul was dragged to. Four large stone steps that led up to the bema, “speaker's platform or judgment seat” where the authorities held court. Their case was made in haste and they beat the daylights out of Paul and Silas. People in the crowd joined it. They stripped them and beat them. Severely flogged them! Then they threw them in jail. What happens there in Jail is next weeks story.

What happens to the slave girl?

We don't see her again. We don't hear of her conversion. She does not offer shelter for Paul and Silas. She just slips away into a nameless past.

What about that? How can a person who is released from a demonic control just disappear?It is not easy but it happens all the time. Take a look at Matthew 12:43-45

43 "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. 44 Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. 45 Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first. That is how it will be with this wicked generation."

In Luke 5:12-14 Jesus touches a man with leprosy and he is made whole and follows Jesus. Jesus says; “Be clean!” He became clean.

But not with this girl. The evil spirit was removed from her as she was twice bounded, now no longer a slave to the demon, she was of no use to her owners. She got some freedom, but I feel she was not yet really free. She had not opened the door of her heart to lead her to real freedom in knowing Jesus.

Let's go back and hear what she said. "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved."

She was saying more than it may seem. This announcement both helps Paul and hurts him. To the Jewish people-which there were only a few-it could mean the term MOST HIGH GOD or el-selyon -- the God of Abraham. But this is also the way the Gentiles refer to their one true God. To the many pagans present in Philippi, they would hear that this one god would be against their many gods. Being polytheistic, they were opposed to the idea of only one god. Their chief god was Zeus and the mother god was Isis and then there was Ba-al. This reference was to be understood as to be any one of these pagan gods.

“The way of salvation” would be misunderstood as it would NOT refer to the Gospel's Way of Jesus. Paul would need to correct and re-clarify each time she yelled that out. This, if left unchecked any longer would wear Paul out. This is one of the tactics Satan uses; getting the Christian worker tired. Wear him out. We need our rest. The world will not fall apart if we take some time off. The whole work of evangelizing Tokyo or your campus or your neighborhood does not solely rest on you. If you need rest: take it. Then get up and work hard and work well for the Lord. Counter these mixed messages that were being spoken into your hearts. Be careful what you listen to!

So Paul said to the spirit, "In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!"
As the advance of the Gospel spreads across the land, people are being liberated by God's Power and Truth. Satan had lost the war and the battle for men's souls at the Cross. His ability to win is held back by the Name and Power of Jesus alone. No name given under Heaven can save anyone! Jesus Alone!

What must I do to be saved? Experience the liberating Power of Jesus Christ in your life, which not only opens your life but also cleanses hearts from our sins to His Glory.

The similarity of this exorcism here and with Jesus are interesting. People who were certifiable demon-possessed did attack Jesus and Paul. Both dealt authoritatively with them. In Luke 4:35; 8:29; 9:42 and 11:14, the demons obey the command: “Come Out!” That is where the similarities stop. Jesus alone had the authority to use His Own Name. It was direct and personal with Him. The demons feared Jesus and what Jesus could do to them. Jesus rebukes them and they responded. Paul's and our authority does not lie with us. It is Christ-centered and we would need to call on the Power of Jesus to do these things. There must be a bold confidence and strong prayer support for us to be so involved. But the Authority is still there and that is His profession!

Luke 4:18-19.

The slave owners had a plan for this girl's life. It was making them rich…at her expense. Try as people do, you can't improve on God's plan for our lives. When God's standards are rejected, only pain and suffer remain. For this young girl, she was free of the demon but she did not get filled with the Joy of knowing Jesus as the Freedom Giver…Living for .

John 8:32 “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
Luke 19:28-40

On Palm Sunday, we remember that the King Who gives freedom came into Jerusalem to set the captives free. Join me in remembering His Great Gift to us. Come to the Table and REMEMBER!

May I Introduce You To Tim? Acts 16:1-5

Acts 16:1~5 Timothy Joins Paul and Silas 1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.

Every once in a while, a man comes along who is kind, clean, loves the Lord and has a heart for people and has the Spirit of God alive in him. As a Dad, I'd only wish and hope that he'd wait for my daughters. If I was Paul and I met Timothy for the first time--THAT is the kind of man I'd want for my girls!

We first met Timothy in Acts 16:1. His mother and grandmother were both believers and had raised this young man with a deep knowledge of the Word of God. He was already known as a disciple of Christ. Other followers in his town and from a town many miles away spoke well of him. As we get to know him through Paul's letters to the Churches, we can see a very well developed young Christian man. He was a leader and a learner. He was a freeman and he was a prisoner. He was a servant and a fighter. We can learn a great deal from this young man and even find character qualities in him that are transferable to our own lives…man or woman.

Also, as we look at this man, we can see what kind of church he was in and what developed in the Church around him. We can look for a special DNA of THAT kind of church, and, perhaps, in us.

First, the Church.
You go to the doctor and he tells you that you are healthy. There are no signs of any illness; blood pressure and weight are within average restrictions.
You go to the spa. Your fitness trainer tells you that you are in horrid shape. He tells you that your resting pulse and body fat percentage are way off the charts; your flexibility is-well, poor and you fell off the treadmill because you lost consciences.

If both men can be right, what does it mean to be healthy? What signs do we share here in our fellowship that tell us if we are fit or not. We will need to look at some of the things Paul says to and about Timothy concerning the health of the Body.

#1 How is your Focal Point? What is the THING you focus on as a worshipper here at ICCS? Our focus would determine whether we have a survival mentality or a service mentality. If what we live for is mainly found in the maintaining the building or getting more people in the worship hall or have more money in the bank, than our focus as a church is on survival.

The simple fact that we really do not NEED a building, or a power point or a piano or even Bibles in our hands to be a Church is reality in many fellowships around the world. In Luke 9:58

“Jesus replied, "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay His head."

These are great to have but it should not be our focus.

But, on the other hand, if our willingness here at ICCS is for us to serve than that is the greatest indicator of a Christ-ward focus. That would be a sign that our FAITH is stronger and that people are open to the powerful working of God's Spirit in us. Someone could say, “OK, how can we go beyond talking about this and really doing something about it?” A very good question that comes out of a willingness to help in a tangible way. That is servant or service-focus.

A focus on the Things of God allows us to support each other, even in our differences and in our pain. We are called to one Body and that brings great Glory to God when we act that way. Working together, planning together, doing acts of service together, worshipping together.

Another part of the DNA is to be HONEST.
Honest to God and to each other. Since I am in the ministry, some may think that I have all my issues in line and all is well with my life. While that may seem the case, maybe, inwardly I have problems of self-doubt, fear and of other issues that are common among men my age. A counselor I saw this past week told that many adult men in the ministry here in Japan are dealing with some form of depression. It is a fact of life. We are all fallen people in need of the same Savior.

AA has it great because all who attend AA KNOW that they are there as people with a drinking problem. While that is not my issue, I understand the unique joy it most be to say, “Hi, my name is Stan. I have a drinking problem.”

The Church needs to be the place where each of us can come and find acceptance. Acceptance not for bad behavior or to excuse it but love for being a person in process. The Church needs to be a place where we can face our fears together. Some of us may feel alone, some feel fear, while others have a deep sense of guilt. Some may feel that this is the only place you don't have to put on a mask. Others feel this is the place where I can just be real.

That is being honest.
How do we help each other overcome the problems in our lives? Good question again. We tend to be a bunch of serious, overcommitted people who might have loss the ability to have fun. We need to rediscover fun. We will need to help each other. These types of things may need some professional help from time to time and for us to take our meds but there is an element of having human touch that comes in here.

The early church, as we have studied in this study of Acts had been dealing with many of the same issues we face today. (Personal needs, health, death, fear, spiritual bondage and the like.)

What was the “way” they dealt with these issues? How do you get yourself ready for these things in life? Frankly, you develop a relationship with God thru His Son Jesus and God's people.

We need to approach Church life from the angle that everyone-old Believers and new Followers and soon-to-be Believers are needing to be open to the instruction of the Holy Spirit to live life effectively. Who doesn't need this kind of living?

The healthy community of God's People flows out of a united cause. Jesus had called His Church to follow Him and "I'll make you fishers of men." What He was really saying was, "Follow Me and I will give you something worthy of giving your life to."

To be a Follower of Jesus is something that transcends our present daily life and puts us in contact with the God of the Universe and in touch with His plan for using us in His creation. That is big stuff. That is worth living for! And that is a life that is transformed. Changed from within. Old things are moving out of our lives and we begin to focus on different values: Values that have eternity in mind.

The value we now share with the Body of Christ worldwide is to seek to expand the Kingdom of God.

Matt 6:33 But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

And this can be a reality for us as we seek this transformed life in the presence and in the power of the Living God. That is what our friend Timothy had done, so let's look at him…

Timothy had a reputation:

• People spoke well of him Acts 16:2
• He was spoken highly of by Paul 1 Cor 4:17
• He shared in Gospel Work 1 Cor 16:10
• Timothy had a personal Faith 2 Tim 1:5

This Faith ran in the Family/not his Dad's side-Greek-non believer.

From infancy-Tim knew the Word

2 Tim 3:15
Showed in his walk and actions later in life as he leads and directs the Church in many locations-even from prison.Catch that kind of power in your life!

Qualities: Mature, above reproach, hospitable, loved that which was good, sensitive and sensible, just, devout, had self-control, cared for others, hard working, good confession before others, faithful, good fighter for the Faith, and full of Christian character. Can you fit these in your life?

Tim followed Paul & becoming a companion
We really don't hear from Timothy himself as to what he was saying concerning moving on with Paul, but we can see that he was close to Paul.

Paul called Timothy a brother, a fellow worker, his son whom he loves, faithful.
He says of Timothy that he had a sincere faith, deep knowledge of the Scriptures.

But how does that effect me? Am I expected to be a Timothy? You may say that you did not have the family life Timothy had. You mother did not know God and neither did your grandmother! So, is it reasonable to state that we can be like him? I think so and here is why. God has called us to follow Him and Timothy followed Him.

Please take a look at Philippians 2:19-22 for some insight as to how Paul views Timothy.

19I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, that I also may be cheered when I receive news about you. 20 I have no one else like him, who takes a genuine interest in your welfare. 21 For everyone looks out for his own interests, not those of Jesus Christ. 22 But you know that Timothy has proved himself, because as a son with his father he has served with me in the work of the gospel.

We can be like Timothy because he was like Jesus.
Jesus took a deep interest in people. He cared for them, prayed for them and even suffered for them. Paul encouraged Timothy AND us to rely on God's power for each day's problems.

2 Tim 1:6

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you.Lastly, Paul looks to Timothy to succeed.
1 Tim 2: 18

18Timothy, my son, I give you this instruction in keeping with the prophecies
once made about you, so that by following them you may fight the good fight.

That good fight is what the early church was reminded to keep in focus. We, today, need to keep that in focus as well. Not to give up. Not to turn and run. Not to fold under the pressures because:1 Corinthians 10:12-14 (NIV)

12 So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don't fall! 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

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JUST a word about Wheelchairs For Hope: There will be two work days this month to get ready as many wheelchairs as possible on March 15 and 17 at the Matuskawa Place, next to CAJ in Higashi Kurume. We would like to ship as many as possible (120!?) to Mongolia on March 20. You can come for only one hour or stay the whole day. Busy hands to help others! Come and be a part of the solution!

So, You Got Problems! Acts 15:36-41

Acts 15:36-41 36 Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, "Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the Word of the Lord and see how they are doing." 37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38 but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40 but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. 41He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

On the surface, this is how it appeared but was it really like that? Was it like the Christmas story of Joseph LOOKING for a place to have his first baby born at the last min… “While they were there…” ? This took place some time after the debate with the “other gospel”. Maybe even up to one year later, Paul approached Barnabas with an idea. Up until that point, they and others have been in and around those main cities there TEACHING, ENCOURAGING, and BUILDING UP THE LOCAL BODY OF BELIEVERS. They were doing the work of an apostle and as pastors, teaching the Word of God.

There was a safe feeling in the ministry. Things were going well. Growth was happening and a growing of a deepening Faith of those they were responsible for, but something was lacking. What was it?

There is a time to move out and to enter the world of adventure. To boldly go where few have ever gone before. Oh, to experience the joy of setting foot on shores that has not been touched by the Gospel before! Here, Paul & Barnabas were not going into new lands but to revisit the people whom they had taught the Gospel to for the first time a little while before. Pagan, at one time, far from God but now, because of the Gospel, are brought near to the Cross and to the fellowship of God's people by the Blood of Jesus. They were transformed people, living for Christ in all they being.

There are times when we here at ICCS need to look up and see that there are "men who look like trees walking." We need a clearer vision of the task set before us. Meaning, we need to be developing a mindset, or rather a new heart-set, that will allow us the joy of going to tell others of the Grace of God. “Have this mind in you which was also in Christ Jesus…”

They felt that as much as those here were benefited in the teaching, they needed now to think how much the others out there could benefit from it. “Let's go and make disciples.” Sounds like something else somewhere…

The need was great OUT THERE. There is a BIG need outside these walls as well. If we only look at ourselves we become self-centered. Who in our circle of relationships can we effect for the Gospel? Ask God! He will and can show us our next step-one we need to take!

"Let us go back and visit the brothers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing."41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches..

How can we at ICCS do the same? You have seen a number of people leave us over the past year. More will follow the Lord as He leads them to other places to minister. Soon M.Y. will leave us to return to Singapore. D. and S. left one month ago to learn French to move to France in 6 months. M.'s family is in Conn. D. and S. have moved to Tenn. There are many others. We can send a letter to them, call them, e-mail them, or visit them with words of comfort to those who have left us-. In the back, we have set up some pre-addressed envelopes to those who are no longer with us. Take one and write to them and let them know of your love. Encourage them in the Lord. Go deep! Tell them of the transformation in your life and of that same change in others here.

So they did end up doing what they hoped to do in the first place… But along the way, something happened.Even when the dispute was a while ago, the feeling of a good fight was still in the air … perhaps. PAUL & BARNABAS disagreed so strongly with the Judizers (sharp dispute/ turbulent quarrellings). As we know from current events, religious disputes seem to run deeper than most.

Did this atmosphere set up PAUL & BARNABAS for a split? Had they gotten in the mood for fighting? Just remember back to the root cause of the trouble. They were contending for the Faith. When the question of purity of doctrine was at stake-it is best you do not look for the easiest way to resolve it. The expedient way of peace should not be the way of choice. There was a time in world history that such an idea was in vogue. Peace at any cost. ILL: Chamberlain & Hitler.

It is true that the loss of Doctrinal purity at the expense of peace is SO unwise. Again, it is good to know WHAT and WHY you believe.

These Men of the Gospel made plans to journey back to the very places they were beaten, preached, bleed and worked the soil of evangelism over one year before. What would they find?

1 Corinthians 3:5-7 “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe-as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.”

Young converts need care as they are surrounded by impurity, oppositions and superstitions. We all do! Things could go very badly for them in their spirit and in their walk. How much more so today! When fellowship is broken-well, it is broken! There is a need to repair the relationship. How?

Isa 58:12 Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins; and will raise up the age old foundations; and you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.

Could this be the new name for the ICCS church plant? Think of the implications of that change! Could this be a new ministry that comes out of the Chapel? Work it over in your hearts and pray about it! We may already doing it!

Verse 37-38 sets the stage for a split between PAUL & BARNABAS. Let's look at those who are involved. John Mark was Barnabas' sister's son. He was at the prayer meeting for the imprisoned Peter. As his uncle, there would be a natural affection for John Mark already.

But Paul-saw it differently.

13:13 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem.

Paul had two reasons for not wanting John Mark.

1. Mark had deserted them before-a history

2. Mark had not continued with them in the work.

All this was true. Why did John Mark leave? Maybe he was real young in the Faith-or-he was just too young-or-he was not strong enough to hang in there with the persecutions-or-he was just not ready yet. Maybe his Mom called him! In any case, he did leave the group and Paul did not respond well to that. In fact, in the years to come, many will leave Paul yet Mark will still be there.

2 Tim 4:9-11 9 Do your best to come to me quickly, 10 for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia. 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

Then in 2 Tim 4:16

At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them.

And Colossians 4:10

My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.)

When Colossians was written, Mark was in jail with Paul himself! Paul certainly got his fill of people walking out on him yet the last verse speaks volumes. Paul had a good memory of the past. He was a 'call it as you see it' kind of a guy. Some people in ministry are hard-core guys while others are softer.

Verse 39: There was a sharp contention. Not suggesting or implied anger or ill will. Maybe it was just that they differed rather strongly. Unwavered in their feelings. Stubborn? Obstinate? Not really good qualities in a leader, but you need to answer these questions: Too stubborn? Was the result good? Did it bring God Glory? Was the Gospel held back? Did God's work move forward?

1. Paul's love for Righteousness-let's get the work done!
2. Barnabas' love for his Relative-let's work this out!

As far as Paul was concerned, Mark had been tired and he had failed. Looks like Paul would not trust him again. But, he did-later. Ever been there yourself? Ever been cut out because of past work or attitude? What did you need? Someone who would put their trust in you…give you a second-third chance. Is it better to be cut or to be built up? And Barnabas was living up to his name: Son of Encouragement. “Barnabas would not give up; Paul would not agree.”

So move on. This is not a proof text for how to divide teams. Not a proof text for divorce. Just in this case, they agreed to disagree and the 'cause of the Gospel' was not effected. They took different roads to do ministry.

Therefore, John Mark got to prove himself to his Uncle on the Island of Cyprus among Barnabas' relatives. Silas proved faithful to his leader Paul as they went through Syria and Cilicia. All this resulted in more churches were encouraged, more believers were strengthened, and God's Word was able to spread farther than it would have had PAUL & BARNABAS stayed together. I feel this points to the fact that there can be a conflict and not find sin. People can have difference without wrong tempers. Not allowing the argument to divide people from working the Word of God into lives of men and women.

The part in verse 40 Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord. This only speaks to the fact that Dr. Luke went with Paul and not with Barnabas. He wrote what he saw and was part of. I am sure that the local group of Believers also commended John Mark and his uncle as well.

"Who's In Charge Here? Rules. Acts 15:1-29

It seems to be a reality of life and ministry: Things are going very well. Changed lives are showing themselves as being on the right road. Ministry is happening, in that there are open doors and people are coming to understand the Light of the Gospel... Then, stuff hits the fan!

It is called LIFE but still can get you down. You are doing the best you feel you can do yet life seems to unravel around you and you feel all so alone. Does this happen to you?

Pain and discouragement run in your face. Sleep gets interrupted. Relationships are strained. There seems to be “a dark cloud” following you and you can't give it the slip. You become aware of distention around you. Rebellion.

In our passage today, such a thing is happening to the early Church. There was opposition but it was from the pagan world and that is to be expected. People in Derbe and other placed stoned Paul. There is anger expressed toward the Gospel and they are reminded, as we are, that

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” Acts 14:22.

But what we are finding here in Chapter 15 is a pain from another source. From within the Body.

ILL: You have had some pain in the foot for a while. It started sometime last month-can't be sure when-you are now aware of the pain. It seems to be located around the big toe. You decide to look into the situation but you really will put it off until last night. Once you take off your socks, you see that it is much worst than you first thought. The big tow is red-black really. There are signs of deep infection under the big toe nail. The ingrown nail is now black and you can see some white of infection. What do you do? Put your sock back on and hope it goes away by the morning.

Well, that is exactly what you did but now, Sunday Morning, it really hurts and you notice that there is a little red line moving up beyond your ankle and on it's way to your knee. What to do? You had better deal with it but you don't have time. You really don't want to be late to service so you put your loose shoes on and walk out the door. On your way to ICCS, someone on the train accidentally steps on your sick toe and you are in pain!

This is exactly NOT what the early leaders of the Church did when this problem came up. They addressed it right away. They went to the authority and asked them for help and for clarification. It was becoming a disturbance to the Body. People's lives were being shaken.

You can hear some singing Frank Sinatra's Song: “I did it my way.” Here is the problem. Some believing people from Jerusalem came out from the main church and started to speak out without the backing of the leaders of the main church still in Jerusalem and teaching with the 'sound' of authority that people needed to come to Christ their way. They were more than suggesting that the new Gentile believers were not real believers UNTIL they followed the Jewish laws to the last jot and tittle.

(See Matt 5:18 The meaning of the passage is very clear. Not even the smallest letter or even its decorative spur will ever disappear from the "God Breathed" Word until all is fulfilled. In fact when heaven and earth are replaced by a new heaven and earth, the Word of the Lord will have accomplished its purpose and will be fulfilled in every detail even to the very letter. http://www.bible-history.com)

They would insist that the new Believers become Jews first and THEN they could grow in the Faith. It is like, me as a missionary from the US, insisting that all Japanese believers MUST speak English and take on American names and follow the American Church calendar if they are to grow in the Faith. How strange is that? Not to strange as many have tried and done just that. Wrongly, yet did it.

So these people from the main church told people that they needed to become Jewish men by being circumcised--, according to the custom taught by Moses, or they could not be saved - This was thrown right into the face of Peter and Paul and still after what had happened back in Acts 10 with the Gentile Believer Cornelius and the others who followed.

This brought Paul and Barnabas into sharp dispute and debate with these false teachers. All that Paul and Barnabas had done and with all they had seen and taught, still there were people out there who were not to affected by the Truth of experience or reality or the Word of God! These new teachings were suggesting-not really saying outright-that the Gentiles could not experience real joy now nor could they enjoy the Joy of God in eternity-and no forgiveness because they were not keeping the Jewish laws in the here and now. Had there been a mistake? Had the gentile Believers not understood the REAL message?

The local Churches north of Jerusalem took this one on! They brought some of their own men together and sent them with the appointment of Paul and Barnabas to go up to the leaders of the Church and find out how to deal with this problem. The infected toe was going to be dealt with!

Again, these men came from the main church and taught which sounded like the voice of the main church and 'shared' this teaching that really put the Gentile Believers and Jewish believers into a tailspin. They spoke like they had authority but they did not. In fact, this one issue and one's like it has been the pain of many groups ever since.

1. Who is in charge here?
2. Who is the one with Authority?
3. Who's word can be trusted?

Authority and rebellion has left its mark and it's effect on church groups thorough history.

And it goes way back. Take Moses and one man named Korah. A long story but to keep it short, Korah felt that Moses was not the only one God could speak thru, so he got some men to go along with him and they had a show down. Not like the old west with a shoot out but a show down nonetheless. Here on one side was Moses and his brother Aaron and on the other Korah, Dathan and Abiran. See this in Numbers 16:1~. Look what happened! The earth opened up and took those who were against God's men into an early grave. All of them. The New Testament lesson: You shall know them by their fruit.

Let's look at verse 8: 8

"God, who knows the heart..."

And at Acts 1:24

Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen..."

This is the only place such words appear in the Scriptures. The Knowing-Heart! To know this is to understand the way of a Sovereign Lord. Do you know that He knows your Heart? Do you care? Do you know that even though He does know you, He still loves you as much as He loves the ones who were spreading the faults teaching? Love the sinner; hate the sin. Can we understand that? Can we practice that?!

How about people in the world that make us angry? The terrorist? The one who plots to kill innocent people-men and women-boys or little girls-make no difference to them. Do you have a love for them? Believe God Does!

Are there people in history that had done bad things to your ancestors and now become the focal point of some real personal anger on your part? What place does that have in our lives? I suggest that the Gospel can touch those areas and bring healing. His Word deals with the innermost parts of man. Anger and hostile feelings are at the root of rebellion and rebellion never come to any good. Deal with it. Pray right now. You may need to deal with it but you may not want to. Deal with those areas right now.

Once Peter and his group got to the first all-Church council-ever, he speaks out of his heart and out of his own experiences. Read with me starting with verse 7 with this quote of Peter. What does he mean? He was the one who was going to bring the Message of Salvation to the Gentiles. God made the choice. Peter was the ONE!

Verse 8: God knows the heart-we already looked at that verse. God knows and has accepted them by giving them the same Holy Spirit. Not a Spirit for the Jews who need laws and needs to be kept in bondage to the law and another Spirit to those outside the Faith. One Spirit and one Body. God had made no distinction between them and anyone else, for he purified their hearts by faith.

Same Blood from the same Cross from the Same Savior. He died for those who were from a Jewish background and He died for them who were from a Gentile heritage. That is the package called the Gospel. Good News for all people!

After this exchange by Peter, see what affect it had on the group. Verse 12

The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Why?

When God tells us His Story, we are to be still! What can we add to His perfect ways? How can we turn people's heads with anything less than His Wondrous works in our lives? When we tell of His changes in our lives, we are not bragging. We are reporting what He has done. He has done ALL things well! ALL THE TIME! Him working IN ME!

Now, action was needed. James, who is the head of the Church, spoke up. "Brothers, listen to me." This shows that he had power in the group. It looks like his word stands out over the rest by his statement. And what does he say: He calls Peter his old name of Simon and relates how God first worked in the hearts of non-Jews. He calls to mind an Old Testament passage from Amos and Isaiah of the rebuilding of His family. His way. His timing. Via His People/Church. The Church is His Avenue of Grace to the world.

James also says that they should not make things hard on the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20

Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.

Just hold to four things. To abstain from food that had been polluted by idols would mean meats offered to idols, as it would be known that the foods were used in some form of worship.

While in Osaka a number of summers ago, I visited one of my teachers in her home stay house. Her caregivers were not believers in the Lord. It was a very hot day and the Lady of the house offered half of a cold melon and offered the other half to the photo of her departed husband. She left the room and I ate the wonderful melon. Looking at the other half, I wondered what to do: should I replace my empty melon with the cold half at the family alter? No, this verse came to mind.

Secondly, keep from fornication (sexual immorality). This would mean ALL sorts of unclean behavior, such as adultery, incestuous relations, any form of prostitution-which was common among the Gentile idol worship. This would also cover porno and any immorality of any kind.

Thirdly, things that are strangled. This was also a practice of the pagan temples, to strangle the animal in a cruel method in order to keep the blood inside the animal as it was thought to taste better that way. Cruel method.

Lastly, the dealing of blood. Genesis 9:4

"But you must not eat meat that has its lifeblood still in it."

Some basic things. This was not really dealing with the dangerous issues these zealous Judaizers had been spreading. This letter caused each person to see that the main thing God was interested in was how we walk. What we do in the society. What we do with our relationships. How we conduct ourselves in our worship. Were we really acting like Children of God under Grace? Transformational.

Looking at this another way, we need to ask ourselves, what cultural dos and don'ts have we added to the Gospel as condition for fellowship or for belonging? Are we asking the other person to conform to our image of God? Or are we conforming to the Biblical image of God? The Biblical image of worship? (We are made in His likeness.)

A good litmus test for the presence of the saving grace of God in our hearts is whether there is an overflow of JOY at the news that another has found the Savior. Not, “oh, you need to get cut.” That is the appropriate response to people of any cultural group that come into Salvation. JOY!

These, so-called spokespersons for the main church, were insisting on circumcision and living under the Jewish law that was so very hard even for them. Misery loves company, I guess. That was putting God to the test. Their views were that the true test of spirituality was external. Paul sure understood that as he was one of their more verbal supporters until God showed him the better way. By using the experiences and the realities of what happened to the Gentiles, the early church better understood that it is through the Grace of our Lord Jesus that we are saved, just as they were. Salvation is a Gift. Pure and simple.

The 61st chaplain of the US Senate, and the one time Senior Pastor of the First Presbyterian Church in Hollywood, California, Dr. Lloyd John Ogilvie once said:

“The struggle for faith alone never ends. It's a part of our own inability to accept a gift. And deeper than that: we want to be loved because of what we do for God.”

So we live with guilt that we aren't good enough/do enough/or feel accepted by His Perfect standard. But the Truth be known, we are loved! We have become good enough IN JESUS. He has done all that was necessary for us to be called Children of God-under His Grace. And indeed, His Love accepts us. We are prized and highly esteemed in His sight.

Colossians 1:21-23 says:

“21 Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior. 22 But now He has reconciled you by Christ's physical body through death to present you holy in His sight, without blemish and free from accusation- 23 if you continue in your faith, established and firm, not moved from the hope held out in the Gospel. This is the Gospel that you heard and that has been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and of which I, Paul, have become a servant."

Like the hearers of this letter, we need to be glad with the Good News that we do not need to be burdened with anything beyond following His Teaching. How we live our life comes down to this! What we do as we walk around in this world-or attitudes-our talk-our practices-all are connected to the Gift our Lord gave to us when He went to the Cross on our behalf.

He died for us. Took our punishment. We were the ones who were guilt of sin and filled with corruption. We deserved death but He, in His Splendid Mercy gave us Grace.

The closer we get to Him the more of His Grace we can experience and know. We do not need to be like the ones who spoke out of cultural bondage-nothing can be added to the Gospel. We need only follow the Teachings of our Lord and watch how we walk. Not as the world walks.

1 John 1:5-7 says:

“This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the Light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the Blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all (every) sin.”

The ongoing role of the Church is to do just what Judas and Silas were doing; encouraging and strengthening its members. Let US do that with all of you. Let us pray for you. Talk with you. Listen to you. Teaching and instructing ourselves under the Authority of God's Word. Check out the Bible yourself and see if we are doing the job aright as we teach and preach the Word of God as we look to the next 17 years and beyond.

And may the God of ALL Mercy fill your hearts with His Joy as you seek ways to serve Him without condemnation!

To Derbe and Beyond! 2.11 Acts 14:21-28

“To Infinity and Beyond!” was the famous line from the “Toy Story” movie. While that line was entertaining, the real toys could not really go anywhere. They were limited to the power in their batteries and yet, they started to do incredible acts of heroism. Saving other toys from destruction, from being locked up in a Toy collection forever or from being blown up or pulled apart by a neighborhood boy-bully.

Within this passage, To Derbe and Beyond! , we will be looking at what a church planter can look forward to as they move the Gospel around their area. What are they to teach? They too were limited to the power of their battery. Yet, they will be doing incredible acts of evangelism because of the indwelling Power of God's Spirit. Let's stand up to give Honor to the reading of the Word of God.

(Please Read Acts 14:21-28)

A while ago, I made mention that: "A religious faith is always one generation from extinction." How do we pass on the Gospel within our own families? How can we guard our Faith from extinction? Does it matter what that Faith is based on? Whether in a busy European city or on a calm South Pacific Ocean atoll, we must be on our guard to falsehood and cultish teaching. How do you know the difference? As we mentioned before from

1 Peter 5:8

“Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

First, we must really know what we believe. Last week, we recited the Apostle's Creed before we took the Bread and Juice of Communion. I asked: “Believer, what do you believe?”

A while ago, a struggling believer once said…
“Though I am an old Doctor of Divinity, to this day I have not got beyond the children's learning-the Ten Commandments, the (Creed), and the Lord's Prayer; and these I understand not so well as I should, though I study them daily, praying with my son John and my daughter Magdalen.” -Martin Luther wrote that in his Table-Talk. This speaks of family time sharing and praying with and for the family!

Let's start there: The Creed was used to teach and remind believers to ready them for Baptism and for life.

1. I believe in God the Father, Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: Basic statement of who is our God. The God of Genesis with the creation of all that we know to be around us and a lot that is around us we haven't got a clue about! We are defining our central control and central Being of our Faith. I believe in God, the Lord and Creator of all that is.
He is ALMIGHTY!

2. And in Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son, our Lord: I also believe in His Son, known in history as Jesus of Nazareth. This One is the only begotten of the Father. No one uses that term any more so a definition is needed. From an old English word- Beget. But what I feel shows us a better meaning is that Jesus is and has been Eternally one with the Father yet was born as a human in Bethlehem. This Son was the Son of the God of Creation we first encounter in the beginning of this creed. He is the One Dr. Luke wrote about in his Gospel and in the book of Acts-so that we might believe in Him. Read Luke 1:3-4.

He had no beginning-He always was and IS and Forever more will be. He co-exist with the Father-part of the Triune God. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary: This is how Jesus came to become human. He was fully human and still Divinely One with the Father. The FACT that Mary was a virgin is a very hotly contested issue and one that needs to be understood fully. IF this one area falls from a person's belief system, it undercuts the Truth of Jesus' Miracle birth. The communist government of a nation to our west is printing Bibles with at least this one fact missing from it's pages. It is to undercut this miracle birth of Jesus so that in years to come few would know of the Truth. They print that she was only a young woman or girl. It is important to KNOW that the OT predicted that a young VIRGIN would give birth to the Promised One. Jesus' deity somewhat rests on this!

4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead and buried: The suffering of the Savior was one of the misunderstandings during the years right around Jesus' life and ministry and a few years beyond. They were looking for a military leader who would crush Roman rule and restore the Throne of David in Israel. By using the Roman name of Pilate, it gives the sense of when this happened. A part of real history. It also shows us HOW Jesus was to die, also something that was foretold many years before. That He indeed died-not fell asleep-or change into another body of one who looked like Jesus, or disappeared, but really died. Over 5,000 saw Him alive after the resurrection. This would tell those who follow this testimony how and when Jesus was killed.

He descended into hell: Well, to tell the truth, this was added later to this creed and many of the early copies of the creed did not include this. It became entwined with a difficult teaching of where did Jesus 'really' go during those three days. Some later teaching was that He went to speak with the dead Father's of the Hebrew Tribe and released them from whatever held them back from entering Heaven. Some taught that Jesus went into a limbo state where souls could still make the choice to follow or not follow Jesus. This would allow for a 'second chance' theory that Scripture just does not support. We have placed that line in light print only to recognize that it was in some of the creeds but not the one we hold to or repeat.

5. The third day he rose again from the dead: This was one of the main central teachings of Paul and the early teachers of the Faith. Unless He really did not raise from the dead then our faith and all we hold dear to our salvation is foolishness. He rose from the dead to prove that He did indeed have the Power He said He had over Death and Sin. The early Believes' cry:

He is Risen! He is Risen, indeed!

-would be the central teaching that would keep Christianity different from any world faith/religion. Our God is Alive!

6. He ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty: The bodily ascension or raising of Jesus physically was also predicted by the Prophets as to a proof of Who He really was. He would also return that same way as the angles said He would in Acts 1. He was not a spirit but the real Body of Jesus.

7. From thence (from there) He shall come to judge the quick (living) and the dead: The Promise of His return floods the NT. He will return to earth to call His Church to Himself and to bring final judgment on the world. He will return from Heaven to the earth to set up His Forever Kingdom. The judgment of God will happen at the end of time!

8. I believe in the Holy Ghost: The Third Person of the God Head. We do not believe in three Gods, nor do we believe that one is separate from the other. The God Head is Three in One. While the word Trinity does not explicitly appear in the New Testament, its basis however is established by the New Testament: The coming of Jesus Christ and the presumed presence and power of God among them had implications for the early Christians.

"The Holy Spirit, who's coming was connected with the celebration of the Pentecost. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were associated in such New Testament passages as the Great Commission: “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28:19); and in the apostolic benediction: “The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all” (2 Corinthians 13:14)."-

Taken from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

9. I believe in the holy catholic church: Meaning the Church universal and not the one Roman Catholic church based in Rome. Belief of the Body of Christ around the world is tied to yourself in purpose and message to reach the world with the Message of the Gospel of Jesus' Salvation.

the communion of saints: We are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses as we find in Hebrews 12:1

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.

10. The forgiveness of sins: This is what Jesus accomplished on the Cross; He died for our sins and paid the only price that would cover our disobedience of God's Laws and commands. His Blood cleanses us from all sin.

11. The resurrection of the body: The goal of our walk, to be raised into life from our death and to be forever with the Lord.

12. And the life everlasting. The final resting place of all who believe. Life that will be everlasting in the presence of our God and Father, His Son and in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Amen. The end or I agree.
__________
Here we have Paul returning to the very places he had faced some very hard times. People who wanted him dead, yet he returned to: 22

strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.

The teaching was strongly based on staying with the Gospel-even in tough times.

"We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God," they said.

During these visits of undetermined time, he goal was to set up a church government that would work on it's own, as it were, to bring the teaching in line with what the Council back at the Mother Church in Antioch had taught.

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for each church and supported them and in truth gave birth to them with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
To me, this is very telling of the need to belong to a local Body of believers. We are to function as one in conduct and belief and in the society we live in. We are answerable to one another with certain guidelines that are there to build us up in the faith. These whom Paul and Barnabas were setting up in the office of elder were therefore responsible for the well being of the local church and accountable to the Mother Church in Antioch.

Along with their setting up the church, the preaching of the Gospel was still their bread and butter, as it were. The mainstay of the message was the Gospel. And when it was shared, spoken, preached, there were results: 21

They preached the good news in that city and won a large number of disciples.

And in verse 25

and when they had preached the word in Perga,

Making their way back home, they returned to the place were it all started. The place where they were set apart to the ministry of the Gospel by the laying on of hands after a time/period of prayer and fasting. To where they had been committed to the Grace of God for the work they had now completed.

All this was the Work of God's Spirit! The Spirit of God used willing men to bring His Great Message of Salvation to the Gentile world and even some Jews believed along the way.
Now, they gathered the local church together and had a mission's conference. They reported what had happened. They told stories of how the Spirit of God had moved them from city to city. They showed their scars and told of the beatings. All this without a Power Point! Their power point was the Working of God in the loves of those who heard and believed because they went in obedience to the call. They spoke of how the Power of God had opened the door of Faith to the Gentiles.

If we are to reach the 170,000+ people in Tokorozawa for Christ, we need to go. We need to reach out into their lives. Take some risks and talk of the Power of God. Take the Power for Living booklets and the Gideon Bibles to those who are called to believe. Do you know who they are? No, and neither did Paul and Barnabas. They just went with the Power of God on them and they spoke of a changed life and they gave witness of that changed life by their lifestyle.
Just like what we are to do here in our city. To ready them to hear the Good news, we need to be sure we have prayer support for such an adventure. After they prayed and fasted, they sent out the group to evangelize the area for Christ. Are you going to be part of the problem or part of the solution? With Christ on our side, we can make a huge difference in this city of Tokorozawa. We can join with other pastors and their communities and work hand in hand with them to be a front line of Christ's Men and Women who are walking in obedience with God's call to love those who need to know.

And it will take time. Stay around, if you can. Verse 28 said that too! 28

And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

Next Sunday is our THIRD Sunday of the month. This means we will be having a great time after the service with our monthly Covered Dish Love Feast. Pleace bring some food to share and enjoy a meal with your friends at ICCS. Right after the service.

The Witness in Lystra Part 2: Acts 14:8-20

When it comes to moving into a completely non-Jewish city, Lystra seemed to be the place. In fact, at that time, it might have been one of the most pagan areas around that region.

Lystra was a fortified Roman outpost just south of Iconium, which was about 18 miles away. Paul and company had been encouraged to leave Iconium (via a possible stoning) so he started speaking in Lystra. There was no mention of there being a synagogue in this city. (Later in Acts, we find that there were Jewish believers there.) Before, Paul had been invited to speak in the Jewish service but not here in Lystra. No, he just started to speak to the crowds.

This passage first deals with the man who was lame.

8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking.

I am sure that such people as this cripple are found in most cities but this is the second big time such a person is found in the letter of Dr. Luke. Back when Peter and John were central to the message's proclamation, a lame man was sitting outside the gate to the Temple. He was looking for handouts or money. There was no proclamation of any Gospel-at that time, just: “What I have I give to you, in the Name of Jesus Christ, walk!”

Do you remember what happened? He not only got up, he danced! God's message was heard and understood and some people really hated to see that happen. BUT there was an understanding. Let's not get ahead of the story.

Paul, while he was speaking, saw or understood that the man, who was crippled, had the faith to be healed. That is some interesting bit of news…

1. God's Power Shown. Acts 14:8~10

While the man was listening to Paul, faith grew inside him. He was given Faith to believe and this was visually apparent to Paul. He saw that he had faith to be healed … What kind of faith was that?

Last week, we spoke of the man with the son who needed faith to support his little faith. Mark 9:20-25 “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”

Now here, Paul sees a new kind of faith. Visible Faith. It was seen in his eyes? Did his face shine? Was he was breaking out in words on his forehead that said: “I have faith to be healed!”?

All it said in this passage was that:

Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

Paul KNEW where this man was spiritually, one way or the other. He had a faith that could heal him. Romans 10:13 says: "Everyone who calls on the Name of the Lord will be saved." This lame man's faith was not a salvation kind of saving faith. It was physical. Yet, I can't believe that the man did not believe, as he became the topic of the drama that came up soon thereafter.

What kind of Faith do you have? Faith that needs help: an overcoming-your-unbelief-kind-of-a-faith! Or do you have a heart that can be seen as ready for faith to be healed?

Many are ill and sick at ICCS. It says in the Word that we are to pray for those who are sick, lay hands on them and anoint them with oil and ask God to heal them; to ask for forgiveness and confess our sins to one another. Here was a man who Paul saw that he had faith to be healed. Do you have that kind of faith? Do you need help in your unbelief that God can do a healing in your life?

What will it take to believe God for a healing? Are miraculous healings ALWAYS a sign of God's blessings? Is it the way to approach a non-Jewish/Christian worldview? Being called “Power evangelism” such a case could be understood and followed. Such acts of Divine Power would certainly be seen and understood by a pagan world as being divine. Or would they? That is the 'stuff' of our next point of being misunderstood.

Some say that “Rarely was church growth attributed to preaching alone…signs and wonders were the catalyst to evangelism.” John Wimber on church growth in 1986. Others would limit the use of signs and wonders to only the age of the apostles. I wonder. How can we limit God's Hand? Can He not do what He wants or does He need our permission to do what come divinely natural for Him; healing and creation?

As we spoke last week, when the Power of the Gospel is present, THERE is the working of God's creative power. The lady who touched Jesus' robe was healed because she touched a powerful robe or because she had the faith to believe in touching the robe, Jesus could and would heal her? She had visible faith as well.

The important item to remember is for healings of this kind to happen, the Gospel ALWAYS needs to be present and as the focal point of the work of God. God's Power to Save goes hand and hand with the Gospel to be made whole. Not all touches need to be healed but the Gospel will not return void. The Gospel will glorify God.

2. Power Misunderstood: Acts14:11-13

Well, the man was healed. He was sure happy. The crowd around Paul and Barnabas went crazy! And they went crazy in their own language!

Something was going on that the Team did not follow. I am sure this has never happened to you. The 'group' you are with speaks another language and you do not speak that language. They decide to go or do something and they begin to act on that decision. You are cut off from any understanding. They are really excited about this new plan yet you cannot find a clue what they are talking about! Some get their coats, while others do something else. All this excitement about something yet no one has told you. They are just caught up in the excitement and of course they feel you will follow and understand the whole thing.

There is both a total excitement and a total lack of understanding. They do not comprehend at all!
And you are left in the dark.
Then, they get you to stand up and give a message on the excitement they are all experiencing. You are lost.

Think how these men felt! The lame man needs an other name now that he is dancing around the streets! There is excitement! There is joy! There is gross miscomprehension!

It takes them three verses to learn what is going on! And what is going on? The people are yelling in their foreign language that the gods have come among them!

Talk about missing the point! Paul is responding to the lame man's acceptance to the Faith message. His message was about the way God had shown Himself to the world and all these people wanted to do was to offer them the blood of bulls!

Leaders and lay people alike were caught in this web of misunderstanding. They had given them new names and they were generally and honestly excited about what just happened. Problem was, it was not gods among them. Zeus and Hermes were not there in the flesh.

They misunderstood the message. BUT not the message they knew of. A while ago, it was reported that the two, Zeus and Hermes did visit earth and visited over 1,000 homes to find kindness and found no one to show kindness to them EXCEPT Baucis and Philemon. They took them in and took care of the god-made-flesh gods. The Roman poet who told this tale was known by the name Ovid. He wrote that the gods were so upset that caring was void in that region; a flood would destroy the area. The couple's shack was transformed into a marble-pillared, gold-roofed temple and they became the priest of the new temple. These folks did not want to be wrong again! They wanted to do it right and according to legend, offering the blood of bulls would be a good thing to do.

But they did not really hear what Paul and Barnabas were saying in their message. And what was the message? It was lost except in the healing of the lame man. HE understood it, it seems. But the real message was spoken even later.

The crowd's response was, in fact, the right one, IF such things could happen. They wanted to avoid divine punishment and passed on the blessing in the form of the flowers and the blood of the bulls. They saw these two gods as the ones who would ensure good harvest in that agricultural area. Zeus was the weather god and Hermes was his messenger.

Here Paul enters a problem most missionaries have when they attempt to reach a people group they do not know or understand. Here was Paul, a good Jewish boy with good Torah upbringing. He knew the Law and the Prophets BY HEART. He knew all the 600+ laws and had kept them since his youth. He was of the tribe of Benjamin. He was a First Class Jewish Man.

And here he was in a pagan city that saw him as a visiting god of weather. Blasphemy!

If Paul and Barnabas accepted the praise of the people and went along with it for a time, the real meaning would be lost for a lifetime. The manifestations of the miraculous left unchecked would lead them to reinterpreted this healing in the only way they could understand it: in terms of their non-Christian religious beliefs and values. In that way real problems would arise that would allow this misunderstanding to persists and become syncretistic, allowing other worldviews to maintain them over against Christian Truth claims of a Changed Life.

Unless the Holy Spirit can open the hearts of the new listeners of the Message, it would be lost in their world-view. Both Jewish and Pagan religions had teachings of the divine visitation that lived and walked on the earth. Where was the kingpin idea that would tie their hearts to the Gospel?

In Japan, I was told a number of years ago the kingpin was KANJI. Hidden in the KANJI of old was the message of Salvation. Mr. Kazama, a while ago, showed us the Message of the Gospel in the bamboo stick mats. Some feel it is in the fact that Japanese honor their ancestors as the key. Others feel that it is in the tea ceremony. The key is that it MUST be in the Biblical Teaching of the Gospel. And that is where he went next.

3. The Power Spoken; Acts 14:14~18

The number one way, back then, to show someone you are sick of them or that you violently disagree with them is to tear your clothes. They went at it with real gusto! This idea was revolting to them. “NO! We are not gods! We are only humans-like you!” They were not trying to blend in. They were not going to allow this misunderstanding take away the Glory of God. This MUST be cleared up!

They ran into the crowd to stop them from continuing with this worship thing. That was a very serious thing to do! Think about it. The people of Lystra were devoted followers of Zeus. They had this history of this happening before and they were not going to let it pass. Worship was necessary and worship is what they were going to get!

He goes for their gut in attacking this form of worship. He was not going to put on kiddy gloves. He hits hard.

Turn to Jeremiah 2: 5

This is what the LORD says: “What fault did your fathers find in me, that they strayed so far from me? They followed worthless idols and became worthless themselves.”

Jeremiah 2:11

Has a nation ever changed its gods? (Yet they are not gods at all.) But my people have exchanged their Glory for worthless idols.

Jeremiah 10:3-16

3 For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut a tree out of the forest, and a craftsman shapes it with his chisel. 4 They adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. 5 Like a scarecrow in a melon patch, their idols cannot speak; they must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them; they can do no harm nor can they do any good." 6 No one is like You, O LORD; You are great, and Your Name is mighty in power. 7 Who should not revere You, O King of the nations? This is Your due. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is no one like You. 8 They are all senseless and foolish; they are taught by worthless wooden idols. 9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz. What the craftsman and goldsmith have made is then dressed in blue and purple- all made by skilled workers. 10 But the LORD is the true God; He is the living God, the eternal King. When He is angry, the earth trembles; the nations cannot endure His wrath. 11 "Tell them this: 'These gods, who did not make the heavens and the earth, will perish from the earth and from under the heavens.' "12 But God made the earth by His power; He founded the world by His wisdom and stretched out the heavens by His understanding. 13 When He thunders, the waters in the heavens roar; He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth. He sends lightning with the rain and brings out the wind from His storehouses. 14 Everyone is senseless and without knowledge; every goldsmith is shamed by his idols. His images are a fraud; they have no breath in them. 15 They are worthless, the objects of mockery; when their judgment comes, they will perish. 16 He who is the Portion of Jacob is not like these, for He is the Maker of all things, including Israel, the tribe of His inheritance-the LORD Almighty is His name.

Jeremiah 17:5

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the LORD.”

The Ten Commandments are not there to make our life more difficult. Not there to keep us so busy doing the right things that we don't have time to do wrong things. They are not mere suggestions! They are there to support the reason we are alive.
To Love God and to Enjoy Him Forever.

Paul's message follows this way of thought:
1. We are human beings like you.
2. We are really here to bring you Good News
3. Turn from these worthless things
4. Turn to the Living God

Who made heaven and earth and sea

Who let things go in the past BUT not now!

5. He has left for Himself a witness/testimony
6. He has shown His kindness by sending

Rain

Plenty of food

Fills your hearts with joy

Paul's message can become a model for those who are speaking God's Message to followers of a non-Christian followings or lifestyles. Finding common ground is important. All men are made in God's image with the ability to reason and evaluate life's experiences. Paul needed to know where in their religious belief system did they pull away for the Truth found in Scripture. How Good does the Good News have to be to be sought after without compromising the Truth? Such knowledge of the Divine needs then to be brought to a head with the understanding of personal consequences of this information. It is, indeed, not just a philosophy of life but one of life and death issues. Here is God who loves you and has provided all for your enjoyment; why not trust Him, love Him, serve Him?

It is hard to believe that this message almost does not work in stopping them. Kind of hard to stop a mob with Reason but then just when you think all is well, in walks the bad guys from Antioch and Iconium. When bad guys from two different groups get together, WOW, watch out!

Which brings us to the next point of PAIN.

4. The Pain of Growth: Acts 14:19~20

The people of Lystra were not allowed to worship who they thought was Zeus and Hermes. They were ready for a festival. Having been disappointed, they were really ready for the bad words from the gents from Antioch and Iconium. They were incited to riot and stoned Paul! Having done their worst, they dragged out, what they thought was a corps, outside the city limits and walked home enormously content with life, thank you very much.

Think of Paul's friends… They were horrified. They stood over the bloody heap of flesh and, to their amazement; Paul stood up and walked BACK INTO THE CITY AGAIN! Maybe he had hit his head! Maybe he was not able to understand what had happened! Why go back? Because he was not finished.

He spent the night in Lystra and on the next day, he and Barnabas left for Derbe.

This will not always happen this way. If it does go bad for you, you will need to remember this time in Paul's life and get up, dust yourself off and start afresh in the morning. Press on. Acts 14:22

“We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.”

Even when there are miracles and powerful transformation of lives, times still can get pretty tough. There are no guarantees EXCEPT for the fact of His Word to us that He will not forsake us. Persecution will happen. Live with it.

His Word needs to be heard even in Tokorozawa and esp. in your homes.

Will you be part of the solution or part of the problem?

Next week, we go to Derbe. But, for now, let's prepare our hearts to come before His Remembrance Table to celebrate the Lord's Last Supper.

Witness in Iconium Acts 14:1~7

Let's look at this passage verse by verse and find just how Paul and his troupe did evangelism and how churches were planted in this area. When the attempts in the former city of Pisidian Antioch went amuck, this work started out fairly good.
READ ACTS 14:1~7

According to Matthew 28:18-20, the Great commission was: as you GO make disciples. That was the thing Paul did very well. In fact, as he went, he also stayed for a while in these places for evangelism and disciple making. The "why" of that will be made clear later.

They went to the Synagogue, as usual, to worship and ended up preaching there. As we saw last week, it was the custom of visiting Jewish men. Why did he keep doing this-esp after what happened in the last Jewish house of worship? It was his way. By looking at Romans 1:14-17, we can see how deeply he felt for his Jewish brothers who needed to hear and respond to the Gospel.

Romans 1:14-17
14 I am obligated both to Greeks and non-Greeks, both to the wise and the foolish. 15 That is why I am so eager to preach the Gospel also to you who are at Rome.16 I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile. 17 For in the Gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: "The righteous will live by faith."

That one truth was lost in the early church for many years. Martin Luther made that 'discovery' while studying his Bible and it changed the way of his life and the Church forever.

Paul believed without a shadow of any doubt that the Gospel needed to be heard and understand by all people. He set out to do that very thing in Iconium. (which became the center of one of the Easter Orthodox Churches we still have today). To live by Faith was his message.

How is that with you? How do you face the 'stuff' of life? Do you trust Him in all your areas of life? Salvation, yes, of course. A life partner, well, that is something else. Life work? Can He take care of ALL your needs? The importance of living by faith comes in many forms. It means to trust Him for your living. Period. Even in economical situations- in health- in the pressures around you PLUS your salvation? Yes, that Faith is supported by the fact that He WILLS you to have that Faith and to use it to live your life in the Power of His Holy Spirit.

We get some help from such passages as Mark 9:20-25

20 So they brought him. When the spirit saw Jesus, it immediately threw the boy into a convulsion. He fell to the ground and rolled around, foaming at the mouth.21 Jesus asked the boy's father, "How long has he been like this?" "From childhood," he answered. 22 "It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us."23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."24 Immediately the boy's father exclaimed, "I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!"25 When Jesus saw that a crowd was running to the scene, he rebuked the evil spirit. "You deaf and mute spirit," he said, "I command you, come out of him and never enter him again."

Maybe you need to ask God the same thing. Why not right now? Go ahead: ask God to help you overcome your unbelief.

Welcome back. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed.

How good was Paul's preaching? You can well believe that the Lord used his background of his knowledge of Scriptures. A few days after he came to Christ, he was preaching up a storm! He was not only full of knowledge of the Things of God but also he was filled with the Spirit of God. Can't do this work without His Spirit. In truth, you can for a season but you will either fall and you will fail. And the man was with integrity.

A message's truth is judged by the messenger's integrity. Looking at people in the public world and you might see what I mean. The expression, “What ever happens in a politician's private life is his own affair; it only concerns the public when it affects their performance in office.” I can't see how to separate the two. What you do and what you teach/preach/ and even advocate does effect the condition of your message.

This was the case with Paul and Barnabas; their lives were an open book. Their message was their lifestyle.

Paul's teaching was so effective that both sides of the room believed. His message was not one thing for the Jew and another for the Gentile. The message was the same. The basic message of Salvation is only found in Jesus was good for the growth of the Church then and it is good for the growth of the Church today.

That salvation is in Jesus, and we appropriate, or receive it by our belief in (trust in, reliance on) Him alone.Well, the success here was indeed refreshing. After he was kicked out of the last place they were at, this much success was good to experience. It became Paul's practice to stay-when allowed-in a location for an extended length of time. He would be strengthening the churches and working in other areas where outreach had already showed promise. Maybe it was good then, that he was kicked out of Pisidian Antioch so that these in Iconium who would believe could. God's ways are not our ways after all "a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed."

In fact, later we learn that the group was about half the population of that city. I could not find how big the city was but it was smaller than Ephesus and Srymura. But half of any city would be huge!

Think about it: Tokorozawa has about 348,000 people in it. Half that number would mean 170,000 believers! That would mean that 5,312.5 people would be coming to any of the 30 churches in this city. How could we do that? Want to try or would that be impossible?

Remember back in Mark 9: 23 " 'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes."?

Because of persecutions and sufferings, Paul purposely stayed there and continued with the ministry. He was able to do this because he relied on the Lord. When faced with difficulties in ministries we need to rely completely on the Lord and keep moving on with the task. We should not quit for the Grace of the Lord is sufficient to see us through.

Both men and their group were attacked once again. Once again, the unbelieving Jews gathered to their side some Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. In truth, they made their souls evil against them to the point of making plans to do them physical harm: to stone them!

This is certainly true in areas of the world where the Christian population is in the very low numbers or even in status quo. The lesson we can learn for Paul's group is that we must remain faithful-no matter the numbers against us. The attack was toward the missionaries and not against the local believers.

As in physics, I am told, that every action develops an equal and opposite reaction, so the spiritual climate in the preaching of the truth will always encounter opposition.

Back in Dr. Luke's first letter, he reported in chapter 8:12 “Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.”

Where belief is there is also darkness. When God moves, so does the enemy of the Lord.

1 Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.

So, be careful out there. In your relationships, keep it pure. In your social encounters, keep it above board. In all things, keep your heart honest.

Now, comes a wonderful verse:

3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of His grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.

Again, Paul is interested in depth of Christian character and the willingness to teach solid teaching based on the Word of God. He was in the business of making dedicated followers of Jesus. He spent time going over the teachings of the Lord with profound boldness and courage. This was to prepare the young believers for what will be coming after them real soon in the form of widespread persecution.

The Lord confirmed the Message with His Grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wondersI can see a pattern here. Whenever God's message is exercised with power and truth and that is felt and embraced, BECAUSE He is there, there are signs and wonders. As long as the Gospel is central and present, His Holiness, His Holy Spirit is bearing witness to His Truth and to His Faithfulness.

His Grace then has room to work. His Grace then has a conduit of His pleasure to spread His Message into the hearts of those who are present.

Remember the time when the woman who had been bleeding for 12 years touched Jesus? He felt the power go from Him. God's Grace was present and there was the ability of Christ to heal-a miraculous sign-a wonder.

Many could see yet some did not come to faith. Because God was present there, He was able to touch people's lives-get into their souls, as He moved among them.

The signs and wonders were there to confirm the reality of the salvation message. Their purpose is to establish the Gospel Truth in its full and genuine authority. God raised Jesus from the dead and He was present right there in Iconium for all to see. And that brought some problems.

The city was divided. Some fell on the side of Paul's group and some on the unbelieving Jews and Gentiles. We spoke about mob violence before and this could get pretty ugly. I have never seen this personally but others have. We have read accounts of mobs breaking into churches in some countries and dragging the worshipping people into the streets where they hacked them to death in front of a number of witnesses and no one said a thing to stop them.

Many of our Brothers and Sisters around this world are suffering such things every day. Makes you want to stop and think---doesn't it? Am I ready for that? The fact that P & B moved out as in verse 6.

6 "But they found out about it and fled to … Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the good news”

…was not being a coward but prudent and practical. They would keep on doing what they had done in the next city as the Lord kept opening doors of opportunities and guiding them to people who are open to the Message of Christ. Didn't give up.

Shortly afterwards Paul returned to organize the church he had founded (Acts 14:20-back to Derbe; 16:2 to Lystra).

1. They would keep speaking words to edify the young church.

2. They would be bold in their own faith by showing their perseverance.

3. The Lord would show His divine confirmation of their message with miracles.

4. They would show tactical prudence in the face of opposition.

5. and they will be persistent in witnessing to the Truth of God's Message of Grace and Love.

Giving today's world-do you see any evidence of such behavior today in the church? Places where the good suffer, where they are jailed and beaten? Look with me this last verse. Hebrews 11:33-40

33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. Others were tortured and refused to be released, so that they might gain a better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, while still others were chained and put in prison. 37 They were stoned; they were sawed in two; they were put to death by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated- 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, and in caves and holes in the ground.39 These were all commended for their faith, yet none of them received what had been promised. 40 God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect.

Does that want you to take greater risks for God?God has planned something better for us who believe.

The Just are saved by Faith.