Welcome to the ICCS Blog page. Please visit us each week for a new sermon. We will be finishing our study of the Book of Acts before to long and get set up for some Christmas messages! Can you blieve that! Christmas already! Stay connected and seek Him, just as the Wise Men from old did. When they found Him, they gave Him gifts and spoke of His Birth to all who would listen. Maybe, we can learn something from these Guys From The East.
John 10:9-10. (New International Version)
9. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
IN LIFE—LOTS OF LIES SPOKEN TO US: TV, politics, labels, books, and family members.
IN LIFE—LOTS OF THINGS ARE TAKEN FROM US: Taxes, health, life, dark hair, -- hair.
IN LIFE—LOTS OF THINGS ARE DESTROYED: future, marriages, relationships, and trust.
The list goes long and even longer for some people.
Back in 1964, the world was bright! The Beatles came out with “She Loves You” and “I Want To Hold Your Hand.” Manfred Mann sang “Do Wah Diddy Diddy.” The #1 song that year was Louis Armstrong’s “Hello Dolly.”
From 1996-present, we experienced a number of shooting in our schools that has killed numerous students, teachers, and staff. Jonesboro, Arkansas, Columbine, Colorado, Red Lake Indian Reservation in Minnesota and Amish private school in Penn have all been the sites of teenage killings. Even as early as last week, a 14-year-old boy had an arsenal of weapons at his home and seemingly the intent to use them on his school.
We read of mothers killing their children—some saying that God told them to do it. Fathers who kill the family and then put the gun in their own mouth and is found all over the living room.
Bankers who defraud their clients. Politicians who embezzles a great amount of public money. Teachers who have sexual relations with middle school children. Well, I rest my case. Horror all over the place and all this is happening in the USA. Our money says “In God We Trust” but our society acts just the opposite. Do we agree that the evil one is lying to the world and the world follows his lies!
And our churches are having a hard time of things. About 3,000 churches each month close their doors for one reason or another.
We live in a world that has pain and fear. Anxiety and depression are ramped. We worry all the time over things that we have no control over. We take pills to sleep. We take pills to stay awake. Pills so we can eat better and pills to stop us from eating! We are indeed mixed up people! In themselves-not bad!
Yet, here we are reading these verses today and we can see the author of the problem. We have a few ways to respond to these verses. We can read them and forget them. We can read them and say that it does not apply to us today. We can read them and say that it is speaking of a system that is out of date. Or we can read these verses today and KNOW that it is for us today and want to deal with the reality of HOW we live in light of that truth.
HAVE LIFE!
I live in Japan. Have been living there for over 28 years. I have seen a lot of changes. At one time, it seemed to me to be like a “Leave it to Beaver” world! Clean, simple, honest, whole-some. There was the dirty side to the culture but it was hidden, out of sight of most casual visitors. Since that time, much has changed. The economic bubble burst. Work for lifetime became a concept of the past. I became more aware of the emptiness of people’s lives. Saw more evidence of a culture that was in trouble. Void of values. Cold. Emotionally detached from suffering. Lonely. Callus. Fearful. In a word, empty.
The outsiders see a people group that has it together. I spoke with a young adult just last week who told me that while in College, they studied Japanese business and education and found them wonderful. They were the real answer to the World at large. The workers were at peace within the system and all was well in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Truth be known? NOT! Suicide is one of the highest ways of dealing with any sort of problem. Back before Jesus came, the advice of the so-called councilor would be: “You say your wife ran off with a Roman gladiator? Your son was sold into slavery? Your property to the north was overrun by the Hords of the East? Is that what’s getting you down? Here is some hemlock! Drink it and be done with your problems.” No word of hope at all!
Jesus came with His message of Grace, Love and Forgiveness and the world took notice! It was not only fresh, it was with POWER! Mark 1:27 “‘The people were all so amazed that they asked each other, “What is this? A new teaching—and with authority! He even gives orders to evil spirits and they obey Him.’”
The fact is they were used to hearing the teachers speak of what other teachers had said. The message had no real power behind it because it lacked God’s Spirit! With Jesus, there was Power to back up His Word. Listen again: I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
Let’s go back to the verse before this and see just what He was saying. “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy”
Have we been listening to this same thief?
You bet we have been! He has stolen our joy! He has stolen our peace! He has stolen our vision. Our future. Our desire to serve Him! The thief (Satan) has been successful to some extent. We are depressed with no real reason. His words have made it hard to sleep because we become focused on the problem rather than on how the Lord’s Hand could move it. He had stolen our vision to see His face—always looking for His Hand to provide and not the Face of God for WHO HE IS!
We have allowed the thief to steal from us all the time. Our self-worth. Our desire to be passionate with the Lord. Stolen our quite time and allowed us to be content with good things rather than the Best. He has stolen our image of being born into the family of God.
If someone stole your car or your wife or kidnapped your child, you would be driven to get some help or at least make a complaint with the Police. You would not be satisfied with only the memory of the lost child and return home without the desire for their return. You would want the child back—fully unharmed.
But when the thief steals our joy, we fill our lives with worry and add to the thieft.
We realize that Jesus does not steal from us. He restores us.
Ps 23:4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
The evil one also kills. He has killed our joy, our relationships, our sense of worth.
On one side, the family of the World and it’s lord, Satan, who deals with lies, threats, and murder while on the other side, the Family of Faith and the Lord of Creation Who deals with Truth, Life and Forgiveness. The Devil’s role in this world is to kill and steal and destroy while the role of our Lord Jesus is to give life.
John 10:10
“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy… “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
HAVE LIFE!
1 Cor. 2:9. However, as it is written: “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him” --
YOU
Adopted from I, Francis by C Carretto
You alone are Holy, Lord God, Worker of Wonders.
You are Mighty.
You are Great.
You are the Most High.
You are Supreme, our Holy Father,
You are King of Heaven and Earth.
You, Lord God, Three and One,
You are our every Good.
You, Lord God, all Good, our highest Good~
You are Lord God Living and True.
You are Charity and Love.
You are Wisdom.
You are Humility.
You are Patience.
You are Security.
You are Peace.
You are My Joy and Gladness.
You are Justice and Self-control.
You are Riches altogether Sufficient.
You are Beauty.
You are Meekness.
You are our Protector.
You are our Strength.
You are our Refreshment.
You are our Hope.
You are our Faith.
You are our most profound Kindness.
You are our Eternal Life,
You are Great and Excellent Lord,
You are All-Powerful God,
You are Unstoppable God!
You are Merciful Savior!
You are my God…
and You are my Friend.
Jesus said…“I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
The evil one also comes to destroy. Look around us and see the toll sin has on our world. Whole regions of the world have been destroyed because of greed, corruption, and lack of self-control.
Since the Fall of Man, mankind has been on the receiving end of all sorts of destructive events and warnings. The Lord knows what we need. In 2 Peter 1: 3 His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
But Jesus comes to give us life and to experience that life to the fullest according to His Grace and Mercy. All with the cuts and pain and the dirt of living yet with the Hope of Glory. He will return for us so we need to remain faithful to Him. To press on.
We need to celebrate His Faithfulness. We need to come to Him and give Him thanks for His great Grace that saves us.
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Facing Death Is Not Easy
ACTS 21:27-36
In November of this year, CAJ will put on the drama “The Diary of Ann Frank”. The story of a young Jewish teenager who is in hiding with her family from the Nazi army in occupied Holland. During the Nazi drive to conquer the world, they systemically tried to kill all who they felt were not worthy to live. In August 1942, the German High Command issued a notice called the “Final Solution.” The end result of this plan was to be the entire annihilation of the Jewish People; a total death to a whole people group, a whole nation! In the end of WW2, 6 million Jews died.
"Will we survive?" has been the pressing question for Jews in every generation. Today’s Jews after Hitler's holocaust vowed "Never again!" During the first-century, the Jews in Jerusalem saw Paul's Gentile mission as equally a threat to their survival, for it effectively erased the line between Jew and Gentile within the people of God. The question was asked, Which "people of God" does God intend to survive?
The truth lies in the call of Scripture that gives all mankind the choice to become a Child of God through faith—belief in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Both for the Jew and the Gentile. Both men and women. People of every tongue and nation. The Door, as it were, is now open to ALL people. With this understanding found in history, we can see that now, but for the leaders of the Jewish faith in Jerusalem, Paul’s very life was a threat to their system of community. They misunderstood his message as people have misunderstood it for years. Even today, many do not realize how IMPORTANT it is to be IN the Family of God! Simple faith—that of a child—is necessary for the change in family ties.
On one side, the family of the World and it’s lord, Satan, who deals with lies, threats, and murder while on the other side, the Family of Faith and the Lord of Creation Who deals with Truth, Life and Forgiveness. The Devil’s role in this world is to kill and steal and destroy while the role of our Lord Jesus is to give life.
See the whole thing in (John 10:9-10) 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
When it comes to our passage today, Paul, while trying to put to rest the rumors of the Jews that he was against the Jewish Faith and the Law of Moses, was surrounded by VERY angry devote followers of Judaism (like he was at one time!) who wanted him dead!
They had every right—according to their law to kill anyone who broke the entrance law.
Though Gentiles were welcome to worship in the outermost court, they were forbidden on penalty of death to enter beyond the balustrade (barrier or decorative hand-railing) into the two inner courts. Josephus informs us, and archaeological evidence confirms, that at intervals there were signs posted in Greek and Latin OUTLINED IN RED, saying "No foreigner is to enter within the forecourt and the balustrade around the Sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death".
This prohibition was enforced. (Numbers 3:38) 38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
It is ironic indeed that Paul is arrested while doing the very opposite of what he is accused of.
Agitation, confrontation, coldness, confusion and physical violence are the trademarks of persecution. For the disciple of Christ, we are neither a surprise nor beyond God's providential control and saving purposes. (Luke 21:15-18) 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of Me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. We still can get cut or killed. No matter what happens to our body, He remains on the throne and remains Lord of All! He is Sovereign Lord!
As in this case, Paul needed to remember what the Lord had told him just after he opened his life to the Lord God. (Acts 9:15-16) 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My Name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name."
From The Message (Acts 21:15-16) But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as My personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I'm about to show him what he's in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job."
"Will we survive?" had been the pressing question for Jews in every generation. That same question is asked by our Christian generation as well. Today, two from our number—from our own Family have said YES! to that question. We will survive BECAUSE our Lord reigns! He is able to hold us up during the high waters. He is there during the dark and stormy nights. His Comfort is ours in the Person of His Holy Spirit when we are in pain—or in doubt—or in despair—or in joy! He is the Sovereign Lord who calls us to His Side. He is the One who holds the universe together and He knows our every need. We will do more than survive—we will be conquerors!
(Romans 8:36-39) 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In these few brief details of the Jerusalem Jews' final rejection of the Christian Gospel, we see the last major spiritual and geographical turning point in this book of Acts. Never again will Paul return to Jerusalem for worship or witness. That part of his work was now over. He was on to the Gentile world BIG time.
By shutting out the messenger and the message of Salvation, Paul's opponents have sealed the city's doom (Luke 13:34-35) 34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.’”
Israel's ethnic pride (self importance) prevented it from fulfilling its divinely intended mission to be "a light for the Gentiles" (Is 49:6 6) He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a Light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My Salvation to the ends of the earth." It robbed the temple of the GLORY God planned for it as "a house of prayer for all nations" (Is 56:7).
(Luke 19:46) “’My House will be a House of Prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.’” May every "people of God" (MAY OUR church) and in every nation and culture learn from Jerusalem's negative example, in case we too find ourselves under God's judgment for failing to reach out with the Gospel to those beyond our own kind.
(Matthew 28:18-20) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
All Scripture was from the NIV unless otherwise noted. The Message was also used.
In November of this year, CAJ will put on the drama “The Diary of Ann Frank”. The story of a young Jewish teenager who is in hiding with her family from the Nazi army in occupied Holland. During the Nazi drive to conquer the world, they systemically tried to kill all who they felt were not worthy to live. In August 1942, the German High Command issued a notice called the “Final Solution.” The end result of this plan was to be the entire annihilation of the Jewish People; a total death to a whole people group, a whole nation! In the end of WW2, 6 million Jews died.
"Will we survive?" has been the pressing question for Jews in every generation. Today’s Jews after Hitler's holocaust vowed "Never again!" During the first-century, the Jews in Jerusalem saw Paul's Gentile mission as equally a threat to their survival, for it effectively erased the line between Jew and Gentile within the people of God. The question was asked, Which "people of God" does God intend to survive?
The truth lies in the call of Scripture that gives all mankind the choice to become a Child of God through faith—belief in the Son of God, Jesus Christ. Both for the Jew and the Gentile. Both men and women. People of every tongue and nation. The Door, as it were, is now open to ALL people. With this understanding found in history, we can see that now, but for the leaders of the Jewish faith in Jerusalem, Paul’s very life was a threat to their system of community. They misunderstood his message as people have misunderstood it for years. Even today, many do not realize how IMPORTANT it is to be IN the Family of God! Simple faith—that of a child—is necessary for the change in family ties.
On one side, the family of the World and it’s lord, Satan, who deals with lies, threats, and murder while on the other side, the Family of Faith and the Lord of Creation Who deals with Truth, Life and Forgiveness. The Devil’s role in this world is to kill and steal and destroy while the role of our Lord Jesus is to give life.
See the whole thing in (John 10:9-10) 9 I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
11 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.
When it comes to our passage today, Paul, while trying to put to rest the rumors of the Jews that he was against the Jewish Faith and the Law of Moses, was surrounded by VERY angry devote followers of Judaism (like he was at one time!) who wanted him dead!
They had every right—according to their law to kill anyone who broke the entrance law.
Though Gentiles were welcome to worship in the outermost court, they were forbidden on penalty of death to enter beyond the balustrade (barrier or decorative hand-railing) into the two inner courts. Josephus informs us, and archaeological evidence confirms, that at intervals there were signs posted in Greek and Latin OUTLINED IN RED, saying "No foreigner is to enter within the forecourt and the balustrade around the Sanctuary. Whoever is caught will have himself to blame for his subsequent death".
This prohibition was enforced. (Numbers 3:38) 38 Moses and Aaron and his sons were to camp to the east of the tabernacle, toward the sunrise, in front of the Tent of Meeting. They were responsible for the care of the sanctuary on behalf of the Israelites. Anyone else who approached the sanctuary was to be put to death.
It is ironic indeed that Paul is arrested while doing the very opposite of what he is accused of.
Agitation, confrontation, coldness, confusion and physical violence are the trademarks of persecution. For the disciple of Christ, we are neither a surprise nor beyond God's providential control and saving purposes. (Luke 21:15-18) 15 For I will give you words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict. 16 You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death. 17 All men will hate you because of Me. 18 But not a hair of your head will perish. We still can get cut or killed. No matter what happens to our body, He remains on the throne and remains Lord of All! He is Sovereign Lord!
As in this case, Paul needed to remember what the Lord had told him just after he opened his life to the Lord God. (Acts 9:15-16) 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is My chosen instrument to carry My Name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for My Name."
From The Message (Acts 21:15-16) But the Master said, "Don't argue. Go! I have picked him as My personal representative to non-Jews and kings and Jews. And now I'm about to show him what he's in for—the hard suffering that goes with this job."
"Will we survive?" had been the pressing question for Jews in every generation. That same question is asked by our Christian generation as well. Today, two from our number—from our own Family have said YES! to that question. We will survive BECAUSE our Lord reigns! He is able to hold us up during the high waters. He is there during the dark and stormy nights. His Comfort is ours in the Person of His Holy Spirit when we are in pain—or in doubt—or in despair—or in joy! He is the Sovereign Lord who calls us to His Side. He is the One who holds the universe together and He knows our every need. We will do more than survive—we will be conquerors!
(Romans 8:36-39) 36 As it is written: "For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the Love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
In these few brief details of the Jerusalem Jews' final rejection of the Christian Gospel, we see the last major spiritual and geographical turning point in this book of Acts. Never again will Paul return to Jerusalem for worship or witness. That part of his work was now over. He was on to the Gentile world BIG time.
By shutting out the messenger and the message of Salvation, Paul's opponents have sealed the city's doom (Luke 13:34-35) 34 "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see Me again until you say, 'Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord.’”
Israel's ethnic pride (self importance) prevented it from fulfilling its divinely intended mission to be "a light for the Gentiles" (Is 49:6 6) He says: "It is too small a thing for you to be My servant to restore the tribes of Jacob and bring back those of Israel I have kept. I will also make you a Light for the Gentiles, that you may bring My Salvation to the ends of the earth." It robbed the temple of the GLORY God planned for it as "a house of prayer for all nations" (Is 56:7).
(Luke 19:46) “’My House will be a House of Prayer'; but you have made it 'a den of robbers.’” May every "people of God" (MAY OUR church) and in every nation and culture learn from Jerusalem's negative example, in case we too find ourselves under God's judgment for failing to reach out with the Gospel to those beyond our own kind.
(Matthew 28:18-20) 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
All Scripture was from the NIV unless otherwise noted. The Message was also used.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Deep Determination!
Acts 21:10-16
Paul needed to get there—(Jerusalam) but was not supported by his fellowship and, it seems that the Lord was warning him NOT to go—via God’s Spirit. Why did be go? His answer is found in the following ...
In verse 4, we find that “Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem” But in verse 11, the prophet Agabus says, “The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'”
Both comments brought an outcry from Paul’s friends. Both comments originated from the Lord yet Paul pressed on to do what he wanted to do in the first place…go to Jerusalem!
Paul shows a deep determination to do what he felt lead to do. In American history, we find evidence of such a strong determination in the person of Patrick Henry when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death!” As I understand the times then, the British forces in the colony wanted him dead. In fact, all the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were considered criminals by the British authorities because they went against the Crown of England—a treasonous act on their part.
Over the weekend of June 1989, while we were in the US, we watched the TV in horror and amazement at the courage and determination of those who found themselves camping out at T iananmen Square in Be ijing. People questioned if a single human being make a difference? Can he or she stop the forces of evil dead in their tracks?
A courageous young man captured the imagination of the whole world, when he single-handedly stopped the advance of a tank column by standing in its way...we do not know what happened to that young man but the world took notice. A few months later, Europe and the former USSR changed forever. On Nov. 9, 1989, parts of the 28-mile wall barrier—part of an 860-mile border came down! Was it human determination? Some say ‘yes,’ while others close to the people in both countries tell of another tale. God was at work, bringing people closer to Himself through world events.
One man that was interviewed during the peaceful time at T iananmen Square was asked what did he want. His answer in English was: “Liberty!” “What does that mean?” the reporter asked. “I don’t know...but I want liberty!” Determination!
Paul was a hardheaded man. Back in the earlier chapters of Acts, Paul, who was then called Saul, was a die-hard Jewish purest. He wanted “the Way” out of the way and he went far and wide to bring them down. Arresting them, putting them in prison, killing others. He then was touched by God’s Grace to reach people for God and given the power to accomplish that task: Reach the Gentiles with the Message of God’s redemption. This Salvation that was planned since the foundation of the World now offered to every man and woman in the world thru Faith.
This message was brought to earth by One Person. The Son of God! His message was given to all who believe back in the New Testament time as it is given to each of us today. It is built around a Relationship with God thru His Only Son.
Is the Gospel true or not? Can Man get his salvation by his sheer determination? Man has shown us of his deep determination to climb Mt. Everest with mechanical legs! The question needs to start from one side of the issue. The FACT that there is a God and He is in touch with His Creation. He is not only in touch with us, He loves us as well. From that point of view, one can then move on to consider a relationship with God.
Salvation-- John 3:16; Matt 18:14; 2 Cor. 5:17.
John 3:16“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Matt 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Intimacy with Christ--Romans 8:35, 37; Phil 3:10; Matt 22:37-40.
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Phil 3: 10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,
Matt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it:‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Faith--Acts 16:31; Mark 11:23-24; Col 2:6-7; Romans 10:17.
Acts 16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Mark 11:23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Col 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Romans 10:17 Consequently, Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Christlikeness--Romans 8:29, 15:13.
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 15:13 May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
God has a very deep, Deep Determination to show Himself to us. His Love is THAT BiG!
Paul needed to get there—(Jerusalam) but was not supported by his fellowship and, it seems that the Lord was warning him NOT to go—via God’s Spirit. Why did be go? His answer is found in the following ...
In verse 4, we find that “Through the Spirit they urged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem” But in verse 11, the prophet Agabus says, “The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.'”
Both comments brought an outcry from Paul’s friends. Both comments originated from the Lord yet Paul pressed on to do what he wanted to do in the first place…go to Jerusalem!
Paul shows a deep determination to do what he felt lead to do. In American history, we find evidence of such a strong determination in the person of Patrick Henry when he said, “Give me liberty or give me death!” As I understand the times then, the British forces in the colony wanted him dead. In fact, all the men who signed the Declaration of Independence were considered criminals by the British authorities because they went against the Crown of England—a treasonous act on their part.
Over the weekend of June 1989, while we were in the US, we watched the TV in horror and amazement at the courage and determination of those who found themselves camping out at T iananmen Square in Be ijing. People questioned if a single human being make a difference? Can he or she stop the forces of evil dead in their tracks?
A courageous young man captured the imagination of the whole world, when he single-handedly stopped the advance of a tank column by standing in its way...we do not know what happened to that young man but the world took notice. A few months later, Europe and the former USSR changed forever. On Nov. 9, 1989, parts of the 28-mile wall barrier—part of an 860-mile border came down! Was it human determination? Some say ‘yes,’ while others close to the people in both countries tell of another tale. God was at work, bringing people closer to Himself through world events.
One man that was interviewed during the peaceful time at T iananmen Square was asked what did he want. His answer in English was: “Liberty!” “What does that mean?” the reporter asked. “I don’t know...but I want liberty!” Determination!
Paul was a hardheaded man. Back in the earlier chapters of Acts, Paul, who was then called Saul, was a die-hard Jewish purest. He wanted “the Way” out of the way and he went far and wide to bring them down. Arresting them, putting them in prison, killing others. He then was touched by God’s Grace to reach people for God and given the power to accomplish that task: Reach the Gentiles with the Message of God’s redemption. This Salvation that was planned since the foundation of the World now offered to every man and woman in the world thru Faith.
This message was brought to earth by One Person. The Son of God! His message was given to all who believe back in the New Testament time as it is given to each of us today. It is built around a Relationship with God thru His Only Son.
Is the Gospel true or not? Can Man get his salvation by his sheer determination? Man has shown us of his deep determination to climb Mt. Everest with mechanical legs! The question needs to start from one side of the issue. The FACT that there is a God and He is in touch with His Creation. He is not only in touch with us, He loves us as well. From that point of view, one can then move on to consider a relationship with God.
Salvation-- John 3:16; Matt 18:14; 2 Cor. 5:17.
John 3:16“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Matt 18:14 In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost.
2 Cor. 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!
Intimacy with Christ--Romans 8:35, 37; Phil 3:10; Matt 22:37-40.
Romans 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.
Phil 3: 10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death,
Matt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it:‘Love your neighbor as yourself. 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Faith--Acts 16:31; Mark 11:23-24; Col 2:6-7; Romans 10:17.
Acts 16:31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”
Mark 11:23 “I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24 Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.
Col 2:6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
Romans 10:17 Consequently, Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.
Christlikeness--Romans 8:29, 15:13.
Romans 8:29 For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers.
Romans 15:13 May the God of Hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with Hope by the Power of the Holy Spirit.
God has a very deep, Deep Determination to show Himself to us. His Love is THAT BiG!
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Paul's Way of Saying Goodbye
Which is your heart-way of saying goodbye to family? To a loved one? To the boss? To someone you just met? A little different yet it means the same thing. You are out of there or you wish them to be!
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye."
He sees them again.
"Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye."
Once again, he sees them.
"Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye:"
LAST TIME!
"They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another."
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close? Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. "Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!"
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the R.I. airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye."
He sees them again.
"Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye."
Once again, he sees them.
"Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye:"
LAST TIME!
"They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another."
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close? Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. "Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!"
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the R.I. airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Paul’s way of saying Goodbye. 9/16/07
Which is your heart-way of saying goodbye to family? To a loved one? To the boss? To someone you just met? A little different yet it means the same thing. You are out of there or you wish them to be!
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye. He sees them again.
Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye. Once again, he sees them.
Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye: LAST TIME! They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another.
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close?
Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the RI airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Which is your heart-way of saying goodbye to family? To a loved one? To the boss? To someone you just met? A little different yet it means the same thing. You are out of there or you wish them to be!
Here, with Paul, goodbye comes hard. A number of times, he tries NOT to see the people of Ephesus for different reasons.
1. He was on his way to Jerusalem and needed to get there fast.
2. He knew it would be hard on them and on him.
Dr. Ronald Koteskey, of the New Hope International Ministries whose specialty is member care writes: Saying goodbye is not a new problem.
“Paul was apparently in Ephesus only a short time near the end of this second term. After speaking in the synagogue, Paul left a couple in Ephesus to continue the work. People asked him to spend more time there, but he declined, saying he could come back if it was God’s will (Acts 18:19-21). He and his co-workers there had to say goodbye. He sees them again.
Near the beginning of his third term, Paul again went to Ephesus. After more than two years of evangelism, discipleship, spiritual warfare, and encouragement Paul again said goodbye and left. He traveled to Macedonia with a multinational team of seven others (Acts 19:1-20:1). Again he and the disciples he left there had to say goodbye. Once again, he sees them.
Near the end of his third term, Paul decided not to stop at Ephesus even though he was passing close by, because he was in a hurry. However, he did stop a few miles south of Ephesus and sent for the elders of the Ephesian church so that he could meet with them briefly. Then they again had to say goodbye. In this instance we are told more about the nature of the goodbye: LAST TIME! They wept, embraced, kissed, grieved, and finally tore themselves away (Acts 20:16-21:1). Saying multiple goodbyes to coworkers is nothing new for” third culture people, which we all are here at ICCS-in one way or another.
Copyright 2007, Ronald L. Koteskey, 122 Lowry Lane, Wilmore, KY 40390, USA. ron@missionarycare.com, www.missionarycare.com. Permission is granted to copy and distribute this book without charge in its entirety.
How does saying goodbye effect us?
It affects each person differently. Over the years at ICCS, we have said goodbye to over 800 people in the last 18 years. Some of them left without saying goodbye. Some people seem to have little need for deep relationships and are very comfortable keeping things on a surface level; saying goodbye has relatively little or no effect on them. Still others have a deep need and desire to go deeper than the surface with a larger group of people and saying goodbye effects them deeply. We need to make room for both of them.
It is important for each side to know that the other people in the group may not share their stand of this issue. We need to give room for them to express their heart feelings as well.
In the US, it is reported that one out of six people moves away every year. Here, we have a turn over of about 10-20% each year. It is hard for some. A growing hardship for those who tend to stay.
The question may become: Do we just stop making relationships with new people because it is too hard to say goodbye? I would say that it would be the wrong way to go. Each of us is unique and is made in a different way by Creator God. Each of us has a task, or plan to accomplish in our lifetime. Some do that well, others run from the responsibility and move on anyway.
In John 13:34~35, Jesus speaks to this issue. 34 "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Jesus commands us to love each other as He loved us. How was that? Surface or deep? Distant or close?
Loving and being loved are central in our development as human beings and as members of the Family of God. When deeper relationships are avoided, both sides lose a part of their potential support team. This is how we are known by the world to be Believers; how we love each other.
Paul was concerned for these people. He looked to the leadership of the church there in Ephesus for them to lead the church into the next generation and beyond. How did he expect this?
First: He was the example: He keep telling them that ‘they knew.” “You know how I lived…” “You know that I have…”
How we live is only half the story of what we are as Believers. Yes, the world will know that we are Believers when we love each other (John 13:34-35) but we also must be that example for them to follow and to watch. They were to watch their doctrine (verse 21) and watch how they walk (28). Luke would share this section with a deep concern for the WAY a man lived as well as the manner of his ministry. His Character and manner of life style needed to match. The one saying goodbye would be a whole lot more successful in reaching the hearts and minds of his people by reminding those left behind of a model life lived before them. Orthopraxy meaning "correct practice" and orthodoxy means "correct teaching". You need both to walk the Walk with the Talk.
Paul reminded them of the model life he had lived before them as he served the Lord. He uses a word that is used in the slave-master relationship. See Luke 16: 13 "No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."
Paul’s way of living and his way of conduct—his allegiances to His Master determined or agreed with the conduct of his life and ministry. In the letter to them, he wrote:Eph 4:2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Paul was very personal with these leaders. He said in verse 31: Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears. Paul’s spiritual skin was as tough as his heart, as he would face severe testing from the plots of the Jews as well as hardship in life in general—for the sake of the Gospel. Again, orthopraxy and orthodoxy, working together!
He reminds them of the central push of the Message. He had taught them from house to house and the message never changed to fit the situation. He was not all things to all men in that department. He was not tolerant to his own error. He was steadfast. He followed the Gospel of Christ!
His message was that every man must turn to God in repentance and have Faith in our Lord Jesus. (Vs 21)
For the Jew, it was to return to the Faith of the fathers; for the Gentile, a turning to the one true God for the first time! This was the same message for both the Jew and the Gentile. Both for the national and the expat. Both for the men and the women. Not a different gospel to fit the mode or comfort of the society!
He did not hesitate or shrink back in fear to preach what was given him by the Lord. The message of repentance means total surrender to God, complete trust in His Son. Thru the Son of God comes the gift of Grace-which is Salvation.
He did this because he was compelled by the Spirit (22) And this same compelling drive of the Spirit of God was taking him to Jerusalem. He knew of the warnings. God had made it clear to him FROM THE START.
He also did it this way to prepare the leaders for what was yet to come. Both in his leaving, and the fact that some will fall away! Some would follow the other gospel for some reason and fall away -- talking others with them. He called them “savage wolves!” And wolves they would be, tearing the Truth out of the Gospel and eating the people up with their greed and their falsehoods.
The Key was for ALL men to repent and turn to God. Not a popular statement today, but I give that no care. People’s eternal status is at risk of having them separated for eternity from the Loving God of the Bible. Again, the message is the same that Jesus taught. Put your trust in Me. Give Me your heart. Give Me your hunger. Give Me your pain and I will give you rest!
Two more things: One, he told them they would not see him again and Two, that he would commit them to God.
Both of these are a reality for the believer. Some will say goodbye and we shall never see them again. We must be ready for that time. Commit them to the Lord and see them in Heaven.
When I said Goodbye to my Dad at the RI airport, nine years ago, I felt in my spirit that I would not see him alive again. I was overcome with sadness yet I realized that he knew the Lord and that he was ready to see him. I needed to release Dad to His tender arms and let him go. That was a very hard phone call to make! Hard as that was, these leaders felt that same pain. It grieved them. They cried and they wept and they embraced and kissed Paul with all the passion of people who loved him.
Paul sets out to prepare the leaders of their task to be watchful over the church. He committed them to God and to the Word of His Grace! What better place to be but to be in that place of His Grace!
More important that the commitment of the leaders to the teaching of the Lord is the reality of God’s faithfulness to His commitment! As we depend on His faithfulness, we can do the job He has given to us.
There is much to say concerning this passage. We do not have the time to go into the details of Paul’s charge to the leaders nor the other important teachings of Church life and commitment, but I will say that they ended this visit correctly. They prayed. So shall we.
Sunday, September 9, 2007
"Don't Be Alarmed! He's Alive!"
Acts 20:1~12
Overview of the passage:
Key parts: v 1—encourage them
v 2—words of encouragement to the people
v 7—came together to break bread
v 11—broke bread
v 12—were greatly encouraged
Is there a theme here? Encouragement is so important to the life of anyone. A newborn baby NEEDS touch (encouragement) or the baby will die.
Here we have a man, such as Paul, who was in the Work of encouragement. The man who helped him first was Barnabas who’s name meant “Son of Encouragement.”
Paul was in the work of giving a blessing-of having the people learn of the Gift of Salvation thru mutual encouragement. This is where people like yourselves get such a thing. A great place to sing in front of people. Cook for people. Aid the children. Teach the teens. Care for the aged. Public reading. Acting. Leading. As THIS is a Family who shows care and concern for its members.
Here, in these church meetings, Paul calls to his side the different members of fellowship to appeal to them or exhort them to the Lord or to comfort them with the Word of Lord. This verbal ‘presentation’ of the Word is called a sermon today. This is the demonstration of God’s Holy Spirit to exhort and encourage the follow Believers to continue or persevere with the Faith thru hard times, in faith, when faced with trials and especially persecutions.
使徒言行録 / 11章 23節
Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
バルナバはそこに到着すると、神の恵みが与えられた有様を見て喜び、そして、固い決意をもって主から離れることのないようにと、皆に勧めた。
使徒言行録 / 14章 22節
Acts14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," they said.
弟子たちを力づけ、「わたしたちが神の国に入るには、多くの苦しみを経なくてはならない」と言って、信仰に踏みとどまるように励ました。
ローマの信徒への手紙 / 12章 8節
Rom 12:8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
勧める人は勧めに精を出しなさい。施しをする人は惜しまず施し、指導する人は熱心に指導し、慈善を行う人は快く行いなさい。
His three-month stay was most likely the result of the winter travel warnings. Sea travel was to be avoided—like flying thru Denver, CO in Feb. (Not possible.) He avoids further harm or possible death by NOT taking sail with the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Why put yourself in a container filled with religious zealots when you can take the same trip on a safer route. In any case, he does get to celebrate the Christian Easter that year in Philippi in A.D. 57 (April 7-14) and took a five day sea journey against contrary winds that would usually take only three or four days. He did this to send a message to those he had ministered to and with. That message was demonstrated in the middle of his sermon/report when a young man fell out of a third story window and died.
When Paul got there, the young man had been pronounced dead. But Paul had another pronouncement to make. Like the Old Testament prophet, Elijah in 1 Kings 17:19-24 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The young man’s life returns. This is pronounced with Paul’s statement: "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"
Where have you heard those words before? It has become THE MAIN catchall phrase of the New Testament and beyond! Jesus is Alive! He is not Dead! He has risen from the dead! He is not in the grave! Death could not hold Him!
And when things fall out of windows in our lives, and they fall to the ground and die, we need that kind of refreshing promise as well. “Don’t be alarmed! He’s alive!”
Turn to Mark 16:1-7
マルコによる福音書 / 16章 1節安息日が終わると、マグダラのマリア、ヤコブの母マリア、サロメは、イエスに油を塗りに行くために香料を買った。2：そして、週の初めの日の朝ごく早く、日が出るとすぐ墓に行った。3：彼女たちは、「だれが墓の入り口からあの石を転がしてくれるでしょうか」と話し合っていた。4：ところが、目を上げて見ると、石は既にわきへ転がしてあった。石は非常に大きかったのである。5：墓の中に入ると、白い長い衣を着た若者が右手に座っているのが見えたので、婦人たちはひどく驚いた。6：若者は言った。「驚くことはない。あなたがたは十字架につけられたナザレのイエスを捜しているが、あの方は復活なさって、ここにはおられない。御覧なさい。お納めした場所である。7：さあ、行って、弟子たちとペトロに告げなさい。『あの方は、あなたがたより先にガリラヤへ行かれる。かねて言われたとおり、そこでお目にかかれる』と。」
Does that do anything for you? Knowing that He lives gives us such a lead on life! A head start! We do not serve or worship a dead Savior. He is alive!
And here after Paul does his ‘thing’ on him, goes upstairs and broke bread with the Family WHILE the young man is sitting there, and they were all to remember the first resurrection. The young man is there in front of them, as a reminder of the FACT that Jesus too, was resurrected. Both are alive! A few years before, One, who’s death and resurrection made this second resurrection even possible! Eutychus was there as a proof that this message was indeed True.
What will it take for some to bring themselves to believe this story of God’s Love? Why is it so hard to believe such a wonderful Truth? Do we want it to be harder? Following the Truth will be harder than believing it, believe me!
Verses in today’s message come from the NIV and 検索対象：新共同訳。
PLEASE NOTE that next week is our Covered Dish Sunday. Come and worship with us and then stay for the meal. You bring some food or drinks to share!
See you next week!
Overview of the passage:
Key parts: v 1—encourage them
v 2—words of encouragement to the people
v 7—came together to break bread
v 11—broke bread
v 12—were greatly encouraged
Is there a theme here? Encouragement is so important to the life of anyone. A newborn baby NEEDS touch (encouragement) or the baby will die.
Here we have a man, such as Paul, who was in the Work of encouragement. The man who helped him first was Barnabas who’s name meant “Son of Encouragement.”
Paul was in the work of giving a blessing-of having the people learn of the Gift of Salvation thru mutual encouragement. This is where people like yourselves get such a thing. A great place to sing in front of people. Cook for people. Aid the children. Teach the teens. Care for the aged. Public reading. Acting. Leading. As THIS is a Family who shows care and concern for its members.
Here, in these church meetings, Paul calls to his side the different members of fellowship to appeal to them or exhort them to the Lord or to comfort them with the Word of Lord. This verbal ‘presentation’ of the Word is called a sermon today. This is the demonstration of God’s Holy Spirit to exhort and encourage the follow Believers to continue or persevere with the Faith thru hard times, in faith, when faced with trials and especially persecutions.
使徒言行録 / 11章 23節
Acts 11:23 When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.
バルナバはそこに到着すると、神の恵みが与えられた有様を見て喜び、そして、固い決意をもって主から離れることのないようにと、皆に勧めた。
使徒言行録 / 14章 22節
Acts14:22 strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. "We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God," they said.
弟子たちを力づけ、「わたしたちが神の国に入るには、多くの苦しみを経なくてはならない」と言って、信仰に踏みとどまるように励ました。
ローマの信徒への手紙 / 12章 8節
Rom 12:8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully.
勧める人は勧めに精を出しなさい。施しをする人は惜しまず施し、指導する人は熱心に指導し、慈善を行う人は快く行いなさい。
His three-month stay was most likely the result of the winter travel warnings. Sea travel was to be avoided—like flying thru Denver, CO in Feb. (Not possible.) He avoids further harm or possible death by NOT taking sail with the pilgrims on their way to Jerusalem for the Passover. Why put yourself in a container filled with religious zealots when you can take the same trip on a safer route. In any case, he does get to celebrate the Christian Easter that year in Philippi in A.D. 57 (April 7-14) and took a five day sea journey against contrary winds that would usually take only three or four days. He did this to send a message to those he had ministered to and with. That message was demonstrated in the middle of his sermon/report when a young man fell out of a third story window and died.
When Paul got there, the young man had been pronounced dead. But Paul had another pronouncement to make. Like the Old Testament prophet, Elijah in 1 Kings 17:19-24 19 "Give me your son," Elijah replied. He took him from her arms, carried him to the upper room where he was staying, and laid him on his bed. 20 Then he cried out to the LORD, "O LORD my God, have you brought tragedy also upon this widow I am staying with, by causing her son to die?" 21 Then he stretched himself out on the boy three times and cried to the LORD, "O LORD my God, let this boy's life return to him!"
The young man’s life returns. This is pronounced with Paul’s statement: "Don't be alarmed," he said. "He's alive!"
Where have you heard those words before? It has become THE MAIN catchall phrase of the New Testament and beyond! Jesus is Alive! He is not Dead! He has risen from the dead! He is not in the grave! Death could not hold Him!
And when things fall out of windows in our lives, and they fall to the ground and die, we need that kind of refreshing promise as well. “Don’t be alarmed! He’s alive!”
Turn to Mark 16:1-7
マルコによる福音書 / 16章 1節安息日が終わると、マグダラのマリア、ヤコブの母マリア、サロメは、イエスに油を塗りに行くために香料を買った。2：そして、週の初めの日の朝ごく早く、日が出るとすぐ墓に行った。3：彼女たちは、「だれが墓の入り口からあの石を転がしてくれるでしょうか」と話し合っていた。4：ところが、目を上げて見ると、石は既にわきへ転がしてあった。石は非常に大きかったのである。5：墓の中に入ると、白い長い衣を着た若者が右手に座っているのが見えたので、婦人たちはひどく驚いた。6：若者は言った。「驚くことはない。あなたがたは十字架につけられたナザレのイエスを捜しているが、あの方は復活なさって、ここにはおられない。御覧なさい。お納めした場所である。7：さあ、行って、弟子たちとペトロに告げなさい。『あの方は、あなたがたより先にガリラヤへ行かれる。かねて言われたとおり、そこでお目にかかれる』と。」
Does that do anything for you? Knowing that He lives gives us such a lead on life! A head start! We do not serve or worship a dead Savior. He is alive!
And here after Paul does his ‘thing’ on him, goes upstairs and broke bread with the Family WHILE the young man is sitting there, and they were all to remember the first resurrection. The young man is there in front of them, as a reminder of the FACT that Jesus too, was resurrected. Both are alive! A few years before, One, who’s death and resurrection made this second resurrection even possible! Eutychus was there as a proof that this message was indeed True.
What will it take for some to bring themselves to believe this story of God’s Love? Why is it so hard to believe such a wonderful Truth? Do we want it to be harder? Following the Truth will be harder than believing it, believe me!
Verses in today’s message come from the NIV and 検索対象：新共同訳。
PLEASE NOTE that next week is our Covered Dish Sunday. Come and worship with us and then stay for the meal. You bring some food or drinks to share!
See you next week!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Once Upon A Riot Acts 19:23-41
Have you ever been the reason for a riot? Ever been in a riot! Looking back, I guess I had been in at least three. Once outside New York City when I was in my early 20’s and twice while I was visiting Seoul, Korea, 17 years ago. While it was all exciting, it was very dangerous! Police dogs are very big and the tear gas hurt the eyes for hours! The mobs in both locations were not able to listen to reason. They only responded to power—with power in return.
In our passage this morning, we find a craftsman who felt he had been hurt financially by the advancement of the Christian Faith. He really did not have anything bad to say about Jesus but he was very unhappy that many people were not using his trade. Some and many had stopped buying the small idols he and others had made. His pocket book was hurt more than his heart. He was mad and he wanted others to join him in his anger.
That is the usual way, isn’t it? I’m mad and I want to have you join me being mad at someone! Misery loves company. He was really making the most of the situation by getting more on his side.
The question of what Christianity does to a culture has angered anthropologist right along. The Christian Faith, they say, hurts the common good of the culture. It disturbs the flow of the society. It could even change it or destroy it altogether. Whether it was in the Amazon River region today, or there in Ephesus, Christianity was looked at as killing the society with it’s teaching of having a new life style. This great disturbance about The Way with it’s new leader, new way of living, new set of mores and behavioral patterns and, in truth, was a new culture that was on the other side of Demetrius’ world view. To him, his world was falling apart!
The Way was creating a great disturbance.
He was waving, not only the economic prosperity flag, but also the national pride issues and a deeply felt religious passion. His trade was tied to worship of this idol as well as the Emperor himself, and he was a disciple of Artemis.
He and his craftsmen made plaques, silver relief of the goddess within her temple. Once the item was dedicated at the Temple of the Great Artemis, the local people and visitors, bought them as votive offerings and uses these items in family worship centers, amulets, charms, or just souvenirs—much like what is sold at temples today.
Artemis or known as Diana in Rome was the “Great Mother”—hunter, goddess of wild animals, wild nature, chastity and childbirth. She took on the role of the goddess of fertility able to hold power over wild animals, deliver her people from fear and to be the connect between earth and the cruel fate that bothered them. Artemis had unsurpassed cosmic power! She was considered as Lord, Savior, and Queen of the Cosmos.
Demetrius had it in for Paul. Paul’s message caused a decline of income for the local idol makers. Paul’s message was directly against the polytheistic religion of the land. He charged Paul with leading people astray—or mentally and spiritually bringing a different point of view, causing someone to change his position. The Message Paul shared dealt with repentance and conversion. Demetrius was concerned he’d loose his livelihood. Rightly so!
The Message does that sort of thing. It deals with the real issues of life: meaning, purpose, direction, future, control. The Message of Jesus deals with those items in every aspect of life. Demetrius was dealing with the here and now, while Paul was dealing with the here and now AND the hereafter.
Imagine a world without the Great Temple of Artemis! The temple was called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It covered an area four times the size of the Parthenon-70 meters long, 280 meters long, (300 yd) with 127 sixty-foot columns. It was THE worship center of Asia and a world-class bank. Well, all that is left now of that temple is one column and a small gathering of rubble. There have been found over 33 worship sites to this female goddess across the Roman world. She was worshipped by the leaders of Rome and was THE most extensive worship in the known world—at that time. From what Demetrius could see, this was in danger of ending!
Then, all went wild! People were shouting this thing while others shouting that! Ever see a newsreel of fanatic group shouting? Out of this world! Blind uncompromised devotion is hard to work with.
The whole city was thrown into confusion.
Two of Paul’s friends and traveling partners were taken into the theatre. We see Aristarchus again in Chapter 20 and 27, as well as in Col 4:10 and Philemon 24—while Gaius was even known by John as his good friend and by Paul in Romans 16:23. However it could have been another Gaius…
Then things really went wild! While this was going on, Paul wanted to address the crowd. His friends with him, as well as some city leaders, strongly suggested that he not! It seemed that even in the high society of Ephesus, many felt that the Way was no threat to the Imperial cult—Not yet!
When it comes to hearing and accepting advise, how do you rate? Even when the whole city is ready to fry your skin off, what kind of guidance would you accept? How do we KNOW God’s way for our lives?
A few things to remember: (ALL verses come from the NIV unless otherwise stated)
1. God’s direction comes to those who look to Him. John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
2. Guidance comes through the Spirit. John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
3. The purpose of the guidance is to reflect Him. Phili 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death,
4. Guidance comes with Peace. James 3:17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (the Message)
5. Many times, guidance comes to us unaware. Ps 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. (NIV)
9 He gives the rejects His hand, And leads them step-by-step. (The Message)
6. Sometimes, Guidance is not always pleasant. Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
As it turned out, a clear-headed clerk ended the riot by a simple statement. If the riot keeps up, and they could not support the reason for the riot, Rome could revoke their status of being a free city as they could not maintain law and order through its own local leaders. This brought the fear of god into their hearts and they were dismissed.
Let this be said of you, after you received guidance from God. Joshua 11:15 As the LORD commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
In our passage this morning, we find a craftsman who felt he had been hurt financially by the advancement of the Christian Faith. He really did not have anything bad to say about Jesus but he was very unhappy that many people were not using his trade. Some and many had stopped buying the small idols he and others had made. His pocket book was hurt more than his heart. He was mad and he wanted others to join him in his anger.
That is the usual way, isn’t it? I’m mad and I want to have you join me being mad at someone! Misery loves company. He was really making the most of the situation by getting more on his side.
The question of what Christianity does to a culture has angered anthropologist right along. The Christian Faith, they say, hurts the common good of the culture. It disturbs the flow of the society. It could even change it or destroy it altogether. Whether it was in the Amazon River region today, or there in Ephesus, Christianity was looked at as killing the society with it’s teaching of having a new life style. This great disturbance about The Way with it’s new leader, new way of living, new set of mores and behavioral patterns and, in truth, was a new culture that was on the other side of Demetrius’ world view. To him, his world was falling apart!
The Way was creating a great disturbance.
He was waving, not only the economic prosperity flag, but also the national pride issues and a deeply felt religious passion. His trade was tied to worship of this idol as well as the Emperor himself, and he was a disciple of Artemis.
He and his craftsmen made plaques, silver relief of the goddess within her temple. Once the item was dedicated at the Temple of the Great Artemis, the local people and visitors, bought them as votive offerings and uses these items in family worship centers, amulets, charms, or just souvenirs—much like what is sold at temples today.
Artemis or known as Diana in Rome was the “Great Mother”—hunter, goddess of wild animals, wild nature, chastity and childbirth. She took on the role of the goddess of fertility able to hold power over wild animals, deliver her people from fear and to be the connect between earth and the cruel fate that bothered them. Artemis had unsurpassed cosmic power! She was considered as Lord, Savior, and Queen of the Cosmos.
Demetrius had it in for Paul. Paul’s message caused a decline of income for the local idol makers. Paul’s message was directly against the polytheistic religion of the land. He charged Paul with leading people astray—or mentally and spiritually bringing a different point of view, causing someone to change his position. The Message Paul shared dealt with repentance and conversion. Demetrius was concerned he’d loose his livelihood. Rightly so!
The Message does that sort of thing. It deals with the real issues of life: meaning, purpose, direction, future, control. The Message of Jesus deals with those items in every aspect of life. Demetrius was dealing with the here and now, while Paul was dealing with the here and now AND the hereafter.
Imagine a world without the Great Temple of Artemis! The temple was called one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It covered an area four times the size of the Parthenon-70 meters long, 280 meters long, (300 yd) with 127 sixty-foot columns. It was THE worship center of Asia and a world-class bank. Well, all that is left now of that temple is one column and a small gathering of rubble. There have been found over 33 worship sites to this female goddess across the Roman world. She was worshipped by the leaders of Rome and was THE most extensive worship in the known world—at that time. From what Demetrius could see, this was in danger of ending!
Then, all went wild! People were shouting this thing while others shouting that! Ever see a newsreel of fanatic group shouting? Out of this world! Blind uncompromised devotion is hard to work with.
The whole city was thrown into confusion.
Two of Paul’s friends and traveling partners were taken into the theatre. We see Aristarchus again in Chapter 20 and 27, as well as in Col 4:10 and Philemon 24—while Gaius was even known by John as his good friend and by Paul in Romans 16:23. However it could have been another Gaius…
Then things really went wild! While this was going on, Paul wanted to address the crowd. His friends with him, as well as some city leaders, strongly suggested that he not! It seemed that even in the high society of Ephesus, many felt that the Way was no threat to the Imperial cult—Not yet!
When it comes to hearing and accepting advise, how do you rate? Even when the whole city is ready to fry your skin off, what kind of guidance would you accept? How do we KNOW God’s way for our lives?
A few things to remember: (ALL verses come from the NIV unless otherwise stated)
1. God’s direction comes to those who look to Him. John 14:16 And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever—
2. Guidance comes through the Spirit. John 16:13 But when He, the Spirit of Truth, comes, He will guide you into all Truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.
3. The purpose of the guidance is to reflect Him. Phili 3:10 I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in his death,
4. Guidance comes with Peace. James 3:17-18 Real wisdom, God's wisdom, begins with a holy life and is characterized by getting along with others. It is gentle and reasonable, overflowing with mercy and blessings, not hot one day and cold the next, not two-faced. You can develop a healthy, robust community that lives right with God and enjoy its results only if you do the hard work of getting along with each other, treating each other with dignity and honor. (the Message)
5. Many times, guidance comes to us unaware. Ps 25:9 He guides the humble in what is right and teaches them His way. (NIV)
9 He gives the rejects His hand, And leads them step-by-step. (The Message)
6. Sometimes, Guidance is not always pleasant. Isa 55:8 "For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the LORD.
As it turned out, a clear-headed clerk ended the riot by a simple statement. If the riot keeps up, and they could not support the reason for the riot, Rome could revoke their status of being a free city as they could not maintain law and order through its own local leaders. This brought the fear of god into their hearts and they were dismissed.
Let this be said of you, after you received guidance from God. Joshua 11:15 As the LORD commanded His servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the LORD commanded Moses.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
