The Gospel is Revealed

Readings:
Psalm 11
Galatians 1

Focus:
Galatians 1:11-12: "I must make it clear to you, my friends, that the gospel you heard me preach is not of human origin. I did not take it over from anyone; no one taught it me; I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ."

The Apostle Paul wasn't just a great thinker who came up with some deep ideas about God and about how to live life. He actually had a life-changing encounter with Christ, and it was from that encounter that he learned about Christ and about God.

Paul started out as Saul, zealously persecuting believers in Jesus Christ. But on his way to Damascus to arrest Christians there, he met Jesus Christ in a vision, and after that he turned his life around. After that he changed his name to Paul and devoted his life to preaching about Christ.

Paul didn't just preach about Christ. He encountered persecution himself. He risked death multiple times. He was threatened over and over, but he didn't stop. This encounter he had with Christ was worth more to him than anything else, and he knew that everyone else needed to have that value in their lives. That made it imperative to him to keep preaching.

Paul didn't just write about philosophy. He wrote about a life-saving relationship with God, a relationship he learned about through a personal revelation he received from Jesus Christ himself.

This is no mere viewpoint we read about in the Bible. This is life itself.

Serving God

Readings:
II Chronicles 27
Acts 28:16-31

Focus:
Acts 28:30: "He stayed there two full years at his own expense, with a welcome for all who came to him."

The Bible doesn't tell us how Paul died. The last we hear of him in the Bible is that he was in Rome under a sort of house arrest. Tradition has it, however, that he was eventually beheaded.

While he is under arrest in Rome, however, he does not spend his time lamenting his condition, or working full time on his own case. Instead, he welcomes all who come, and, as the next verse says, openly teaches about Jesus. He doesn't concentrate on himself; he concentrates on God.

Paul's goal in life was not to have the best life he could have for himself. His goal was to serve God as best he could, and to help others know about God, regardless of the effect on himself. That's an amazing goal, and one that I have a hard time making my own. It is something I know I ought to do.

If Paul Had Not Appealed to Caesar

Readings:
II Chronicles 22
Acts 26:24-32

Focus:
Acts 26:32b: "The fellow could have been discharged, if he had not appealed to the emperor."

After Paul has set forth his case before King Agrippa and the procurator Festus, Agrippa and Festus talk it over and agree that he has done nothing worthy of being detained. They concur that they could have let Paul go--except that he has already appealed to the Roman emperor, and therefore he must be sent to Rome for a trial there.

My first reaction is to think, "Oh, how frustrating! If only Paul had not appealed to Caesar! Then he could have been released, and he would not have had to remain imprisoned. He would have been free to undertake more apostolic missions."

But when I think about it more carefully, I realize that this may well have been God's will. It is possible that God had a purpose for Paul to fulfill in Rome, and this was the way for God to get Paul there.

Sometimes when things work out this way for us, when we feel that circumstances may have gotten all messed up, we might stop and think about whether or not God might have wanted it to work out that way.

And even if the seeming mess was not God's will--even if it really is a mess--God can work with it to make it into something good. That's always great to know.

It Hurts

Readings:
II Chronicles 21
Acts 26:1-23

Focus:
Acts 26:14b: "It hurts to kick like this against the goad."

When Paul is telling the story of his conversion to King Agrippa, he mentions that when he had the vision of Jesus on the Damascus road, that Jesus says to him, "It hurts to kick like this against the goad."

Jesus was saying to Paul that when he acted contrary to what God wanted, it actually hurt Paul. Paul (or Saul as he was then called) was working hard to do what he thought was right, but it did not actually lead to peace and happiness for him; it ultimately led to unrest, sorrow, and pain. The only way to find true peace and joy is by following God's way.

People may think that they know the best way to find happiness, and that they don't need to think about what God wants. But it hurts to kick against the goad. The only way to get rid of the hurt is to turn our lives over to God and do what he wants. What he wants is actually what will make us happiest, and we will never be sorry.

Morals and Self-Control

Readings:
II Chronicles 19
Acts 24:17-27

Focus:
Acts 24:25: "But when the discourse turned to questions of morals, self-control, and the coming judgment, Felix became alarmed and exclaimed, 'Enough for now! When I find it convenient I will send for you again.'"

When Paul was in prison at Caesarea, Felix, the Roman procurator, often sent for him to talk to him. Felix was well educated and already knew quite a bit about the Christian movement. (He also hoped that Paul would give him a bribe.)

But Felix didn't like it if the talk became too personal, too much concerned with the ways in which Felix himself might have to change his life. When Paul started discussing morals and self-control, Felix hastily cut off the conversation.

There are a lot of people like that today. People don't want to hear about self-control. In fact, we are so aware of this that we usually don't even bring up the subject to begin with. Yet what a need people have to hear God's word for their lives. What a difference it could make between empty, frustrating lives that are always going wrong, and happy, fulfilled lives, if we only had the courage to tell them what they need to hear!

Our Hope of the Resurrection

Readings:
II Chronicles 17
Acts 23

Focus:
Acts 23:6b: "The issue in this trial is our hope of the resurrection of the dead."

Although it is partially true that the apostle Paul said this during his trial in Jerusalem in order to create dissension between his listeners, and gain some support for himself from some of them, it is also true that this was indeed the real issue in his trial. When Paul went around the near East preaching, it was about the resurrection of the dead, both the resurrection of Jesus and the hope of the resurrection of those who believe in Jesus.

It is that resurrection that is available to those of us who put our faith in Jesus. What a great promise!

All I Want

Readings:
II Chronicles 11
Acts 20:19-38

Focus:
Acts 20:24: "For myself, I set no store by life; all I want is to finish the race, and complete the task which the Lord Jesus assigned to me, that of bearing my testimony to the gospel of God's grace."

As Paul is saying goodbye to the Christians at Ephesus, he tells them that he has a strong sense from the Holy Spirit that he is heading toward imprisonment and hardship. Yet, knowing this, he still goes, for this is the direction that he feels God is telling him to go.

Paul is able to do this confidently because he has his priorities right. He does not put his own wishes and desires ahead of God's; he puts God's first. But perhaps a better way to put this would be to say that Paul loves God so much, that God's will has become what Paul wants more than anything else. God's will is not something that Paul has to struggle against; he does not have to valiantly subdue his own will in order to do God's will. Paul truly wants to do what God wants for him, more than Paul wants to do anything else.

Those of us who love God are all at different stages in our journey toward becoming like Paul. Some of us are still struggling to want what God wants. It is good for us to have Paul as a model. I want to be like that; I want to want what God wants.

Even Heaven Cannot Contain God

Readings:
II Chronicles 6:1-21
Acts 17:24-34

Focus:
II Chronicles 6:18b: "Heaven itself, the highest heaven, cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!"
Acts 17:24: "The God who created the world and everything in it, and who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in shrines made by human hands."

Solomon built the temple that his father David had planned. When it was done, he led the people in prayers of consecration, and asked God to bless it. Solomon knew that God would not truly dwell there, but he asked that when people turned their hearts towards the temple in prayer, that God would hear, and consider the prayers as being made towards him.

Centuries later Paul used this same knowledge, that God cannot live in a human dwelling, to tell the Athenians about the true God. Although some scoffed, many were interested and ended up becoming believers.

Today we also know that God does not live in churches and temples. Instead, they are places where we can gather to worship God together. They can also be centers of ministry to help other people. Above all, they must be used for God. But we must always remember that God is infinitely greater.

An Eternal Perspective

Readings:
II Chronicles 3
Acts 16:16-40

Focus:
Acts 16:27-28: "The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open and, assuming that the prisoners had escaped, drew his sword intending to kill himself. But Paul shouted, 'Do yourself no harm; we are all here.'"

I think that if I were unfairly thrown into jail in a primitive justice system, and an earthquake burst the doors open, I would lose no time in running away from there, thanking God for giving me a chance to escape. But Paul and Silas had a different idea. They didn't think of themselves; they thought of the jailer, who would have lost his life, had the prisoners escaped.

Not only did they save the jailer from death, they saved him from eternal death, because they told the jailer about salvation, and he and his entire household were baptized and became followers of Christ. Paul and Silas had an eternal perspective, and they were concerned for other people, not for themselves. They are good examples; I'd like to be like them.

Adored or Stoned

Readings:
I Chronicles 26
Acts 14:8-20

Focus:
Acts 14:11: "When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, in their native Lycaonian, 'The gods have come down to us in human form!'"

After Paul has healed a man who has been unable to walk since birth, the people of Lystra are so amazed that they believe that Paul and Barnabas are the gods Zeus and Hermes, and the priest of Zeus brings out an ox to sacrifice to them. It is only by hurried persuasion that the apostles are able to avert this.

But when some people from Antioch and Iconium arrive and start swaying the crowd against them, the people actually change their minds so far as to stone Paul, and he only escapes through the protection of the other disciples.

The crowds can be so fickle. General opinion can be changed so easily, for or against God's message. We cannot rely on popular opinion to decide what we think about God. We must instead rely solely upon what we have learned about him in the Bible, because that does not change according to the swing of the pendulum of popular thought.

Taking Risks

Readings:
I Chronicles 25
Acts 14:1-7

Focus:
Acts 14:1-3a: "At Iconium they went together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke to such purpose that Jews and Greeks in large numbers became believers. But the unconverted Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the Christians. So Paul and Barnabas stayed on for some time, and spoke boldly and openly in reliance on the Lord."

It's amazing to me that when opposition to Paul and Barnabas arises, what do they do? I would expect that they would lie low or get away from there. But instead they stay where they are for quite a while, and continue to speak out, and do so boldly.

It is something for me to remember, that when people are opposed to the Christian message, that I can choose between backing down, not making ripples, but never telling them the life-giving message, or risking offending them and then perhaps telling them what could save their eternal lives. Paul and Barnabas took the risk.

Forgiveness of Sins

Readings:
I Chronicles 23
Acts 13:13-43

Focus:
Acts 13:38: "You must understand, my brothers, it is through him that forgiveness of sins is now being proclaimed to you."

This is the main thing that Christianity is about. Sometimes people think that Christians want other people to follow rules, or that they want other people to conform, or that they are trying to make other people be like they are. Perhaps there are some Christians with these mistaken notions.

But the real heart of Christianity is that when people put their faith in Jesus, then their sins are forgiven. Then they are able to have eternal life. The consequences of having faith in Jesus are eternal; they are about life and death. This is why Christians care whether or not other people are Christians; they are concerned about their eternal fate.

And everyone sins. Even little things like irritability towards someone who doesn't really deserve it, or selfishness, or failure to be friendly to someone lonely, even those things are sins. As a pastor I know says, we can't ask God to ignore those little sins and let us into heaven in spite of them. Think: would it really be heaven if it were filled with people who did those things?

So, Paul and Barnabas, and all the rest of the Christians through the ages who want to tell others about Christianity, don't just want to make others be like them. They want to proclaim forgiveness of sins.

Mercy Coming from Justice

Readings:
I Chronicles 22
Acts 13:1-12

Focus:
Acts 13:11a: "Look now, the hand of the Lord strikes: you shall be blind...."

It occurred to me when I was reading this passage that Paul was not merely inflicting a punishment on the sorceror Elymas when he called down blindness upon him. Blindness was what afflicted Paul himself when God encountered him and turned him towards himself. If Paul's action towards Elymas was the first step in leading Elymas to a saving relationship with God, then it was not only justice, it was mercy.

Sometimes it's hard to see how a difficult circumstance can be God's action leading us towards something good for us. But when we look back later, we see that, indeed, it was! God works in amazing ways.

Ignoring our Fears

Readings:
I Chronicles 16
Acts 9:10-22

Focus:
Acts 9:17a:"So Ananias went, and, on entering the house, laid his hands on him."

I've always really admired Ananias. He admits to God that he's pretty much scared of Saul. After all, Saul's the guy who's been running all over the place arresting Christians. He doesn't want to get anywhere near him!

Yet when God tells him to go to Saul, Ananias obeys. He walks right into the room where Saul is, and lays hands on him so that God can remove his blindness. Then he teaches Saul about Jesus. He overcomes his natural fear in order to obey God.

The result was that the world ended up with the apostle Paul, which is who Saul became. And Paul taught many, many people about Jesus, and it's ultimately because of him that most of us have heard the good news. Saul didn't waste any time, either. True to his personality, he went right out and started teaching people about Jesus.

It's thanks to the obedience of Ananias, in spite of his fear, that the good news started to spread to so many people. It's an example for us to follow!

Suited for the Job

Readings:
I Chronicles 15
Acts 9:1-9

Focus:
Acts 9:1-2:"Saul, still breathing murderous threats against the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest and applied for letters to the synagogues at Damascus authorizing him to arrest any followers of the new way whom he found, men or women, and bring them to Jerusalem."

It's interesting to me that throughout the Bible, people's personalities remain the same. It's another detail that proves the reality of what we read. These weren't just invented characters; these were real people. Peter, for example, was always ready to throw himself whole-heartedly into things: when he saw Jesus walking on the water, that made him want to do it, too; when he understood why Jesus wanted to wash the disciples' feet, he asked Jesus to wash not just his feet but his whole body; when he was on a boat and he saw Jesus on the shore, he jumped out of the boat and plunged to shore.

Saul (Paul) also shows a consistent personality. What he believes, he believes firmly, and he is so convinced that he wants to go not only to people where he lives, but also to people in other towns, and carry his message there as well. So, before he was a Christian, he was so committed that he got permission to go hunt out the Christians there so that he could destroy this belief that he found to be wrong.

Of course, as we see, God had other plans for Saul: he had chosen him to be his apostle to the Gentiles. And this is another thing that I love about seeing Saul's personality. God picked a person with a perfect personality for the job he had in mind. Saul was a person driven to carry his message far and near. That's exactly the kind of person God wanted, because he wanted his message carried to lands far and near. God didn't pick any person and then mold him into the kind of person he needed. God picked the kind of person he needed and converted him--molded him into the kind of believer he wanted.

God does this with us, too. When he has a job for us to do, he doesn't pick out a job we'll hate. He picks out jobs for us that are things that we are already suited for. Or rather, I should say, he has jobs that need to be done, and he picks us to do them because we are the kinds of people who are suited for those jobs. Or probably even more likely, God planned us and the jobs for each other. And so we will not have to grit our teeth and take on some task that we hate for God. In order to serve God, we will find that we will end up doing something that is just up our alley, like Saul did after he became Paul.