Freed to Love

“For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled…”

Acts 15: 28-29

This passage has baffled me for years.

If Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law, and God declared to Peter, “What God has made clean, do not call common.” (Acts 10:15), why are the first century believers again asked to refrain from certain eating habits?

If Paul said, “for freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.” (Galatians 5:1), how can it be that the Holy Spirit is now asking believers to add an extra burden?

As I wrestled with these two seemingly contradicting commands and searched through Scripture, I finally found the answer in 1 Corinthians 8:

“Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that ‘all of us possess knowledge.’ This ‘knowledge’ puffs up, but love builds up…However, not all of us possess this knowledge…Food will not commend us to God. We are no worse off if we do not eat, and no better off if we do. But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.”

When we read Acts 15 through the lens of 1 Corinthians 8, it becomes clear that these new instructions are not really about the food, but about loving the people who will be eating the food.

In that first century church, both Gentiles and Jews would be sitting around the same table sharing a meal as a new family. By the blood of Jesus, all had been freed to eat whatever they liked, but not all would be comfortable with it.

So, the “stronger” believers had a choice:

They could choose to cling to the freedom that was their right, even at the expense of their new, “weaker” brothers and sisters.

 OR

They could lovingly, willingly lay down their rights in order to create unity, keep loved ones from sin, and build up the body.

I could be wrong, but I think it’s safe to say that at The Bridge, there is no one in our church family who struggles with eating food that has been offered up to idols! But this “The Law of Love” principle still very much applies to us today. We all, from varying degrees, have “weaker/stronger” issues of conscience:

clothing, beverage choices, health choices,

viewing entertainment, music, recreation, political opinions

All of these rights are ours, and through Christ we have been set free. We will not gain salvation by doing these things, nor will God smile on us more if we refrain. But let’s not cling to our freedoms so tightly that we forget to love our neighbor.

I read a quote recently that said, “Anything you can’t fast from you are a slave to.”

Ouch.

While we have the right to do (or not do) many things, are we willing to put others first and live without them for a time? We must not allow our freedoms to enslave us.

Yes, we have been freed to live. But better still, we have been freed to love.

-Becky Groppel

We Are Mirrors

“But we believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved in the same manner as they.” — Acts 15:11

The conflict over circumcision and the Jerusalem Council were some of the biggest events in church history and a turning point.  Out of this gathering came the great declaration from Peter on salvation by grace.

Scholars believe this council and conflict occurred twenty years after Christ’s ascension. It took this length of time preaching, teaching, trials, prison, and persecution to conclude that one’s salvation was not based on laws and rituals or merit through works but grace alone.  All people are saved by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The conflict that arose about admission into the early church was between converted Jews, circumcised as Old Testament believers, and the transition with the newer Gentile believers.  Many of the converted Jews felt circumcision was necessary — the OT Laws were at the heart of the argument — therefore, the works within the Law lead to forgiveness by God and salvation granted. Through the testimony of Peter and Paul, and Barnabas’ testimony too on God’s works of wonders they experienced, the council was reminded that it was Christ and Christ alone who saved the Gentiles, i.e., all of us.  All people are saved across all ethnic identities by the grace of Jesus Christ. James then supported Peter’s declaration of turning away from the burden of ritual and law as the means for salvation.

Peter’s timeless declaration in verse 11, ending with, “… we shall be saved in the same manner as they,” are the last words of Peter recorded in the book of Acts.  He left us with an eternal truth that we are saved through faith by grace alone. We are never outside Jesus Christ’s grace. Grace brings us back to Him when we fail. Grace is unmerited favor and without prejudice. It is never ending. Grace is greater than any sin we pursue. Grace is a gift. A gift Peter and Paul experienced.

Jesus Christ gave grace to these two men amid their wretchedness. They appeared unlovable at times in their lives. What comes to mind regarding Peter’s declaration of grace and Paul’s witness of God’s wonders is C.S. Lewis’s thoughts on grace and its life-changing transformation in his book The Four Loves.

Lewis thinks God gave each of us Divine Gift-love, which enables us to love what does not naturally attract us.  Lewis makes the brilliant point that God is hidden in these charitable acts to those who are not the object of our desires.  This unknowable hidden love is deliverance by grace.  Grace transforms us from those disparaging views that humanity is worthless and does not possess lovable virtues. The gift of grace gives us the ability to see our self-worth and attractiveness as human beings, and others who are not the object of our love or charity.  Lewis writes, "We are mirrors whose brightness, if we are bright, is wholly derived from the sun that shines on us."[1] Grace brings about joy in accepting not only who we are, but that there is also a need for Jesus Christ and His acts of grace in our lives.

-Dan Nickel

[1]C.S.Lewis, The Four Loves [New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich,1960], 1

I Have Decided.

“Once I get baptized do you think I will stop having nightmares?” 

“I don’t know, but we can pray that even when you do have nightmares that you will know God is with you.”

“Do you think God will take Grandma’s cancer away?”

“I don’t know that either. We will keep praying for that because we know He can, but even if He doesn’t, we know He will comfort Grandma and be with her.”

Kids ask hard questions. 

Right now, the questions I’m asking the Lord are just as difficult. 

“How much more, Lord? How much more can the people of Haiti take? Why do you allow these natural disasters when they are already suffering so greatly?”

“Father, what about the women and children in Afghanistan? What about your church, God?! Why are you allowing this immense persecution?”

Acts 14:21-22 says “When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

Through. Many. Tribulations. 

The last time Paul had been in Lystra, he was left for dead after being stoned. He knew tribulations. But he and Barnabas returned, to strengthen the souls of those who believed in the risen Christ, and to encourage them to persevere in the faith, even as the trials and tribulations came. 

When Jesus called you, did you realize He was calling you to walk through many tribulations to enter His kingdom? Would you still have followed Him if you had known?

In the middle of the 19th century, a man named Nokseng and his family who were from a tribe in Assam, India, heard and believed the gospel as a result of American missionary efforts. 

“This man’s faith proved contagious and many villagers began to accept Christianity.

Angry, the village chief summoned all the villagers. He then called the family who had first converted to renounce their faith in public or face execution.

Moved by the Holy Spirit, the man said: “I have decided to follow Jesus.”

Enraged at the refusal of the man, the chief ordered his archers to arrow down the two children. As both boys lay twitching on the floor, the chief asked, “Will you deny your faith? You have lost both your children. You will lose your wife too.”

But the man replied: “Though no one joins me, still I will follow.”

The chief was beside himself with fury and ordered his wife to be arrowed down. In a moment she joined her two children in death. Now he asked for the last time, “I will give you one more opportunity to deny your faith and live.”  

In the face of death the man said the final memorable lines: “The cross before me, the world behind me. No turning back.”

He was shot dead like the rest of his family. 

But with their deaths, a miracle took place. 

The chief who had ordered the killings was moved by the faith of the man. He wondered, “Why should this man, his wife and two children die for a Man who lived in a far-away land on another continent some 2,000 years ago? There must be some remarkable power behind the family’s faith, and I too want to taste that faith.”

In a spontaneous confession of faith, he declared, “I too belong to Jesus Christ!” When the crowd heard this from the mouth of their chief, the whole village accepted Christ as their Lord and Saviour.”

I have decided to follow Jesus. 

No turning back. 

No turning back. 

Whose soul needs strengthened today? Who needs the encouragement to persevere? Who is enduring tribulation? May the God of all comfort bring His people comfort in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction… knowing as we share abundantly in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.

God give us the strength to follow you all our days.

Natalie 

The story of Nokseng taken from https://renewaljournal.com/2017/11/29/the-true-story-behind-the-song-i-have-decided-to-follow-jesus/

Help is on the Way

Now at Iconium they entered together into the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. (Acts 14:1)

This is incredible! Revival in Iconium. But that's not the end of the story. It's not smooth sailing. Check out the very next verse:

But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. (Acts 14:2)

Ouch! The brothers share the good news that Jesus saves and people are against them. Not quite the "how to make friends and influence people" result some hope for today. Maybe it is time to "get out of dodge" - except they didn't.

So they remained for a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who bore witness to the word of his grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands. (Acts 14:3)

If they were hoping for approval and applause they would have left. If they were searching for comfort they would have stopped speaking about the Lord. These missionaries were motivated by something else or maybe Someone Else. What or WHO motivates you to do what you do? Are you tempted to "throw in the towel" when outward circumstances get difficult? What centers these missionaries?

Notice in verse three this phrase - the Lord, who bore witness to the word of HIS GRACE. The Lord witnesses all we go through and HE honors His WORD. He sees what others see and He sees what no one else can see. He is the only One who's vision and insight and understanding is 20/20. And His call wins the day for these missionaries. I am prone to wander and prone to forget HE sees me and HE is with me, for me and in me. Are you?

This isn't the end of the Story. It gets harder still. The unbelievers in town plan to stone them but the missionaries are able to flee to another town. As they flee they continued to preach the gospel. (Acts 14:7b)

And I would love to tell you it went much better in that next town, but it didn't. In Iconium, the Enemy seeks to discourage them by the disapproval of the crowd. In Lystra, the Enemy seeks to deceive them by craving an unhealthy approval. The people of Lystra try to deify Paul as Hermes and Barnabas as Zeus. And when Paul and Barnabas stop them, calling them to turn from these vain things to a living God, they along with unbelievers from Antioch and Iconium stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. (Acts 14:19)

It seems like speaking God's truth can get you killed. And...it can. Look at Jesus. But just like Jesus' death wasn't the end, it won't be the end for us. HELP is on the way. But when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city, and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe. (Acts 14:20)

When the disciples gathered about him - the help comes in the form of the people of God - the church.

Sunday we will witness as brothers and sisters look to the Living God and gather around each other as we pray, sing, worship, hear and respond to the Word and witness baptisms. We will draw strength from the Living God and from each other.

See you Sunday,

Steven

Tracing His Hand to Trust His Heart

“Do you not know? Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from the beginning? Have you not understood from the foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like grasshoppers; who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them like a tent to dwell in; who brings princes to nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness.”

God is sovereign. I should know this. I’ve heard it my entire life. But in the ever shifting seasons of life in a not yet post pandemic world, it’s a struggle to live like I believe it.

I’m near sighted.

I look at what is in front of me and it becomes all that I can see. August. If I can only make it through August, then September will be easier. August clouds my vision. I’m holding it so close to my face that it’s all I can see and the weight of it threatens to crush me. I could use more rest but time doesn’t allow, so I settle for more food.

What I really need is perspective.

The gift of perspective is what Paul gave those in the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. He traced God’s hand in history.

God chose. God made. God led. God endured. God overthrew. On and on Paul demonstrated to his listeners that God has been and continues to be the one who does the work. God brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. And what God has promised, he has fulfilled by raising up Jesus. Throughout history God has been the one who does the heavy lifting. He finally and fully removed the penalty of sin from those who belong to Him. What remains for us is forgiveness. Acceptance. Peace. Rest.

If I put August on the timeline of my life, and trace the ways the Lord has been faithful in my past, I can trust that He will continue to be faithful in my future. And how much more clearly will I see his hand and his heart as I read of how He has acted throughout history in the lives of those whom he has called according to his purpose!

Does today feel overwhelming? Does tomorrow seem like it might be worse? Let’s stop holding it so close that it clouds our vision. We can give it to the One who holds history in his hands.

“Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

By His Grace,
Natalie

Be Still

Chapter 13 begins a new focus in the book of Acts, moving to Paul as the central figure of the book and his missionary journeys. There are many exciting stories to come and it’s easy to miss some of the quieter times, verses 1-12 in Chapter 13 are a testament to that. Verses 4-12 detail a sailing voyage to the island of Cyprus, a dramatic confrontation with a magician, and a conversion of a high ranking Roman official. All truly amazing works, rich with lessons for our lives.

But in the first 3 verses, we read of the spiritual preparation the church leaders had before doing God’s will. These leaders, representing a great variety of backgrounds, were seeking God’s guidance on what to do next. In this they give us a few examples on how to seek God.

First they were worshipping the Lord. Matthew 18:20 reads “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” As the entire world just went without gathering for 12 months, this reminder of worshiping with our fellow sisters and brothers should be as refreshing as a glass of cool water.

Second, they fasted. While this is a familiar act, giving up something vital (food) or dear (a personal idol perhaps), occurs in our culture, these leaders were giving up a necessity and replacing it with time spent with God. It can be noble to abstain from social media on the weekend, however replacing that newfound time with binging a new TV show may miss the mark.

Here we see the leaders in tune with God and the Holy Spirit provide guidance on their next action. Before they jump to action, they finish their fasting and pray. All prayer is welcome, but this example of praying after the fact is a great reminder. Thanking the Lord for an answered prayer, being in touch with God at the beginning and the end of the day can help turn prayer life into more than just a one-way human to God request hotline.

So as we continue to read about these fascinating stories and enjoy the rest of our summer, let’s not be quick to jump to the action but enjoy the quieter times as well.

- Alex Pfister

Glory Robbers

On a day of his choosing, King Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and gave a speech to his subjects meant to glamorize and impress. This celebrity-level king allowed the praise and glory that only belongs to God to wash over him. He was hungry for it and consumed it like one who is starving.

The audacity. The gall. The blatant heresy.

But are we really that different?

It has been said that our hearts are “a factory of idols.” Left to ourselves, we will always turn our affections away from God and give them to something lesser. We too are glory robbers.

This can manifest itself in both pride and idolatry. Pride, like Herod, says, “I am like God. I know what’s best. I am the master of my own destiny. I am in control.” We ourselves can commit this cosmic treason any time we seek to take God off of His rightful throne and put ourselves in His place.

On the other side of the coin is idolatry. Where pride seeks to glorify self, idolatry gives glory to someONE or someTHING other than God. This type of glory-exchange can sometimes look very obvious to all, but many times, it can be subtle. It can sneak into our lives without us realizing it.

So, how can we tell if we have fallen into this idol trap? Below are some questions to ask yourself:

-What strikes me with crippling fear at the thought of losing and living without?

-Who or what do I go to first when I’m worried or sad or bored?

-Who or what makes me feel complete, and I wouldn’t be “me” without them/it?

-What makes me say, “If only I had ________________, I would finally be happy.”?

-When I look at my bank statements, where am I disproportionately spending my money?

Psalm 135:15-18 says

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.”

Herod became as dead as his idol. He died a slow, gruesome death that sent him to his eternal damnation. But because of Jesus, our fate will not match Herod’s! And that is the very reason why idols pale in comparison to our Savior.

Our idols won’t look out for us. They won’t protect us. They won’t love us unconditionally. They won’t always be there for us. And they certainly won’t die for us.

But Jesus will.

Jesus is better than any idol we could ever fashion. And He alone worthy of our adoration.

-Becky Groppel

Now We Know For Certain

The events in Acts 12:1-19 occurred around 44 AD. Years after Stephen became the first martyr, the persecution of the early Christian church expanded beyond just the religious and political leaders in Israel.

Herod Agrippa I was the nephew of Herod Antipas, who killed John the Baptist, and was the grandson of Herod the Great, who killed the male children in Bethlehem in search of the infant Jesus. To capitalize on the growing animosity against the early church and gain favor with the religious leaders, Agrippa ordered the killing of James, the brother of John and one of the three leaders of the early church, making James the first apostle killed. Jesus had told James and John they would suffer (Matt 20:20-23) as He did. James was killed while John ended up in exile on the Island of Patmos. Besides beheading James, Agrippa also imprisoned Peter.

Luke shows the opposing forces at work in this week’s scripture.  Agrippa and the religious leaders trying to stop the early church through their persecutions were at war against the church’s bold prayers and God’s providence. Here are a couple of takeaways from this story: We learn God’s providence brings unexpected results, and most importantly, God is in control.

After an angelic and supernatural escape from prison, Peter said, “Now I know for certain…”(v.11). Assessing what happened, Peter learned the truth of what great things God can do amid one’s hardship and trials. For His sovereign plan, God may not choose to alter the circumstances (James died). Still, answers also come in unexpected ways (Peter) where over one’s lifetime, astonishing experiences can happen.  (v.16 “they were astonished…”)

“So when he (Peter) had considered this…”(v.12), Peter then stepped back and assessed God’s deliverance from what appeared to be a hopeless situation. We also need to step back while in the depths of trials or after getting past a problem. God's providence allows for such prudence on our part. Realizing his angelic escape was a miracle and not a vision, Peter went directly to his friends' house, where they were still passionately praying for Peter’s release. Peter saw that prayer played a significant role in changing his circumstance. Not just a toss it to the heavens prayer done in a passing moment, but lengthy prayers involving a community of believers (the church) whose prayers were earnest and focused on a specific person and request.

Finally, God is in control no matter the circumstance. Like Peter's or man's arrogance, like Agrippa and the religious leaders. There are times when we do not understand why a problem arises or times become difficult. Our life can go from times of spring and joy to personal winters of worry, uncertainty, and challenging times. There are times where God’s seeming hiddenness abounds, and you do not know God's higher purpose or reason for a season of difficulty while you bear its weight for days, weeks, months, or years.

God's special providence deals with human affairs on an individual level. God acts through particular events in remarkable ways.[1]  Miracles like Peter’s escape are an example. God intervenes in specific ways for His intentions in a person's life that will be mysterious at times and beyond our understanding. My son is a brain cancer survivor. Cindy and I believe God acted intentionally for a higher purpose in our son's life and responded to our prayers and the church’s prayers. We are still learning what that higher purpose is 24 years later.

The question is, do we trust God?

The believers in this story fervently did, and the result of their prayers was a miracle and the institutional powers abject failure to destroy the growing early church. Now we know for certain; God always has the last word.

[1] Thomas C. Oden, Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology (New York: Harper Collins, 1992),164.

-Dan Nickel

What's In a Name

I’ve chosen 20 first and middle names for my children and named numerous pets and even dolls through the years. I even chose names for my yet unborn children when I was a kid,(Chad Sebastian and Ocean Aurora!). My Grandma taught elementary school and had a list of names that no one in the family could ever use because she “once had a student with that name”. The names we ultimately chose for our kids either mean something that we want our kids to exemplify or honor someone we love and respect. Our last name identifies the family we belong to and the people we claim as our own. Names are important!

Throughout the first chapters of Acts those who followed Jesus were referred to as “followers of the Way”, “brothers and sisters”, and “saints”. As the gospel spread to other people groups and regions, they began to be called by a new name. “In Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26b). The believers didn’t choose this name for themselves, but it was how those in the community referred to them.

While Christian is not the name used most frequently in the New Testament, in twenty-first century America it is the one that has endured. I briefly entertained the idea of surveying my FaceBook friends to see what came to mind when they heard the name Christian, but quickly decided against it. I can guess what the answers would be. For those who are settled in a church and growing in their relationship with Christ, they would predominantly have positive things to say. Others have perceptions of some Christians, that deserved or not, they apply to all Christians. After all, we are part of the same family. We all bear the name of Christ.

When my smaller kids have been angry with each other, they’ve been known to say “you aren’t my sister!” If I’m honest, there are Christians that I sometimes feel this way toward. It would be easier, wouldn’t it, if we could just deny our relation and move on? But this is God’s family. We have all been adopted into it, and we don’t get to choose who else is part of it. “Love one another”, Jesus told His people. “By this all people will know you are my disciples.” They will know who we are because we love our brothers and sisters even when they aren’t behaving how they should, or when they hurt us, or disappoint us and even when we wish they weren’t part of the family. Because of His grace, we repent, we forgive, we love, and by His grace we are healed and changed.

We take our family name everywhere go. People who have encountered one of our family members may have preconceived ideas about us because of an experience they had with someone else who is part of our family. There have been times we’ve reminded our kids that they represent our family. Similarly, everywhere we go we represent Christ. It’s a privilege and a responsibility. We are His ambassadors, showing the world what He is like, and pleading with them to be reconciled to God.

How are we representing our brothers and sisters in Christ to others? How are we representing our older Brother and our Father to the world? For the sake of the world, may we bear His name well and show them how good our Father really is. There truly is no better family to belong to!

-Natalie Runyon

So be it!

In our focal text this week, we read some major news being reported by Peter to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The news was that a gentile audience had come to saving faith in Christ Jesus. Peter testified that this amazing grace event had been affirmed by a manifestation of God’s Spirit baptizing those first gentile believers. What a pivotal moment in the life of the church – how would these Jewish Christians react?

As a member of the body of Christ, I’ve had many opportunities to observe and participate in believer’s baptisms. A question that I’ve often heard asked in those moments is for each bystander to remember the moment when they were first baptized. That question forces us to consider the similarities we have with each other as sinners who’ve been granted the eternal gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Often in moments of a believer’s baptism, you’ll hear an enthusiastic “Amen!” coming from several in the crowd. Amen is a term that signifies agreement with what God is doing. The term “amen” is a verbal affirmation that means “so be it”. When those Jerusalem Christians heard the news of the gentile salvation experience and Peter’s report that this was the work of God, they, like Peter, had no other conclusion but to stand in awe and cooperation with what God was doing among the gentiles. While they didn’t understand everything to come from this, they did agree that if God was doing it then they would stand in unity with it. The Christians in Jerusalem react in a way that glorifies God and reveals the work of His Spirit in their lives.

The Holy Spirit moved in the early church to bring unity and fellowship among a diverse group of people. Today, the Spirit of God continues to work in the same way within the body of Christ. Jesus promised a baptism by God’s Spirit for His followers that would lead us to live for Him in unity and fellowship with His body – the church.

How do you respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in the church today? In your life? In others? May we be people that agree with what God is doing in His church. May we glorify God together as we remember His glorious work revealed through Jesus Christ. Let us be a people that say “Amen!” anytime we recognize the Spirit of God moving in our midst. And let us say “Amen!” when we hear of any person being granted repentance that leads to life in Christ to the praise of His glory!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

The Gospel is for Everyone

The first time I talked about Jesus to someone who hadn’t heard about Him was in third grade. There was a new girl at school and her family was from India. Through the course of our friendship, I learned she was a Hindu. Always curious, I asked questions about her faith. In turn, she asked about mine. I was only eight, and with childlike faith I believed Jesus was the way, the truth and the life and no one could come to the Father, except through Him.

There was a concrete tunnel on the school playground, and sitting inside, I asked her if she wanted to know Jesus, so she could be certain to get to God. She said yes, and there in that tunnel I told her that even though we were sinners, Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and if we believed in Him we could have eternal life. Then we prayed. Rudimentary? Yes. But I knew Jesus and I wanted my friend to know Him too.

I can’t help but think how much I have changed since third grade. Very sadly, years of studying the Bible haven’t made me more bold in sharing my faith. My own self-awareness and desire to be liked have caused me to shy away from spiritual conversations that don’t feel safe. I have made excuses for why I shouldn’t tell someone about Jesus, usually based on my judgement about whether or not they will believe what I say.

In Acts 10, we see Peter was making some judgements of his own. He wasn’t willing to go to the Gentiles of his own accord. Through the course of the chapter, we read how God intervened to break down Peter’s preconceived ideas and lead him to share the Gospel with a group of people he otherwise would not have. We also get a fuller picture of how God worked not only in Peter as the one who would share, but also in Cornelius and the others who would hear. He is the great orchestrator of events and is always working to draw people to Himself!

This encourages and convicts me. The Holy Spirit doesn’t ask us to go somewhere that He isn’t already at work. He prepares us to share, and He also prepares those who will hear. We can trust that as He is calling us to go to someone, He is simultaneously working in the one He is leading us to.

The Gospel is for everyone! We don’t know if someone will accept or reject it, but everyone deserves the opportunity to hear it. Right now the Holy Spirit is preparing someone to hear about Jesus and His love for them! Will we go where He leads us and share with whomever He asks?

-Natalie Runyon

Screen Door on a Submarine

“Devout”, “God-fearing”, “gives generously”, and “prays regularly” - qualities we should embody as Christians. In the plot twist filled book of Acts, we learn these are the descriptions not of one of the apostles, but of a Roman centurion, Cornelius, and his family! Acts has many examples on ways we should and should not live our life, it’s just surprising to see a leader of 100 Roman soldiers being on the good example list.

Perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised though. Our God uses people of all shapes and sizes to give examples of how we should live, how we should love, how we should show our faith. Perhaps a moral of this story is not to judge a book by it’s cover, afterall “Human beings judge one another by their external actions. God judges them by their moral choices” C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity.

While it’s important to live right, clearly Cornelius wanted his outward actions to match his God-fearing heart. His heart and mind were open to the glory of God and when God sends an angel, Cornelius goes into command mode and follows the orders precisely. We’ve seen examples in the Bible where men and women raised in the faith question an angel’s orders, ask for clarity, or demand another sign. Let Cornelius remind us that God will find us no matter our background if we keep our eyes and ears open, and when God calls, act!

-Alex Pfister

Driving out Fear

Seething with self-righteous rage, Saul had made it his personal mission to destroy Christ's brand-new Church while she was still in her cradle.

God, however, had a different, more glorious plan. Before He ascended, Jesus told Peter that He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Nothing and no one could stop God's church from flourishing…Not even a Christian-hating ravager.

After Saul’s miraculous conversion, God chose a man named Ananias to help Saul regain his sight and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But Saul’s reputation had preceded him.

“Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem” (Acts 9:13).

Ananias had received a command from God, but he was afraid, and deservedly so. After all, he was being asked to go to the man responsible for imprisoning and killing countless followers of Christ.

Although tempted to disobey, Ananias trusted God instead of his fears. He went to Saul, laid his hands on him, and almost at once, Saul began his life-long ministry of proclaiming the good news of the gospel.

Thousands of years later, God is still asking His people to do things that are genuinely scary, risky, and even dangerous for the sake of His Kingdom:

-Walking with a loved one who is deep in unrepentant sin

-Accepting a new job that is lower in pay but has better interaction with the community

-Going on a mission trip to a closed country

-Sharing the gospel to a neighbor or coworker who is hostile towards God

All of these (and many more) are reasons to be afraid. But God still asks us to do them.

So, how do we do it? How is it possible to step out in faith and walk the hard, scary paths that God asks us to take?  Should we pick ourselves up by our boot straps and just muster up the courage? Or do we take the more popular route to “Fake-It-Till-You-Make-It?”

The answer is good news: It is love.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

Perfect love casts out fear. In other words, the perfect, lavish, faithful love of God bought for us with the blood of Christ takes away our need to be afraid. No longer do we need to fear His wrath because the Spotless Lamb took it for us. And as a response, we are now freed to love others instead of being afraid of them.

Because God smiles on us, the opinions of others start to fade. Because our eternal destiny is secure, we can confidently say with the psalmist, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

As a result of Ananias' faith and Saul’s witness, the church now "walked in the fear of the Lord" instead of in fear of Saul (Acts 9:31). They traded their paralyzing fear of man and exchanged it for a life-giving fear that stands in awe of who God is and what He has done.

What fears are holding you back from doing what God has asked you to do? Who do you need to love instead of fear?

While God may sometimes ask us to do things that are difficult and scary, we know He will never ask us to do anything that isn't for His glory and our good. And He promised that He will walk with us every step of the way.

And who knows? Saying "no" to our fears and "yes" to God could result in bringing many sons to glory.

-Becky Groppel

In the Light, A Life Changes

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” — Acts 9:3-4

In Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet decides to confront the evil King, so he puts on a play, a horrifying play filled with violence and murder by poison. Because of the play’s horrid images, the King stands up and yells, “Give me some light!”  Hamlet’s play intended to catch the conscience of the King.

In Acts 9, amid Saul’s violent and horrifying persecution, he was confronted with a divine light from heaven that, like the King in Hamlet’s play, caught his conscience and changed his heart and mind. Saul’s experience and his testimony changed the world.

After the mob stoned Stephen, which Saul (soon to be Paul) openly supported, Luke starts Acts 9, describing Saul as filled with hatred and intent on murder and a reign of terror on the scattered early Christian church. As a dogmatic, brilliant Jewish scholar who lived by the laws, ironically, Saul thought he was doing God’s bidding in ravaging the upstart Christian movement. He was mistaken.

Saul represented the ongoing stubborn blindness of an unrepentant Israel that continued to reject the Gospel and Jesus Christ.[1] Much like our culture today. That is why Christ asked Saul why does he continue to persecute “me?” Shattered, Saul knew he alone was confronted by a heavenly being he learned was Jesus Christ, whom he opposed. Combined with the bright light, Saul, desperate, questioned what he should do?

Scholars think the light from heaven that appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus was a theophany, a visible manifestation of God. God’s presence is made known in such events as Moses and the burning bush and Jacob’s wrestling match. The supernatural light appeared out of nowhere and struck Saul to the ground. We also may not know when we could have a divine encounter with God.

A lesson we can take from this spatial appearance and Saul’s experience is the first thing that occurs in our salvation and changing of the heart is an understanding, a conscious awareness of Jesus as our Savior. Our heart is illuminated and is born again by the spirit of the Lord. Saul had a real eye-opening lesson for us that Jesus Christ offers love and mercy while he also confronts our sins. It gives us a new and revelatory perspective, a new way of seeing our lives and the world we live in, the way we live, and the nature of our lives. Dante’s poetic words as he approached Heaven in Paradise describe our life long change when we accept Jesus as our Savior:

Within that Light a person is so changed

It is impossible to give consent

Ever to turn from it to other sights[2]

-Dan Nickel

[1]Marianne Palmer Bonz, The Past As A Legacy: Luke-Acts and Ancient Epic (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000), 161.

[2]Dante, Paradise Canto 33:100

Give Me Some of What He’s Got

When I read the scripture for this week’s sermon, what stands out to me the most is simply the openness and availability of Phillip. He seems to walk around looking for opportunity to interact with people and share the good news of the gospel. Not in a way that is offensive or pushy, but in a very natural, winsome way.

He’s told to go and he eagerly goes. You can almost picture the spring in his step as he moves. He has a natural curiosity that causes him to initiate with anyone and everyone. He knows how to ask good questions. He is genuinely present. His demeanor is positive, curious, grounded, contagious to anyone he interacts with.

I wonder…how does my life compare? How does your life compare? When you walk into a room, down the street, into a store, or your work place, how would people around you describe the energy you bring? What adjectives would be used?

Take a few moments…write down 5 words that would describe how you see and interact with the world on a regular basis. Be honest. What do those words tell you about your belief in the good news? We can say we believe things…but unless it changes how we actually live, we may be just paying lip service.

These are the thoughts that bubble to the top of my mind as I read about a day in the life of Phillip. I want to hang with this guy. I want to watch him interact. I want to be his friend. I want what he has.

Maybe you do too,

Ruth

The Power or The Person

Simon the Sorcerer was used to popularity, power, fame, wealth. He amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. (Acts 8:10-11)

Then Philip comes to town and Simon loses his audience and admirers. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12). The Samaritans turn from Simon and magic to Philip and Jesus. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. (Acts 8:13a) Great news, right? Almost. Why did Simon believe? And seeing the signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. (Acts 8:13b)

The purpose of signs and great miracles is to point us to the One who performs them. Simon’s motivation for following Philip is exposed when Peter and John come to town. After Simon witnesses Peter and John lay their hands on these new believers and they receive the Holy Spirit Simon wants this “power” too.

Simon put himself in the wrong position. Simon still wants to be the star. He doesn’t want his magic show to end. Simon wants to be the giver of great power. He doesn’t realize he needs to receive the One who has all power. We can only give what we have first RECEIVED. Simon never gets “in line” to receive the Holy Spirit. Simon “cuts in line” thinking that he can buy the Holy Spirit without experiencing the Holy Spirit. Simon wants the power without the Person.

What about you? We also have a “magic show.” We are not sorcerers, but we have a way we want to live. We can be seduced by the signs and great miracles and use them to further our agenda. Simon saw the Holy Spirit as another tool in his toolbox but he never wanted Him to be the center - the Spirit of Truth to which Simon bows his knee.

When Peter warns Simon and commands him to repent Simon still hasn’t come to the end of himself. Simon does not pray. Simon asks Peter to pray for him. Simon does not ask Peter to pray for him to have a revelation of God. Simon asks Peter to pray that Simon won’t have to face the consequences.

May we be those who desire the Giver more than the gift. May we be those who know we need to receive before we give. May we stand in awe of God. May we humble ourselves before the Lord and hunger for the Holy Spirit so our lives make much of Jesus.

-Steven

Disorder in the Court

When feeling defensive, often we become offensive. Quick in retort, it’s easy to lash out with the tongue while suppressing the heart. It’s amazing how the Enemy can make a mountain out of a molehill. Thankfully and unsurprising, the Bible gives us many examples on how we should act when we might feel defensive.

“If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest” - Ecclesiastes 10:4

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” - James 1:19

In the story of Stephen, we see many Godly traits in how he lives and how he acts. They stand uncamouflaged against the actions of the Sanhedrin.  These Jewish leaders, protecting their way of life, put a man full of God’s grace and power on trial and when they do not like what Stephen had to say, they were “furious”, “gnashed their teeth”, “covered their ears”, “yelling at the top of their voices”. If that 4-year-old’s-response-to-not-getting-that-toy-in-the-check-out-aisle temper wasn’t enough, they play judge-jury-executioner by stoning Stephen immediately.

While stonings are not commonplace anymore, this rage, this action without thinking, this shoot first ask questions later happens daily. As we examine this text, undoubtedly mourning Stephen’s physical body while marveling at how God’s going to use Saul-soon-to-be-Paul, let’s examine how we act when feeling rage or a lesser uncomfortableness. Are we defensive at what someone said, or are we upset that it was true?

-Alex Pfister

Remembering to Remember

Since before the dawn of time, our God has never ceased to be completely holy in all His works.

He is a great God - full of splendor, majesty, and wonders. A beautiful sunset, the crashing of waves against a powdery-white beach, spring flowers blooming in vibrant colors: these are just the fringes of His glory.

He is holy, unchanging, perfect in all His ways, and He cannot be in the presence of sin.

Yet God the Son stooped down from time and space, took on our human form, breathed our dust, and willingly sacrificed Himself in order to pay for our sins and bring us back to Him.

With such a great God as this:

How could we ever doubt His love and care for us?

How could we ever rob Him of glory and give it to another?

How could we ever hurt one another?

And yet, we do.

We too, like the Sanhedrin of Stephen’s day, can become hard-hearted towards the things of God.

We forget to remember.

As Stephen stood before these men - men whom he regarded as “brothers and fathers” - he began to tell a story of their family’s history. A nail-biting, gut-wrenching, spectacular story. And at its very center was the faithfulness of the God of Israel.

Stephen recounted the events of God revealing Himself to Abraham, promising him descendants that would outnumber the stars in the sky; promising to guide him to the Promised Land; and promising to never leave His side.

Stephen told the story of Joseph, whom God sovereignly chose to experience hatred, rejection, loneliness, and deceit so that the family line of the coming Savior would be preserved.

Stephen went on to describe the life of Moses, the Israelites in slavery, and God’s miraculous rescue from Egypt. He depicted the building of the Tabernacle, the conquest of Canaan, and the construction of Solomon’s Temple.

Each event orchestrated by a faithful God, pursuing the people who would one day reject him.

And as Stephen finished their family’s tale, he switched from story-teller to prophet:

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” Acts 7:51

God, in His mercy and kindness repeatedly showed up for His people in big, powerful ways. And yet, time after time, they rejected that grace.

And as Stephen boldly pointed out, his accusers were no different from their ancestors. They resisted the Holy Spirit, broke the Law of Moses, and persecuted those who prophesied “the coming of the Righteous One.” While they may have known all the facts of their family tree, they had forgotten the God who had designed it.

Their forgetting had caused them to be hard-hearted toward the God who loved them and gave Himself for them.

It is easy to read about this power-hungry, murderous group of spiritual leaders and shake our heads in disbelief. After all, we have never condemned anyone to death by stoning!

But if we search our hearts deep enough, we will find that we are not as different from the Sanhedrin as we would like to think. We too love to go our own way, build up our own idols, stay in control, and be our own God.

How do we keep from being “a stiff-necked people” who reject God, His will, and His leading in our lives?

We remember.

We can look in His Word and remember who God is and what He has done.

We can remember the beautiful, bloody cross, and pour out our praise to the Lamb who was slain.

We can remember the selfless love of Jesus - and then love our neighbor in the same way.

When we are angry at a loved one, and tempted to hold back our forgiveness, we can remember the great debt that was forgiven us.

When we feel ourselves pulled by the lure of sin, we can remember that nothing we could desire compares with the joy and beauty of the Lord.

When we feel lonely or afraid, or begin to wonder if God really cares about us, we can meditate on His promises that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Are there ways you have become hard-hearted? Where are you struggling to trust or delight in God? What truths from His word do you need to rehearse to yourself today?

God loves to answer the prayers of His children and will delight to help us remember to remember.

-Becky Groppel

More Than a History Lesson

“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.  When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…’” — Acts 7:30-32

“And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” — Acts 7:52-53

Stephen, filled with grace and doing great wonders among the people, was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin (the council).  Facing death, Stephen gave a speech that was an Old Testament history lesson about the Jewish nation.  Stephen’s speech had two essential points missed by the council.  Mystery and Tradition.

Stephen tells the story of Moses and the burning bush. In his great book Sing Us a Song of Joy, Phillip Eaton also discusses Moses and the burning bush.  Moses had the curiosity to see the burning bush, this mystery before him, and in his interest, he encountered God. Eaton’s point is as a culture; we hate mystery. We no longer are like Moses.  We have dampened our curiosity in seeking answers to the mysteries we experience, including the mystery of our Christian faith.

Mystery means something difficult or impossible to understand or explain. Paul referred to mystery twenty times in his letters. We live in a culture that thinks there must be a material explanation for everything we experience. We want to know it all and to understand it all. We want to have it all figured out.  In trying to eliminate mystery in our life, we can miss God’s divine presence and an encounter with transcendence. We miss the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The council missed Stephen’s point in the burning bush story, missed understanding the mystery before them why Stephen possessed a grace and power to do wonders, all of which unsettled them.  They missed the Holy Spirit at work in the early Christian church and the Apostles.

Stephen then put the council on the spot. He went on the offensive and accused the council of being the ones who failed to keep the law given by the angels. The council was unable to keep the traditions that would open them to God’s truth. They had become hardened and ‘stiff-necked,’ which closed their minds and eliminated a life-changing encounter with the living God – Jesus Christ.

Traditions are the threads woven in the quilt that binds a diverse group of people. If we deconstruct, dampen, or remove the threads, the quilt will fray and fall apart.  Traditions within the church help keep our faith and Jesus Christ from becoming an abstraction, our faith uninspiring, and the church (universal) filled with just empty symbols and rhetoric. The council and its application of the laws and traditions had become dull, misguided, the faith ineffectual and sharp in its judgment with an unloving approach to the human condition and experience. 

What can be viewed as a lengthy discourse by Stephen on the history of the Jewish nation is a great life and faith lesson for us.  Embracing mystery and tradition in our Christian faith will lead us to encounters with transcendent beauty and the divine presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and others. Embracing mystery and tradition can be used as signposts directing us to explore the wonders we can experience in our faith walk that will awe us and lead to lasting change, salvation, love, and grace.

-Dan Nickel

What Do You Feel Threatened By?

There are two very different types of people in Acts 6:8-15. 

Stephen… 

1. A man full of God’s grace and power.

2. A man who is performing great wonders and signs among the people.

3. A man whose very face looked like the face of an “angel”.

These are the descriptions that start and end this passage…but in between are the religious people who are members of the synagogue, Jews, elders and the teachers of the law.

1. They oppose Stephen.

2. They argue with Stephen.

3. They cannot stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave Stephen as he spoke.

4. They secretly persuade people to lie and slander Stephen.

5. They stir up other people to an angry reaction as well.

6. They seize Stephen and bring him before the Sanhedrin.

7. They produce more false witnesses.

Why are the religious people so threatened, angry and hostile towards Stephen…a man who is full of grace and power, doing good for the people and obviously even looking the part with his “angelic face”?

This is not a one time event. History repeats itself…over and over. We as human beings are prone to this kind of behavior.

Why?

What are we afraid of? What are we jealous of? What causes us to get angry? How do we let the ends justify the means?

People on the outside…all they see is human nature at it’s worst when we act this way.

What if the religious people had embraced Stephen instead of eventually stoning him? How would this story have been different?

Sometimes religion and religious people seem so clearly out of step with Jesus and the message of love He gave His life for.

We can learn to embrace others and set aside our pride and power and think of the common good. We can learn to be open and not let fear make our decisions. We can notice the way our emotional reactions often lead towards negativity and anger, fear and judgement and learn a different way to live. We must…or we are no different than the religious people in this passage of scripture and that would be a tragedy.

Ruth