THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 16:11-15 “When she and the members of her household were baptized…” (Acts 16:15) Lydia is a worshiper of God, a non-Jewish believer in only one God. She was not trained in the synagogue, and so her current beliefs were mixed. What is striking to me is how quickly she and her household…
His hand behind my plans
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 16:6-10 “Kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia.” (Acts 16:6) “The Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” (Acts 16:7) Why would the Holy Spirit hold us back from sharing the message of Jesus? It’s not that He silenced them; He directed them elsewhere, other…
To win them to Jesus
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 16:1-5 “Paul wanted to take him along… he circumcised him because of the Jews…” (Acts 16:3) In Galatians 2:11-16, Paul rebukes Peter for enforcing the Law on Gentiles. And Paul was in Jerusalem when it was decided not to make Gentiles to obey the Law. Then why does he have Timothy circumcised? One…
Let God diagnose your heart!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Psalm 139 “You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.” (Psalm 139:1) How does this make you feel? He knows EVERYTHING about me, totally, completely, everywhere, always. This kind of exposure can be frightening… talk about a breach of privacy! We may try to hide, to cover up our badness with goodness,…
What are you pursuing?
THE STORY OF JESUS: 1 Timothy 4-6 “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness.” (1 Timothy 6:11) If life is the pursuit of… something, what is my life is the pursuit of? Comfort, riches, pleasure, power, reputation, good looks, success, revenge? Everyone will have their own variation on what their goal looks like. Paul is urging Timothy to…
The Jesus way of leading!
THE STORY OF JESUS: 1 Timothy 1-3 “The goal of this command is love…” (1 Timothy 1:5) Timothy was a leader in the church of Ephesus, where there were issues. Paul is giving him advice on how to deal with other problematic leaders. Some were teaching strange interpretations of the law (1:3-11). Some men were turning their gatherings into…
We need more Barnabas’s
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 15:36-41 “They parted company. Barnabas took Mark… but Paul chose Silas.” (Acts 15:39) Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, was a generous man. He was nicknamed Barnabas (son of encouragement) (Acts 4:36-37). When others feared the newly converted Paul, he stood by him (Acts 9:27). Now he wants to give Mark, who had let them…
Silencing the witnesses!
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 15:30-35 “They and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord.” (Acts 15:35) In the model of church I grew up in, there is usually one preacher/teacher. The role of the professional preacher/teacher has replaced home grown ones. Following Jesus’s equipping model, the early church trained up many preachers/teachers. In…
What should I be avoiding?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 15:22-29 “You will do well to avoid these things.” (Acts 15:?29) These church leaders are not releasing disciples from God’s moral law. Killing, lying, stealing, cheating, raping, etc., these were still wrong. But the ceremonies and rituals of Moses’s law no longer applied. Circumcision, tithing, sacrifices, clean and unclean laws, these no…
Making it hard for others!?
THE STORY OF JESUS: Acts 15:12-21 “We should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.” (Acts 15:19) This was a huge issue for the early church, especially for Jewish Jesus followers. It was difficult to imagine associating with people who didn’t keep the law. What matters most for Jesus followers is our…