God's Wisdom

My devotional today led me to 1 Cor. 1:18-31, which contrasts the wisdom of the world and of God. Actually, the world often considers God's wisdom to be foolishness, but for us who believe there is power in the "foolishness" of the cross. What struck me most from this passage wasn't really what the devotional was talking about (which was also good, though), but just about the way God chose to save his children. "Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God" (1 Cor. 1:22-24). The message of Christ is so simple in some ways, but, in part due to its simplicity, it is also very hard for people to accept sometimes. "All I have to do to be saved is just believe?" Yep, pretty much!

But if the gospel is such a stumbling block, why would God choose this method? Wouldn't a message of works rather than grace be easier to swallow? That's how we might have packaged salvation if we were in charge. But "'my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the Lord. 'As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts'" (Isaiah 55:8-9). Ah, yes... And since we can never earn salvation in our imperfection, God found a better way: "He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus . . ." (1 Cor. 28-30, italics added). Just when I start to feel superior somehow for recognizing the wisdom of God rather than stumbling over it, he reminds me that I'm only his because he chose me to believe (Eph. 1:4-6). (Which is a whole other discussion...) But suffice it to say that today, I'm just thanking my God for his incomprehensible grace and his infinite wisdom.

Acts 15

So, apparently, some men were teaching that believers had to be circumcised in order to be saved, which upset Paul and Barnabas. After a heated debate about the issue, it was decided that a few of the believers, including Paul and Barnabas, should go to Jerusalem to discuss the matter with the apostles and elders there. Then it sounds like, as they were describing everything God had done through them among the Gentiles, some Pharisees also brought up the issue of circumcision and the law of Moses. Again, they began debating. Then Peter stood up and reminded everyone that when God had sent him to share the gospel with the Gentiles, He gave them the Holy Spirit too, making no distinction between the Jews and Gentiles. I like verses 10 and 11 of his argument: "Now, therefore, why are you putting God to the test by placing a yoke on the neck of the disciples that neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? But we believe that we will be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they will." Exactly! Why were they pushing the law onto the new Gentile believers when they themselves could not keep the law nor be saved by it?

After Paul and Barnabas described the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles, James spoke up. His verdict was that they shouldn't trouble the Gentile believers with circumcision, but should write and remind them to keep these four laws: to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood. So they sent Judas (Barsabbas) and Silas with Paul and Barnabas to deliver a letter with that information. And the people received the letter with rejoicing because of its encouragement.

My thoughts/questions on this chapter: first, why did they decide that these four laws were the only ones the Gentiles needed to keep? Why were they considered more important than the myriad other Old Testament laws? It seems like maybe they realized that circumcision was more cultural than critical to the Christian faith, since God had given the Holy Spirit to the uncircumcised Gentiles as well. But how did they choose which other laws could be dismissed for the Gentiles? And similarly, how do WE discern which Old Testament laws are still relevant and critical for us today (a question I've often pondered and have also blogged about in the past)? And finally, this all just makes me think about how much of the practice of our faith is cultural rather than Biblical. Yet I'm pretty sure that missionaries have often imposed their own cultural Christian practices upon their converts. Just a good reminder that when we go and share the gospel in other countries and among other peoples, we'd better be careful not to push our culture on them in the process of helping them live out their new faith.

Acts 14

In the first few verses, it talks about how Paul and Barnabas were preaching in Iconium when both Gentiles and Jews plotted to "mistreat" them. (I wonder if they were plotting together or if both groups were plotting independently?) So, they fled to Lystra, but "continued to preach the gospel" (Acts 14:7). Such a testimony to the conviction with which they believed their own message, that it was worth risking their lives for!

In Lystra, Paul healed a crippled man and the people of the city thought they must be gods come down in human form. They tried making sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas, even when they swore that they, too, were only men. Their message was clear: "we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them" (Acts 14:15). They went on to say that in the past God let them go their own way, but he never left himself without witness: he gave them rains and fruitful harvests to satisfy their hearts. Just makes me think about all the good gifts God has given me and how often I take them for granted, treasuring the gifts above the Giver. And I wonder what "vain things" I'm chasing after now instead of pursuing my God wholeheartedly...

They traveled a bit more, "strengthening the souls of the disciples [and] encouraging them to continue in the faith" (Acts 14:22), and eventually made it back to Antioch, "where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had fulfilled" (Acts 14:26). They reported what God had done through them and spent some time with the disciples there. It must have been so nice for them to be "home" with the disciples there and share all they had seen!

Acts 13

I've read this chapter several times already, but tonight I actually took the time to record some thoughts on it afterward. I'm thinking there must be something really good in here for me since I've read it 3 or 4 times now... :-)

When I first read verses 2 and 3, I felt a little jealous of the way the Holy Spirit actually spoke aloud and called Saul and Barnabas to his work. "Why can't I hear the Holy Spirit so clearly?" I wondered. But upon reading it again, I noticed that the call was in fact rather vague: "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" (Acts 13:2). What work is that? Or had he previously outlined it more specifically? I'm guessing not, because this doesn't sound too different from the call Abraham received centuries (millenia?) before: "Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you . . ." (Gen. 12:1-3). It seems God often wants us to follow him without knowing all the details, though I'm not sure exactly why. Maybe we can't handle all the specifics right away, maybe he wants to know we have faith in his leading, maybe... Regardless, it's somewhat reassuring to know I'm not the only one who's a little fuzzy on the details of where God wants me to go.

In verses 6-12, Saul/Paul and Barnabas come across a certain false prophet magician who was hanging around an intelligent proconsul. The proconsul summons Saul/Paul and Barnabas because he wants to hear the word of God, but of course the magician opposes them, wanting to turn the proconsul away from the faith. Then Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, says, "You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord?" (Acts 13:10). He also makes him blind, and the proconsul believes when he sees all of this. How long had it been since Saul himself had been persecuting Christians? And yet here he is speaking with such power and authority. And again in verses 16-41, Paul speaks out in a/the synagogue in Antioch, summarizing God's work from their forefathers' exodus from Egypt all the way through Jesus' resurrection. I love these verses: "And we bring you the good news that what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus" (Acts 13:32-33). Once again, we see someone starting from what his listeners know and understand and explaining how it all leads to Jesus. Beautiful, powerful. And the people wanted more: "As they went out, the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath. . . . [and] the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord." (Acts 13:42, 44). But of course the Jews were jealous and set out to discredit Paul. He and Barnabas thus fulfilled the scriptures, speaking the word of God first to the Jews, but then turned to share the good news with the Gentiles instead (Acts 13:45-49).

It kind of amazes me, too, how confidently Paul speaks out in these two instances. I mean, he had so vehemently persecuted the believers before his conversion, and yet now he preaches with no fear or shame. I often feel unworthy to speak for Christ, and my past isn't nearly as blemished as Paul's (if we can measure or compare sin, which I suppose we can't really). Why does guilt so often linger long after forgiveness comes? Oh, how I long for the confidence Paul displays here!

So, the two lessons I take from this chapter: I want to know and understand and hear and trust the Holy Spirit more. I think that is probably also the key to confidence in Christ. And I want to know and understand and love and use the Scriptures more.

Yep, good stuff.

Acts 12

This chapter opens with Herod killing James the brother of John and then imprisoning Peter. The church prayed earnestly for him, and miraculously he escaped one night with the aid of an angel. Sounds a bit too incredible to be real, right? I don't know, we see lots of miracles in the Scriptures. Too bad God doesn't move like that today, eh?

But actually, this account sounds a lot like the stories of Brother Yun, an intensely persecuted Chinese house church leader, as recorded in his autobiography The Heavenly Man. (If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.) It reminds me that God is alive and active in our world today, as much as he was in the days of the early church. True, in this country we don't often see God working in such miraculous ways, but I think that's mostly because we don't need or expect him to.

Tonight, I'm praising God for his power and his passion for his people. And I'm praying that I would learn to truly believe and trust him to work miraculously in my life.

Acts 11

In the beginning of this chapter, Peter is being criticized for interacting with uncircumcized men, so he recounts the vision he'd had (in chapter 10) and how the Lord led him to share the Good News with the Gentiles. After they heard the Good News, many believed and received the Holy Spirit, which surprised the Jews. At the end of his explanation, Peter reasons: "If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?" (Acts 11:17). That pretty much silenced all the grumbling, and everyone glorified God.

Exactly: If God decides to work in a certain way, however surprising we may find it, who are we to stand in the way of that? Beautiful.

Acts 10

This is kind of a hard chapter for me. I mean, it's pretty awesome how God spoke to both Peter and Cornelius to get them ready to meet and learn from one another, but I'm trying to put myself in the shoes of the Jews here, and it's tough. All their lives they've been told they can't associate with non-Jews, and then all of a sudden that changes? And so then I'm thinking about all the other ways people today claim that God's Word no longer applies to us: like how women can preach now, and homosexuality is o.k., and divorce is just a part of life. And it's such a struggle for me to justify why I believe that some of God's laws no longer apply while other do.

In this chapter, God clearly announces a change. With other issues, I think God's plan and desire clearly has NOT changed, even if our culture has, and those are the hardest things to discuss with non-believers or even believers who hold a different viewpoint on a very controversial topic. And then there are those areas where I'm just not sure what I think God wants us to do with His Word today.

In Acts 10:34-43, Peter shares the Good News with the Gentiles. He says: "God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what it right is acceptable to him." This is a good reminder that while God welcomes believers from every background, he still requires that we all "do what is right." We all come to him as sinners, but if our faith is real and we are truly seeking after Him, He will change us.

I guess right now I'm just praying that the Holy Spirit would to help me better understand God's Word and how it applies to our lives in our world today.

Acts 9

To me, this chapter is all about transformation: first we're told of Saul's conversion, and then the healing of paralyzed Aeneas, and finally Tabitha/Dorcas being restored to life. They're all very different accounts, but the main idea is the same: God changes us. He redirects our focus, He uses us for his glory, He heals us, He restores to us life itself when all hope seems lost.

God is good.

I have my own stories of transformation, too. I once was lost, searching aimlessly for an elusive, earthly acceptance. But God met me where I was and poured out his love on me, offering grace and forgiveness and a joy I'd not known before that. I was abandoned by someone who was supposed to love me, left alone, confused, and feeling hopeless. But God picked me up and surrounded me with brothers and sisters whose love and friendship carried me through a very dark time.

Yes, God is good.

In other ways, though, I still look forward to His transforming power in my life. I don't know if He'll ever free me from sins I still struggle with. I don't know when He'll heal the last, lingering wounds from my past. I don't know how He'll strengthen my faith, my marriage, my passion, my purpose. But I know that He is the only one who can.

Indeed, God is good!

Acts 8

At the start of this chapter, we see that the early Christians were being persecuted, so I guess they fled. At least, that's what I assume "they were scattered" means. But did this mean defeat for those early believers? Did the enemy triumph that day? Absolutely not! God used what was intended for evil to bring about good in this situation, as he so often does: "Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word" (Acts 8:4). Rather than squelching the spread of the Good News, this persecution promoted it. You know, I sometimes think we need a little more persecution in our Christian lives. In this country anyway, it's easy to get comfortable in our private, personal faith, forgetting those who have yet to hear the name or offer of Jesus Christ. Persecution changes that: it forces people to choose passion for their living God, if that's the choice they make. But hot or cold, persecution leaves no room for lukewarm. I'm not sure I really want to pray for persecution in my own life, but I do pray for passion at any cost.

Later in the chapter, the Lord arranges a divine meeting between Philip and a court official for the queen of Ehiopia. Philip hears the eunuch reading from the prophet Isaiah and asks him if he knows what it means. "And he said, 'How can I, unless someone guides me?' And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him" (Acts 8:31). Now, this guy was obviously hungry for God. He was searching the Scriptures and actively pursuing truth, so naturally Philip told him the good news about Jesus. I like to think that if I were in Philip's shoes I could do the same thing. But what about the others we encounter in this life who are maybe searching in the wrong place, or maybe don't even know where to begin their search for truth? Or what about those people who are lost but don't realize it, or who are so lost they've lost the hope to be found? Can we, like Philip, meet them where they are? Can we also explain how Jesus alone can meet their every need? I wish I were better at recognizing and explaining what I know to be the only solution to all of life's problems: Jesus. Praying for the Spirit's guidance tonight, and the boldness to speak truth when the opportunity arises.

Acts 7

Tonight I read Acts 7. It's a good one.

So, after Stephen is seized and charged falsely, the high priest asks him if the accusations are true. For some reason, he decided to go back to Abraham and explain I don't know how many hundreds of years of Israel's history. It's a great summary, though, and I'm just in awe of how accurately this chapter depicts so much of the Old Testament. I wonder how it was written... I mean, I don't think people in those days had copies of the Law and the Prophets just lying around to study, but Stephen (and Luke) obviously knew their Scriptures. It's just amazing to me to think about this holy book and how it all came to be over so many years and with so many authors... Nothing short of miraculous, I'd say.

Then, when Stephen is done with his history lesson, he starts criticizing his accusers and captors: "You stiff-necked people..." he begins (Acts 7:51-53). Up to that point, he probably wasn't really telling them anything they hadn't heard before, but with this they'd heard enough. "They were enraged, and they ground their teeth at him" (vs. 54). So they took him out and stoned him (vs. 57-59). And yet, Stephen seemed completely at peace, full of the Holy Spirit, gazing up into heaven at the glory of God (vs. 55-56). He even asked God not to hold their sins against them (vs. 60), which reminds me of Jesus' own plea on the cross.

From this chapter I take away two things: I wish I knew God's Word better, and I wonder how I would handle facing death for my faith. Stephen is truly a role model in both regards.

Acts 6

Two things stood out to me as I read this chapter tonight.

The Twelve decided they should choose some reputable men to take care of the widows while they themselves continued preaching the word (Acts 6:1-6). It's not like they were above waiting tables or anything, but they knew where their gifts were and wanted to be faithful in using those gifts for the glory of God. I think it's easy sometimes to consider certain ministries more "important" or at least more "glamorous," but we are all part of the same body, called to serve in whatever way God equips us. Praying that God would confirm and/or reveal to me how he's specifically prepared me for ministry, and praying that my service would please him.

Then, some men started arguing with Stephen, "but they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking" (Acts 6:10). So what did they do? Accept that wisdom and join the body of believers? Of course not! They secretly plotted against him, seized him, and set up false witnesses against him. Why are men (and women) so stubborn sometimes? Praying that God would show me ways in which I'm stubborn, too, and change me with his word of truth.

Acts 5

(Sorry, can't keep coming up with catchy titles for posts about random thoughts as I re-read Scripture...)

Continuing in Acts, chapter 5 tonight. A few thoughts:

• In the story of Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:1-11), their sin was not that they did not give all they received from selling their land, but rather that they lied about the amount, I guess to appear more generous and/or holy. But Peter pointed out that they did not lie to men but to God. In our lives, people we try to deceive may not always catch on as quickly as Peter did here, but we need to remember that we can never fool God. He knows our true heart and motives.
• I love Peter's answer when he's asked why they continued teaching in Jesus' name even after they were strictly forbidden to do so: "We must obey God rather than men" (Acts 5:29).
• And I love the logic Gamaliel uses to reason with the council of chief priests who wanted to kill the apostles for speaking out in truth: "If this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!" (Acts 5:38-39). He mentioned several other men who rose to power and gathered quite a few followers, but reminded the leaders how everyone was scattered once those men had died. So, in effect he's saying, "Why bother fighting this? Let's just leave them alone. If it's from God we can't stop it anyway, but if it's from man then it will take care of itself in time." Interesting. I wonder why some athiests today feel the need to fight so vehemently against Christianity...

Criticism Countered

Today, I continued reading in Acts, chapters 3 and 4. Two things stood out to me:

In chapter 3, Peter heals a lame man, then begins speaking to the people gathered there. He talks about how, even acting out of ignorance, they helped God fulfill what the prophets foretold about Christ's suffering. Then he says, "Repent therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord . . ." (Acts 3:19-20, ESV). Refreshing comes from the presence of the Lord. How often I forget that and how naturally I turn to countless other gods seeking refreshment! And then in verse 26 he says, "God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness" (italics mine). Non-believers criticize Christianity's limitations and laws, but here I'm reminded that God blesses us by freeing us from our own wickedness. In His power I am, for the first time, free to choose NOT to sin. Oh, but why don't I utilize that power more often to choose good rather than evil, holiness rather than sin!

And then in chapter 4, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, begins preaching again: ". . . there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Again, Christianity is criticized for being exclusive and intolerant, and yet Peter boldly proclaims the only way to salvation. He knows what is true, and he will not be silent. In fact, he says, "we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard" (Acts 4:20). The believers there that day prayed, too, for continued boldness in proclaiming truth (vs. 4:29). Why am I so different from those early believers? Why is it so easy for me to remain silent about all I've seen and heard? Today, I echo that prayer for boldness. How can I possibly keep quiet with all my God has done for me?

Chance?

Today I decided to begin reading Acts again. Not sure why, just sat down and began reading there. But I wanted to be a little more deliberate in reading, so I chose a different translation than I'm used to - the ESV. (I find that I often just kind of skim over stuff I'm already familiar with in the NIV.)

Anyway...

Not a lot of new insight or anything, but one thing I noticed: when deciding whether Joseph (called Barsabbas) or Matthias should take Judas' place, the apostles prayed and then cast lots. I can't say I understand exactly how "casting lots" works, but I think it's kind of like flipping a coin, right? So it would perhaps appear to be luck or chance that chose Matthias, but we assume God's hand was behind it since they prayed first. Just kinda makes me wonder how much, if anything, in life is truly left to chance... I tend to think of some things as being pretty random (like a coin toss to begin a football game), just because I assume God doesn't really care how that turns out. But does he? I mean, he's big enough and omnipresent, so why couldn't he be concerned about everything all at once, from the most obviously important all the way to the seemingly trivial details of life? And then I think: He's probably interested and involved in every detail of MY life, too. Even the things that I think he wouldn't be concerned about, he probably is. And that makes me smile.

Then in chapter 2, I really like how the ESV has vs. 36: "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." Peter preached a pretty good sermon there, and about three thousand were saved that day! Can you imagine? To be a part of something so huge? To be there when the Spirit was so obviously in their presence? And how awesome that God used Peter in such a magnificent way so soon after he denied knowing or being with Jesus. Praise God for his forgiveness and the second chances he offers! And I wonder: How might he use me in the future? How honored I will be! I just pray I hear his calling or feel his prompting so I don't walk right past such opportunities.

Good Morning, Girls!

In January, my BFF Beth emailed all the girls from our old college Bible study, asking if we'd be interested in starting up a long-distance, email-based accountability group. We would each do our own quiet times and then email the group to let everyone know what we'd learned, or what we were thinking or praying about. Everyone agreed that it was a fabulous idea, and in fact, the answer to a prayer. In college, I think we all took for granted how easy it was to walk with God together, but in the real world, it's often hard to connect with people and share with each other the deeper things that are going on in our lives.

It's been three months now since our "Good Morning Girls" group began, and I have to say, it's been a huge blessing! Yes, it's been awesome re-connecting with some of my favorite people, but even more than that, I'm thankful for the accountability. Honestly, it had been a long time time since I'd been faithful in spending time with God each day. And sure, sometimes it still feels like a chore, a task to cross off the old to-do list, but more often than not God rewards my effort with some neat new insight from his Word or just a sweet time of prayer with my true BFF.

Sometimes I write a lot to my girls - I'm sure their eyes widen when they open my message and find a novel. But I've found that I learn the most when I write out my thoughts on what I'd read or prayed. That is when it all really sinks in and settles into my soul. Sometimes I read my emails to Derek, too, and he always tells me how I should really be writing these thoughts in my blog. Which I've been meaning to do, almost since the Good Morning Girls got started. But then, I thought, I'd have to write an introduction to explain where these random postings are coming from... and so I never got around to it. Till tonight. 'Cause Derek told me AGAIN how I really should. So there ya go! Enjoy.