2017-08-04
Good Morning Dear Ones,
Last week, I related how Paul and Barnabas got into a heated discussion about whether or not the Gentile believers should have to be circumcised in order to be saved. They traveled to Jerusalem and, much to their pleasure, encountered Gentiles along the way who were very faithful. This question was brought up before Peter at the Jerusalem council, leading to much prayer and discussion between the apostles. The Holy Spirit weighed in with the message that this burden wasn’t necessary for Gentile salvation [AC 15: 2-11, 19-20]. I think it is significant here that the message —“we should not put God to a test”—was used here to explain this decision [AC 15: 10; MT 4: 7; DT 6: 16]. The Gentiles were to be told not to eat anything that has been offered to idols, to keep from sexual immorality, and not to eat an animal that has been strangled or is bloody. Later after a letter to the Gentiles was drafted, the council sent out Paul, Barnabas, and two highly-respected men, Judas (aka Barsabbas-not Iscariot) and Silas to deliver it. Afterward, Paul and Barnabas separated, and Silas took Barnabas’ place with Paul. Barnabas had wanted John Mark (who we know as Mark) with them, but Paul didn’t want that, because a homesick Mark had suddenly left the pair on a prior mission before it was completed. Paul and Silas left for Syria and Cilicia to strengthen the churches [AC 15: 36-41].
While it’s true that Peter had denied Christ three times after the rooster crowed [MT 26: 69-75; LK 22: 56-62 et al], I believe that was divinely brought about, in order to further God’s plan. This is why we should begin to understand the depth of God’s power to bring about His will for the benefit of mankind. Peter’s declaration about Who Jesus actually is, exemplifies this power. Peter, as a young man was impetuous. We saw this in his initial refusal to wash only Christ’s feet [JN 13: 6-17] and also in his reaction to the transfiguration of Christ [MT 17: 3-9]. All the while the Father had Peter in His sight and knew His will for his future. This really begins with Peter’s declaration of Who Christ is, in MT 16: 13-20, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Christ promises him the keys to the Kingdom after saying, “You are Peter, the rock, and on this rock foundation, I will build My church—not even death shall overcome it.” (Peter, “petros” in Greek, means “rock”). Certainly, this supports my assertion that the people one least expects can be chosen by God for hugely important tasks. Peter became the leader of the church in Jerusalem, while Paul and Silas were sent out to bring the Gospel to those, mostly Gentiles, outside of it. Before leaving this topic, I must refer to a favorite story of mine from AC 16: 1-40, which I hope you will read. It is yet one more example of the power our loving Lord has, power He uses here to bring more people to belief in the Gospel and closer to Him.
The stories from the Bible and my own experiences with my Lord Jesus strongly support the notion that we should follow DT 6: 5, which tells us to “love the Lord our God with all our hearts, our souls, and our might.” So, the question arises: how should we do this? What attitude should we have in the face of a Deity we can hardly understand? The word fear has two meanings, as you probably already know. It means “to be afraid of” and “to have reverence for.” I believe the second meaning is the one we should use in this context. Of course, if we sin and continue to sin, we can have much to be afraid from His awesome power. But if God knows we are trying to be obedient and faithful to Him, He is always wise, fair, patient, and loving. His love for us is unconditional, meaning that when we sin, we disappoint Him, even hurt His feelings. But when we don’t sin, or when we are trying to discover what talents He has given us (albeit imperfectly), He blesses us with His wisdom, generosity, patience, and efforts to bring us closer to Him. He is the eagle who spreads His wings over His young to protect them. He deserves our praise and thanks!
PRAYER: O Lord, as Your church, we have a need to follow Your leadership. This takes many forms, but all require our focus and reliance on You. We must be cognizant of Your supernatural attributes of omnipotence [being all-powerful], omniscience [being all-knowing], and omnipresence [always being present with each of us]. If we learn to turn to You first at any crossroads, You will guide us on the right path. Our often-clumsy attempts to discover what You already know about ourselves may give You some tense moments or some outright comical ones, but we want You to know that we love You and have reverence for You. The more we study Your word, the more mature and edified our lives are. You want most of all to take us on the hard, narrow path that leads to eternal life with You. The demonstrations of Your righteous use of Your power in the Bible help us to gain a better understanding of what Your will for us is. We urge You to always be there for us and to intervene in our lives when You deem this is needed. We thank and praise You for all You are and all You do. In the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: In continuing the discussion of the church, I’m led to discuss the witnesses to Christ’s resurrection and baptisms which followed as the church increased in membership. Along the way, we’ll look at what is meant by “fullness of God.” I pray that the understanding of these things God has given to me and which I share with each of you is not only correct, but also righteous without being boastful and ethically pleasing to God. If sharing my faith in Jesus Christ, the faith of a traditionally Jewish person who came to accept Him as her personal Savior, is proving useful to you while aligning with God’s will, then I am doing the task He gave me. My life has been a path with many twists and turns. I suspect all of them were necessary preparation for what I’m doing now. There’s been plenty of pain, foolishness, humor, and craziness along the way. (I think I’ve kept God well entertained! J). I must leave you for this week with my favorite passage, PS 40: 1-3, “I waited patiently for the Lord’s help; then He listened to me and heard my cry. He pulled me out of a dangerous pit; out of the deadly quicksand. He set me safely on a Rock and made me secure. He taught me to sing a new song, a song of praise to our God. Many who see this will take warning and will put their trust in the Lord.” Now you know for sure how I feel. Praise and thanks be to God!
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2017. All Rights Reserved.
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