2021-06-13
Good Morning Dear Ones,
We will continue to look at love in the form of philos adelphos, the love of brotherhood from this perspective. How very different a man or mammon-driven life is from a Spirit-driven one! In the former, money or human-crafted ideas
Paul and Barnabas were set apart by the church to be missionaries to Seleucia and to sail from there to Cyprus. With John (also with them), they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogue. Under direction of decisions reached by the elders and apostles in Jerusalem, they strengthened the churches in the faith and their numbers grew. Paul and his companions traveled throughout Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching in the Asian provinces. They then went to Troas. During the night, Paul had a vision of a man from Macedonia calling for them to go there. When they arrived in Cyprus, they encountered opposition from Paphos, where they met a Jewish sorcerer (Elymas) and a false prophet named Bar-Jesus (attendant for the proconsul, Sergius Paulus), who wanted to hear the word of God. Paul was filled with the Holy Spirit and recognized Elymas’ motives. He said, “You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord?” He went on to negate the motives Elymas and Bar-Jesus. “The hand of the Lord is against you,” Paul proclaimed. “You will become blind,” and they did. Paul’s concern over opposition is found throughout his writings, and it is real. At Perga, John left them and went back to Jerusalem. When Paul reported back to the Council in Jerusalem, he rehearsed the history of the Jewish people, their slavery in Egypt and the Passover, God’s endurance of the Jews’ complaints while wandering 40 years in the desert, and their victories over seven nations of Canaanites, etc. The people’s request for a human king, Saul of Kish, was answered and the stories of Saul’s replacement by David, “a man after My own heart” were told. He made the church happy. From Troas, Paul travelled to Philippi, where he encountered Lydia, a seller of purple and proclaimed the word of God to her. The Lord opened her heart to Him. A girl who had been a fortune-teller converted and shouted, “These men are trying to help you find eternal salvation. They are servants of the Most High God!” An evil spirit had departed from her. They caused an uproar in the city, as it was against the law for citizens in Roman occupation to convert. The apostles were severely flogged and thrown into prison. Their feet were fastened to stocks in the inner cell. That night while praying, there was a severe earthquake, which loosen their chains. The jailer, who thought his prisoners escaped, fell before them trembling, then realized his prisoners had not done so. The prison doors had swung open. Paul spoke the word of the Lord, and the jailer began to believe. The latter and his family were later in the jailer’s house, and they were all baptized. Later in Lystra, a man who couldn’t walk and never had, sat on his rug. He looked at the apostles, and suddenly jumped up and walked for the first time in his life. The surrounding people shouted, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” The apostles replied, “God has shown you kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in the seasons; He provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”
In dealing with opposition, the missionary companions mused, “We must go through many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God.” Once again when the church was gathered, they reported these remarkable events [AC 13-14: 28].
Lynn: This rather lengthy introduction to today’s message is designed to show the impact of love shared in communities from the Bible. In it we can see God’s presence and His courageous protection given to those who believe in Christ. It takes courage to believe and to proclaim. I’m living in such a household, now that my husband has passed away and my son and his family (traditionally Jewish) have melded me (a Messianic Jew) into their household. I’m careful in my choice of words and must set an example of someone whose life is not based on monetary gain. As you can see from the above excerpt from the word of God, there is nothing remarkable about me. People have been doing this for many, many years. In the Biblical example words of incitement and words expressing deeply abiding faith have been uttered. It is the Holy Spirit Who told them when and what to say. The same is true for me. Many times, it’s the example one sets that has the greatest impact, not necessarily the words one says!
PRAYER: O Most Heavenly Father, there are many times when we don’t even realize the Holy Spirit is present in our interpersonal relationships. Something He leads us to say or more effectively do impacts another person, who decides he respects something about it and gradually changes his attitude toward us. I remember one case in which a lovely and dignified lady was showing me by her example what it means to be a better believer. This lady was an expert knitter, who rarely said much but showed by her work her remarkable expertise. Her example manifested itself in her work and the few words she spoke in our group. But when she spoke, the presence of the Holy Spirit speaking through her was evident. He Himself has motivated me to write this series of messages and thus, focus on what He says and the gifts He gives. More and more, I am aware of His presence exerting His power over me—power that blesses me. I ask that others who are exposed to the writing that I do and other work I perform for my Savior will feel more keenly the presence and influence of the Holy Spirit. All of us should offer praise and thanks for the blessings He brings to our lives as believers every day. These things I ask and offer in the holy/mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
NEXT WEEK: I have been commanded by the Holy Spirit to write about the royal family of David next week. I always said, “Politics don’t interest me.” The reason for this is underhanded disagreements, perquisite-driven greed, and the disaster profile. The latter is a combination of time on one’s hands, material wealth, and a thirst for power –all in one person. In my lifetime, I have seen how destructive this can be to the demonstration and advantages of warmly-given brotherhood. Each person’s life led this way always asks, “What’s in this for me?” A life led by the influence of the Holy Spirit or God-driven life couldn’t be more different. God gives the true believer a hunger for His word. Once that is learned, then the believer wants to serve God by living the principles God teaches, principles that are always righteous. Rather than asking, “What’s in this for me,” this kind of life asks, “What can I do for other people while serving God?” In actuality, this life is a wise balance between caring for self and caring for others. One needs maintenance of his personhood (in the four areas of physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually) as half the picture. The other half is voluntarily serving others through whatever ways fit one’s skill set. Discovering one’s skill set is necessary first and then acting using it. Maturity in the faith is necessary for greatest effectiveness. Listening for the Holy Spirit’s commands is vital to this effort. In return, the Lord grants inner peace and whatever courage is necessary to complete these tasks for Him. God becomes a Resident in one’s household. God’s blessings abound, which is why He deserves our praise and thanks! So, please join me in sending this vital message of acknowledgement to Him.
Grace Be With You Always,
Lynn
JS 24: 15
© Lynn Johnson 2021. All Rights Reserved.
<-- Back to Archives