Engaging Scripture

How bamboo can help you understand your role in the mission of God – Acts 13, Part 5

Right about this time every year in my family’s backyard, we have bamboo that grows like mad. In a matter of just a few days, a stalk can grow a couple feet. It’s so fast, I sometimes wonder if I stare at it if I’ll see the motion of the growth! Bamboo is also persistent and hardy, sometimes growing up through our piles of stacked firewood. It is so invasive, I’ve toyed with the idea of getting rid of it. Because that would be a major undertaking (quite literally), and it is an effective natural fence-row, we keep it, even though it is a lot of work to maintain. Bamboo sends out roots under the grass, so we mostly stifle its growth by mowing our lawn each week. Still, I usually have to trim it a couple times each growing season to keep it at bay.

As we conclude our study in this 5-part series through Acts 13, in verse 49 we read another description of how the word of the Lord spread throughout the whole region. The spread reminds me of the bamboo in our yard. Bamboo roots spread underground, sending up shoots as the roots grow. Likewise, the word of God spreads as each one of us grows and sends out roots to more people. Yes, Paul and Barnabas took the word of God to new places, but once people received it, those people participated in spreading the good news as well. That reminds us that we all have a role to play. We participate with God as his Kingdom is advancing over the forces of darkness.

But those forces of darkness are still fighting, as we see in verse 50. The Jews incite the leading people of the city, men and women, to a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, who are expelled from the region.

In verses 51-52, Paul and Barnabas shake off the dust (an ancient ritual saying, “We’re done with you”) in protest and head to Iconium, the next stop on their journey which we’ll hear about in our next series of posts. At the end of chapter 13, the author gives a concluding description of the disciples. They are filled with joy and the Holy Spirit, more evidence that word of God was taking root, spreading and changes lives.

The Holy Spirit is still at work empowering us to spread the word of God. The Kingdom of God is still at work waging war against the forces of darkness. And each of us has the joyous privilege to participate in that.

God invites us to participate in spreading the word, his heart and his purposes, even while we are at home on quarantine. What are some ways you can do that? How about inviting your neighbors and friends to join your church online? How about sharing a daily prayer or encouraging Bible verse with them? Or if you aren’t sure how they might receive them, how about asking them if they have any needs you could supply, or if they have any prayer requests.

How about asking God, “Where can I be sharing your heart, your purposes more during this time?” Maybe this is a time where you can also sit with your Bible, sit in prayer, maybe even spend time fasting from something (food, social media, TV) for the purpose of learning more about God’s heart, purposes and his word, so that you can learn better how to align yourself with those things.

Check with nonprofits that need a hand, that need help. Meals on Wheels put out a call for volunteer drivers. Parents, as school finishes up, how can you involve your kids in serving.

Allow the Holy Spirit to flow through you in love to the people around you. Share that love with them in both word and deed. Share the truth, with love, about who God is as you interact in texts, Zoom calls, grocery stores, social media, in your yard, or in parks. What is in your heart will overflow in all those areas. During this time of quarantine, my prayer for myself and readers of this blog is for our hearts to be filled more and more with His Spirit.

Two correct ways (and one wrong way) to respond to preaching – Acts 13, Part 4

Do you do a good job in how you respond to preaching and teaching? If you are a Christian, you likely hear preachers and teachers from time to time. Maybe you are a part of a church family, and you attend worship services which include sermons. Maybe you participate in classes or small groups with teachers and lessons. Or you might read books or listen to podcasts that include teaching of some kind. How you do interact with those various kinds of teaching? Do you listen closely? Do you think deeply about what you’ve heard? Do you attempt to make practical application of biblical principles to your life?

In this series of posts about Acts 13, we have seen that the word of God is spreading. There is much teaching and preaching to people who respond in a variety of ways. As their mission trip continues, we read in verse 13 Paul and Barnabas set sail to the mainland (modern day Turkey), eventually arriving at the city of Pisidian Antioch. Verses 14-15 tell us that on the Sabbath Day, the Jewish day of rest and worship, Paul and Barnabas go to the synagogue in town, and the synagogue rulers invite them to speak. Paul preaches a sermon, and it seems to have three parts:

Verses 16-22 are part 1, a recap of the history of Israel, in which Paul establishes Jesus’ Jewish heritage, important for this Jewish audience to hear.

In part 2, verses 23-31, Paul now teaches the story of Jesus, saying Jesus is the Messiah, a claim which Paul suggests is validated by his resurrection.

Paul concludes in verses 32-41, quoting Hebrew scriptures, claiming Jesus is the fulfillment of the prophecies.

Do you see what Paul has done in this sermon? He has laid out a strong case for Jesus to be the fulfillment of the promised Messiah. The question, though, is what will these Jews think? Paul’s message has not always done well with Jewish audiences.

Look at verses 42-43; the Jews say they want to hear more next week, and some stay and talk further with Paul and Barnabas who urge them to continue in the grace of God, which is a curious piece of advice. Continue in the grace of God? Does this mean they had become followers of Jesus? We’re not sure. But they are inquiring. Their interest is piqued; they want to learn more. Paul encourages them to continue in the grace of God.

Unfortunately, the good reception is short-lived. In verses 44-45 we read that on the next Sabbath almost the whole city shows up to hear them, which makes the Jews jealous (apparently large crowds didn’t show up for the Jews’ gatherings!), so the Jews talk abusively against what Paul was saying.

How will Paul and Barnabas respond? Look at verses 46-47. They start by explaining to the Jews, “We had to speak the word of God to you first,” as they were all part of the Jewish family and heritage.

Paul and Barnabas then make a bold statement against the Jews, as we read in verse 46: “Since you are rejecting the word, and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life… (geesh…really sounds sarcastic, doesn’t it?)…We now turn to the Gentiles.” For biblical support for their decision, they quote Isaiah 49:6 “I have made you a light to the Gentiles”.

You can imagine the Gentiles response to this. Look Verses 48-49. They hear, were glad, honored the word of the Lord, and some believed. The phrase, “they honored the word of the Lord,” might sound odd. We don’t talk like that. What could it mean, to honor the word of the Lord?

“Honor,” here, is the word where we get our English word “doxology.” The Doxology is a song that emphasizes the word, “praise,”:

“Praise God from whom all blessings flow, praise him all creatures here below, praise him above, ye heavenly host, praise Father, Son and Holy Ghost.”

So the Gentiles were praising God for the message of the Gospel, that they, too, are included in the good news of hope. When you give honor to something you are respectful of it, you realize the importance, the weight that it carries. They honored the word of the Lord. They held what was going on in high regard. They were joyful, they were glad and they had an understanding of the importance of what was happening.

Can it be said of you that you honor the word of the Lord?

While the Gentiles are elated to be included in the spread of good news, there are others who are quite unhappy about this. In the next post we’ll find out who that group is and how they respond.

How to have victory over darkness – Acts 13, Part 3

Do you ever sense the battle of light versus dark, good versus evil? Do sense that there might be a spiritual war going on? Do you ever feel defeated? It is possible to have victory over darkness.

In our study through Acts we’ve see that battle numerous times. In chapter 8 Philip faced off against a sorcerer, and now in Barnabas and Saul confront a sorcerer as well! It is a battle of the kingdom of light versus the kingdom of darkness.

In Acts 13, verses 6-12, Barnabas and Saul are on a mission trip, and their first stop was the island of Cyprus, where we learned in the previous post that they were telling the story of Jesus. In one town, they met a sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus. When we think of the name Jesus, we think of Jesus Christ. For Jews, however, that name Jesus (in their language pronounced “Yeshua”) is the name Joshua, a highly common name of them and us. “Bar” means “son of,” so this prophet was simply son of a guy named Joshua. We also read he was called Elymas, which was the common word for sorcerer or magician.

What was not common about this guy was that he was a “sorcerer” and a “false prophet,” and he was also an attendant to the proconsul Sergius Paulus. A proconsul was a governor of a region, appointed by the Roman emperor. Thus Bar-Jesus, as an attendant to the governor, is in a highly influential role, but because he is a false prophet and sorcerer, he is opposed to the Kingdom of God.

Bar-Jesus uses his influence to hinder the spread of the word of God. This is the power of darkness at war with the power of light.

In verse 8, we read that Saul was also called Paul. Why the name change? Saul is a Hebrew, Jewish name and Paul is a Greek, Roman name. From Acts 7, when we first met him, Saul has been called Saul. Now from this point in chapter 13 to the end of the book he will now be referred to as Paul. Why?

It could be simply that when Saul was in a Jewish setting he used his Hebrew name, and now that he is starting to minister in more Greco-Roman settings, he is going to use his Greek name. It makes sense for the mission. When I was a summer missionary in Guyana for 3 months and when we lived in Kingston, Jamaica, people called “Brother Jo – El.” I always thought “Joelle” was a girl’s name, because here in America it is mostly used for girls. But in those countries, to add the syllabic pause in the middle of the name, Jo-el, was a cultural way to distinguish my name from the name “Joe.” Paul is likely being culturally appropriate, missional, helping him to identify with the community in which he ministered.

The change might also be symbolic on the author’s part, signifying the changing mission focus from the Jewish world to the Greco-Roman world. We’ve been seeing that transition bit by bit in chapters 8-12. It will only move further in that direction, as God’s heart is to see his word, heart and purposes continue to spread throughout the whole world.

From this point, Paul takes the lead in the narrative. Rarely will the author of Acts refer to them as “Barnabas and Paul” anymore, but instead he calls them “Paul and Barnabas,” or as we will see in the next post, in verse 13 they are called, “Paul and his companions,” and Barnabas isn’t even mentioned.

Back to the battle. It is Paul and Barnabas verses Bar-Jesus. The power of God verses the power of Satan. We read in verse 9 that Paul is filled with the Spirit.

Have you noticed that we have heard a lot about the Holy Spirit in this story so far? The Spirit speaks, guides, fills, and empowers. The Spirit is clearly vital to the mission of the Kingdom. This means that the mission of Jesus is not solely on our shoulders. He once said to his disciples, “I will not leave you alone. I will send the Spirit.” And he did, which we read in Acts 2, when the Spirit came and indwelled the apostles on the day of Pentecost. I have written previously about the difference between indwelling and filling of the Spirit. We can be indwelled, where the Spirit is living in us, but at the same time, we are not filled, meaning that we are not giving the Spirit control of our lives.

Paul is filled with the Spirit. He is giving the Spirit control, and thus the Spirit’s power is at work in Paul in this battle with Bar-Jesus. First, Paul condemns Bar-Jesus in very colorful language. He says in verse 10 that Bar-Jesus is “a child of the devil.” Paul might be making a bit a dark joke here. Remember that Bar-Jesus means “son of Joshua,” and the first thing Paul says is, “you are a son of the devil”!

Paul is just getting started! He says Bar-Jesus is an, “enemy of everything that is right, full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, and perverting the right ways of the Lord.” Yikes.

Paul proclaims that the hand of the Lord is against Bar-Jesus. Blindness comes over Bar-Jesus, a very symbolic miracle as Bar-Jesus had been blinding the people with his lies, deceiving them. Where God wants his word to spread, Bar-Jesus has been hindering that. So Paul’s proclamation takes effect, Bar-Jesus is blinded, and word, heart and purposes of God spreads.

Notice the effect this situation has on the proconsul: He sees! While Bar-Jesus is blinded, the proconsul sees the truth. He believed and was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. This is a fascinating example of the victory of Jesus over the forces of darkness. The Kingdom of Jesus is many things, and one of them is victory of light over darkness. In this story we also see the Kingdom of Jesus as the victory of truth over lies. Notice again how the word of God is spreading. Truth is spreading.

To have victory over darkness, be filled with the Spirit, and see the truth of Jesus! Not sure how to be filled with the Spirit? Read here for more or comment below.

You are needed on the team! – Acts 13, Part 2

How do you feel about group projects? Do they excite you, or do they frustrate you? Do you think, “These people energize me, and our connection is producing something creative and innovative,” or do you think, “These people are slowing me down. My work is suffering because of them”?

I was assigned a group project in a seminary class this spring, and it was one of most profound educational experiences I’ve ever encountered. The four of us are very different people, with unique life experiences, perspectives and abilities. I will admit that when I first learned about the group project, I felt some of what I mentioned above, wondering if it would be better if I could work alone. As the months went by, my feelings changed to deep gratefulness for the other three. It was a pleasure to work together, as I not only learned so much about our topic, but we also put together an interactive educational presentation for the rest of our class, a project I was extremely proud of. It took a lot of work, and many hours on Zoom together, discussing the topic, praying, laughing, and exchanging ideas.

As we continue our study through Acts 13, we see the Christians in Antioch utilizing some teamwork of their own. If you’d like to read for yourself, open a Bible to Acts 13, verses 1-3.

Luke writes that, “while they were worshiping and fasting,” the Spirit communicates to them. How did the Spirit speak? Luke does not say. The word used for “speak” is the standard word to describe when someone speaks in an audible voice, but because of the mention of prophets among them, and the fact that in the Bible, prophets hear and communicate the word of God, it is most likely that the Spirit spoke through one of the prophets.

The Spirit tells them first to, “Set apart for me Barnabas & Saul.”

I wonder how Barnabas and Saul reacted to this. Were they surprised? Were they excited? We obviously don’t know, but we do know that Barnabas and Saul have developed quite a ministry track record by this time. We have read about them in chapter 9, chapter 11 and the end of 12, and they seem to be quite a wonderful team. This is a wise move to send them out together. They are friends. They work well together. Barnabas is the loving encourager, and Paul is the bold teacher. Together their gifts complement well.

This reminds us that it is not wise to have lone rangers in the church. Teams are vital. Especially teams that show they work well together and have complementary gifts.

The Spirit also says that he is setting apart Barnabas and Saul for, “the work to which I have called them.” What work? We don’t know yet. That word, “work,” is a generic term for work, not referring to anything specific, but we know that the work of the Spirit is going to be in line with the mission of God’s Kingdom, which is the work of spreading the heart and love and purposes of God as we saw in Acts chapter 12:24. Weren’t Barnabas and Saul already doing that work? Yes they were, but clearly the Spirit is setting this team apart for a new reason, of which we are about to find out.

After the fasting and praying, the church placed hands on Barnabas and Saul, the typical method of commissioning someone for ministry. We continue this practice to this day when we ordain ministers, missionaries, and many others for all kinds of tasks in the Kingdom, as well as when we pray for people. It is not a magic conferring of power. Laying on of hands is a symbolic gesture saying that, “we are with you, we support you.” It is a physical act of “standing together with you.” It is not just Barnabas and Saul that are a team, but they are part of the larger team of the church. The laying on of hands reminds them that they will always be part of that team, though they are about to venture away from the home base.

The church then, sent them off. I love the brevity of that phrase. Sent them off to where, to what? We don’t know yet, but it is a sending off to pursue the mission of the Kingdom, to spread the word, which we talked about in the previous post. I have had the privilege and pleasure of experiencing this sending many times, first as a my wife and I served as missionaries in Kingston, Jamaica, and then as my congregation, Faith Church, sent teams on short-term mission trips, and also as we sent two families to full-time missionary service in recent years.

In this process of sending that we read about in Acts 13, notice that there are three parties in this venture: the Spirit of God initiating the move, the people serving as missionaries, and the church sending them out. All are vital for the mission of the Kingdom. The missionaries are Barnabas and Saul, who are following the lead of the Spirit, with one task: spread the word. The church is sending them, supporting them, and praying for them. What an amazing description of the teamwork that God establishes for the mission of his Kingdom.

This reminds me of when missionaries from our church spent their first year in Kenya. And when another missionary from our church moved to serve in another country. They had all volunteered faithfully on church committees and ministries. While we were so excited to send them out, we were also thinking about all the ways we would miss them. It would have been the same for Barnabas and Saul, two integral leaders in the church. To send them out, the church is losing a gifted teacher and a loving encourager. It took sacrifice on the part of the missionaries to go, and it was a sacrifice on the part of the church to send them. As so very often is the case, sacrifice and new roles and lessons are needed when God moves, and sometimes that is uncomfortable, but the Spirit was leading, and they were obedient.

In verses 4-5, we read that Barnabas and Saul are “sent on their way by the Holy Spirit” to Cyprus, a huge island in the Mediterranean Sea. In Acts 4, when we first met Barnabas, the author of Acts told us that Barnabas was from Cyprus, so perhaps there is some advantage to Barnabas visiting relatives. Or maybe not, as talking about religion with family can be very difficult, especially when we are telling them that we have changed our minds about the faith of our fathers. And that’s exactly what Barnabas and Saul are doing. In fact, we read that they proclaim the word of God in Jewish synagogues in various towns. These two Jews are proclaiming that Jesus is the promised Jewish messiah. How would the Jews react? To give you a hint, in the next post a major conflict erupts.

For now, I ask you to consider what teams you are a part of. Do you view yourself as part of the team that is your church family? You are a vital team member! The mission of Jesus is accomplished through teamwork. You have an important contribution to make as a team member. Your gifts, abilities and perspective are needed on the team. If you aren’t feeling part of the team, I encourage you to talk with the leaders in your church family, asking them how you can become more connected to the team!

How God wants to change the world (& one practice that can help you hear the Spirit speak) – Acts 13, Part 1

Starting a backyard berry patch in eastern Idaho | East Idaho News

Are you a gardener? Maybe you have some potted plants bringing life to your home. Maybe you have a flower bed? A vegetable garden? We have a vegetable garden with a berry patch, and a few weeks ago that berry patch was in serious need of weeding. So a couple weeks ago, I weeded it, trimmed branches and we put grass clippings around the plants. Those weeds were out of control!

We often use weeds as a spiritual metaphor for the fast growth of sin in our lives and in our society. But not all fast-growing things are bad. Turn with me to Acts 12:24-25, where we read that “the word of God continued to increase and spread.”

“The word of God” is described here almost like a living breathing organism that is growing and spreading. It reminds me of films where there is darkness and rot across a land, but good triumphs over evil, and light starts to break through the darkness, and where the light shines, green growth of grass, trees, and flowers bloom, and clean water flows and animals return. The power of light is victorious over the power of darkness.

When we think about the word of God increasing and spreading, we will see, in a very real sense, the evidence of the power of light having victory over the power of darkness. The word of God spreads as more and more people believe in and trust the story of Jesus as the true story of life. It is when they understand the goodness of God, making their heart and minds more like his. Shifting their priorities more in line with his. In the first century Roman Empire, people were turning away from the story of “the way things are” and turning to the story of Jesus which not only provides hope of eternal life in the future, but redefines the world now.

No longer is “the way things are” acceptable. The Kingdom of God enters the picture and tells the story of a new way, the true way, a life that is believed in our hearts and minds, but also, flowing from that belief, it is lived out in our actual real lives. Here’s how it works: as the word of God spreads, what that means in down to earth, real-life terms, then, is that more and more people were filled with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit then changed them, so that what emanated from their lives, in their thoughts, words and actions, was called the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, gentleness and self-control, and that brings a new way of life into the real world. That bring justice and righteousness to what is broken. It heals, it repairs, it restores. When the word of God spreads, lives are changed for the good. That’s what was going on.

Acts 12:25 reminds us of a beautiful example of the spread of the transformative word of God when the church, through the financial gift that the daughter church in Antioch (located in modern-day Turkey, very close to Syria) collected and sent to the mother church in Judea, back in Israel. We read that Barnabas and Saul brought the gift (first mentioned in 11:27-30) to Jerusalem. The word was spreading. Now Barnabas and Saul returned to the church in Antioch, and that brings us to chapter 13.

In 13 verses 1-3, we read that there are prophets and teachers in the church in Antioch, and five are mentioned by name including Barnabas and Saul.

What role did Prophets and Teachers play in the life of the church? They are very similar in that they are communicating the word of God. The difference is that, a prophet is one through whom revelation is given, while a teacher is one who explains revelation, helping people apply it to their lives. Both are gifts used by God.

We read in verse 2 that the Christians in the church in Antioch were worshiping and fasting. More than likely they gathered in homes, like many contemporary Christian small groups, and they prayed together, singing, encouraging one another, hearing what the teachers and prophets had to say, discussing it together, all probably taking place around a table meal, that included communion.

Except that in this case, they were fasting. Fasting is the practice of abstaining, primarily from food, for the purpose of heightened dependence on God, usually connected to prayer. Have you practiced fasting? Fasting is an important spiritual practice that we would do well to include as a regular habit in our lives. At the end of this five-part series on Acts 13, we’ll return to some practical suggestions, or you can learn more now, as I write about how to practice fasting here.

Luke writes that, “while they were worshiping and fasting,” the Spirit communicates to them! What did the Spirit sound like? And what did the Spirit say? Check back in to the next post to find out!

A story of thankfulness to help us during hard times – Acts 12, Part 5

Do you like to watch awards shows? I do. It’s interesting to see who gets awards, and what they get the award for. But more than that it is interesting to hear how they are introduced. Often they are lauded as, “The great and wonderful…” Whether it is an athlete, musician or actor, they are usually described in glowing terms.

Then when they get to the podium, with their award in hand, I am fascinated by who they give credit to, who they thank. Are they aware of the many sacrifices made by many others who helped them get to that point?

Adam Young, of the band Owl City is an example of what I mean.

Years ago he came out with the song “Fireflies.” This song reached number one in the USA and many other countries around the world.

So what? At the time, he was a relatively new artist, and people wondered, “Who is this Adam Young guy with the super awesome song?” People started rubbing shoulders with him, commenting that he seems different. So nice backstage. What is going on with this guy?

He made a post on his blog (no longer online, but read the Christianity Today article about it here) that answered the question. He stayed up late into the night recording a song that he says, “If I were to count on one hand the songs that moved me, this one would take the cake.” Do you recognize the words to the first verse?

In Christ alone, my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My comforter, my all-in-all
Here in the love of Christ I stand
https://www.stuarttownend.co.uk/song/in-christ-alone/

He posted his recording of the song, a great rendition, and said in conclusion on his blog: “As I’m so often reminded what a priceless gift my life is, I ache with everything in me to make it count, so that when I finally cross the finish line, I’ll hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant.” To me, there is no greater reward.”

Adam Young is a great example of someone who counted his blessings and he gave credit to Lord, as we have been studying in this series of posts on Acts 12, which you can read starting here.

I write this after 60 days in quarantine because of the coronavirus pandemic of 2020! Some days it is easy for me to choose gratefulness, some days it is harder. Some days I can see the silver lining in the midst of this time easier than others. I love that there is hardly any traffic, and a tank of gas in my car lasts a whole month. I really struggle, though, with the loss of life, the shutdown and the isolation and the economic hardships.

But the days and times that I choose thankfulness, that I choose to see God and his goodness in the midst of troubles, are better days. The circumstances don’t necessarily change, but joy in the midst of them comes quicker. When I can thank God for them, when I can pause to see the good in the midst of it, and to honor God and thank him for that good, my heart is in a much better spot.

I encourage you to look for ways to see God’s goodness and to thank him for it. He is good and he gives good gifts, even in the middle of a quarantine.

Four practical ways to count your blessings – Acts 12, Part 4

*Photo by Marcos Paulo Prado on Unsplash*

In this series of posts on Acts 12, we have been trying answer the question: “How How do we count our blessings the right way?” I want to suggest some practical ideas that I believe could help you.

First, we have to say the right words, flowing from a humble, grateful heart. Not “I did it,” but “God did it.”

We need to tell one another about the good things God is doing in our lives, which means we need to first be able to pause and take time to self-reflect on the good. We need to train our eyes and heart to see God and his goodness in the midst of what is going on around us.

Next, counting your blessings the right way means celebrating God’s provision. It means having a regular practice of thanking God. It does not mean you don’t ignore reality when things are hard. As we saw in the previous post, James encourages us to train our hearts and minds to see God in the midst of the difficulty. We practice speaking both truths; the reality of the struggle, and also the goodness of God in the midst of it.

Third, I love how the church in Acts 12 gives us a very practical example of how to speak both truths in prayer.

Review that chapter again, and observe how the church reacts to their trial? Look at verse 5. The church was earnestly praying to God on Peter’s behalf. They admit that the situation is dire. James has just been killed, and Peter is in jail. Clearly, the ruling powers are coming for them too. Imagine their fear and desperation. But what do they do? They face it in prayer.

Then in verse 12, we read that many people had gathered and were praying. We don’t know for sure, but Peter’s escape could have happened in the middle of the night. If so, that prayer meeting might have been an all-nighter. Either way, those Christians are committed to prayer, and they give us a wonderful example to follow when life goes haywire. They are a praying church. In the middle of their trial, they knew that God was the source of good, and they acted on that knowledge by committing time and energy to pray. Prayer is vital. Prayer is a very practical way that we show how dependent we are on God, how thankful we are to him. The example of the church in Acts 12 shows us a people who were committed to prayer.

Not only does counting our blessings mean that we practice a regular habit of prayer, it also means that we make sure that Jesus gets the glory, like Peter did. We are not all given leadership roles, like Peter and Herod, but we are all given gifts and abilities. Whether we are up front, leading, or whether we are behind the scenes, we must point people to Christ.

Fourth, I would recommend that when people praise you for something good you did, it is polite and appropriate for you to say, “Thank you.” It can come across as odd, however, and isn’t entirely truthful, if we always say, “I take no credit, it was all God.”

God gives us all gifts, and we co-create or partner with him. So it is right to say, “Thank you,” and point people to God.

In the next and final post, I’ll share a story of a man who reached the heights of fame, and made sure to point people to God. Even if we don’t achieve that kind of notoriety, as most of us will not, we can learn from his example.

How to know if you have the wrong perspective on your blessings – Acts 12, Part 3

What we have been studying in Acts 12 reminds me of the story of a young lady who was waiting for her flight in the boarding room of a big airport. As she would need to wait many hours, she decided to buy a book to spend her time. She also bought a packet of cookies. She sat down in an armchair in the VIP room to rest and read in peace.

Beside the armchair where the packet of cookies lay, a man sat down in the next seat, opened his magazine and started reading. When she took out the first cookie, the man took one also. She felt irritated but said nothing. She just thought, “What nerve! If I was in the mood, I would punch him for daring!” For each cookie she took, the man took one too. This was infuriating her, but she didn’t want to cause a scene.

When only one cookie remained she thought, “Well…what will this abusive man do now?” Then, the man, taking the last cookie, divided it in half, giving her one half. “Ah!” she thought, “That was too much.” She was much too angry now! In a huff, she took her book, her things, and stormed to the boarding area. When she sat down in her seat inside the plane, she looked into her purse to take out her glasses. And to her surprise, her packet of cookies was there, untouched, unopened. She thought the man was taking from her, but actually she’d been taking from him and he was happy to share with her.

This story is about perspective, and how we can so easily have the wrong perspective. Apply this to the story we’re studying this week in Acts 12. We can think our blessings came from our work, our own goodness, our own smartness or ingenuity. That is the wrong perspective.

But how do we know when we have the wrong perspective on the source of our blessings? Here’s one way to find out: observe what happens inside you when you feel like those blessings are taken away. Do you get angry? Do hurtful words come out of your mouth? That just might be a indication you have the wrong perspective.

But if we can learn to observe the good things that happen to us from the right perspective, we’ll see how blessed we really are, even when those blessings are taken away. The woman in the story above, for example, was very angry when she felt like the man was taking from her cookies. If, however, she had the right perspective about blessings, she could have joyfully shared with him, having an attitude of generosity. Of course, this is not to say that we should be doormats, allowing ourselves to be abused by people who mean to harm.

My point is that if we learn to see the Lord as the source of our blessings, we’ll realize that we are truly blessed. And, here’s the thing, he gives blessings to all. NOT just to those of us who love him. He is a good God. He gives good things to all people, he loves all. So the level of abundance or prosperity or health in our lives does not reveal whether God loves one of us more than the other. That’s the wrong perspective about God. When we view life from that false perspective, it is much more difficult to be grateful and we tend to complain more.

The right perspective is remembering where good things come from. God! When we have the right perspective, we’ll be able to avoid the false idea that we are “owed” an easy, good life. We are talking about having a posture for recognizing good gifts for what they are and remembering who gives them to us.

In the previous post, I quoted a passage written by Jesus’ brother, James. But there is another passage James writes that talks about this even more clearly. Here is what he says in chapter 1 of his letter:

“Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him…Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers. Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.”

God is the source of our blessings, so how, then, do we count our blessings the right way? In the next post, I’ll suggest some practical ideas.

Are you counting your blessings the right way? (or the wrong way?) – Acts 12, Part 2

How Children Learn to Count - The Mathematical Brain

Have you ever been around a child learning to count? My kids, at that very early stage, would often skip numbers in the teens, “11, 12, 13…15, 16, 17…” It was humorous, but we would stop them and say, “You missed 14…let’s try it again.” After practice, they learned.

In the previous post, I suggested that the question, “How should we count our blessings?” is crucial to our study in this series of posts. Today, two men in Acts 12 help us that perhaps we need to relearn how to count our blessings.

The author of the New Testament book of Acts, a history of beginning of the Christian church, in chapter 12, verse 19-23, tells the story of an event that had nothing to do with the church. Because this episode does not further the narrative of the church, we could ask why the author included it. To attempt to answer that, we first need to know what the details of the story. I encourage you to read it for yourself. The summary is that King Herod (learn more about him in the previous post here) receives accolades from some people comparing him to a god, an angel of God strikes him with sickness, and Herod dies.

It seems the reason Luke included this story at this spot in his narrative is to contrast the two men in the story. In the previous post, we heard how Herod murdered James the disciples, imprisoned Peter and was power-hungry. Now in verses 19-23, we just read that he was arrogant.

What about the other man in our story, Peter? How does he act? Let’s go back and read verses 6-18, noticing how he handles his situation. Again, I encourage you to read them for yourself, because it is a delightful, even humorous story. While the church is praying for Peter, an angel visits in prison, frees him, and Peter thanks God. Under cover of night, he hurries through the city to the home where the church is praying, and they are shocked, and overjoyed.

Now do you see why Luke included that last bit about Herod in verses 19-23? If not, let me point out a contrast that I think might give us insight into Luke’s reason for mentioning Herod’s death. Think about the contrast between these two men:

Peter, the leader of the church, is imprisoned. The church prays, an angel of the Lord shows up and Peter is rescued.

Herod, the king of the land, gives a speech. The people praise Herod, liken him to God, an angel of the Lord shows up and Herod is killed.

Why such a different result? Both men held leadership roles; Peter in the church, Herod as king. In both cases an angel of the Lord shows up, but the result is totally opposite. Why? Think about to whom these men give the credit? Remember our question from the previous post, How should we count our blessings? See how these men answer that question:

Look at Peter’s words in vs. 11, “I know without a doubt the Lord sent his angel and rescued me.”

Compare that with Herod in vs. 22-23, “Herod did not give praise to God.”

I want to be clear. Stories are descriptive, not prescriptive. They describe what happened at a particular time. They do not prescribe what will happen every time. In telling this story, Luke isn’t trying to say that if we simply praise God, like Peter, our lives will be great, and we’ll get out of any mess we’re in. Peter would go on to be crucified upside-down. Luke also isn’t trying to say that if we don’t give God credit where credit is due him that he’ll strike us dead. Some evil people prosper.

It does, however, seem that Luke wanted us to see this contrast: both men had the opportunity to give credit to God. Peter did. Herod didn’t. Peter was freed and his ministry flourished, while Herod was killed. It reminds us of a principle:

How you count your blessings can make a huge difference in your life.

Maybe we’ve seen blessings in our lives, and we’ve forgotten that God is the source of all we are and all we have!

So let’s remember that all we have is a blessing from God: our jobs, and our bodies and minds that enable us to work, our abilities, talents, personalities and our gifts are all to his credit. He made us. He gave us life. He is good and he gives good gifts.

James, the brother of Jesus, the leader of the church who is mentioned in verse 17, reminds that we need to learn to count our blessings the right way! He says, in James 4:7,

“Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.”

When we remember to be grateful, when we remember who gives good gifts, we give credit to God, who is the proper one who should receive credit. How many of our parents worked hard to teach us to say, “Thank you,” and to write thank you notes for gifts that were given to us? How many of you work with your children or grandchildren on that? It is a really important way to recognize that when we receive a gift, it is not something that was owed us, not something we earned. It is a gracious gift. Thus we show honor and gratefulness to the one who gave us something.

How should we count our blessings? – Acts 12, Part 1

What have you been grateful for lately? Or has it been hard for you to be grateful? We all go through seasons of abundance and seasons that seem dry like a desert. What season are you in right now? I’m writing this in the spring of 2020 when the entire world has been on quarantine for two months due to the coronavirus pandemic. Quarantine can easily feel like one of the desert times, making it very hard to be grateful.

During the quarantine, Michelle and I have many reasons to be grateful to God. Our family is healthy. I finished my doctoral classes. Though Michelle has been off work for two months, we’re making it financially.

What are the ways you’ve seen abundance lately in your life?

Even during quarantine. Extra time for sleep? Time with Family? Health? Recovery from bad health? Do you have the provision of employment and finances? We could go to the basics, if need be. Do you have food, clothing, homes, air to breath, a heart that is pumping.

What I’ve noticed about myself is that it is very easy to feel I am lacking when I compare my life to those who have more than me. Maybe you have a tendency to think like that too. In our world, there will always be people who have more.

Perhaps we are better off comparing ourselves to those who have less. Maybe then we will see that we are the ones with abundance.

What I’m getting at is that are ways that all of us can say, “I am blessed.” It is often just a matter of perspective.

Taking the perspective that we all have at least some reason to count our blessings, I want us to consider a related question. The main characters in our next chapter in Acts will help us answer that question, “How should I count my blessings?”

Turn with me to Acts 12. In this chapter we are going to see a stark contrast in the lives of two powerful leaders. Peter is the leader of the upstart followers of Jesus who are called the “Way,” or “Christians.” The other character is King Herod. In the years previous to this story Herod has consolidated power, little by little, to the point where the emperor in Rome made Herod the ruler of all Israel. Before this story is over, one of these two men will die. Who will it be and why? I believe it has to do with the question we are looking at in this series of posts: how should we count our blessings?

In Acts 12, the account starts with Herod. Who was he?

That name Herod might sound familiar. There are many Herods mentioned in the New Testament, starting with Herod the Great. Herod the Great was the guy on the throne at the birth of Christ. Herod the Great was also the king who met the wise men, and who ordered the genocide of children in Bethlehem. Then we come to Herod the Great’s son, Herod Antipas. Antipas was the king who put John the Baptist to death and to whom Pilate sent Jesus for questioning right before his crucifixion. Today we meet Herod Antipas’ nephew, Herod Agrippa 1, and what did we just read about him? He was doing some killing too. These are really wonderful men, these Herods, wouldn’t you say?

The account in Acts 12 starts off with Herod Agrippa on the hunt for Christians. The early church is being persecuted again. So far in our series through Acts, I hope you have noticed how frequently persecution was a reality for the early church. Things were not easy for these people. Here’s a quick review:

The persecution really started with Jesus’ crucifixion.
Then a few months later in Acts 4, Peter & John are imprisoned by the Jewish leaders, who command them to stop preaching Jesus. They don’t obey.
Acts 5 – The Apostles are again jailed by the Jews, who also flog the apostles. Again the Jewish leaders command them to stop preaching Jesus. Again, the apostles don’t obey. Instead they rejoice that they were persecuted.
Acts 6 & 7 – Stephen is arrested and put on trial by the Jews, who stone him to death for preaching Jesus.
Acts 8 – Widespread persecution breaks out against the Christians in Jerusalem, led by Saul. Many Christians are jailed or flee the city.
Acts 9 – Saul is on the way to Damascus to arrest more Christians. Jesus appears to him, and Saul becomes a disciple of Jesus and begins preaching that Jesus is the truth. The Jews in Damascus now try to kill Saul. When Saul eventually arrives in Jerusalem, he preaches there too and again the Jews try to kill him, but he escapes.

Now in Acts 12, King Herod is persecuting the Christians.

Yes, there have been periods of peace in the church. But there has been regular opposition. Imagine what that must have felt like, to know that so many powerful people could at any moment destroy your movement.

Despite all the ways the church had been attacked, none of the apostles had been killed, even though they remained in Jerusalem, directing the work of the church. In Acts 12 that changed as Herod puts James to death.

Who is James? This is the James who was part of Jesus’ inner circle of three disciples: Peter, James and John. Look ahead to verse 17 where Peter refers to another James. That other James in verse 17 is the brother of Jesus who would go on to write the book of the Bible titled James. Back in verse 2, Herod kills James the disciple, the first disciple to be killed as a martyr.

This is sinister, and likely was a power play on Herod’s part. As we saw in the list of persecutions the church had already faced, the Jewish religious leaders badly wanted to destroy the church. Further Herod wanted to please the Jews, because he wanted to be able to send reports of peace and prosperity back to his boss, the emperor, in Rome. Herod doesn’t want the emperor hearing anything about uprisings and discontent among the Jews. So he kills off one of the top leaders of the church.

But he doesn’t stop there. Peter is the #1 top leader of the church. Herod goes for the jugular, throwing Peter in jail. The text tells us he intends to bring Peter to trial after Passover. It’s very likely the result of Peter’s trial would be the same as what happened to James: execution. It is a dark, ominous time for the church.

Before we find out how the story unfolds, let’s continue with Herod’s story, because something very mysterious happens to him. For the rest of the story, check back in to the next post!