doing the loving in the all the right places

"all the jews and greeks who lived in the province of asia heard the word of the Lord" (acts 19:10).

in today's reading, mr stott makes an interesting observation when he states that religious people are best evangelized in religious buildings, but secular people are best evangelized in secular buildings.

i guess there's something to be said about sharing the gospel with unbelievers but not necessarily in a church setting, where "religious" culture and language may be unfamiliar and intimidating and off-putting.

we need to be culturally "sensitive" even when we relate to people who are of the same culture as we are.

we can all learn from the apostle paul who was the master evangelist. he was wise enough not to feel that persuading non-religious people into the synagogue just to hold dialogue with them was the most important thing.

instead he met them where they were most comfortable. by argument, by persuasion, by irrefutable evidence, and surely by the example of his own life, he proclaimed the message of salvation.

he is the example and pattern for our own evangelism. it is inspiring to think that by this strategy, "all the jews and greeks who lived in the province of asia heard the word of the Lord" (acts 19:10).

Mission in Macedonia

One thing that really stuck out to me regarding this reading was when the author described how the Gospel united people across racial, social, and psychological lines. It makes you think of how far apart some Christians are from one another while still proclaiming the same God.

I thought the way John Stott explained the different attitudes of those willing to hear the reason of the Scriptures versus those who adamantly rejected it also offered a clear remedy for some of our own shortcomings and obstacles. We need to adopt a more "serious attitude to the Scriptures," as the Jews in Berea diligently did. The power of the Scriptures is lifechanging and has shown itself to be the most effective conversion method for unbelievers and the spiritual sustenance for all Christians. The ending quote of my passage was fitting that I thought everyone should have a chance to reflect on.

" A characteristic of the true religion is that it suffers itself to be examined into. " --Bengel

The Jerusalem Council

By reading of today's reading, we can see glimpse of what struggles and issues that early churches had to face in planting and expanding of churches in worldwide. We see there was a group of people who insisted the gentile converts to conform to the law of Moses, mainly circumcision, to be saved. I do appreciate how the issue had been handled by and among apostles and the Council. Stott mentioned that it was the combination of prophetic witness ( Book of Amos) and apostolic experience (Peter's ministry to the Cornelius', Paul and Barnabas' ministry to the gentiles)to convince the council. We know the result by reading of Act 15:19-29. The Gospel of grace is for everyone, the circumcised and the uncircumcised.
Like Stott said, through this ordeal, God taught not only our forefathers but to us that Gospel of grace is for everyone who put his or her faith in Christ. We don't need any additional laws and rituals to complete our salvation.
Another aspect the brought forth a positive outcome was that the Council created guidelines not to enforce Jewish law on the gentile converts to avoid any conflicts in fellowship with one another.

Philip and an Ethiopian Leader

As Christians we should have that desire to share the gospel with others. But even though God pushes us into places or to people the opportunities just pass us by and our encounters with others are ‘short and sweet.’ I feel Philip was open, obedient, and patient to be led by God.

While reading the passage I thought about this verse:
"The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field."

Stephen's Martyrdom

While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep. (Acts 7:59~60)

As the leadership group is preparing for mission trip this summer, I think the message is very appropriate and relevant to us. According to the writer, Stephen’s martyrdom played a vital role “in the development of the worldwide Christian mission” because his brutal death was a manifestation of today’s Christian essentials, God’s promise to his people that Jesus will always be with us and His words, the scripture, will never pass away. I think buildings and traditions as mentioned in the text can impede God’s mission in the world when we as Christians and ones who are called to carry on the Great Commission hold on to today’s worldly standards and fail to incorporate the value system taught by the scripture.

Philip in Samaria

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. Acts 8:5

At first, this passage is confusing and you wonder why the Holy Spirit did not come upon the Samaritans as they were being saved. GOD chose to wait until the apostles Peter and John arrived to have the Holy Spirit come upon the people so that the Jews and Samaritans could witness this event together and to show they needed to depend on each other and show the oneness in the body in Christ. Had this not happened, the two groups would most likely have continued to be separate even within the Christian community.

For me, this reading emphasizes the sovereignty of GOD and that though we don't always know why things are happening a certain way, GOD always knows, it is always according to his plan, and it is all good. This is something that I need to remember more in my daily life.

Sorry for the late post.

Stephen's Witness

Stephen was an important deacon in the early church. He was one of the seven deacons chosen to take care of the daily distribution of food among the widows. He was chosen because of his character and godliness. He is described as a man full of the Holy Spirit, wisdom, faith, grace, and power. (see Acts 6:3,5,8) Here was a man who was so bold and courageous in his witness for Jesus Christ that he got himself into trouble. I'm sure people told him to calm down, perhaps to lay low for a while when things got heated with the religious leaders. But Stephen would not back down. In witnessing for Jesus Christ he made enemies and while this may not look good in the eyes of the world, I'm sure that God was very pleased.

I am reminded from Stephen's powerful testimony that we must not just wait for an opportunity to witness for Christ, but that we need to actively create opportunities to witness for Jesus Christ. We need to be bold and courageous in the face of indifference and even opposition to the gospel message. What is lacking in today's Christian witness is that Christians are playing it "too safe" and falling prey to the "sensitivity" game of our tolerant culture -- we are told to be sensitive to the feelings of others. Well, what about God's feelings; what about obedience to God's command! We are timid and not bold, safe and not audacious in our witness for Christ. Some of us may even be embarrassed.

Let us all repent of our failings in this area. I feel this is the great weakness of the Christian church today including our own. We have a message that is true and rational, a message that can stand up to the scrutiny of any rational and fair minded human being. Truth in on our side to anyone who wants to know the truth, but we need to get it out. When I look at our church, this is the area we all need to work on, not by waiting for an opportunity, but by first praying and then putting our head together and creating opportunities for witness. Too many of people are concerned mainly with their "jobs" or "career" and/or "education" opportunities when in fact, God is calling every believer in Christ, to put him first. How are we putting God first in our lives, even before our career or our studies? Let's all examine ourselves and by the grace of God make the necessary correction.

Posted by Pastor James