Tag Archives: Holy Spirit

Acts 21: Two Striking Notes: 61/365

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Two small observations:

In my last post on Acts 20 I was mentioned how stunned I was at the quality of Paul’s relationships with fellow believers. This is further reinforced by the first verse of Chapter 21:

After we tore ourselves away from them and set sail

What a powerful clause, that the apostles needed to tear themselves away from the people they were with. Now I know of this rending experience when you see overseas family members and need to catch a flight, but this is for members of their spiritual family. It shows the closeness of the bonds that these people forged and, in doing so, lays down a massive challenge for us in our church lives.

Second, I am impressed by Paul’s dedication to the gospel. He knows he is walking into death by approaching Jerusalem and he perseveres despite his reservations:

What are you doing, weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of Jesus.

Now it is one thing for Paul to display this conviction and courage. I am even more impressed by the response of those who travelled with him:

Since he would not be persuaded, we stopped talking and simply said, ‘The Lord’s will be done’.

Only last night our minister was talking about Jesus’ demonstration of desiring God’s will above everything else, here is another great example. It also personally operates as a rebuke for me. I remember when one of our ministers announced that he was going to a church in South Sydney after only spending one year with us in Naremburn. I felt pretty gypped. It was only much later, dwelling on his stated reasons of his desire to serve God in a community he felt called to, that I started to realise this concept of “the Lord’s will be done”.

There is so much to take from this portion of Acts, the least of which being an amazing example of how Christian fellowship and church looks when it is thriving. These are people on fire for God who genuinely desire nothing above his will being done.

Acts 16: Always Found this Interesting: 56/365

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I remember first reading these verses as a teenager, ever since then I have been fascinated by them:

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia and were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in Asia. When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So bypassing Mysia, they came down to Troas

Now Acts is a book of marvelous occurrences. It basically documents the early days of a movement that was not only important then, but has left an indelible impact on world history for the next two millennia. Reading through these chapters it is easy to get caught up in the conversion hype, “So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number daily”. We hear of the great rebukes and sermons by the likes of Paul and Peter. You could be forgiven so seeing Acts as their biography.

The above verses, however, put the brakes on that vector of logic. There are places these guys couldn’t go. Regions where they couldn’t speak.

The reason? The Spirit prevented them.

Now I’m still grappling with this concept: Why Rome and not Asia? Why not then, but now is fine? However, one thing is crystal clear. Work on your own and you will fail. Everything is achieved through God.

When you think about it, even Paul couldn’t speak God’s word without the enabling support of the Spirit. That’s a pretty humbling concept to grapple with.

Acts 9: Not by the hairs of my chinny-chin-chin: 42/365

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Three little pigs, one wolf and a pretty famous fable. Now, just for a moment, imagine that the wolf – after weeks of enjoying his role as chief persecutor of pigs – heard voices, was blinded for a couple of days, and wanted to change sides. He wanted tea with the pigs instead of bacon.

How would you react? Would you, like me, instantly expect it to be a trap? Would you give him the benefit of the doubt?

The story of Saul has some amazing twists and turns that sound pretty similar to the above circumstance.

Now I’ve always known that Saul was a persecutor of the Jews, heard Jesus, and then converted. However, I never really considered how this would pragmatically occur. Funnily enough, Acts gives some really curious and sordid details of the mistrust and caution that invariably abound when an arch-enemy all of a sudden wants to stop being a black-hat and become a good-guy.

Consider Ananias’ response to Jesus when he was informed that he was to go up to Saul, big time persecution guy, and place hands on him to heal him in Jesus’ name. I think he rightly presents grounded concerns when he says

I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call in Your name.

Fair concerns, it is like me having a vision saying “Stu, go pat that snake over there. Not the asleep one, the one that is rearing up and hissing at you”. These seem like grounded reservations. Perhaps this is what makes Ananias’ faith all the more impressive. He voiced his concerns and, when presented with a strong response, chose to trust in his instruction.

I think Anaias’ faith comes from an astute understanding of the authorities at play. Saul has the authority of the chief priests. Ananias had the authority of Jesus. Despite the harm that a man can do, it is limited to the mortal realm. Jesus is bigger.

It wasn’t only Ananias, however, who had to demonstrate tremendous trust. Saul himself proclaimed Jesus so aggressively that he astounded former detractors and caused former allies to “conspire to kill him”. This is a powerful reminder of the high-stakes-poker that these guys were playing in the name of the gospel. Lives were seriously on the line! Indeed, the thing that saved Saul’s life from his former friends was the decision of others to take

him by night and lower him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.

Now I know I’ve labored on this point before, but how counter-cultural is Christ? One of his  ”chosen instrument(s)” needs to sit in a basket, at night-time, as he is threaded through a hole in a wall – in order to survive the night! When you think that this guy is a significant player in the salvation of billions of people, he hardly manages to fit our cultural heroic expectations. Crazyness!

The shenanigans don’t end here! Again, in Jerusalem upset individuals attempt to take Saul’s life. Again, Saul survives thanks to the faithfulness of people whom, only days earlier, he was arresting and killing. Indeed, it was in Jerusalem that Saul nearly missed out on connecting with these precious brethren as:

When he arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to associate with the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that He had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly in the name of the Lord.

I don’t know about you, but I find it humbling to realise how precisely balanced God’s plan is. What I mean by this is what would’ve happened if Barnabas didn’t vouch for Saul? What would have happened if he had lost his voice with the flu, or just been too apathetic to act?

I don’t think the gospel would have been lost as a result of Barnabas’ hypothetical  inaction. However I am impressed at the fine line that is has traversed. Further, I am continually reminded of God’s agency in these events. There is no way that Saul could have performed his 180 turn without God – no way. Equally, we are continually reminded that, through peace or persecution, we are always under God’s control. This is made especially clear during an unusual curio that is added in verse 31. Right during the middle of Saul’s personal persecution we learn:

So the church throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace, being built up and walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, and it increased in numbers.

Despite all the crazy happenings in the world, and outright risks of physical danger, the church continued to be built up “walking in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit”. With verses as clear as these how could you attribute a church’s success to anything else?

What crazy times, and what amazing inspiration, are both presented during the establishment of the early church in Acts!

Acts 7-8: Passion in the face of Persecution: 42/365

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I caught up with a mate just a few hours ago who also happens to be my minister. Amongst other things we ended up discussing Acts before he commented, “I think this is one of the most joyful parts of the scriptures. There is a lot of persecution too, but still an amazing amount of joy”. I think Acts 7 & 8 demonstrate Pete’s comments aptly.

Acts 7 introduce us to a character who is going to become a huge player in the scriptures, Saul aka Paul. The context of his introduction is fascinating: In short, the majority of chapter 7 explores Stephen’s spirited sermon, critique of the Pharisees, and his consequential stoning. Then we meet Saul. Now in case you wonder if God can redeem whoever he chooses, then Saul manages to present an interesting character study.

Saul is a member of the “stiff-necked people” who are responsible for the death of many, many Christians. He was amongst the people who

when they heard such things, they were enraged in their hearts and gnashed their teeth at him.

It has he who stood over Stephen as he was stoned and lost consciousness and it was Saul who – in the chilling opening of Chapter 8 – “agreed with putting him to death”.

Now it is worth remembering that Saul was not an individual who ‘should’ve known better’. Rather, as a religious official he would’ve been amongst the most highly educated members of society. His recollection of the old testament would have impressed even Mr Memory. He would probably have seen Jesus himself, as these events occurred at the Sanhedrin. He couldn’t have had much more of an informed position – at least from a human perspective. Yet, for Saul, the good news was received as blasphemy and the peace that Christ offered stoked vitriol in his heart. Consequently Saul, hard-heated and anger driven was “ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.” It is pretty interesting that God chose to use this man as a champion for his gospel.

I also find it interesting that immediately after this depiction of upheaval and persecution in the early church the author of Acts chooses to switch focus to one of the dispersed believers: Simon in Samaria.

Here we read of Simon’s encounter with an important official who was struggling to comprehend verses from Isaiah 53. This reminds me of how fortunate I am to live in a Spirit-inspired society that has diligently tried to clarify the message of the Bible. When I, in my modern context, read Isaiah I had no doubt who it is prophesying of – yet this was not always the case.

What I also appreciate is the juxtaposition of this official to Saul. Both men are confronted with God’s word and choose to react in vastly different manners. The official is confounded, but doesn’t let that deter him from seeking the passage’s truths. Rather, he accepts advice, listens to explanations, and acts on them. How encouraging are his words when he says, “Look, there’s water! What would keep me from being baptised?”

How often do I read a passage and get convicted on, say evangelism, to then say, “Look, there’s a non-believer! What would keep me from evangelising to them?” Or read the bible and be convicted on social justice and say “Look, there’s a hobo! What would keep me from giving money to him?” Unfortunately, this hasty and bubbly action is not my standard response to the scriptures. It is something I definitely need to work on.

It may be easy to dichotomise these examples of the hard and soft hearted approach to the scriptures. Saul hears the word and rages. The Ethopian official hears the world and humbles himself in the closest body of water possible. Yet, what I find fascinating, is that both of these people were used for God’s purpose.

How much does this operate as a reminder to love your neighbour? Saul killed and imprisoned men, yet God still loves him and has a purpose for him. I know of how I think of people who rip me off in shops, I don’t want to pray for them. Yet God still loves them and has a purpose for them. All I can say is it is very fortunate that we are told to love because God first loved us. If we were to love because humans were intrinsically lovable, then I’d be struggling and disagreeing with the scriptures. At least at the moment I’m just struggling.

So there you have it, two very different responses to God’s word yet both equally useful in the hands of God.

Acts 5: Evangelical Whack-A-Mole: 39/365

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One of my most indelible memories of high school was the stampede for the busses at the end of the day. If you needed to go home via Hurstville Station, then this act of mass hysteria became a daily part of your routine. The way it worked? There was only ever 5 busses provided to travel to Hurstville for approximately 6 1/2 busloads of students. If you missed the walk, you had a long, oftentimes hot, walk ahead of you. Consequently, when that bell went for the end of the day, you ran!

Upon arriving at Hurstville Station, you didn’t stop running. No, you continued like Forest Gump up the stairs at the dingy shopping centre, through the city rail boom gates, down the city rail stairs, and – if you were lucky – onto the waiting deck of then 3.12 Tangara to Waterfall. Now considering the busses would generally arrive about a 3 minute jog away at 3.10, you can imagine the bedlam as teenagers raced against themselves and the clock.

Why did we adhere to this routine? What was so important as to make me run past the girls at Hurstville station? Where was my haste motivated? The answer was simple – Warner Bros. Cartoons. If you didn’t catch the 3.12, you wouldn’t be home in time to catch the first Bugs Bunny cartoon. Ah, the logic of a 13 year old!

Funnily enough, Acts 5 reminded me strongly of the old Bugs Bunny Cartoons that I used to watch. Not so much because of the people dying for lying to the Spirit – the wages of sin are clear after all. Nor so much because of the laying of sick people out in the hopes that Peter’s shadow may heal them. Rather, the disciples bold escape from prison reminds me exactly of Bugs Bunny!

How? Do you remember those episodes with Elmer Fudd and Daffy Duck? Rabbit Season / Duck Season / Rabbit Season / Duck Season / Duck Season / Rabbit Season / BAM!

This feels a lot like the prelude to that. Specifically, Bugs is an ever elusive creature to catch. He ducks down the right-most rabbit hole, only to appear out of the left rabbit hole. He hides behind a tree, only to appear behind the rock in the far distance. In this Biblical example, the high priest arrests the apostles and returns the next day to see the guards still on duty and the barred doors locked. But there is nobody inside. Where are they? He is baffled at their Bugsesque escape until:

Someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the complex and teaching people”.

Like Bugs, they had returned to doing exactly what they were doing previously, as though the incarceration were a mere rightmost rabbit hole! Cover one hole and they’ll pop up in another.

I find the response of the high priest quite telling. He confronts them saying,

Didn’t we strictly order you not to teach in his name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with this man’s teaching and are determined to bring this man’s blood on us

There are so many things to unpack here. I might just throw in some of the highlights that I’ve been dwelling on:

  1. The closed hearted will worry about the ramifications of faith as opposed to the good news. Namely, the high priests largest concern was not the content or validity of what the apostles were teaching but his own self-interest. He is worried that they’ll whip the crowd into an adequate frenzy to bring Jesus’ blood “back on us”. He is worried about paying the cost of his actions, not the validity or salvation of the word.
  2. The authority of men is weak when compared to the power of God. The confidence with which the apostles preach is impressive when you consider that the high priest had previously maneuvered himself with adequate slyness to get Jesus killed. He can also imprison people. Yet God has proven he is the most powerful agent in both these circumstances, he raised Jesus and brought an angel to jail-break the apostles. Worldly power versus divine power is an unfair matchup. No wonder Peter worries more about “God rather than men”.
  3. Teaching is done in Jesus’ name. I am continually impressed at how hastily the early church deflects all glory back to God. In a sense the narrative of Ananias and Sapphira presents an appropriate lesson, don’t get greedy and hold onto what belongs to God. This applies equally for property as it does for glory. The credit should always go back to the true power source.
  4. Tenacity is a virtue. These men have been threatened, imprisoned and beaten. Generally at this point I’d probably go, “Stuff it, they don’t want to hear”. Yet the apostles continue on faithfully proclaiming God’s good news, in the early hours of “daybreak” no less!

What an amazing encouragement the example of the early church is proving to be, any analogy I try to conjure seems to fall short: Energizer Bunnies, Whack-A-Moles, Apostolic Songs-That-Never-End.

What lessons do these guys provide to our modern church? We may be sitting pretty in elaborately decorated buildings but where are our hearts at? Do we share in this tenacity, this openness, this hope? Do we really comprehensively on the Spirit and pass all glory back to God – without our little cut? Do we act in such an overt manner that people will observe us, compare us to other religions, and say to themselves:

Stand back… if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them

Can God’s powerful fingerprint be seen this clearly on our creations, actions, and lives?

If not, what needs to change?