Dad's Ramblings -- Pastoring

" 'Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which they Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He has purchased with His own blood.' "
 
                                                                             Acts 20:28
 
Pastoring is an awesome responsibility and privilege. I heard one pastor say that it would be a demotion to be elected president of the United States. It seems we often do not have as high a regard as we ought for the gift that God has given to the Church (Ephesians 4:11). As a part of the Great Flock, the pastor needs to watch over his own spiritual well-being as well as the sheep under his assignment, so that he can lead the flock well. Every shepherd must remember that the flock does not belong to him, but to the Great Shepherd Who purchased the sheep with His own blood. Even though flock is not a pastor's personal possession to manipulate for his own pleasure and benefit, he does have the joy of overseeing, guiding, and feeding God's sheep. God bless faithful pastors.
 
Today's Thought: Pastoring God's sheep is a great privilege.
 
Have an "honoring pastor" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- The Whole Counsel of God

Paul said, " 'I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. For I have not shunned (avoided) to declare to you the whole counsel of God.' "
 
                                                                             Acts 20:26-27
 
It seems that a lot of preachers I hear today do not declare "the whole counsel of God." Their messages concentrate on social issues, positive confession, successful living, and even God's love and grace. But they avoid such topics as sin and repentance, judgment and hell, and holy living according to God's word. These sermons are not popular and do not draw a crowd, so the preachers and teachers avoid them. If sin, righteousness, and judgment are the messages of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8), shouldn't they be the main message of the preacher? I fear that ministers will be held accountable for the blood of the people they misled when they stand before Jesus.
 
Today's Thought: The main message of the Gospel preacher should be the "whole counsel of God" which includes sin and salvation,
heaven and hell, and holy living.
 
Have a "whole counsel" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Unmoved

Paul said to the elders of the church at Ephesus, " 'See, now I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem not knowing the things that will happen to me there, except the Holy Spirit testifies in every city, saying that chains and tribulations await me. But none of these things move me, nor do I count my life dear to myself, so that I may finish my race with joy....' "
 
                                                                         Acts 20:22-24a
 
Paul was so in love with Jesus and so committed to the Gospel that no sacrifice was too great. He was willing to put his life on the line and would not be moved from finishing the race God had set before him. Later, he wrote, "I count all these things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord" (Philippians 3:8). He did not know all the challenges that he would face but was determined to finish his race with joy. Oh, that I would have such a vision of Jesus.
 
Today's Thought: Love for Jesus will see us through whatever lies ahead.
 
Have an "unmoved" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Sleeping In Church

"Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued the message until midnight....And in a window sat a certain young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep. He was overcome by sleep; and as Paul continued speaking, he fell down from the third story and was taken up dead."
 
                                                                          Acts 20:7, 9
 
Beware, those who sleep in church. Your life is in danger! Actually, I know about sleepers in church. When I was pastoring, there were people who habitually slept during my sermons. In one church, there was Brother Fisk; he sat on the first row and was a nodder. Sister Howard sat on the last pew; she was a sprawler. And in between were other assorted dreamers. But I've not had anyone die during my preaching, unless you count Sister Fink, who had a stroke during the offering before I began preaching. I imagine Paul closed his sermon many times before midnight, but then kept on preaching. A favorite phrase in Paul's writings was "Finally, Brethren." In fact, he used the phrase two times in his letter to the Philippians. I try to avoid saying, "Finally," or "In conclusion," lest I raise the audience's expectations of a quick ending. Even though Eutychus died while sleeping in church, God was gracious and restored him so he could sit through another sermon.
 
Today's Thought: God is gracious, even to those who sleep in church.
 
Have an awake day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Fervent Worship

"Now when they heard this, they were full of wrath and cried out, saying, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians'.....But when they found out that he [Alexander] was a Jew, all with one voice cried out for about two hours, 'Great is Diana of the Ephesians.' "
 
                                                                     Acts 19:28, 34
 
The setting: The silversmiths in Ephesus, who crafted idols of the goddess Diana, were losing business because so many people were turning to Christ. So they held a protest demonstration. Their chant (as there always must be) was, "Great is Diana," which they yelled for about two hours. This chastises me. I sometimes get irritated when worship at church goes too long. If people who serve a false god with ulterior motives can sing her praises for two hours, how can I, who worship the true and living God, complain about 30 minutes?
 
Today's Thought: Sometimes those who worship false gods put Christians to shame by their fervor.
 
Have a worshiping day. Love you.
 

Dad's Rambling -- "On Purpose" Living

"When these things were accomplished, Paul purposed in the Spirit [or spirit], when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying, 'After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'"
 

                                                                                    Acts 19:21
 
Paul had an inner drive to go to Jerusalem, and eventually to Rome. That drive was because God was working in his own spirit. I believe that the Holy Spirit moves in our own spirits to do God's will. [Note: the translators of the New King James version capitalized "Spirit" indicating the Holy Spirit. But it could also be lower-case "spirit" indicating his own spirit.] Later, people tried to talk him out of going to Jerusalem because he would face tough times. But Paul responded that he was "bound in the spirit" (lower-case). He was determined to go and declared, "None of these things move me" (Acts 20:22-24). He was living the will of God "on purpose." Living a spirit-led life is on purpose. It is intentional – not passive. I will live either a flesh-directed life or a spirit-directed life.  Living a flesh-centered life happens automatically.  But living according to the spirit happens because I choose to. (See Romans 8:1-14 and Galatians 5:16-25 to understand the difference between walking according the flesh and according to the spirit.) When I am convinced of God's will, nothing can move me away from my determination to follow Him.
 
Today's Thought: Spirit-led living is "on purpose." It is intentional – not passive.
 
Have an "intentional" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- One Huge Bonfire!

"... and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And the counted up the value of them, and it totaled 50,000 pieces of silver."
 
                                                                    Acts 19:17b-19
 
What a bonfire!!!  It must have been huge since, according to the margin, 50,000 pieces of silver would equal $6,400,000 in today's money. The early believers feared God, magnified Jesus, and confessed their sin. A part of that sin was practice of spiritism. The early believers took seriously God's proscription of such activities (see Leviticus 19:26 – divination and soothsaying; vs. 31 – mediums and familiar spirits; see also Lev. 20:6, 27). So they got rid of the paraphernalia associated with the occult. It seems that today many Christians consider such activities as harmless. Many consult daily the horoscope, astrology, and palm readers. They view seances and ouija boards as play things. But the Bible condemns any such activities. Maybe we should have a time of confession followed by a bonfire!!!
 
Today's Thought: Christians should not be dabbling in activities of the occult.
 
Have a "magnifying Jesus" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- "Second-Hand"

"Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, 'We exorcize you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.'  Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish priest who did so. And the evil spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know and Paul I know, but who are you?' Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded."
 
                                                                      Acts 17:13-16
 
These exorcists failed in their undertaking because they were copying Paul, but had no spiritual authority themselves. In spiritual things, it takes a personal connection with God – not a second-hand experience. I have observed churches tying to copy the ministries of other successful churches, only to fail because they did not have a personal mandate from God. Worse yet, I have known people who rely on a godly spouse, parent or grandparent for their spiritual standing – "My grandpa was a preacher." To live a powerful, victorious Christian life requires a first-hand experience with the living God.
 
Today's Thought: Spiritual authority is derived from personal relationship with God – not a second-hand experience.
 
Have a "first-hand" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Faith in God

"Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul, so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them."
 

                                                                          Acts 19:11-12
 
When I was a youth, it was a common practice to pray over a handkerchief and take or send it to put on someone who was sick. Perhaps some people may have been healed by such things. It is like anointing with oil and praying for the sick. If the practice aids people to focus their faith and helps them release their faith in God's provision of healing, there is value. The danger comes when the practice becomes the object of faith instead of God Himself, as though there was some magical power in the cloth, the oil, some ritual, or even the prayers of the person who prayed. Jesus said, "Have faith in God." When faith is projected onto something other than God, then it is misplaced faith.
 
Today's Thought: God is the object of our faith – not some person, thing, or ritual.
 
Have a "trusting God" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Hardened

"But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of The Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew with the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus."
 

                                                                                 Acts 19:9
 
It remains a mystery to me why some people receive the Gospel while others are hardened. Jesus spoke of the stony places and the good soil (Matthew 13:18-23), but He did not explain why. Jesus did refer to those who hearts had grown "dull" (Matthew 13:15). So this is what I think. As a people grow older, they have experiences, or teachings, or unfulfilled expectations. Sometimes they hear the Gospel again and again and continually reject it because they want to do their own thing. Gradually, layer upon layer of insulation is built around the heart until it becomes dull and hardened to the voice of the Holy Spirit. Children have soft hearts to the Gospel because they have not had time for these layers to form. For older people who have many layers, it often takes a tragedy or catastrophe – sickness, loss of a loved one, bankruptcy or jail – to break through the shell so the light can shine in. Even then, some people become even more hardened. We need to guard against allowing negative experiences to build layers around our hearts lest we become hard to spiritual things.
 
Today's Thought: A dull and hard heart blocks out the voice of the Holy Spirit.
 
Have a "soft" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Normal Christianity

"Paul...came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples he said to them, 'Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?'
               So they said to him, 'We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.' 
               And he said to them, 'Into what then were you baptized?'
               So they said, 'Into John's baptism.'
               Paul said, 'John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him, that is, Christ Jesus.'
    When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesied."
 
                                                                           Acts 19:1-6
 
At Ephesus, Apollos had taught the Baptism of John (Acts 18:25) and believers were baptized for repentance. But even John had said that Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:8). Paul seemed surprised to find believers at Ephesus who were not baptized in the Holy Spirit. So after baptizing them in the name of Jesus, they received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit evidenced by glossolalia. Paul, that great theologian, considered that it would be the norm for believers in Jesus to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I don't see anything in Scripture that would change that.
 
Today's Thought: Holy Spirit baptism should be the norm for all believers.
 
Have a "Spirit-baptized" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- "More"

"Now a certain Jew named Apollos...an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus. This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and being fervent I spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John .... When Aquilla and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately."
 
                                                                        Acts 18:24-26
It is possible for a teacher/preacher to be mighty in the Scriptures and dynamically proclaim the Gospel, and still not understand the Baptism in the Holy Spirit. They accurately teach God's word except for Spirit Baptism. The difference is that Apollos was open to receive the teaching of Aquilla and Priscilla as they privately explained "more accurately" the message. Many of today's teachers are so set in their dogma that they flat out reject the knowledge that there is something more to the Gospel than salvation. May their eyes be opened.
 
Today's Thought: John's Baptism for repentance and salvation are good but there is something "more."
 
Have a "more" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- "God Willing"

"And he [Paul] came to Ephesus....And when they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent, but took leave of them saying, 'I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.' And he sailed to Ephesus."
 
                                                                    Acts 18:19a, 20-21
 
I don't hear people use the phrase "God willing" much anymore. We make our plans – as we should – but forget that our plans are subject to the will of God. Then we get up-tight when things don't go as we planned.  As James wrote: "Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit; .... Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that' " (James 4:13-15). After all, if we belong to Jesus, He is Lord of our lives, and our will is secondary to His.
 
Today's Thought: Our plans and our wills are always subservient to God's will.
 
Have a "God-willing" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Jesus Is There

"Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, 'Do not be afraid, but speak and do not keep silent; for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.' "
 
                                                                                   Acts 18:9-10
 
I am trying to get into Paul's head to understand what has happened here. Paul was compelled to share the Gospel of Jesus (vs. 5). But apparently, being the human he was, he had become frustrated by the rejection of the Jews and in his anger he shook his clothes and turned away from them (vs. 6). I think maybe he just became tired of the fight with the Jews, and the persecution. Perhaps there was even some fear. Who in his right mind wants to be beaten and stoned again? Enough of this, already!!! But Jesus, in His compassion, came to encourage Paul and let him know he was not alone. Paul's vision was rejuvenated, and after he left Corinth and went to Ephesus, he again entered the synagogue to reason with the Jews (vs. 19). We are in a battle, and when we get tired of the fight, we need to remember that Jesus is with us, and we have nothing to fear.
 
Today's Thought: When Jesus is with us, we need not fear.
 
Have a fearless day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Compelled

"When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit [margin: in his spirit], and testified of Christ."
 
                                                                               Acts 18:5
 
The driving force in Paul's life was sharing the Gospel of Jesus with the unsaved. In another place, Paul wrote, "the love of Christ compels us" (II Cor. 5:14). So the question is, "What am I compelled by? What is the thing that drives my life?" Whether it is my love for Jesus or understanding His love for me, or it is the constraint of the Holy Spirit or my own spirit, I am compelled to serve the Lord Jesus.
 
Today's Thought: Whatever compels my life dictates my actions.
 
Have a "spirit-compelled" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Tentmakers

"After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife, Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome): and he came to them. So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers."
 
                                                                   Acts 18:1-3
 
Those who do spiritual ministry and are rewarded financially by that ministry are truly blessed, because they can serve God without having the added burden of providing for their needs. But that is not always the case. Paul and Aquilla set the example by supporting themselves with secular work so they could do spiritual ministry. I know by experience that it is tough to live divided between secular and spiritual. May those who are by necessity "tentmakers" receive an extra blessing.
 
Today's Thought: Those who are called to ministry will find a way, even if it means being a tentmaker.
 
Have a blessed day as you minister for Jesus. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Responses To The Gospel

"And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, 'We will hear you again on this matter.' So Paul departed from among them. However, some men joined him and believed...."
 
                                                                        Acts 17:32-34a
 
There are only three possible responses to the Gospel message: Rejection and even ridicule; Procrastination – "another day"; and Belief. Paul was not deterred from his mission by negative responses. He just kept sharing the Gospel for those who would believe. There are people who will believe if we keep proclaiming Jesus.
 
Today's Thought: The evangelist does not quit just because some people don't believe.
 
Have a believing day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Special Revelation

"Therefore the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you."
 
                                                                    Acts 17:23b
 
The Athenians recognized that there is a god (lower case). So Paul began his sermon with General Revelation: God is the Creator of everything that exists – including man (vs. 26) – and is greater than them all (vss. 24-25). He cannot be reduced to some material object (vs. 27). General Revelation is a good starting point because it shows that there is a Supreme Being who is greater than creation, who is all-powerful and intelligent, and who has organization and loves beauty. But it does not tell us about our sin and His plan of salvation. Only Special Revelation calls us to repentance (vs. 30) and tells us of the One who was resurrected from the dead and who will judge the earth (vs. 31). Jesus is the Special Revelation who declares God to us (see John 1:14-18).
 
Today's Thought: General Revelation can take us only so far in the knowledge of God. Jesus completes the revelation.
 
Have a "Special" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Object of Worship

"Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, 'Men of Athens, I perceive that you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the object of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD.' "
 
                                                                      Acts 17:22-23
 
Everyone is religious, whether they admit it or not, because everyone worships something without knowing it. As I look around, I can see many object of worship – a car, boat, or house; a job; money; education; sex; fame. Some people even worship such mundane things as a whiskey bottle, or needle, or toque. Whatever the focus of a life is or what people give their life to, that is the object of worship. But these object of worship are in place of the true God – THE UNKNOWN GOD. Without realizing it, people seek to satisfy the craving of their spirit for the true God by worshiping things.
 
Today's Thought: Objects of worship are poor substitutes for worship of the true God.
 
Have a worshiping day (of the KNOWN GOD). Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Seed-Pickers

"Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, 'What does this babbler [margin: seed-picker] want to say?' ... And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus .... For all the Anthenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing."
 
                                                                        Acts 17:18 -19a, 21
 
I guess it is human nature to always desire some new thing. That's what fuels gossip (babblers).  Fads come and fads go – even in the church. People run here and there to hear some exotic teaching or spiritual manifestation. And then when some new thing comes along, they flock to that. Just give me the Old Time Religion, without trying to dress it up in new clothes. I have no desire to be a "seed-picker."
 
Today's Thought: New philosophies or experiences are not worth running after because they will be old tomorrow.
 
Have an "old-fashioned" day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Christians In The Marketplace

"Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace with those who happened to be there."                       
 
                                                                      Acts 17:17
 
Paul proclaimed the Gospel in the synagogues and churches, but also in the marketplace. The pagan culture of modern America wants to deny Christians a voice in the marketplace. The secularists don't mind us staying in the four walls of the church, but would like to eliminate our message on the street. A pastor in Hemet, California, was recently jailed for reading the Bible aloud in a public place. I'm not sure of the effectiveness of street ministry, but it is a sad day for America and for liberty when it is not allowed. Our freedom of speech has been so eroded that it is in danger of disappearing. It takes courage to stand against the culture and speak of Jesus wherever we are.
 
Today's Thought: God calls us to spread the Gospel in the marketplace as well as the church.
 
Have a witnessing day. Love you.
 

Dad's Ramblings -- Provoked

"Now while Paul waited for them [Silas and Timothy] at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols."
 
                                                                    Acts 17:16
 
In the 1970s and 1980s the Moral Majority was stirred to action by the ungodliness of the culture in America that would allow abortions, outlaw prayers and Bible reading, and increasingly accept homosexuality. Now I hear very little in the public and political discussion about moral issues even though they are even worse now. I think Christians have become inured to the godlessness of the culture. We are no longer "provoked." We need to be like Lot, "who was oppressed by the filthy conduct of the wicked, for that righteous man, dwelling among them, tormented his righteous soul from day to day by seeing and hearing their lawless deeds" (II Peter 2:7-8). May I never become complacent about the sin around me.
 
Today's Thought: Christians should be provoked by the godless culture.
 
Have a "provoked" day. Love you.