DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A LETTER FOR ALL AGES

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – ROMANS, A LETTER TO SAINTS OF ALL AGES

"Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God....to all who are in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." (Romans 1:1, 7)

This letter to the church at Rome was written by the Apostle Paul before he was able to travel there. Scholars think it was written in perhaps the winter of 58-59 A.D. while he was in Corinth.

As we saw in the last part of the Book of Acts, Paul had a profound desire to go to Rome and minister to the Believers there. And it seems that they had a great love for Paul. When Paul finally landed in Italy, a group of the brethren came to meet him at the Appii Forum and Three Inns, some 40 miles from Rome, which in those days would be several days of travel.

But back to the book of Romans. Paul wanted to make sure that the saints, the beloved of God in Rome, had a good foundation of the Gospel. The letter to the Romans is a very theological book about the sinfulness of man and God's plan of Redemption. He makes it very clear that "all have sinned and come short of the glory of God," but that we are justified by God's grace and our faith in Christ (Romans 3:23-24), just as Abraham was justified by faith. In God's great plan, Jesus was the second Adam who came to do away with sin and its wages of death (Romans 5:12-21), and we no longer need to live under the power of sin (Romans chapter 6).

He also writes directly to the Jews about their place in God's divine plan.

In the final chapters of the letter, he speaks in very practical terms about what it means to walk the Christian life.

As we do Gleanings in this letter to the Romans, may our hearts be open to receive God's word to us today. It is a powerful book, not just for the first century believers in Rome, but saints of all ages, and for us today.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE END OF THE STORY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE END OF THE STORY

"Then Paul dwelt two whole years in his own rented house, and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus will all confidence, no one forbidding him." (Acts 28:3-31).

Don't you wish that Luke, the writer of this book, would have written the rest of the story? It does not seem to have a conclusion. What happened to the Apostle Paul? We know from other sources that he was martyred in Rome. But the Book of Acts kind of leaves us hanging.

Perhaps it is because the story is not finished. As we have mentioned before, this book, known as the Acts of the Apostles, is really the Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles.

The Holy Spirit is still active in our world today. He has not gone away, but is still doing great and mighty things in our world through Believers. The story is not done until Jesus comes as King of kings and Lord of lords, and makes all things new.

We are still writing the book today as we live our lives in the power of the Holy Spirit. What words might my life write today to continue the story of God's amazing grace?

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE SINKING SHIP

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE SINKING SHIP

"And when it was day, they did not recognize the land; but they observed a bay with a beach, onto which they planned to run the ship if possible. And they let go the anchors and left them in the sea, meanwhile loosing the rudder ropes; and they hoisted the mainsail to the wind and made for shore. But striking a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground; and the prow stuck fast and remained immovable, but the stern was being broken up by the violence of the waves." (Acts 27:39-41)

Here they were, at sea at the mercy of a tremendous storm. The lives of the ship's crew and passengers – 276 people in all -- was in danger of being lost. But Jesus appeared to Paul and told him that even though the ship would run aground, all of them would be saved if they obeyed God's word to Paul.

It happened as Jesus had told Paul it would.

Playing the "shoulda-woulda-coulda" game does not help the situation. Paul tried that game. He said, "You should have listened to me" (verse 21), and not sailed from Crete. But this did not help the situation they were in. Trying to correct the problems of the future by mourning over the past does not help. We face life as it really is.

We live in a society where the it seems the ship is going down. Our culture and our nation are being tossed about by harsh winds. And on a personal level when it seems my life is being battered and broken by the violence of the waves, I can trust God. It does not help to play the shoulda-woulda-coulda game because I can't change the past. I can move forward trusting God. He is my Savior, regardless of the storm.

There is safety if we will listen to what God says and do it.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE HAVEN OF REST

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE HAVEN OF REST

"When we had sailed slowly man days, and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus, the wind not permitting us to proceed, we sailed under the shelter of Crete off Salmone. Passing it with difficulty, we came to a place called Fair Havens, near the city of Lasea.....And because the harbor was not suitable to winter in, the majority adVIsed to set sail from there also, if by any means they could reach Phoenix, a harbor of Crete opening toward the southwest and northwest, and winter there." (Acts 27:7-8, 12)

The Apostle Paul and his group were on their way to Rome being guarded by a centurion. They were traveling by ship and were at the mercy of the weather. They sailed from port to port, and finally came to the harbor of Fair Havens. That sounds like a good place to be, but apparently it was not equipped to handle winter harboring. So they decided to sail to Phoenix to spend the winter.

I can appreciate this because I am a Snow Bird who winters in the Phoenix area of Arizona.

Leaving Fair Havens was not a wise choice, because they ran smack dab into a storm called Euroclydon, a southeast wind that causes heavy waves. It was so tempestuous that the ship eventually disintegrated under the pounding of the waves.

There is a need for us humans to have a safe harbor, where there is peace and safety from the storms of life. I'm not primarily thinking about the turbulence that we all go through as a fact of life. I am thinking about peace in the soul. People try to find that place of peace with all kinds of substitutes. There is only one real harbor of peace and rest from the storms that buffet the soul, and that is in the Lord Jesus.

Remember the song: "I've anchored my soul in the Haven of Rest. I'll sail the wild seas no more. The tempest may sweep o'er the wild stormy deep, In Jesus I'm safe evermore." Jesus is my Fair Haven, my Phoenix, where I can anchor my soul and find peace with God.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MARCHING ORDERS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MARCHING ORDERS

This is the testimony ot the Apostle Paul as he stood before King Agrippa, of his vision of the Lord Jesus on the way to Damascus and his commission or marching orders.

" ' While thus occupied, as I journeyed to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, at midday, O king, along the road I saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, shining around me and those who journeyed with me. And when we all had fallen to the ground, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in the Hebrew language, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me? It is hard for you to kick against the goads." So I said, "Who are You, Lord?" And He said, I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. But rise and stand on your feet; for I make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now sent you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me." (Acts 26:12-18)

The Apostle Paul was recounting to King Agrippa the events surrounding his conversion to Christ. He had received a commission and authority from the chief priest to find those who had converted from the Jewish faith to faith in Christ and put them in prison (vs. 10).

But when the Lord Jesus appeared to him as he traveled to Damascus, he received a new commission. Now he was under the marching orders of the Lord Jesus to open their eyes to the truth of the Gospel, to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance along with other believers who were sanctified, or set apart, by faith in Christ.

Times have not changed from the 1^st century. People are still walking in darkness under the power of Satan. They still need forgiveness of sins, and the assurance of an inheritance in heaven.

We are not the Apostle Paul, but we still have the privilege of sharing the Gospel, the good news that Jesus has come to save from sin. These are our marching orders.

Love, Dad

Yo, schiewek0079skeeter

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DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- IN THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME

"Now there were more than forty who had formed this conspiracy....So when Paul's sister's son heard of their ambush, he went and entered the barracks and told Paul." (Acts 23:13, 16)

Have you ever found yourself at the right place at the right time to be of help to someone in need? Paul's nephew was such a demonstration of this. He heard of the plot to assassinate the Apostle. He was the right person in the right place at the right time, and he helped save Paul's life.

Just this past week, Mildred and I found ourselves in such a situation. We had just pulled into a parking space at Safeway when we notice an elderly man clinging for dear life to a handicapped sign post. We immediately went to him because it looked like he was in dire straits. "No one will help me," were the first words out of his mouth. Other people then gathered and someone called 911. We stayed with him until the ambulance took him to the hospital emergency room. We were in the right place at the right time.

Some would call these occurrences mere coincidence. But as a believer in the Lord Jesus, I think they are more than that. I believe they are divine appointments in God's providence that guides our path to help someone.

We could be like the priest and Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan, and walk on by, ignoring the opportunity to minister. Who know but that God has put us in that place for His purposes? We can make all kinds of excuses to avoid getting involved, like Queen Esther who was afraid to go to King Ahasuerus because the King had not called for her for the last month. She knew that her life was a risk. But, as Mordecai said to Esther, "Who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" (Esther 4:14). In other words, Mordecai said, perhaps God has place you as queen for this very purpose – to save the Jewish nation from annihilation.

We don't always know God's purposes for being where we are at a given time, but our lives are not ordered by chance, but by the very purpose of God. May our spirits always be sensitive to these "divine opportunities" to be God's representative as He guides our steps.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – WHAT'S AROUND THE CORNER?

"But the following night the Lord stood by him and said, 'Be of good cheer, Paul; for as you have testified for Me in Jerusalem, so you must also bear witness at Rome.' " (Acts 23:11)

Sometimes the road that Jesus leads us on has crooks and turns and we do not know what is around the bend. That may have been the way Paul felt. He was convinced in his spirit that he must go to Jerusalem. Paul many not have understood the reason he needed to go to Jerusalem. He just knew that he needed to be in Jerusalem by the Day of Pentecost (Acts 20:16). But now Jesus says that he must go to Rome. God chose the road through Jerusalem to get him to Rome.

I am reminded of the story of Elijah and Elisha recorded in II Kings, chapter 2. Elisha was called to be an apprentice to Elijah, so that when the time came for Elijah to depart from this world, Elisha would pick up the mantle. But the road to that place took many turns and side-roads. They went first from Gilgal to Bethel, then to Jericho, then to the Jordan River, and then across the river to the eastern side. But this did not deter Elisha from following Elisha because he knew God's calling on his life.

There have been many jogs in my life when I wondered why God put me in a certain place and what His purposes for me were for the future. It wasn't until I looked back that I could see the reason.

An example is our coming to New Hope Fellowship. When we began attending New Hope, I had no idea why. I just had that deep-seated assurance that this was where God wanted us to be. Now as I look back, I can see how God has opened opportunities to minister that I could not have imagined.

I appreciate even more the Scripture that says, "We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps" (Proverbs 16:9 NLT). He knows the paths that we should take and He knows what is around the next corner, even if we don't. As the song says, "Many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand. But I know who hold tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE WHOSOEVER

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE WHOSOEVER

"Then He (Jesus) said to me, 'Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles.' And they listened to him until this word, and then they raised their voice and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live!'" (Acts 22:21)

Paul was giving a defense of himself before the mob who had gathered in Jerusalem with the intention of killing him because they assumed he had violated the Temple by bringing a Gentile into the Temple. This was not true but that did not keep the mob from trying to kill him. He was rescued by the Roman soldiers, and asked if he could address the mob. He was doing well in his defense until he said the word, "Gentiles," which cause the crowd to go bezerk.

One cannot really appreciate this until you consider that the Jews despised the Gentiles. They wanted no part of anything that would allow the non-Jewish person into their religion. So when Paul said that he was sent to the Gentiles, that was the straw that broke the camel's back. They wanted him killed.

In our Western culture of tolerance, this does not seem rational. And indeed, it does seem extreme until we think of times and places in America where blacks or hippies were not welcomed in churches. Some types of people were denied entrance to places of worship. Chuck Smith started Calvary Chapel because other churches in Southern California did not welcome stinking, scrubby, filthy, long-haired hippies.

This attitude violates the very essence of the Gospel – the "Whosoever" of John 3:16. Jesus made a place in his kingdom for the prostitute, the wine-bibber, the tax collector. They were welcome in His presence. But not in some churches.

May God help us to keep an open heart to everyone – both the down-and-outers and the up-and-outers. They are all welcome to Jesus' church when they repent and believe on Him for salvation. He does not look on the outward appearance but He sees the heart. Even I am included in the "Whosoever." Oh, the grace and mercy of the Lord Jesus.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- ASSUMPTIONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS –  ASSUMPTIONS

"Now when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, 'Men of Israel help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place; and furthermore he also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.' (For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.)" (Acts 21:27-29)

Attacks against Believers are almost always based on lies – either outright lies or deliberate misrepresentations of what we believe. These Jews from Asia disputed with Paul because he taught that the Old Testament covenant was fulfilled in Jesus. Paul did not discount the Old Covenant, but showed that it was prophetic about the Messiah. With these Jews, the main sticking point of contention was regarding the Circumcision. Paul contended that Circumcision was not required under the New Covenant. But even in the case of circumcision, Paul had Timothy, whose father was a Greek and his mother a believing Jew, circumcised "because of the Jews who were in that region" (Acts 16:3). And nowhere did Paul speak against the Temple, except to say that God does not dwell in temples made with hands, and that we are the temples of the Holy Spirit.

Furthermore, the accusation that he had brought a non-Jew into the Temple was a baseless accusation. It was an assumption because they had seen Paul and Trophimus together.

Assumptions, or suppositions, are not a valid basis for making judgments. I remember the story of a woman who was active in her church as she stood looking out her frontroom window watching the children as they waited for the school bus. One boy was from the church she attended and she was disturbed to see that boy with smoke coming out of his mouth. She put on her coat to go out to confront the boy, but as she stepped out of the house, she noticed that her breath was producing steam in the cold crisp air. Chagrined, she stepped back into the house, feeling guilty for making the assumption that the boy was smoking based on what she thought she saw.

It should be a lesson to me that I need to be careful about jumping to conclusions based on assumptions. They can often be wrong.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FOLLOWING GOD'S VOICE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – FOLLOWING GOD'S VOICE

"Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. Then Paul answered, 'What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.' " (Acts 21:12-13)

The Scripture says that in the multitude of counselors is safety (Proverbs 14:24; 24:6). It is wise to listen to advice. But what if that advice directly contradicts what we know that God has spoken to our spirits? Whom do we heed?

The Apostle Paul was "bound in the spirit" to go to Jerusalem (Acts 20:22). In other words, he had a word from the Lord in his own spirit that he was supposed to go to Jerusalem with the understanding that prison awaited him there (20:24).

On his journey to Jerusalem, he came to Tyre, where some believers told him "through the spirit" not to go to Jerusalem (21:4). Whether this was a word from the Holy Spirit or from their own spirits is debatable. But when he got to Caesarea, a prophet named Agabus confirmed the same message – that he would be bound and delivered into the hands of the Gentiles (vs. 11).

When Paul's friends became aware of this, they pleaded with him with tears that he should not go to Jerusalem. But Paul could not be dissuaded from what he knew in his heart God wanted him to do.

Here's the lesson. When we are convinced in our hearts that God is leading us to do something that seems illogical to the natural mind, we need to follow God's voice rather than the voices of those around us, as concerned as those voices are for our well-being. It may be that God is leading us into circumstances that will be difficult, but it is best to pray as the disciples did, "The will of the Lord be done" (vs. 14). It is easy to sing, "God's way is the best way," and it is, but that does not mean it will be easy. We must be convinced in our own hearts about the will of God, and then do it. Otherwise, we will be at the whim of people around us who may want to be of good help, but do not have the mind of the Lord for us.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- MOB MENTALITY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – MOB MENTALITY

"Some therefore cried one thing and some another, for the assembly was confused, and most of them did not know why they came together." (Acts 19:32)

In our current culture in America, we are inundated with mobs and riots. It seems that that is the occupation of some people. They join any conflagration that comes along. At the very least, it must be a pastime they enjoy – marching, yelling, chanting, demonstrating, painting graffiti and destroying buildings. It doesn't matter what the cause is that they are marching for. I would suppose that many do not know why they are demonstrating, but the cause is not the motivation. It is just the excitement of the crowd. When a mob gathers, it can lead to a lot of confusion and evil doing.

There is usually a ring-leader or agitator that is working up the mob. That was the case of this riot in Ephesus. His name was Demetrius, who was a silversmith who made silver shrines for the goddess Diana. As the Apostle Paul began to get more and more converts and people turned to Christ, Demetrius saw his business dwindling. He made a lot of money at his craft, and when he saw his business going down the tube, he called the other silversmiths and incited them to riot.

While they were marching, the whole city rushed to the theater to see what was happening. Many of them did not even know what they were rioting about. They just got caught up in the crowd.

We need to be careful to not get sucked into the mob mentality, just because everyone else is doing it. Following the Supreme Court decision regarding abortion, it seems the whole country is up in arms, if we could believe the media. If the Ephesians were chanting, "Great is Diana" for two hours, the chant today would be, "Great is abortion." Mob mentality has taken over in spite of rational thinking about the value and meaning of human life.

God has called us to be light in a dark world. There may be a place for peaceful demonstrations for righteousness by of a group of Christians, but mostly, we are light in the darkness one candle at a time. We do not radiate Christ's light by riots against something, but by standing firm for God's righteousness. But most of the time we demonstrate God's holiness by the way we live, one person at a time.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SECOND-HAND FAITH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – SECOND-HAND FAITH

"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 exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.' …. And the evil spirit answered and said, 'Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?' " (Acts 19:13, 15)

Here were the seven sons of Sceva, who was a Jewish chief priest, who were trying to do ministry by emulating Paul. They were using Paul's method of casting out demons by commanding the spirits to leave in the name of the Lord Jesus. That is a proper approach, but there one small problem. They did not have a personal faith – only faith based on Paul. It is apparent that they were basing their ministry on Paul instead of experiencing the power and authority of Christ personally.

I am reminded of the time that a demon oppressed boy was brought to Jesus' disciples for healing, but they could not cast out the demon. Jesus came upon the scene and delivered the boy. When the disciples asked why they could not cast out the demon, Jesus said it was because of their unbelief. Even though they had seen Jesus do it many times, their faith had not yet become personal.

Personal faith is essential in spiritual things. Faith for salvation cannot be based on my parents' faith. It has to become a reality in my own life. I cannot claim holiness based on the standards of a church that I attend. It is empty unless it come from my personal faith of being separated to God.

The devils will laugh at my pronouncements of faith unless they come from my personal relationship with Jesus. If I say, "My parents were Christian," or, "I go to XYZ church," they know that I have not put my faith in the Lord Jesus on a personal level. I will never get to heaven by standing on someone elses' shoulders or hanging on their coat-tails. I have to place my faith in Christ's atoning sacrifice individually – not as a part of some group.

I like shopping in second-hand stores. But when it comes to my spiritual walk, second-hand faith is not enough. I cannot rely on hand-me-down faith to get me to heaven. Jesus died for the sins of the world, but the gift of salvation is an individual matter. I want the demons of hell to know that my faith is only in the Lord Jesus Christ, not in myself or in my parents' faith or religious heritage or in the church I attend. Only faith in the Lord Jesus will bring the power of Christian living.

Love, Dad

DAD;S RAMBLINGS -- BLOOMING WHERE WE'RE PLANTED

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – BLOOMING WHERE WE ARE PLANTED

"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)

Aquilla and Priscilla were refugees from Rome. They had no choice in the matter, because the Emperor Claudius made an edict that all Jews should leave Rome. How they ended up in Corinth is not detailed, but it is interesting that they should settle in one of the most corrupt cities in the Roman Empire. Corinth was an evil place where the worst of the worst lived. Being at the center of a trade route between east and west with sailors and merchants visiting regularly, one can only imagine what manner of vice existed in Corinth.

It was in this setting that Aquilla and Priscilla found themselves, whether by choice or by circumstances outside of their control. But in this wicked place, they found opportunities to minister. As tentmakers by trade, they probably came in contact with all kinds of people.

They were strong Christians, well-founded in the truth of God's Word and the Gospel. In fact, they even mentored a traveling evangelist who came through the city who did not have a full understanding of Christian theology. They instructed him more accurately the things of the Lord (vs. 25). Paul spent some time with them in their trade and they became good friends. In fact, Paul mentioned in one letter that they risked their lives to save his (Romans 16:3-4).

Our world is filled with refugees who have fled their homeland because of persecution. Some are Believers in Jesus, and have opportunities to share the Gospel in their new surroundings. That is how the early Church grew as Christians were persecuted and fled to other countries.

We, like Aquilla and Priscilla, are refugees, living in a foreign land. We are strangers, pilgrims and exiles in this world (Hebrews 11:13). We don't always have the choice of where we live, but we can trust that God has placed us there to do His ministry. It's not by accident that we live in a certain place. God has placed us here for His purposes. So we bloom where we're planted.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD OF CREATION

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE GOD OF CREATION

"God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands." (Acts 17:24)

When Paul got to Athens, he saw that they were a people with many idols to their gods. In fact, he saw one idol dedicated TO THE UNKOWN GOD. His spirit was provoked when he saw that this city was given over to idol-worship. So he preached unto them Jesus and the resurrection.

This caused a stir and he was taken to the Areopagus to speak more of his message. He began his discourse about the true God with the God of Creation.

Faith for salvation begins with God. It is the essential ingredient for faith that leads to salvation. Without faith that there is a supreme being called God, there can be no faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. As the writer to the Hebrews stated: "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him" (Hebrews 11:6)

Paul argued that faith in God was predicated on God as Creator. God made the world and everything in it and such is Lord of heaven and earth. This fact cannot be overstated. Creation is an evidence for the existence of God.

In liberal churches and teachings, the act of creation is not emphasized. I heard on the radio the president of an Evangelical seminary opine that the creation account in the first three chapters of Genesis is myth or fable. That knocks the foundation out from under the rest of the Bible.

As Christian, we must stand for the infallible and inerrant Word of God in regard to the Creation account. It is the bedrock for our faith in the God of heaven and earth, and the salvation story that began in Genesis chapter 3.

Paul's approach to a pagan society began with the God of Creation who gives life and breath to all people, and made everyone with common blood. We can do no better in our pagan culture of 2022. Atheism does not disprove God. It only denies God. God is still God, whether people believe it or not.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PREACH THE WORD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PREACH THE WORD

"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. Then Paul, as his custom was, went in to them, and for three Sabbaths reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, and saying, 'This Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ.' " (Acts 17:1-3)

Even though he was known as a missionary to the Gentiles, Paul's custom for sharing the Gospel was to go to the Synagogue of the Jews first. They had historical and theological reference points to understand the coming of Christ.

Paul's testimony and witness of Christ was from the Old Testament Scriptures. Jesus is revealed in the Old Testament. Paul's witness was not only based on his experience of meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. It was deeply founded on the prophetic writings of the Scriptures that the Jews based their religion on.

This was the m.o. of the Lord Jesus. After the Resurrection, He showed from the Old Testament Scriptures that He was indeed the promised Messiah. Luke records that He revealed Himself to two disciples on the road to Emmaus: "Beginning at Moses and all the prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself " (Luke 24:27; also vs. 44).

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It is not that Paul never used his personal testimony of conversion. Later in the Book of Acts, we find evidence that he did give his personal story of when the Lord Jesus appeared to him as recorded in Acts chapter 9. However, the Word of God revealed through Moses, the Psalmists and the prophets was the foundation for his presentation of Jesus as Messiah.

That is why it is so important that preachers "preach the Word" – both Old and New Testaments. This was the charge given to me at my ordination to ministry. It was the admonition of Paul to the young preacher, Timothy: "I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word!" (II Timothy 4:1-2).

The ability to tell stories and jokes, and give wonderful illustrations is good, but what we need is the preaching of God's Word. Thank God for faithful pastors and teachers who center on what God said. That is the basis of our faith.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE KNOW-IT-ALL GOD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – THE KNOW-IT-ALL GOD

"Known to God from eternity are all His works." (Acts 15:18)

As a rule, we do not like people who know it all. But we can be thankful that God is a "know-it-all."

Nothing catches God by surprise. He never says, "Oops!" He never has to second-guess Himself. He knows it all from eternity past to eternity future. He may do some re-direction, but He knows ahead of time what is going to happen, even the various choices I will make, and the changes I will make while traveling my own path. He may make accommodations for my failures to obey Him perfectly, but He knew from the beginnings those accommodations He would have to make.

God had the plan for His church laid out before Creation. He knew that His creation would fail, so in His mercy and grace, He provided a way of redemption even before man existed. That plan included the death of Christ on the cross and His resurrection. This was not plan B. In God's foreknowledge, Christ was slain before the foundations of the world.

He knew His plans for a people that would serve Him. He knew ahead of time that He would choose Israel to be His people in the Old Testament. He knew that His Church would be from every nation and tribe. So Peter could quote God's promise through Old Testament prophet: " ' "After this I will return and will rebuild the tabernacle of David, which has fallen down; I will rebuild its ruins, and I will set it up; So that the rest of mankind may seek the LORD, even all the Gentiles who are called by My name, says the LORD who does all these things." Known to God from eternity are all His works.' "  (Acts 15:16-18)

I'm so glad that God knows what He is doing. I can't see the picture very clearly, but I am confident that He knows everything that He plans to do, and everything is fitting into His plan.

He truly is a know-it-all God. He would not be God if He wasn't.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A DIVIDED CHURCH

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A DIVIDED CHURCH

"Now the apostles and elders came together to consider this matter. And when there had much dispute, Peter rose up and said to them: 'Men and brethren, you know that a good while ago God chose among us, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. So God, who knows the heart, acknowledged them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He did to us, and made no distinction between us and them purifying their hearts by faith.' " (Acts 15:6-9)

There was disagreement in the church. There were believing Jews of the sect of the Pharisees who believed that unless the Gentile who were converted to Christ submitted to circumcision, they could not be saved. Paul and Barnabas, as missionaries to the Gentiles, contended that salvation was by grace, and did not require circumcision. Paul wrote a whole letter on this subject – the letter to the Galatians

So they went to the leadership of the church in Jerusalem to settle this theological issue. After a lot of arguing back and forth, Peter rose and reminded them how God had shown him that there was no difference with God between Jews and Gentiles, and how Cornelius and his family were saved without circumcision. The church settled the issue by declaring that circumcision was not a requirement for salvation.

In the church in the 21^st century, there are theological differences between sincere believers. Some believe in unconditional eternal security and some do not. Some practice divine healing and some do not. Some endorse speaking in tongues and some do not. These are great theological divides, and they can cause much dispute between Believers.

What is the solution? I think it is wrapped up in the little phrase, "God, who knows the heart." He sees those who have true salvation through their faith in Christ's atoning work but who have difference regarding peripheral doctrines. Like the two camps in today's text, He knows the heart and He accepts them both. It seems that the lesson is to be careful not to discount another person's faith just because they don't believe like I do about secondary issues. Faith in the Lord Jesus for salvation is the foundation of being a Christian. God knows the heart, and judges much better than I do, so I best leave it to Him because He purifies our hearts through faith in Jesus.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A DIVIDED WORLD

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – A DIVIDED WORLD

"But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles." (Acts 14:4)

The preaching of the Word of God should always cause a division. Some will accept it and some will reject it. That happened at Iconium when Paul and Barnabas preached the truth of the Gospel.

If there is no division – no separating of believers from unbelievers – it is questionable whether there is really a preaching of the truth. If the Gospel is so watered down and diluted that it does not make a difference between believers and unbelievers, then it is not the true Gospel.

Jesus said that there would be a division when the true Gospel is preached. He said that there would cause division, even in a family where father would be against a son and a mother against a daughter (Luke 12:52-53).

If there is no distinction – no difference – between our message of holiness and the world-system, then it would seem that the salt has lost its saltiness.

In our nation there is a great division between what is true and what is false. One side rejects God's commandments about abortion and homosexuality. The other side affirms God's Word as the basis of morality. There are calls for unity but there can be no compromise if we are to be faithful to God's Word. What fellowship does light have with darkness, or Christ with Belial (II Corinthians 6:14-15)?

This division will always exist as long s there are people who believe and practice what God says is true, because Satan, the father of lies, will always be there to contradict God's truth.

May we never sacrifice our faith or compromise God's truth for the sake of unity. It is a false paradigm and will never succeed. God's truth will prevail.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS --PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – PLAYING SECOND FIDDLE

Happy Fourth of July

"So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they (Saul, Barnabas) went down to Seleucia, and from thee they sailed to Cyprus. And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant." (Acts 13:4-5)

The Holy Spirit had separated Barnabas and Saul for the work that He wanted them to do. So the church laid hands on them and sent them out to do missionary ministry. But it wasn't long until Saul took the preeminent position of leadership in the team. Barnabas receded to second place.

There is another interesting thing in this text. Barnabas and Saul were recognized as the ministering leaders while the Apostle John tagged along as an "assistant." John – one of the original 12 disciples and the one closest to Jesus – was considered an assistant, in the role of helping the other two.

This is an amazing thing. And there is no indication of ill-will on the part of John in being the third man. It speaks volumes about the character of John. No wonder he was able to write such beautiful letters that spoke so much of love. He certainly demonstrated it. He did not have to have the spotlight.

In any group, there needs to be leaders and assistants. Take an orchestra, for example. Just suppose that no one was willing to play the second part. It would be a sad orchestra, indeed, if there was only the concert master playing the violin. We need the other players to make the orchestra complete.

In Christ's church, we need the leaders – those in the spotlight. But the Apostle Paul makes it clear that the church, as the Body of Christ, needs the hidden parts also – the kidneys, the bladder, the liver – to make the body function properly.

The Church does not function well if there are only the preacher and the elders. It needs the ministry of helps also (I Corinthians 12:28). Assistants are important and they fill a vital role in the ministry of the church. We need people who are willing to play second fiddle with a sweet spirit.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS – GOD-CONSCIOUSNESS

"Then Peter opened his mouth and said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him. The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ – He is Lord of all – that word you know, which was proclaimed through all Judea, and began from Galilee after the baptism of which John preached, how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.' " (Acts 10:34-38)

It is apparent from the text that this Roman centurion who was stationed in Caesarea, was aware of the life an ministry of the Lord Jesus. Peter said, "You know that word which was proclaimed through all Judea." He knew about Jesus but had never accepted the Messiah for himself. Perhaps he felt that it was a Jewish religion, reserved for the Jews, and that as a Roman he was not included. It was not until Peter came to his house and told him that "whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins" (vs. 43) that he understood that this message was for "whoever" – everyone who puts their faith in Jesus.

The Gospel is for everyone. All peoples of all nations of all ethnic backgrounds are included in this invitation to believe and receive forgiveness of sins. It is true that some people seem to be more inclined to faith in God than others. For whatever reason, some people have more God-consciousness than other people. This centurion had this God-awareness. All he needed was someone like Peter to explain to him God's plan of salvation.

The statement that "whoever fears Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him" does not mean that everyone who does good works are saved. Peter himself preached, "There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). No one is made acceptable to God by their "works of righteousness" (Titus 3:5). Then how do we understand this?

The Lord Jesus answered this question for us when He said, "This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent" (John 6:29). There is only one work that makes us acceptable to God and that is to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. It is belief in Christ's work that saves us – not our own works of righteousness. Cornelius believed, and so do I.

Love, Dad