DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CONQUERING FEAR

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CONQUERING FEAR

Today, we will leave Paul hanging in Acts 28, and turn our attention back to the Old Testament, where we pick up in the Psalms. Our thought for today is --

"My heart is severely pained within me, and the terrors of death have fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me, and horror has overwhelmed me." (Psalm 55:4-5)

Fear, and its synonyms – worry, angst, anxiety – are common to man. We all experience them from time to time. They are emotional responses to troubling situations or sometimes just a troubled spirit that has no cause. They are often things that are out of our control, or we don't know what the solution or outcome will be. We don't know what is around the corner. So we fret.

God has an answer for fear, but it is not easy to do. A common word from God is "Fear not!" Listen to some of His Words concerning fear and anxiety. Jesus said, "Do not worry …." (Matthew 6:25, 31, 34). His solution was to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (vs. 33). That is setting our priorities in the right place – seeking His agenda rather than ours.

The Apostle Paul wrote, "Be anxious for nothing" (Philippians 4:6). That is a tall order, but his solution was "by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God."

The Apostle Peter had a solution for fear and worry when he wrote exhorting us to humble ourselves under the hand of the Almighty, "casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you" (I Peter 5:6-7).

This was David's cure for fear: "As for me, I will call upon God and the LORD shall save me….Cast your burden on the LORD and He shall sustain you. He shall never permit the righteous to be moved" (vs. 16, 22).

I'll admit again that this is not easy to do because I usually live by what I see and that causes me to fear and worry. But God is present to help us when we run to Him. He is our refuge and strength, our very present help in trouble.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A SERVANT SPIRIT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- A SERVANT SPIRIT

"Now when they had escaped, they then found out that the island was called Malta. And the natives showed us unusual kindness, for they kindled a fire and made us welcome, because of the rain that was falling and because of the cold. But when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and laid them on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat, and fastened on his hand." (Acts 28:1-3)

This passage tells me a lot about the Apostle Paul. Here he was, the great preacher and theologian, the leading voice for the Christian faith of that time. But his position did not go to his head. It was raining and cold, and here was Paul gathering sticks for the fire. There were others who could have done this job, but Paul had a servant spirit and he took the lowly task without complaint. It would seem that this was just a normal thing for Paul to do – to do the humble tasks.

As a former pastor, I have been to many ministerial meetings. But I have observed that it is usually not the pastors of large churches who help with the tasks of cleaning up after dinner. Through the years I have had good thoughts about Pastor Snyder. He did not pastor a large church, but he was always the first one to help clean the tables. He set a pattern for me to follow.

I think Pastor Paul would have been right in there with Pastor Snyder, helping to clean up. That was his evident spirit. Not only do we have the model of Pastor Paul and Pastor Snyder. We also have the demonstration of the Lord Jesus, who was the greatest example of the servant-leader.

Remember how He, "being God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the pains of death, even the death of the cross" (Colossians 2:6-8). And Paul said, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus" (vs. 5). I don't think Paul would exhort his followers to do what he was not willing to do himself.

We have many examples of servant-leadership. May our hearts catch that spirit and reflect it in our own lives.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORM Part II

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORM, PART II

"Then, fearing lest we should run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern, and prayed for day to come." (Acts 27:29)

The ship and its inhabitants were facing certain disaster. They could only see the rocks against which the waves were crashing. They were close to being dashed upon the rocks. Some wanted to jump overboard, but Paul had a word from the Lord that they should all stay with the boat.

They had done everything they could do. The future was out of their hands. So they dropped anchor, and they prayed.

God gave them deliverance. In the morning, they saw a bay that they did not know was there. So they cut the anchors and let the ship drift to run aground. The ship was broken up by the violence of the waves, but all of the passengers and the crew were saved.

That may be the thing we need to do in our own tempests. When we have done everything we can, it is out of our control. But we can still pray, and God can provide an answer in a way that we did not anticipate or see in the middle of the storm.

I have seen this many times in my own life. It seemed that things were out of my control, and all I could do was pray. And God has answered in ways that I did not anticipate. What a wonderful God we serve.

So take heart, if you are going through a storm. When you have done all you can do, then just pray for the morning to come. Morning will come. As the song says, "Hold on my child, joy comes in the morning."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORMS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SURVIVING THE STORMS

"And because we were exceedingly tempest-tossed, the next day they lightened the ship. On the third day, we threw the ship's tackle overboard with our own hands. Now when neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small tempest beat on us, all hope that we would be saved was finally given up." (Acts 27:18-20)

The Apostle Paul had appealed to Caesar, and he, along with Luke and Aristarcus, set sail for Italy. Things went fairly well until they ran into a huge storm called Euroclydon – probably a hurricane – and they could not make any headway. The ship was so battered that they had to run cables to undergird the ship to keep it from breaking up. In an attempt to keep the ship afloat, they threw the tackle overboard. Things looked very grim, and all hope of surviving this storm was lost. By God's gracious hand, when the ship ran aground and broke up, not a soul was lost.

We go through our own tempests. Storms toss us to and fro and we do not see how we can survive. Disaster is imminent. Hope is lost. We can trust God to bring us through the storms, but in the process we may find that we need to get rid of extra baggage in our lives – even things we think we cannot live without.

We may still lose everything, but the process helps us see what our priorities are. Is an unforgiven offense a burden we carry? Maybe it is time to pitch it overboard. Do we think we cannot live without some of the amenities of life? Maybe we will find we can live without them. Do we think that life consists in the abundance of the things we possess? Perhaps we will find that the simple life is better.

God allows tempests to toss us around, but they are all in His control. He has purposes, to help us see what is truly important in this life, and look to fix our eyes on the eternal. As the Apostle Paul wrote: "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, and not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God" (Colossians 3:1-3).

We can rest secure in the knowledge that our lives are hidden with Christ in God, even in the storms.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNCHANGING MESSAGE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNCHANGING MESSAGE

"Therefore, Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision, but declared first to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem, and throughout all the region of Judea, and then to the Gentiles that they should repent, turn to God, and do works befitting repentance." (Acts 26:19-20)

Paul's testimony was consistent. No matter who he was speaking to, the message was the same: repent, turn to God, and do works of repentance. He "stood before small and great, saying no other things than those which the prophets and Moses said would come – that the Christ would suffer, that He would be the first to rise from the dead, and would proclaim light to the Jewish people and to the Gentiles" (vss. 22-23).

The Apostle Paul was uncompromising in his witness. Whether to the Jews or Gentiles, whether in Damascus or Jerusalem, whether to small or great, his message did not change to suit the listeners.

Even as he stood before Festus and King Agrippa, he did not deviate. His message was unwavering. It was that Jesus Christ suffered, died, and rose from the dead for our sins and that we should repent.

It is tempting to try to make the gospel palatable to people, to conform the message to what we think would be acceptable to the sinner. We want to see people come to faith, so we try to phrase it in comfortable language. We do need to communicate with people on their level, as Paul did with the people at Athens. But we need to be careful to not change the message to make it acceptable to the sinner. The Gospel is not intended to make people comfortable in their sin, but to convict them of sin, and that makes people uncomfortable until they realize that Jesus died to forgive sinners.

The approach to witnessing may be tailored to the listener, but the message of the Gospel must never be changed: Jesus came, died, was buried, and rose again. That is the Gospel.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RIGHTEOUS JUSTICE

"But Festus, wanting to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, 'Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and there be judged before me concerning these things?'" (Acts 25:9)

When the judicial system gets corrupted, bad things happen to good people. Paul was a good example.

Paul first appeared before Felix, the governor of Judea, but Felix refused to make a judgment because he desired a bribe from Paul (24:26) and also because he wanted to score points with the Jews (24:27). Felix sat on the case for two years until he was replaced by Festus. Festus was no better. Even though he admitted that he could find nothing to charge Paul with (Acts 25:26-27), he would not make a judgment to exonerate Paul because he wanted to please the Jews. Festus sat on the judgment seat but would not make a decision. Instead, he asked for help from King Agrippa.

These guys had no backbone to stand up for justice. Instead, they were swayed by other political and monetary considerations. They played Ping-pong with Paul, moving him from one court to another.

It is a sad day for America when our legal system has been so corrupted that justice is thwarted by political pressure. Even our highest court, the Supreme Court, is susceptible to this kind of pressure. Instead of basing decisions on the constitution and the law, the justices are sometimes swayed by political concerns rather than adhering to the Constitution.

There is one Judge who will never be tempted to base His judgments on anything except His Word and His holiness. No one will be able to accuse Him of being unjust in His judgments because they are always founded in His truth.

We need to be sure that our judgments are securely settled in God's revealed Word – our Constitution – and not in the popular culture of the day or what we feel is right based on pity, anger, or what we think is fair.

We stand before a Holy Judge and He will judge rightly because He is righteous.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHEN RIGHT IS WRONG

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- WHEN RIGHT IS WRONG

"Then Paul, looking earnestly at the council, said, 'Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day.' And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. Then Paul said to him, 'God will strike you, you whitewashed wall! For you sit to judge me according to the law, and do you command me to be struck contrary to the law?' And those who stood by said, 'Do you revile God's high priest?' Paul said, 'I did not know, brethren, that he was the high priest; for it is written, "You shall not speak evil of a rule of your people."'" (Acts 23:1-5)

Paul was not perfect. It appears from this record that Paul lost his temper, calling the Chief Priest a whitewashed wall. What he said was true. The Jewish law did not allow punishment before a trial (Deuteronomy 25:1-3). This provoked Paul to violate another Jewish law: "You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people" (Exodus 22:28).

Paul's conscience was tender before the Lord. He had lived in all good conscience before God, but that was because he had a tender conscience, and when his conscience spoke, he was quick to admit his error. What he said was right, but when it was done with an improper spirit or in violation of God's law, it was wrong. But when he became aware of his mistake, he was quick to admit his error.

We can take a lesson from this incident in Paul's life. When our spirit is provoked to anger by another person's error, if we allow that spirit to control us, we are wrong no matter how right we are doctrinally or the truth of the matter.

Paul was following the example of the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus spoke truth, even calling the Jews whitewashed sepulchers. As God in the flesh, he had the authority to judge those who were abusing their positions of authority.

Speaking the truth out of anger is a dangerous practice. There is a place for righteous anger, but that anger needs to be controlled by our spirit or it will cause damage to us and to other people. When we need to speak difficult truth, may our words be with grace, even with tears. Speaking the truth in love is not always easy, but it is imperative.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYSTEMIC RACISM

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SYSTEMIC RACISM

" 'Then He (Jesus) said to me (Paul), "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 voices and said, 'Away with such a fellow from the earth, for he is not fit to live.' " (Acts 22:21-22)

We have heard the accusation that Americans' are systemically racist. I don't believe that is true. What is true is that there are racists, but to paint an entire nation with the same brush is not legitimate.

It you want a picture of systemic racism, the Jews of New Testament times were truly racists. They were God's chosen people, and everyone else was lower on the totem pole.

In our text today, Paul was giving a defense of himself before the Jews. They had originally accused him of violating the holy temple by supposedly bringing non-Jews into the temple. That was a false accusation, but in his defense, Paul declared that God had sent him to the Gentiles. That really set off the Jews on a tirade against him, because they had no place in their doctrine for non-Jews.

We have discussed in previous Gleaning that God is not a respecter of persons, and neither should we be. We are all descendants of Adam. We are one race, and we are all equal because we have all sinned against God. That makes us one.

There is no place in the heart of the Christian for racism. I sang the song as a child, "Red and Yellow Black and White, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world." And not just the children. God so loves the world – and everyone in it – that He gave His only begotten Son to die for our sins. We are equal recipients of God's grace when we receive Christ.

So sing it with me: "Jesus loves the little children, all the children of the world. Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little – and big – children of the world.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- JUMPING TO CONCLUSIONS

"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 Triphimus the Ephesian with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple." (Acts 21:27-29)

This is a classic example of jumping to conclusions, making accusations based on wrong information.

Paul had agreed to sponsor some believing Jews who had made a vow and needed someone to sponsor them by paying their expenses. Paul agreed to do this and when the days of purification had expired and time had come to announce the fulfillment of the vows, he also went through the purification process and paid for the offerings.

Some Jews from Asia began an uproar by charging Paul with desecration of the temple. But the fact was that Paul was just following the customs of the Jews. He had not brought a non-Jew into the temple as they assumed just because they had seen Paul with an Ephesian Gentile in the city.

I read a poem once entitled Sister A and Sister B. Sister A saw her pastor having lunch with a beautiful woman who was not his wife. Sister A assumed her pastor was having an affair, and she told Sister B what she had seen. The story spread like wildfire, until someone investigated and found out the beautiful woman was the pastor's sister.

It is a dangerous thing to make accusations without knowing all the facts. But we often make judgments that are based on faulty information. May we be discerning and careful before we make accusations.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GODLY ADVICE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GODLY ADVICE?

"And finding disciples, we stayed there seven days. They told Paul through the Spirit not to go up to Jerusalem." (Acts 21:4)

This is a challenging verse. The text says that they advised Paul not to go to Jerusalem. This was through the Spirit. But what spirit? Was it the Holy Spirit or their own spirit? 

I know that people often give advice from their own spirit of love and concern, to help other people enduring hard times. Job was an example receiving advice from his friends. But was their advice from God or from their own spirit of concern?

I personally believe that Paul knew the voice of God very well, and that he knew that God wanted him to go to Jerusalem, knowing full well that he would be put in prison and possibly martyred. When he received conflicting counsel, he could stand strong in his own understanding of God's calling. He could say, " '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' " (vs. 13)

He could not be deterred from what he felt in his heart God was calling him to. Finally, the disciples conceded to Paul and said, " 'The will of the Lord be done.' "

I don't think this was an easy time for the Apostle, with his friends pulling him one way, and his own spirit pulling another. They were causing him some inner turmoil, breaking his heart with their comments. But he was committed to the inner call of the Lord Jesus.

When we are inundated with advice, it may be godly advice, but we need to follow God's call for our lives as best we understand it. It may not be an easy choice, but when the commitment is made, there is an inner peace that follows.

This also speaks to me to not just speak out of my own feelings and concern for people giving advice that may not be God's will for that person. In the end, it is a personal decision that must be made, and I need to be careful to not discourage that person from following what they believe is God's calling. Better to say."The Lord's will be done."

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FINISHING THE RACE WITH JOY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- FINISHING THE RACE WITH JOY

" '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, and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.' " (Acts 20:24)

Both Paul and the elders from Ephesus knew that this was the last time that they would share any time together. Paul had received a word from the Holy Spirit that he would be bound in chains when he got to Jerusalem. But he faced the future with a clear conscience. He had lived a life of integrity and had nothing to be ashamed of. He had preached the Gospel faithfully, serving the Lord with humility and many tears (vs. 19), which demonstrated His great love for the Lord Jesus and for His church. He had not acted inappropriately before the believers. They knew his manner of life (vs. 18). He had no desire for their financial support. In fact, he provided for his own necessities. He lived by the words of the Lord Jesus: that "It is more blessed to give than to receive" (vs. 35).

What a way to go. Having nothing in your life or character that anyone could point to as a bad testimony. I don't know that this is true in my life, but I would want to be able to face eternity with a clear conscience.

And I do. Paul had many things that could have clouded his final days, but they were all under the blood of Jesus – forgiven. What freedom there is to have a clean conscience.

The Apostle did not know for sure when God would call Him home, but he knew that it was not too far down the path. None of us know for sure when our time on earth will end, but for some of us, we know it is not too far because of our age. But regardless of whether we are young, middle-age, or seniors, we know that it is inevitable so we live as though it would be today. We can finish our race with joy.

This is a worthy goal.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE OCCULT

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- CHRISTIAN FAITH AND THE OCCULT

"And many who believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed." (Acts 19:18-20)

We in American culture do not think a lot about the "magic arts." We still view palm readers and tarot card readers as a part of the fringe group. Oh, we may get upset when Satanists sponsor clubs in our local schools. But by and large, we don't pay much attention to the occult.

Not so in Ephesus. It was a big deal. People who came to faith in the Lord Jesus saw the danger and discrepancy between the Christian faith and the occult. So new believers got rid of the occult paraphernalia that had been a part of their past life without Christ.

I do wonder if we have been deluded by Satan into thinking that the occult or pagan worship is no big deal. After all, we have been considered a Christian nation and those things have not been central in most of our lives.

If we look closely, we can see some indications of this banal thinking. People can have an Ouija board in their closet or a Buddha statue in their front yard and think nothing about it. They rationalize that they really don't believe that stuff. They can read the horoscope every day and just consider it fun. But I wonder if they are playing with things of Satan's kingdom.

How big a fire would we have in the parking lot of our church if people who attend our local assembly would bring all of this stuff and make a bonfire? It would certainly attract some attention! But it would also be a statement about our faith that these things are incompatible with Christian belief.

I'm not suggesting that we do this. I'm just wondering if we would be willing to pay the cost of these things going up in smoke like the believers at Ephesus did. On the other hand, hopefully it would not be a very big blaze because we understand the seriousness of the issue.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RECEIVING AND GIVING INSTRUCTION

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- RECEIVING AND GIVING INSTRUCTION

"Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born in Alexandria, 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 in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John. So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately." (Acts 18:24-26)

Apollos was a great preacher who came to Ephesus. He was a charismatic speaker and preached about Jesus with fire that came from his spirit. He had sound doctrine as far as it went. He taught the Gospel of Jesus accurately, but he didn't know everything. He taught the baptism of repentance and faith in Christ. But he did not teach about the work of the Holy Spirit because apparently, he had not experienced baptism in the Holy Spirit. So when Paul came to Ephesus, he found a group of believers who had not been taught about the Holy Spirit (Acts 19:1-2) by Apollos.

There are a couple of things of note in this story. First, not everyone knows everything. Even the most powerful and eloquent preachers do not have all knowledge. It takes humility to acknowledge this. It seems that Apollos was such a person, because he was willing to listen to the instruction of Priscilla and Aquilla who explained the way of God more accurately. Beware of someone who is not willing to hear instruction of the Scripture.

Secondly, Priscilla and Aquilla took him aside and taught him privately. They did not publicly reprimand Apollos. I have seen disagreements in churches that have been public, and it is not pretty. It is wiser to correct someone privately than to do it in public.

It is human nature to resist challenges to long-held beliefs that are not founded in Scripture. We all have traditions that we were raised in, and when those traditions which are not Scriptural are attacked, we tend to fight back. May we be like Apollos – humble enough to receive teaching from God's Word, and may we be like Priscilla and Aquilla, who were wise in the way they taught. All of us can grow in our understanding of God's truth. I need to be firm in my faith, but humble enough to admit that I don't know it all so I can receive instruction and grow in my faith.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD IS NEAR

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- GOD IS NEAR

" '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. Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; for in He we live and love and have our being….' " (Acts 17:24-28a)

I believe that in every culture and every life, there is a desire to know God. It is sometimes suppressed by a desire to live our own life without God. But tragic circumstances reveal the deep-seated desire to call out to God, even if in anger.

The Athenians, who placed emphasis on the intellectual side of life, expressed their desire for God by building objects of worship, with one even being dedicated to "THE UNKNOWN GOD." Even in their philosophy and worldly wisdom, they recognized that there was a god out there somewhere.

Paul zeroed in on that understanding by saying that God is not far from us. He is not a god "out there" who is not involved in this world, who doesn't care about us. As Paul explained it, he focused on a God who created the world and everything in it, who gives us life and breath. In Him we live and move and have our being. God is intimately involved in our lives. His desire is that we acknowledge Him and seek Him.

So why does God seem to be absent from our world – so distant and unknown? It is not because He is not here, but that our spirits have been blinded by sin. Jesus came to open our eyes to the fact that He is here. He is Emmanuel – God with us. And we can have a relationship with Him that is intimate and alive.

To Believers who have put their faith in the Lord Jesus, God is alive and personal, and involved in their lives. They recognize His presence in all that He does. God is not just some force out there in space. He is our living, personal God Who cares deeply about us. Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the king of creation. Oh, my soul, praise Him for He is my rock and salvation.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UPSIDE DOWN OR RIGHT SIDE UP?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- UPSIDE DOWN OR RIGHT SIDE UP?

"Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apolllonia, 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.' And some of them were persuaded, and a great multitude of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women, joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews who were not persuaded became envious, took some of the evil men from the marketplace, and gathering a mob, set all the city in an uproar and attacked the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some brethren to the rulers of the city, crying out, 'These who have turned the world upside down, have come here too.' " (Acts 17:1-6)

The method of operation of Paul was to go to the synagogues of Jews and preached Christ from the Scriptures. He used the Old Testament as common ground between the prophetic and the fulfillment of those prophecies in Christ.

There were those who were convinced by the message and joined Paul and Silas. But the Jews were not persuaded and sought to silence them. Their claim was," 'These who have turned the world upside down have come here too.' "

Oh, that that would be the charge against us – that in preaching the Gospel, we would be turning the world upside down.

Actually, the Gospel turns the world rightside up. The culture works to turn society upside down – against God's plan for humanity. The Gospel, when rightly applied to culture, will make things right.

It will also turn a life rightside up. The life that has been up-ended by sin will be made rightside up.

That is the power of the Gospel. May it be our goal – to turn our world upside down ---- or rightside up.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- SINGING AT MIDNIGHT

DAD'S RAMBLING -- SINGING AT MIDNIGHT

"But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." (Acts 16:25)

It is hard to sing hymns to God at midnight when it is dark and you are in pain. But that is what Paul and Silas did.

As Romans, they had been illegitimately stripped of their clothing, beaten with rods and thrown into prison with their feet put in stocks. They were cold in that dungeon, having been stripped of their clothes, in pain from the beating, sitting in discomfort, and humiliated. All of this because of the good they had done by delivering a girl from demon-possession. In spite of it all, they prayed and sang praises to God.

Midnight is a dark time -- physically, emotionally, and spiritually. To sing praises to God during this time is a mark of our faith in God. This was a testimony to the other prisoners.

Powerful things can happen when we praise God at midnight. It is not easy to praise God during the dark times of pain, but our expression of faith can affect those around and encourage their faith plus open avenues for God to minister to us personally.

The songster put it this way:  "You can have a melody down in your heart, when it's achinging, almost breaking.  Even though the sorrow makes the teardrops start, you can have a melody down in your heart.  You can have a song in your heart in the night.  After every mile.  After every trial.  Anyone can sing when the sun is shining bright, but you can have a song in your heart at night."

So when we are in the darkness of midnight, we can still have a song in our hearts, even if we don't feel like it. May God be glorified in our lives at midnight.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNBEARABLE YOKE

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- AN UNBEARABLE YOKE

" 'Now therefore, why do you test God by putting a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?' " (Acts 15:10)

The Apostle Paul was faced with the challenge of the Jewish believers who taught that the Gentile Christians were required to observe the Old Testament Law of Moses – especially the practice of circumcision. Paul's experience was that the non-Jewish believers were accepted by God without circumcision as evidenced by the fact that they received the gift of the Holy Spirit just like the Jewish believers (vs. 8). The Gentile believers were saved, not by keeping the ordinances of the Law, but by grace through their faith in the Lord Jesus without keeping the Mosaic Law.

I'll confess that I was raised in a legalistic tradition that required that I observe certain standards and practices that were based on the desire to live a holy life before the world and the Lord Jesus. I was taught to avoid certain things and to do certain things. I can say, looking back, that I am glad for the proscriptions because they kept me from a lot of ungodly things. But I understand that doing or not doing traditions was not the basis of my salvation. I am saved by grace, through faith and not of works (Ephesians 2:8-9). The fact is that people can be faithful to keep certain rules and still not be saved. They think that what they do or don't do makes them acceptable to God. Granted that there are certain things that the Bible tells us to do or to avoid, but our salvation is not dependent on what we do but our faith in what Jesus did on the cross when He died for our sins. Going to church and giving in the offering are Scriptural but are not the basis for my salvation, and do them because I love Jesus.

There are still things that I avoid doing, not as a requirement for my salvation, but because I love the Lord and want to honor Him. Paul put his finger on the correct conclusion to the matter when he said, "God knows the heart" (vs. 8). When my heart is to honor Him, what I do or don't do is not the issue. The issue is how I can honor Him best.

I need to be careful in judging the spiritual status of other people based on whether or not they meet my criteria for being a Christian. The requirements that I might place on other people are an unbearable yoke. God is the judge of the heart and I need to leave it to Him.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE MESSAGE OR THE MESSENGER?

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE MESSAGE OR THE MESSENGER?

"Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, 'The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!' And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker." (Acts 14:11-12)

It seems to be human nature to elevate the messenger above the message. Paul and Barnabas experienced this dilemma. Barnabas and Paul spoke the message of the Gospel (vs. 7), "speaking boldly in the Lord, and bearing witness to the word of His grace" (vs. 3). They not only spoke the Word, but signs and wonders accompanied their message.

One particular miracle brought their ministry to a head. A man who had been crippled from birth was in the audience when Paul spoke. At Paul's instruction, the man leaped up and walked. This caused a great commotion because the people recognized that something special had happened, and they began to worship Paul and Barnabas, thinking that they were gods.

How often do we confuse the message and the messenger. We hear a charismatic person speak or see someone do powerful ministry and we glorify the speaker rather than giving God the glory for the message. I often hear people say they follow a personality such as Joyce Meyer or R.C. Sproul or some other ministry, and the speaker becomes the focal point instead of the message. It is so easy to place our attention on the messenger rather than the message.

It also happens the other way. The message may be God's word but it is not accepted because the messenger does not speak well.

It would do us well to put our emphasis on the message rather than the messenger. It is true that God has gifted some people with the ability to speak persuasively and with authority. But that does not guarantee the validity of the message. The speaker who stumbles over his tongue may just have an important message.

Let us listen to the message. We can be grateful for good ministers, but let us not confuse the messenger with the message.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- THE OLD OLD STORY

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- TELL ME THE STORY OF JESUS AGAIN

"So when the Jews went out of the synagogue, the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath….On the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God." (Acts 13: 42, 44)

On their first missionary journey, Paul and Barnabas came to Antioch in Pisidia and as was their custom, they went to the synagogue of the Jews on the Sabbath day. As visitors, they were invited by the rulers of the synagogue to give an exhortation to the congregation. So Paul stood up and told them the story of Jesus -- how God raised Him up to be the Savior; how He was proclaimed by John the Baptist to be the Messiah; how He was rejected by the Jewish leaders who asked Pilate to put Him to death; how He was buried in a tomb, but how God had raised Him from the dead, and that through faith in Him there is forgiveness of sins and justification before God.

When Paul had finished telling them about Jesus, some of the Jews left the synagogue. But there were some Jews and Gentiles who lingered and asked Paul to tell them more the next Sabbath.  To them, it was a new story.

I don't know about you, but I never get tired of hearing the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I have heard it many, many times since my childhood but there is something about the story of Jesus that blesses me every time I hear it. The message never grows old.

We sing songs like, "Tell Me The Old Old Story of unseen things above, of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. Tell me the story simply, as to a little child, For I am weak and weary, and helpless and defiled. Tell me the old old story, tell me the old old story, tell me the old old story, of Jesus and His love."

Not only that, "I love to tell the story, of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, Of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story because I know 'tis true, It satisfies my longs, as nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, more wonderful it seems than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams, I love to tell the story, it did so much for me, and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. I love to tell the story, for those who know it best seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song, 'Twill be the old, old story, that I have loved so long." May the old, old story never become old hat to us, but fresh each time we hear it.

Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HOPE WHEN I FAIL

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- HOPE WHEN I FAIL

"Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.... They also had John as their assistant….Now when Paul and his party set said from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem." (Acts 13:1-3, 5b, 13)

Barnabas and Saul were chosen by the Holy Spirit at Antioch to be missionaries to other cities. Paphos and Perga were not far from Antioch. This was the first missionary journey of the Apostle Paul.

It is interesting to note that Barnabas is listed first in the name of the prophets at Antioch, and Saul was listed last. But as the journey progressed, Saul became the prominent one and his name was changed to Paul (vs. 9), and they became "Paul's party" (vs. 13).

Included in this missionary expedition was a young man named John. Actually, his name was John Mark (Acts 12:25). We know that John Mark was a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10). He was an assistant to Barnabas and Saul – a go fer (vs. 5b). But somewhere along the way, John Mark became disenchanted with the journey and he returned alone to Jerusalem. Later on, when Paul and Barnabas were preparing for another missionary venture, Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. Barnabas – always the encourager. But Paul resisted taking John and there was sharp contention between Paul and Barnabas. Paul ended up taking Silas, and Barnabas took John Mark, and they parted company (Acts 15:36-40). The good part of the story is that Paul and John Mark eventually reconciled and Paul recognized him as useful for ministry (II Timothy 4:11). Mark went on to write the Gospel that bears his name.

It is a comfort for me to know that my failure is not the end of the story. There is opportunity for restoration and future ministry. So often, I have not been as dedicated to ministry as I could have been, but God does His work in my heart and gives me another chance. Praise God for His patience and longsuffering. My failure does not consign me to the trash bin. There is hope for me when I fail.

Have a happy Independence Day. Love, Dad

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PRAYING FOR CHURCH LEADERS

DAD'S RAMBLINGS -- PRAYING FOR OUR CHURCH LEADERS

"Peter was therefore kept in prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church." (Acts 12:5)

It was a perilous time for Christians during this time. Herod was king and in order to please the Jewish leaders, he harassed the believers and particularly the leaders. He had ordered the death of the apostle James who was the one of the leaders of the growing church. The next person in his sight was the mouthpiece of the church, Peter. It was Peter who more often than not was the spokesman for the rest of the Christian leaders, so he had a target on his back.

Peter was arrested and put in prison. But the Believers prayed and God miraculously delivered Peter from prison. An interesting sidenote is that when Peter tried to get into the prayer meeting, the Believers did not actually believe that their prayers were answered. When Peter knocked on the door of the house where they were praying, the girl who answered the door, Rhoda, ran and told the other disciples that Peter was at the door. They could not believe it and said she was hallucinating. They thought it was an angel at the door instead of Peter. Fortunately, they finally let him in and he explained how he had been delivered from prison by the Lord.

The thing that prompts my heart is the need to pray for our church leaders. They face situations, problems, and dilemmas that most of us do not know about. As a former pastor, I can vouch for the struggles and burdens that pastors have that the rest of the church does not know about or understand.

I must confess that I do not pray as much as I should for our church leaders. We may not know the burdens that our spiritual leaders – including our pastor, our worship leader, and elders – are experiencing. They may not be able to share all the problems that face them as leaders of the local congregation. But we can pray for them anyway. Go knows their needs and He can strengthen them as they serve Christ and His church.

Love, Dad