We are currently following Paul’s second missionary journey. There is a link in the “sites” section that will allow you to interactively track his journey.
Acts 16
16 One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a demon-possessed slave girl. She was a fortune-teller who earned a lot of money for her masters. 17 She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” 18 This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. 19 Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace. 20 “The whole city is in an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. 21 “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.” 22 A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. 23 They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. 24 So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks.
Exasperated. What pushed Paul to the point of exasperation? Was it the annoying … “day after day” … factor? Was it the fact that she was being exploited? Was it the evil that had taken hold of her life and enslaved her? I guess it really doesn’t matter. I think the more important question is why (too often) do we have to be exasperated to actually fight for change … in our own lives or the lives of those around us. It is like we become numb … lulled into a state of apathy … toward the hurt and the brokenness and the evil that surround us. My prayer is that God would stir change within me … a desire for spiritual transformation (for myself and for the people that surround me) … before I am exasperated.
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Worshiped
We are currently following Paul’s second missionary journey. There is a link in the “sites” section that will allow you to interactively track his journey.
Acts 16
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.
Worshiped. One of our passions at Eastside is the passion of worship. Our desire is to return the concept of worship to its original form. In an attempt to assist the process of worship, the church (universally speaking) has actually hindered it by compartmentalizing it. Unfortunately, most people think of worship as something that happens for an hour during a weekend service or specifically connect it with singing songs. Worship is so much more than that. Worship is something that can happen at any moment of any day … and should. Worship is intended to take place 24/7/365. Every time you express kindness, generosity or gratitude … every time you offer peace, hope or love … every time you demonstrate peace, patience or integrity … every time you worship God (check out Matthew 25:34-40). The list could go on for days; but I think you get the point. That is what I love about this part of the story … how it introduces Lydia … she worshiped God … period. That’s who she was. That’s what she did. Other translations of the Bible introduce her as “a worshiper of God”. That’s how I would like for people to introduce me.
Acts 16
11 We boarded a boat at Troas and sailed straight across to the island of Samothrace, and the next day we landed at Neapolis. 12 From there we reached Philippi, a major city of that district of Macedonia and a Roman colony. And we stayed there several days. 13 On the Sabbath we went a little way outside the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. 14 One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. 15 She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed.
Worshiped. One of our passions at Eastside is the passion of worship. Our desire is to return the concept of worship to its original form. In an attempt to assist the process of worship, the church (universally speaking) has actually hindered it by compartmentalizing it. Unfortunately, most people think of worship as something that happens for an hour during a weekend service or specifically connect it with singing songs. Worship is so much more than that. Worship is something that can happen at any moment of any day … and should. Worship is intended to take place 24/7/365. Every time you express kindness, generosity or gratitude … every time you offer peace, hope or love … every time you demonstrate peace, patience or integrity … every time you worship God (check out Matthew 25:34-40). The list could go on for days; but I think you get the point. That is what I love about this part of the story … how it introduces Lydia … she worshiped God … period. That’s who she was. That’s what she did. Other translations of the Bible introduce her as “a worshiper of God”. That’s how I would like for people to introduce me.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Concluded
We are currently following Paul’s second missionary journey. There is a link in the “sites” section that will allow you to interactively track his journey.
Acts 16
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. 9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
Concluded. Three different times in this very short part of the story, Paul and his friends were guided by God, so much so that the last time they concluded … they reached a final decision. When I read this part of the story (and other parts like it), I nearly laugh at the impossibility of this type of guidance (this conclusive clarity) being given to me and … I nearly cry at the sadness of that reality. Then, I am reminded that I share in that same spirit (check out 1 Corinthians 12:12,13). I have concluded that the problem isn't a lack of guidance on God's part ... it is a lack of listening on my part. We live in a loud, distracting, chaotic world that makes silence and solitude seem foreign. I have concluded that I need to work on reversing that mindset … by rereading a great book … "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster (there is a link in the “books” section). I read this book about 10 years ago and I remember gaining some great insights on drawing near to God that I have misplaced along the journey. You may not come to the same conclusion; but I pray you will stop long enough to conclude something.
Acts 16
6 Next Paul and Silas traveled through the area of Phrygia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit had prevented them from preaching the word in the province of Asia at that time. 7 Then coming to the borders of Mysia, they headed north for the province of Bithynia, but again the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them to go there. 8 So instead, they went on through Mysia to the seaport of Troas. 9 That night Paul had a vision: A man from Macedonia in northern Greece was standing there, pleading with him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” 10 So we decided to leave for Macedonia at once, having concluded that God was calling us to preach the Good News there.
Concluded. Three different times in this very short part of the story, Paul and his friends were guided by God, so much so that the last time they concluded … they reached a final decision. When I read this part of the story (and other parts like it), I nearly laugh at the impossibility of this type of guidance (this conclusive clarity) being given to me and … I nearly cry at the sadness of that reality. Then, I am reminded that I share in that same spirit (check out 1 Corinthians 12:12,13). I have concluded that the problem isn't a lack of guidance on God's part ... it is a lack of listening on my part. We live in a loud, distracting, chaotic world that makes silence and solitude seem foreign. I have concluded that I need to work on reversing that mindset … by rereading a great book … "Celebration of Discipline" by Richard Foster (there is a link in the “books” section). I read this book about 10 years ago and I remember gaining some great insights on drawing near to God that I have misplaced along the journey. You may not come to the same conclusion; but I pray you will stop long enough to conclude something.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Along
We are currently following Paul’s second missionary journey. There is a link in the “sites” section that will allow you to interactively track his journey.
Acts 16
1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Along. Jesus never forced people to follow him. He simply invited them to follow along on the journey (check out Mark 2:14 and John 1:43). As they journeyed, he taught them, loved them, put up with them, empowered them, encouraged them, corrected them … he discipled them. Jesus, in his final instructions, told these followers to follow his example and invite others to join them along on the journey (check out Matthew 28:19-20). Beginning with this part of the story, Paul is going to provide another example of this discipleship process. He invited Timothy to join him along on the journey. Who have you invited along on the journey?
Acts 16
1 He came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was a Jewess and a believer, but whose father was a Greek. 2 The brothers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3 Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
Along. Jesus never forced people to follow him. He simply invited them to follow along on the journey (check out Mark 2:14 and John 1:43). As they journeyed, he taught them, loved them, put up with them, empowered them, encouraged them, corrected them … he discipled them. Jesus, in his final instructions, told these followers to follow his example and invite others to join them along on the journey (check out Matthew 28:19-20). Beginning with this part of the story, Paul is going to provide another example of this discipleship process. He invited Timothy to join him along on the journey. Who have you invited along on the journey?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)