Be Still

Chapter 13 begins a new focus in the book of Acts, moving to Paul as the central figure of the book and his missionary journeys. There are many exciting stories to come and it’s easy to miss some of the quieter times, verses 1-12 in Chapter 13 are a testament to that. Verses 4-12 detail a sailing voyage to the island of Cyprus, a dramatic confrontation with a magician, and a conversion of a high ranking Roman official. All truly amazing works, rich with lessons for our lives.

But in the first 3 verses, we read of the spiritual preparation the church leaders had before doing God’s will. These leaders, representing a great variety of backgrounds, were seeking God’s guidance on what to do next. In this they give us a few examples on how to seek God.

First they were worshipping the Lord. Matthew 18:20 reads “For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.” As the entire world just went without gathering for 12 months, this reminder of worshiping with our fellow sisters and brothers should be as refreshing as a glass of cool water.

Second, they fasted. While this is a familiar act, giving up something vital (food) or dear (a personal idol perhaps), occurs in our culture, these leaders were giving up a necessity and replacing it with time spent with God. It can be noble to abstain from social media on the weekend, however replacing that newfound time with binging a new TV show may miss the mark.

Here we see the leaders in tune with God and the Holy Spirit provide guidance on their next action. Before they jump to action, they finish their fasting and pray. All prayer is welcome, but this example of praying after the fact is a great reminder. Thanking the Lord for an answered prayer, being in touch with God at the beginning and the end of the day can help turn prayer life into more than just a one-way human to God request hotline.

So as we continue to read about these fascinating stories and enjoy the rest of our summer, let’s not be quick to jump to the action but enjoy the quieter times as well.

- Alex Pfister

Glory Robbers

On a day of his choosing, King Herod put on his royal robes, sat on his throne, and gave a speech to his subjects meant to glamorize and impress. This celebrity-level king allowed the praise and glory that only belongs to God to wash over him. He was hungry for it and consumed it like one who is starving.

The audacity. The gall. The blatant heresy.

But are we really that different?

It has been said that our hearts are “a factory of idols.” Left to ourselves, we will always turn our affections away from God and give them to something lesser. We too are glory robbers.

This can manifest itself in both pride and idolatry. Pride, like Herod, says, “I am like God. I know what’s best. I am the master of my own destiny. I am in control.” We ourselves can commit this cosmic treason any time we seek to take God off of His rightful throne and put ourselves in His place.

On the other side of the coin is idolatry. Where pride seeks to glorify self, idolatry gives glory to someONE or someTHING other than God. This type of glory-exchange can sometimes look very obvious to all, but many times, it can be subtle. It can sneak into our lives without us realizing it.

So, how can we tell if we have fallen into this idol trap? Below are some questions to ask yourself:

-What strikes me with crippling fear at the thought of losing and living without?

-Who or what do I go to first when I’m worried or sad or bored?

-Who or what makes me feel complete, and I wouldn’t be “me” without them/it?

-What makes me say, “If only I had ________________, I would finally be happy.”?

-When I look at my bank statements, where am I disproportionately spending my money?

Psalm 135:15-18 says

“The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths, but do not speak; they have eyes, but do not see; they have ears, but do not hear, nor is there any breath in their mouths. Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust in them.”

Herod became as dead as his idol. He died a slow, gruesome death that sent him to his eternal damnation. But because of Jesus, our fate will not match Herod’s! And that is the very reason why idols pale in comparison to our Savior.

Our idols won’t look out for us. They won’t protect us. They won’t love us unconditionally. They won’t always be there for us. And they certainly won’t die for us.

But Jesus will.

Jesus is better than any idol we could ever fashion. And He alone worthy of our adoration.

-Becky Groppel

Now We Know For Certain

The events in Acts 12:1-19 occurred around 44 AD. Years after Stephen became the first martyr, the persecution of the early Christian church expanded beyond just the religious and political leaders in Israel.

Herod Agrippa I was the nephew of Herod Antipas, who killed John the Baptist, and was the grandson of Herod the Great, who killed the male children in Bethlehem in search of the infant Jesus. To capitalize on the growing animosity against the early church and gain favor with the religious leaders, Agrippa ordered the killing of James, the brother of John and one of the three leaders of the early church, making James the first apostle killed. Jesus had told James and John they would suffer (Matt 20:20-23) as He did. James was killed while John ended up in exile on the Island of Patmos. Besides beheading James, Agrippa also imprisoned Peter.

Luke shows the opposing forces at work in this week’s scripture.  Agrippa and the religious leaders trying to stop the early church through their persecutions were at war against the church’s bold prayers and God’s providence. Here are a couple of takeaways from this story: We learn God’s providence brings unexpected results, and most importantly, God is in control.

After an angelic and supernatural escape from prison, Peter said, “Now I know for certain…”(v.11). Assessing what happened, Peter learned the truth of what great things God can do amid one’s hardship and trials. For His sovereign plan, God may not choose to alter the circumstances (James died). Still, answers also come in unexpected ways (Peter) where over one’s lifetime, astonishing experiences can happen.  (v.16 “they were astonished…”)

“So when he (Peter) had considered this…”(v.12), Peter then stepped back and assessed God’s deliverance from what appeared to be a hopeless situation. We also need to step back while in the depths of trials or after getting past a problem. God's providence allows for such prudence on our part. Realizing his angelic escape was a miracle and not a vision, Peter went directly to his friends' house, where they were still passionately praying for Peter’s release. Peter saw that prayer played a significant role in changing his circumstance. Not just a toss it to the heavens prayer done in a passing moment, but lengthy prayers involving a community of believers (the church) whose prayers were earnest and focused on a specific person and request.

Finally, God is in control no matter the circumstance. Like Peter's or man's arrogance, like Agrippa and the religious leaders. There are times when we do not understand why a problem arises or times become difficult. Our life can go from times of spring and joy to personal winters of worry, uncertainty, and challenging times. There are times where God’s seeming hiddenness abounds, and you do not know God's higher purpose or reason for a season of difficulty while you bear its weight for days, weeks, months, or years.

God's special providence deals with human affairs on an individual level. God acts through particular events in remarkable ways.[1]  Miracles like Peter’s escape are an example. God intervenes in specific ways for His intentions in a person's life that will be mysterious at times and beyond our understanding. My son is a brain cancer survivor. Cindy and I believe God acted intentionally for a higher purpose in our son's life and responded to our prayers and the church’s prayers. We are still learning what that higher purpose is 24 years later.

The question is, do we trust God?

The believers in this story fervently did, and the result of their prayers was a miracle and the institutional powers abject failure to destroy the growing early church. Now we know for certain; God always has the last word.

[1] Thomas C. Oden, Classic Christianity: A Systematic Theology (New York: Harper Collins, 1992),164.

-Dan Nickel

What's In a Name

I’ve chosen 20 first and middle names for my children and named numerous pets and even dolls through the years. I even chose names for my yet unborn children when I was a kid,(Chad Sebastian and Ocean Aurora!). My Grandma taught elementary school and had a list of names that no one in the family could ever use because she “once had a student with that name”. The names we ultimately chose for our kids either mean something that we want our kids to exemplify or honor someone we love and respect. Our last name identifies the family we belong to and the people we claim as our own. Names are important!

Throughout the first chapters of Acts those who followed Jesus were referred to as “followers of the Way”, “brothers and sisters”, and “saints”. As the gospel spread to other people groups and regions, they began to be called by a new name. “In Antioch, the disciples were first called Christians” (Acts 11:26b). The believers didn’t choose this name for themselves, but it was how those in the community referred to them.

While Christian is not the name used most frequently in the New Testament, in twenty-first century America it is the one that has endured. I briefly entertained the idea of surveying my FaceBook friends to see what came to mind when they heard the name Christian, but quickly decided against it. I can guess what the answers would be. For those who are settled in a church and growing in their relationship with Christ, they would predominantly have positive things to say. Others have perceptions of some Christians, that deserved or not, they apply to all Christians. After all, we are part of the same family. We all bear the name of Christ.

When my smaller kids have been angry with each other, they’ve been known to say “you aren’t my sister!” If I’m honest, there are Christians that I sometimes feel this way toward. It would be easier, wouldn’t it, if we could just deny our relation and move on? But this is God’s family. We have all been adopted into it, and we don’t get to choose who else is part of it. “Love one another”, Jesus told His people. “By this all people will know you are my disciples.” They will know who we are because we love our brothers and sisters even when they aren’t behaving how they should, or when they hurt us, or disappoint us and even when we wish they weren’t part of the family. Because of His grace, we repent, we forgive, we love, and by His grace we are healed and changed.

We take our family name everywhere go. People who have encountered one of our family members may have preconceived ideas about us because of an experience they had with someone else who is part of our family. There have been times we’ve reminded our kids that they represent our family. Similarly, everywhere we go we represent Christ. It’s a privilege and a responsibility. We are His ambassadors, showing the world what He is like, and pleading with them to be reconciled to God.

How are we representing our brothers and sisters in Christ to others? How are we representing our older Brother and our Father to the world? For the sake of the world, may we bear His name well and show them how good our Father really is. There truly is no better family to belong to!

-Natalie Runyon

So be it!

In our focal text this week, we read some major news being reported by Peter to the Jewish Christians in Jerusalem. The news was that a gentile audience had come to saving faith in Christ Jesus. Peter testified that this amazing grace event had been affirmed by a manifestation of God’s Spirit baptizing those first gentile believers. What a pivotal moment in the life of the church – how would these Jewish Christians react?

As a member of the body of Christ, I’ve had many opportunities to observe and participate in believer’s baptisms. A question that I’ve often heard asked in those moments is for each bystander to remember the moment when they were first baptized. That question forces us to consider the similarities we have with each other as sinners who’ve been granted the eternal gift of salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. Often in moments of a believer’s baptism, you’ll hear an enthusiastic “Amen!” coming from several in the crowd. Amen is a term that signifies agreement with what God is doing. The term “amen” is a verbal affirmation that means “so be it”. When those Jerusalem Christians heard the news of the gentile salvation experience and Peter’s report that this was the work of God, they, like Peter, had no other conclusion but to stand in awe and cooperation with what God was doing among the gentiles. While they didn’t understand everything to come from this, they did agree that if God was doing it then they would stand in unity with it. The Christians in Jerusalem react in a way that glorifies God and reveals the work of His Spirit in their lives.

The Holy Spirit moved in the early church to bring unity and fellowship among a diverse group of people. Today, the Spirit of God continues to work in the same way within the body of Christ. Jesus promised a baptism by God’s Spirit for His followers that would lead us to live for Him in unity and fellowship with His body – the church.

How do you respond to the work of the Holy Spirit in the church today? In your life? In others? May we be people that agree with what God is doing in His church. May we glorify God together as we remember His glorious work revealed through Jesus Christ. Let us be a people that say “Amen!” anytime we recognize the Spirit of God moving in our midst. And let us say “Amen!” when we hear of any person being granted repentance that leads to life in Christ to the praise of His glory!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ,

Jon

The Gospel is for Everyone

The first time I talked about Jesus to someone who hadn’t heard about Him was in third grade. There was a new girl at school and her family was from India. Through the course of our friendship, I learned she was a Hindu. Always curious, I asked questions about her faith. In turn, she asked about mine. I was only eight, and with childlike faith I believed Jesus was the way, the truth and the life and no one could come to the Father, except through Him.

There was a concrete tunnel on the school playground, and sitting inside, I asked her if she wanted to know Jesus, so she could be certain to get to God. She said yes, and there in that tunnel I told her that even though we were sinners, Jesus died on the cross to pay for our sins, and if we believed in Him we could have eternal life. Then we prayed. Rudimentary? Yes. But I knew Jesus and I wanted my friend to know Him too.

I can’t help but think how much I have changed since third grade. Very sadly, years of studying the Bible haven’t made me more bold in sharing my faith. My own self-awareness and desire to be liked have caused me to shy away from spiritual conversations that don’t feel safe. I have made excuses for why I shouldn’t tell someone about Jesus, usually based on my judgement about whether or not they will believe what I say.

In Acts 10, we see Peter was making some judgements of his own. He wasn’t willing to go to the Gentiles of his own accord. Through the course of the chapter, we read how God intervened to break down Peter’s preconceived ideas and lead him to share the Gospel with a group of people he otherwise would not have. We also get a fuller picture of how God worked not only in Peter as the one who would share, but also in Cornelius and the others who would hear. He is the great orchestrator of events and is always working to draw people to Himself!

This encourages and convicts me. The Holy Spirit doesn’t ask us to go somewhere that He isn’t already at work. He prepares us to share, and He also prepares those who will hear. We can trust that as He is calling us to go to someone, He is simultaneously working in the one He is leading us to.

The Gospel is for everyone! We don’t know if someone will accept or reject it, but everyone deserves the opportunity to hear it. Right now the Holy Spirit is preparing someone to hear about Jesus and His love for them! Will we go where He leads us and share with whomever He asks?

-Natalie Runyon

Screen Door on a Submarine

“Devout”, “God-fearing”, “gives generously”, and “prays regularly” - qualities we should embody as Christians. In the plot twist filled book of Acts, we learn these are the descriptions not of one of the apostles, but of a Roman centurion, Cornelius, and his family! Acts has many examples on ways we should and should not live our life, it’s just surprising to see a leader of 100 Roman soldiers being on the good example list.

Perhaps we shouldn't be so surprised though. Our God uses people of all shapes and sizes to give examples of how we should live, how we should love, how we should show our faith. Perhaps a moral of this story is not to judge a book by it’s cover, afterall “Human beings judge one another by their external actions. God judges them by their moral choices” C.S. Lewis said in Mere Christianity.

While it’s important to live right, clearly Cornelius wanted his outward actions to match his God-fearing heart. His heart and mind were open to the glory of God and when God sends an angel, Cornelius goes into command mode and follows the orders precisely. We’ve seen examples in the Bible where men and women raised in the faith question an angel’s orders, ask for clarity, or demand another sign. Let Cornelius remind us that God will find us no matter our background if we keep our eyes and ears open, and when God calls, act!

-Alex Pfister

Driving out Fear

Seething with self-righteous rage, Saul had made it his personal mission to destroy Christ's brand-new Church while she was still in her cradle.

God, however, had a different, more glorious plan. Before He ascended, Jesus told Peter that He would build His church, and the gates of hell would not prevail against it. Nothing and no one could stop God's church from flourishing…Not even a Christian-hating ravager.

After Saul’s miraculous conversion, God chose a man named Ananias to help Saul regain his sight and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. But Saul’s reputation had preceded him.

“Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to Your saints at Jerusalem” (Acts 9:13).

Ananias had received a command from God, but he was afraid, and deservedly so. After all, he was being asked to go to the man responsible for imprisoning and killing countless followers of Christ.

Although tempted to disobey, Ananias trusted God instead of his fears. He went to Saul, laid his hands on him, and almost at once, Saul began his life-long ministry of proclaiming the good news of the gospel.

Thousands of years later, God is still asking His people to do things that are genuinely scary, risky, and even dangerous for the sake of His Kingdom:

-Walking with a loved one who is deep in unrepentant sin

-Accepting a new job that is lower in pay but has better interaction with the community

-Going on a mission trip to a closed country

-Sharing the gospel to a neighbor or coworker who is hostile towards God

All of these (and many more) are reasons to be afraid. But God still asks us to do them.

So, how do we do it? How is it possible to step out in faith and walk the hard, scary paths that God asks us to take?  Should we pick ourselves up by our boot straps and just muster up the courage? Or do we take the more popular route to “Fake-It-Till-You-Make-It?”

The answer is good news: It is love.

"There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear." 1 John 4:18

Perfect love casts out fear. In other words, the perfect, lavish, faithful love of God bought for us with the blood of Christ takes away our need to be afraid. No longer do we need to fear His wrath because the Spotless Lamb took it for us. And as a response, we are now freed to love others instead of being afraid of them.

Because God smiles on us, the opinions of others start to fade. Because our eternal destiny is secure, we can confidently say with the psalmist, “The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?”

As a result of Ananias' faith and Saul’s witness, the church now "walked in the fear of the Lord" instead of in fear of Saul (Acts 9:31). They traded their paralyzing fear of man and exchanged it for a life-giving fear that stands in awe of who God is and what He has done.

What fears are holding you back from doing what God has asked you to do? Who do you need to love instead of fear?

While God may sometimes ask us to do things that are difficult and scary, we know He will never ask us to do anything that isn't for His glory and our good. And He promised that He will walk with us every step of the way.

And who knows? Saying "no" to our fears and "yes" to God could result in bringing many sons to glory.

-Becky Groppel

In the Light, A Life Changes

As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” — Acts 9:3-4

In Shakespeare’s famous play, Hamlet decides to confront the evil King, so he puts on a play, a horrifying play filled with violence and murder by poison. Because of the play’s horrid images, the King stands up and yells, “Give me some light!”  Hamlet’s play intended to catch the conscience of the King.

In Acts 9, amid Saul’s violent and horrifying persecution, he was confronted with a divine light from heaven that, like the King in Hamlet’s play, caught his conscience and changed his heart and mind. Saul’s experience and his testimony changed the world.

After the mob stoned Stephen, which Saul (soon to be Paul) openly supported, Luke starts Acts 9, describing Saul as filled with hatred and intent on murder and a reign of terror on the scattered early Christian church. As a dogmatic, brilliant Jewish scholar who lived by the laws, ironically, Saul thought he was doing God’s bidding in ravaging the upstart Christian movement. He was mistaken.

Saul represented the ongoing stubborn blindness of an unrepentant Israel that continued to reject the Gospel and Jesus Christ.[1] Much like our culture today. That is why Christ asked Saul why does he continue to persecute “me?” Shattered, Saul knew he alone was confronted by a heavenly being he learned was Jesus Christ, whom he opposed. Combined with the bright light, Saul, desperate, questioned what he should do?

Scholars think the light from heaven that appeared to Saul on the road to Damascus was a theophany, a visible manifestation of God. God’s presence is made known in such events as Moses and the burning bush and Jacob’s wrestling match. The supernatural light appeared out of nowhere and struck Saul to the ground. We also may not know when we could have a divine encounter with God.

A lesson we can take from this spatial appearance and Saul’s experience is the first thing that occurs in our salvation and changing of the heart is an understanding, a conscious awareness of Jesus as our Savior. Our heart is illuminated and is born again by the spirit of the Lord. Saul had a real eye-opening lesson for us that Jesus Christ offers love and mercy while he also confronts our sins. It gives us a new and revelatory perspective, a new way of seeing our lives and the world we live in, the way we live, and the nature of our lives. Dante’s poetic words as he approached Heaven in Paradise describe our life long change when we accept Jesus as our Savior:

Within that Light a person is so changed

It is impossible to give consent

Ever to turn from it to other sights[2]

-Dan Nickel

[1]Marianne Palmer Bonz, The Past As A Legacy: Luke-Acts and Ancient Epic (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2000), 161.

[2]Dante, Paradise Canto 33:100

Give Me Some of What He’s Got

When I read the scripture for this week’s sermon, what stands out to me the most is simply the openness and availability of Phillip. He seems to walk around looking for opportunity to interact with people and share the good news of the gospel. Not in a way that is offensive or pushy, but in a very natural, winsome way.

He’s told to go and he eagerly goes. You can almost picture the spring in his step as he moves. He has a natural curiosity that causes him to initiate with anyone and everyone. He knows how to ask good questions. He is genuinely present. His demeanor is positive, curious, grounded, contagious to anyone he interacts with.

I wonder…how does my life compare? How does your life compare? When you walk into a room, down the street, into a store, or your work place, how would people around you describe the energy you bring? What adjectives would be used?

Take a few moments…write down 5 words that would describe how you see and interact with the world on a regular basis. Be honest. What do those words tell you about your belief in the good news? We can say we believe things…but unless it changes how we actually live, we may be just paying lip service.

These are the thoughts that bubble to the top of my mind as I read about a day in the life of Phillip. I want to hang with this guy. I want to watch him interact. I want to be his friend. I want what he has.

Maybe you do too,

Ruth

The Power or The Person

Simon the Sorcerer was used to popularity, power, fame, wealth. He amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great. They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.” And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic. (Acts 8:10-11)

Then Philip comes to town and Simon loses his audience and admirers. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. (Acts 8:12). The Samaritans turn from Simon and magic to Philip and Jesus. Even Simon himself believed, and after being baptized he continued with Philip. (Acts 8:13a) Great news, right? Almost. Why did Simon believe? And seeing the signs and great miracles performed, he was amazed. (Acts 8:13b)

The purpose of signs and great miracles is to point us to the One who performs them. Simon’s motivation for following Philip is exposed when Peter and John come to town. After Simon witnesses Peter and John lay their hands on these new believers and they receive the Holy Spirit Simon wants this “power” too.

Simon put himself in the wrong position. Simon still wants to be the star. He doesn’t want his magic show to end. Simon wants to be the giver of great power. He doesn’t realize he needs to receive the One who has all power. We can only give what we have first RECEIVED. Simon never gets “in line” to receive the Holy Spirit. Simon “cuts in line” thinking that he can buy the Holy Spirit without experiencing the Holy Spirit. Simon wants the power without the Person.

What about you? We also have a “magic show.” We are not sorcerers, but we have a way we want to live. We can be seduced by the signs and great miracles and use them to further our agenda. Simon saw the Holy Spirit as another tool in his toolbox but he never wanted Him to be the center - the Spirit of Truth to which Simon bows his knee.

When Peter warns Simon and commands him to repent Simon still hasn’t come to the end of himself. Simon does not pray. Simon asks Peter to pray for him. Simon does not ask Peter to pray for him to have a revelation of God. Simon asks Peter to pray that Simon won’t have to face the consequences.

May we be those who desire the Giver more than the gift. May we be those who know we need to receive before we give. May we stand in awe of God. May we humble ourselves before the Lord and hunger for the Holy Spirit so our lives make much of Jesus.

-Steven

Disorder in the Court

When feeling defensive, often we become offensive. Quick in retort, it’s easy to lash out with the tongue while suppressing the heart. It’s amazing how the Enemy can make a mountain out of a molehill. Thankfully and unsurprising, the Bible gives us many examples on how we should act when we might feel defensive.

“If a ruler’s anger rises against you, do not leave your post; calmness can lay great offenses to rest” - Ecclesiastes 10:4

“Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry” - James 1:19

In the story of Stephen, we see many Godly traits in how he lives and how he acts. They stand uncamouflaged against the actions of the Sanhedrin.  These Jewish leaders, protecting their way of life, put a man full of God’s grace and power on trial and when they do not like what Stephen had to say, they were “furious”, “gnashed their teeth”, “covered their ears”, “yelling at the top of their voices”. If that 4-year-old’s-response-to-not-getting-that-toy-in-the-check-out-aisle temper wasn’t enough, they play judge-jury-executioner by stoning Stephen immediately.

While stonings are not commonplace anymore, this rage, this action without thinking, this shoot first ask questions later happens daily. As we examine this text, undoubtedly mourning Stephen’s physical body while marveling at how God’s going to use Saul-soon-to-be-Paul, let’s examine how we act when feeling rage or a lesser uncomfortableness. Are we defensive at what someone said, or are we upset that it was true?

-Alex Pfister

Remembering to Remember

Since before the dawn of time, our God has never ceased to be completely holy in all His works.

He is a great God - full of splendor, majesty, and wonders. A beautiful sunset, the crashing of waves against a powdery-white beach, spring flowers blooming in vibrant colors: these are just the fringes of His glory.

He is holy, unchanging, perfect in all His ways, and He cannot be in the presence of sin.

Yet God the Son stooped down from time and space, took on our human form, breathed our dust, and willingly sacrificed Himself in order to pay for our sins and bring us back to Him.

With such a great God as this:

How could we ever doubt His love and care for us?

How could we ever rob Him of glory and give it to another?

How could we ever hurt one another?

And yet, we do.

We too, like the Sanhedrin of Stephen’s day, can become hard-hearted towards the things of God.

We forget to remember.

As Stephen stood before these men - men whom he regarded as “brothers and fathers” - he began to tell a story of their family’s history. A nail-biting, gut-wrenching, spectacular story. And at its very center was the faithfulness of the God of Israel.

Stephen recounted the events of God revealing Himself to Abraham, promising him descendants that would outnumber the stars in the sky; promising to guide him to the Promised Land; and promising to never leave His side.

Stephen told the story of Joseph, whom God sovereignly chose to experience hatred, rejection, loneliness, and deceit so that the family line of the coming Savior would be preserved.

Stephen went on to describe the life of Moses, the Israelites in slavery, and God’s miraculous rescue from Egypt. He depicted the building of the Tabernacle, the conquest of Canaan, and the construction of Solomon’s Temple.

Each event orchestrated by a faithful God, pursuing the people who would one day reject him.

And as Stephen finished their family’s tale, he switched from story-teller to prophet:

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” Acts 7:51

God, in His mercy and kindness repeatedly showed up for His people in big, powerful ways. And yet, time after time, they rejected that grace.

And as Stephen boldly pointed out, his accusers were no different from their ancestors. They resisted the Holy Spirit, broke the Law of Moses, and persecuted those who prophesied “the coming of the Righteous One.” While they may have known all the facts of their family tree, they had forgotten the God who had designed it.

Their forgetting had caused them to be hard-hearted toward the God who loved them and gave Himself for them.

It is easy to read about this power-hungry, murderous group of spiritual leaders and shake our heads in disbelief. After all, we have never condemned anyone to death by stoning!

But if we search our hearts deep enough, we will find that we are not as different from the Sanhedrin as we would like to think. We too love to go our own way, build up our own idols, stay in control, and be our own God.

How do we keep from being “a stiff-necked people” who reject God, His will, and His leading in our lives?

We remember.

We can look in His Word and remember who God is and what He has done.

We can remember the beautiful, bloody cross, and pour out our praise to the Lamb who was slain.

We can remember the selfless love of Jesus - and then love our neighbor in the same way.

When we are angry at a loved one, and tempted to hold back our forgiveness, we can remember the great debt that was forgiven us.

When we feel ourselves pulled by the lure of sin, we can remember that nothing we could desire compares with the joy and beauty of the Lord.

When we feel lonely or afraid, or begin to wonder if God really cares about us, we can meditate on His promises that He will never leave us or forsake us.

Are there ways you have become hard-hearted? Where are you struggling to trust or delight in God? What truths from His word do you need to rehearse to yourself today?

God loves to answer the prayers of His children and will delight to help us remember to remember.

-Becky Groppel

More Than a History Lesson

“And when forty years had passed, an Angel of the Lord appeared to him in a flame of fire in a bush, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai.  When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he drew near to observe, the voice of the Lord came to him, saying, ‘I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…’” — Acts 7:30-32

“And they killed those who foretold the coming of the Just One, of whom you now have become the betrayers and murderers, who have received the law by the direction of angels and have not kept it.” — Acts 7:52-53

Stephen, filled with grace and doing great wonders among the people, was seized and brought before the Sanhedrin (the council).  Facing death, Stephen gave a speech that was an Old Testament history lesson about the Jewish nation.  Stephen’s speech had two essential points missed by the council.  Mystery and Tradition.

Stephen tells the story of Moses and the burning bush. In his great book Sing Us a Song of Joy, Phillip Eaton also discusses Moses and the burning bush.  Moses had the curiosity to see the burning bush, this mystery before him, and in his interest, he encountered God. Eaton’s point is as a culture; we hate mystery. We no longer are like Moses.  We have dampened our curiosity in seeking answers to the mysteries we experience, including the mystery of our Christian faith.

Mystery means something difficult or impossible to understand or explain. Paul referred to mystery twenty times in his letters. We live in a culture that thinks there must be a material explanation for everything we experience. We want to know it all and to understand it all. We want to have it all figured out.  In trying to eliminate mystery in our life, we can miss God’s divine presence and an encounter with transcendence. We miss the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.  The council missed Stephen’s point in the burning bush story, missed understanding the mystery before them why Stephen possessed a grace and power to do wonders, all of which unsettled them.  They missed the Holy Spirit at work in the early Christian church and the Apostles.

Stephen then put the council on the spot. He went on the offensive and accused the council of being the ones who failed to keep the law given by the angels. The council was unable to keep the traditions that would open them to God’s truth. They had become hardened and ‘stiff-necked,’ which closed their minds and eliminated a life-changing encounter with the living God – Jesus Christ.

Traditions are the threads woven in the quilt that binds a diverse group of people. If we deconstruct, dampen, or remove the threads, the quilt will fray and fall apart.  Traditions within the church help keep our faith and Jesus Christ from becoming an abstraction, our faith uninspiring, and the church (universal) filled with just empty symbols and rhetoric. The council and its application of the laws and traditions had become dull, misguided, the faith ineffectual and sharp in its judgment with an unloving approach to the human condition and experience. 

What can be viewed as a lengthy discourse by Stephen on the history of the Jewish nation is a great life and faith lesson for us.  Embracing mystery and tradition in our Christian faith will lead us to encounters with transcendent beauty and the divine presence of Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit at work in our lives and others. Embracing mystery and tradition can be used as signposts directing us to explore the wonders we can experience in our faith walk that will awe us and lead to lasting change, salvation, love, and grace.

-Dan Nickel

What Do You Feel Threatened By?

There are two very different types of people in Acts 6:8-15. 

Stephen… 

1. A man full of God’s grace and power.

2. A man who is performing great wonders and signs among the people.

3. A man whose very face looked like the face of an “angel”.

These are the descriptions that start and end this passage…but in between are the religious people who are members of the synagogue, Jews, elders and the teachers of the law.

1. They oppose Stephen.

2. They argue with Stephen.

3. They cannot stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave Stephen as he spoke.

4. They secretly persuade people to lie and slander Stephen.

5. They stir up other people to an angry reaction as well.

6. They seize Stephen and bring him before the Sanhedrin.

7. They produce more false witnesses.

Why are the religious people so threatened, angry and hostile towards Stephen…a man who is full of grace and power, doing good for the people and obviously even looking the part with his “angelic face”?

This is not a one time event. History repeats itself…over and over. We as human beings are prone to this kind of behavior.

Why?

What are we afraid of? What are we jealous of? What causes us to get angry? How do we let the ends justify the means?

People on the outside…all they see is human nature at it’s worst when we act this way.

What if the religious people had embraced Stephen instead of eventually stoning him? How would this story have been different?

Sometimes religion and religious people seem so clearly out of step with Jesus and the message of love He gave His life for.

We can learn to embrace others and set aside our pride and power and think of the common good. We can learn to be open and not let fear make our decisions. We can notice the way our emotional reactions often lead towards negativity and anger, fear and judgement and learn a different way to live. We must…or we are no different than the religious people in this passage of scripture and that would be a tragedy.

Ruth

Ministry Partners

It’s been about 8 years since my family first came to be part of The Bridge.  Not long after praying about how to get involved, our family felt led to support our church by serving with The Bridge’s Children’s Ministry Team.  That’s been a special place for us to plug in over the years as we’ve been blessed by our interactions with children and other members of that team.  Since then, there have been many other opportunities to serve as well as be served by other ministry teams.  I’ve often introduced myself and my family as ministry partners with The Bridge because I value the team ministry model that I’ve seen practiced at our church over the years.  We are a church of many different people coming together towards a single mission under the leadership of God’s Holy Spirit to “connect people to God’s indelible grace.”  That’s how God continues to show off His handiwork through diverse people with a variety of gifts living as His body in this world.

In chapter six of Acts, we see the church dealing with a complaint over a need that had arose from within the congregation.  In those first moments of church history, people stepped up to meet the needs of the church.  We are introduced to a disciple named Stephen that is one of seven chosen for a ministry team charged with the task of serving widows in need.  Sometime later, Stephen will be preaching in the face of life-risking persecution under the direction of God’s Holy Spirit.  I believe God used Stephen’s service to those widows as a proving ground for his trust in the power of the Holy Spirit that enabled His faith to stand faithful to serve others in the face of his death.  It’s still the same for followers of Jesus today.  Jesus uses ministry to develop the faith of His followers.  The church can learn firsthand about Jesus’ passion and love for people through our service to others in our congregation. 

It’s encouraging to see how the church dealt with such things then as it should challenge us about the importance of continuing to care for the needs that arise among the different people in our midst that have come to saving faith in Jesus now.  Ministry teams will always be needed in the church as long as there continues to be people with needs.  So there will always be a part for each of us to play in church ministry.  With so many different ways to serve others in the church, how might God be calling you as a ministry partner with our church in order to help you grow closer in your walk with Jesus?

This coming Sunday is special to me because our church is resuming our Children’s Ministry after a very long suspension due to the pandemic.  Please pray with me for our children – for their physical and spiritual well being.  Pray also for those who serve as part of our Children’s Ministry Team – for their physical and spiritual well being.  Let’s pray for God’s Holy Spirit to lead over and give wisdom to the Children’s Ministry Team.  As families with children involved, may we be reminded of the love of Christ Jesus as we watch the children being served by these ministry partners.  And may all of us that serve as ministry partners in the church be captivated and compelled by the loving service of our Savior in our own lives.  Jesus loves the little children and Jesus loves you!  May the deeds of our church affirm the same about the amazing love of Jesus!

Grateful and hopeful in Christ, 

Jon

After Darkness, Light.

A week ago, there was no trace of plant life in the woods behind my house. There were no blossoms on the trees, or daffodils pushing through the ground. Then all at once spring emerged, and I was amazed- as I am every year- at how brilliant the green grass appears after months of rest. Each morning I awaken earlier to the first light of dawn and the sound of birds calling back and forth in the songs their Creator gave to them. All of creation is coming back to life, it seems. Even my own weary heart that needs more grace each year to persevere through the dark, cold winter begins to sing a new song.

After winter, spring.

After death, life.

“But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb...”The Sabbath now past, these women who with their own eyes had seen Jesus close His in death, went to cover His broken and lifeless body with spices and ointments.

“They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.” They were perplexed. Who had rolled the heavy stone away? And where was Jesus? When two angels appeared, their confusion turned to fright.

“Why do you seek the living among the dead?” the angels asked. “He is not here, but has risen. Remember how He told you that the Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men and be crucified and on the third day rise?”

“And they remembered his words.”

After the grave, resurrection.

“Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.” Prophetic words from Isaiah were fulfilled that resurrection morning.

Christ has been raised! Our redemption is secure! We are resurrection people, alive today in a world that is perishing, because He brought our hearts back from the dead. And the hope we have in the finished work of Christ is an anchor for our souls. Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” May we live as His people, walking in the light of fellowship with Him and one another, and all the more as we see the day of His return approaching.

After darkness, Light.

-Natalie Runyon

The Stones Will Cry Out

When the words “Palm Sunday” are spoken, churchgoers of all ages likely have some internal reaction. As a child, a good Bible story likely includes a donkey, and Palm Sunday signals only one more week until Easter eggs. Adults may think of palm leaves and have a sense of hope in Christ our King.

As we go through the book of Acts, courage is front and center as we watch the Apostles and new Christians spread the message of salvation in Jesus Christ bravely in a hostile word. It’s appropriate that as we pause Acts, the example of courage remains in our text. Luke 19: 37-40 lays a familiar scene, the crowd is cheering Jesus while the Pharisees are grumbling. The Pharisees want Jesus to silence His crowd for proclaiming Him a king, which challenges their authority. Jesus’ response in verse 40 is “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.”

While perhaps some of the crowd had their hope solely in an earthly king to dethrone Roman rule, others very likely were part of those early Christians that after Jesus’ crucifixion, couldn’t help but proclaim Jesus, crucified and risen. I acknowledge that God chose me to be born two thousand years after this. Would I have had the courage to cry out “Lord Jesus!”, unable to remain quiet just like the stones and nature around Jesus?

Standing for an ideal can be frightening, and, like today, there were many viewpoints two thousand years ago. This crowd had followed Jesus for the last few years. They were healed, amazed, and awestruck. A week after Palm Sunday, many were caught up in the prevailing moment, succumbed to groupthink, and played a role in His crucifixion. Perhaps some of these people wanted courage, but were scared as they saw their friends, neighbors, and loved ones turn against Jesus.

It’s easy to get caught up in the ideas of others and lose our fundamental footing in Jesus’ words. I could say it’s easier today than ever before, a 24 hour news cycle, the abundance of opinion and reaction on social media, notification pings in your pocket. But clearly opinions spread quickly in Jesus’ day too, as a crowd of many went from cheers to boos in one week! We should be well reminded that the Enemy wants to distract and confuse us, perhaps that’s more use to him than if we were murderers. Palm Sunday is a reminder to stay grounded in Jesus’ words, with courage to exclaim the Gospel and courage to gently encourage a friend (or stranger) in need. Courage comes in all shapes and sizes, but is used best when founded in Jesus’ red letters.

-Alex Pfister

Unstoppable God

Back in the day, I was on MySpace.  I noticed a friend had shared a picture of herself and me from way, way back. As I looked through the comments on the picture, one stood out. Fifteen or so years later I still remember the words: “Has anyone convinced her to assimilate yet?” 

It turned out it wasn’t my (somewhat questionable) reputation from high school that followed me, but the choice to pursue Christ in my early 20’s that I became known for. That one careless comment held me captive for so long. The passion in my soul for Jesus’ glory was still there but knowing that a few people from high school thought I was crazy began to dictate what I did or didn’t say about Him.

A few years later I was awakened to the persecution of Christians in other parts of the world who were suffering in horrific ways, and even dying, because they couldn’t renounce the One who gave up everything for them. Since then, I have prayed over and over for the Lord to give me courage and boldness to speak aloud what I so deeply feel about Him. If I can’t talk about my Savior because someone might mock me now, how will I endure when that day of greater persecution comes? Will I be able to stand?

As the apostles stood, awaiting news of their fate that day in Acts 5, Gamaliel advised the council of Pharisees “If this plan or undertaking is of man, it will fail, but if it is of God you will not be able to overthrow them.” He fully expected this fledgling movement to fade away, but Church, our God can not be stopped! What the Lord Almighty has purposed, no one can thwart. His plan will prevail!

The Spirit powerfully moved in the hearts of those in the early church as the name of Jesus was exalted. They continued teaching in the temple and from house to house, proclaiming that Christ is Lord. And with every proclamation the Church grew, numerically yes, but also with increasing conviction and assurance. Do we proclaim His name like that today? Are the words that proceed from our mouth, and even our social media posts, good news of the gospel or have we been taken captive by the bad news of this world?

What is in your heart today? For years, I have had conviction, but not courage. May His power increase in us and make us brave! Maybe you are courageous and bold but are you bold in speaking about your Savior? The Spirit moves both to compel us to exalt Christ, and as a response to that exaltation. May He fill our hearts with the assurance that Christ is the sovereign Lord, and our mouths with the hope of His Gospel. 

Peter and the apostles were beaten and released that day, but they didn’t retreat. They bore wounds on their bodies, but their souls were aflame! They were beaten- and they left rejoicing! Rejoicing that they had been counted worthy- not of great honor or position, not with great wealth or fame- but worthy to suffer dishonor for the name of Jesus. 

The apostles were utterly convinced that proclaiming the name of Jesus to a world who didn’t know Him was worth it all. What are we clinging to that we value more than Him? For me, it has been my reputation. What is it for you? Brothers and sisters, He is calling us to lay those things down for His name’s sake. Let’s pray He will give us the grace to do so. 

Whatever might come in our lifetime, may the One who is Faithful and True keep us faithful until the end.

Natalie

How Shall We Travel?

“We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this Man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles answered, “We must obey God rather than men.” — Acts 5:28-29

In The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, the kids are on a ship in darkness, facing uncertain times. They are scared, and some shout, “We will never make it!” Lucy cried to Aslan for help (the analogy of Jesus Christ in C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia). Suddenly a speck of light appeared ahead, which eventually became a beam of light that lit up the ship in the dark like a spotlight. Lucy looked at the beam of light, and at first thought, she saw a cross, only to see wings whirring. It was an Albatross that circled the ship’s mast three times and then whispered to Lucy, ”Courage, dear heart!”[1]

C.S. Lewis’s Narnia stories are clear about basic Christian symbolism and are also layered with spiritual meaning. In this scene, it is an Albatross, representing the Holy Spirit, who brings courage to Lucy.

In Acts 5:12-32, the apostles are imprisoned, angelically released, and then institutionally pressured by religious leaders to be silent and not “preach in this name. [Jesus]” A threat, which contradicted Christ’s command in Acts 1:8 “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses…”  Empowered with the Holy Spirit, Peter and the apostles found the courage to boldly proclaim, “We must obey God rather than men.”  The apostles were willing to die rather than be silent about Jesus. The apostles faced cultural and institutional opposition but were not intimidated. Regarding their faith, they courageously stood firm no matter where their journey would take them, including death, which leads us to the Christian journey before us today.

The genocide of Middle East Christians has been internationally affirmed. Christians in China are fiercely oppressed and persecuted with an intensity not seen since Mao. Western civilization has shifted to the most secular, non-religious culture in its history. The move to marginalize Christianity continues unabated where everything is being secularized and religious views considered preposterous.  In this very secular air we all breathe, we find our life’s journey and faith intersecting with historically challenging times. How shall we choose to travel?  Will we courageously proclaim with boldness obedience to God regardless of the consequences? Or will we prefer to weigh the costs where disillusionment awaits in choosing the easy and the pointless paths?

Regarding the moral and spiritual challenges in our post-Christian society, Ralph Wood draws on Tolkien’s Christian analogies in The Lord of the Rings for a decision that confronts believers: ”The Company’s Quest to destroy the Ring — is not unlike the journey of life. The path is full of such perils that our destiny can never be predicted in advance. Legolas, the elf, declares this dark truth: “Few can foresee whither their road will lead them, till they come to its end.” (2.95) The question — and thus the Quest — concerns how we shall travel the road and whether we shall complete our errand… we are called eventually to surrender the bounty… the giving up of our lives.”[2]

What we see in this week’s scripture is not a set of ideas or opinions proclaimed by a group of men. But a way of life, dying to one’s self, giving up of our lives for God regardless of the culture’s objections and ridicule. Which will shape our soul, give us true peace and courage, permeate us with the Holy Spirit, and bring Jesus closer to the heart.

-Dan Nickel

[1] C.S. Lewis, “The Voyage of the Dawn Treader,” The Chronicles of Narnia (New York: Harper Collins, 2001), 510-511.

[2] Ralph C. Wood, The Gospel According to Tolkien: Visions of the Kingdom in Middle-earth (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003), 46.