Seeking the Life in Christ

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 9, 2021

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.

Acts 8:3

Read: Acts 7:54-8:3

In Stephen we see that the followers of Jesus had quickly incorporated the ways of their Master. Stephen prayed for and forgave those who persecuted him. Very early the Church set the day after Christmas to commemorate St. Stephen as a reminder that God’s gift of new life arrived in a very dangerous world.

God took the evil of the martyrdom of Stephen and used it for good as the men and women of Christ disbursed from Jerusalem and began to spread the Good News all over the land. Our Christian church was born and thrived even though Saul was dragging out both men and women to put them into prison for spreading the Good News of Jesus.

My Takeaway: We too are living in a dangerous and hostile world. Many religious leaders today are trying to avoid the Saul’s of our time and accommodate the doctrines of the church to the world’s culture. I pray that God will, by His grace, strengthen me that I may be as courageous as the men and women who spread the Good News of Jesus, even in the shadow of Stephen’s martyrdom. Will you join me in this prayer?

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life. The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Monday, February 8, 2021

You Stiff-Necked People!

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 8, 2021

You Stiff-Necked People!

Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him.

Acts 7:52

Read: Acts 7:35-53

Stephen concludes his speech by hurling charges at the religious leaders. He says they are children of Abraham, but unlike Abraham they have not obeyed God. He says they are heirs of Moses, yet “you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.” (v.53) Stephen alleges that they are complicit with the those who rejected God and built with their own hands an idol to worship. For Stephen, their worship in the Temple is a form of idolatry because they rejected and murdered the Righteous One their own prophets had predicted would come and redeem Israel.

As I noted before, Stephen’s speech had the effect of the word of God which “is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) The religious leaders had two choices: they could receive Stephen’s word as a message from God and repent, or they could kill the messenger. They chose the latter.

My Takeaway: My membership vows when I first joined the UMC included my affirmation that the Word of God, as contained in the Old and New Testaments, is a sufficient rule for faith and practice. Today’s passage gives me pause to examine my life for anything that is more important to me than obedience to God’s Word.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Friday, February 5, 2021

Back to Egypt

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 5, 2021

Back to Egypt

“Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.’

Acts 7:33

Read: Acts 7:17-34

As I read about Moses in today’s passage, I recalled this from Isaiah 55:8-9,

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

In verse 34, God told Moses He had heard the groaning of the people and had come down to set them free. To accomplish this, He was sending Moses back to Egypt. I’m sure Moses, during the forty years he was in Midian, often thought about what he left behind in Egypt. I am also sure if he ever thought about returning to Egypt, it was not as an agent of God to set the people free. The last time he tried to help the people, they rejected him. (v.28) Indeed, God’s ways, his thoughts, are higher than mine. I must resist the inclination to limit God’s revelation in my life to only what my wisdom can foresee.

I have spent a good while pondering the burning bush, God’s revelation to Moses. I wonder how many burning bushes I have walked by in my life, failing to notice God’s revelation to me because I was too self-adsorbed with my own issues?

My Takeaway: During this pandemic, our culture, especially our churches, are learning new and innovative ways to communicate and function. That is good, because our God is the Master of doing things in new ways. Yet, in his speech, Stephen recalled that God identified himself to Moses as “the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.” (v.32) As I look for new ways to flourish in a changed world, I want to keep my eyes on Jesus. (see Hebrews 12:1-2)

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Thursday, February 4, 2021

The God of Glory

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 4, 2021

The God of Glory

God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.

Acts 7:6

Read: Acts 7:1-16

Stephen’s defense will take up almost all of chapter seven, and we will take three days to read it. I think Stephen’s speech is a short course in the history of Israel. The accusations against Stephen were that he was teaching things that were contrary to the Law of Moses and the Jewish customs. Stephen’s response to the accusations demonstrated he was thoroughly familiar with the history of the Jews.

We will see in a few days that Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, was in the Sanhedrin that day. I believe he is Luke’s source for the content of Stephen’s speech. Why is the entire sermon included in the Book of Acts? What does God want us to see?

Stephen’s speech was telling the story of the Jewish people in a way to reveal Jesus, the Messiah, was the fulfillment of all that God had promised. For me, Stephen’s speech is a reminder that my Christian heritage doesn’t begin at the Resurrection; God has grafted me into the tree of Abraham. (See Romans 11) The heritage Stephen described is also my heritage in Christ.

My Takeaway: God has foreknowledge of what will happen. (v.6) Nothing happening today has caught God by surprise. Joseph had great trials and tribulations while in Egypt, yet he was able to respond, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:20) I want to trust God like my ancestor, Joseph.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

God’s Grace and Power

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 3, 2021

God’s Grace and Power

But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Acts 6:10

Read: Acts 6:8-15

The preacher and teacher, Fred Craddock, once noted that people don’t like two kinds of preaching: good preaching and bad preaching. Bad preaching is boring and painful to listen to. Good preaching brings forth the word of God which “is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) This is the effect Stephen’s preaching had on some of his hearers. When they couldn’t win a debate with him, they resorted to the same tactic used against Jesus; they produced false witnesses.

When Stephen was arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin, Luke says they all “looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (v.15) What did they see? When Luke told of people having encounters with angels, people were troubled or terrified. (Luke 1 & 2) Luke described Stephen as “a man full of God’s grace and power, (who) performed great wonders and signs among the people.” (v.8) I believe the people saw the manifestation of God’s grace and power, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, giving Stephen the radiance of confident humility as he fully trusted in God.

My Takeaway: Like many folks, I want to get along with people. I want to avoid conflict and controversy. Today’s passage is a reminder that because we live in a fallen world, when we stand with Christ, opposition will arise, especially in today’s cancel culture. I pray others will see in me, what the Sanhedrin saw in Stephen.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

The Choosing of the Seven

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 2, 2021

The Choosing of the Seven

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:3-4

Read: Acts 6:1-7

Two parts of today’s passage stand out to me. First is the decentralized organization of the New Community of Believers. Yes, the apostles had a unique and particular role, but when the need for additional staff surfaced, the apostles allowed the entire group of disciples, men and women, to choose the new staff. They only choose men, as was the custom of their day, but all participated in the decision.

Secondly, the apostles affirmed their priority to give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. I remember when I first became a candidate for ordained ministry. I interviewed the senior pastor of a church and asked him to list his various duties and responsibilities, and then prioritize them. I next asked him to rank them by the amount of time he spent with each of his responsibilities. The reality was the least in priority were taking the most time. I found this to be true throughout my pastoral ministry. The only way to give sufficient time for prayer and sermon preparation was to work seven days per week.

My Takeaway: Early in our readings in Acts, we saw that ALL received the Holy Spirit and ALL were tasked with being witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. We will see tomorrow that being chosen to lead the food distribution ministry didn’t relieve these men of their responsibility to be a witness for Christ.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Monday, February 1, 2021

They Never Stopped

Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 1, 2021

They Never Stopped

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 5:42

Read: Acts 5:27-42

Three verses stood out to me in today’s reading. First, in verse 29, the apostles respond to the orders they had received to stop teaching in the name of Jesus: “Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” This reminds me of something Peter Marshall said:

“The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come - it now is - when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America's future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God's government.” (Reverend Peter Marshall, on being elected Chaplain of the U. S. Senate in January 1947)

The second passage is the last of verse 38 and verse 39. “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Grasping this truth, the missionary Hudson Taylor noted, “God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.” This truth is coupled with Corrie Ten Boom’s axiom: “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.” God, grant us the wisdom to discern whether we are relying on human strength and ability, or the Holy Spirit.

My Takeaway: “They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” (v.42b) There are times when I grow weary, especially with the continuing conflict within the UMC. But Peter and the others never stopped, and by God’s grace, neither will I.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

Tuesday, February 9, 2021

The Church Persecuted and Scattered

Monday, February 8, 2021

You Stiff-Necked People!

Friday, February 5, 2021

Back to Egypt

Thursday, February 4, 2021

The God of Glory

Wednesday, February 3, 2021

God’s Grace and Power

Tuesday, February 2, 2021

The Choosing of the Seven

Monday, February 1, 2021

They Never Stopped

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