God Uses Fallible People In An Infallible Way - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 15:37-39a,

"Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company."

The apostles were anything but infallible. That may come as a surprise to some but here we see a disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. The two of them had decided on a second trip to visit the churches they had established on their first trip. Barnabas wanted to take Mark along again, but because Mark had abandoned them on their first trip, Paul refused to have him accompany them - so they parted company.
 
Although we certainly recognize Paul's credentials as Jesus' hand picked apostle to the Gentiles, "Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle and set apart for the gospel of God...", Romans 1:1, we can't say the same thing for Barnabas. We do find, however, in the book of Acts, Barnabas is called "a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith", Acts 11:24, and called an apostle, "when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this...", Acts 14:14. But, in any event, we see disagreement and fallibility within the apostolic ranks. (Not that it is my place - or that it makes any difference whatsoever, from what we know, I side with Barnabas. Paul later recognizes the wonderful qualities that Mark contributed to ministry that apparently required time to develop. He tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:11, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.")
 
Another example is the dispute Paul had with Peter over Peter's attitude on an occasion toward Gentile believers. "When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong", Galatians 2:11.

Here is the amazing thing I find in this: God is able to take fallible people such as Paul, Barnabas, Peter, etc. and do incredible, infallible things with them. It was with fallible people that the Holy Spirit produced infallible Scriptures. It was within fallible people that the early church was able recognize apostolic authority because God was working in and through them.

I am reminded yet again of Peter's words in 2 Peter 1:20-21, that God is able to carry along imperfect people and do perfect things. And although we have no apostles on the scene today, God still uses fallible people just like us to carry out the wonderful things he does.

Fascinating, isn't it?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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An Example Of "Binding and Loosing" - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 15:28-29,

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things.”

The council of Jerusalem met to discuss a dispute between Paul (with Barnabas) and Christian Pharisees who had come to Antioch from Judea. The dispute was over whether Gentiles should be required to obey the law of Moses.

This was an important event for the early church and has had its impact on the church throughout its history. The conclusion of the matter was that the Gentiles did not have to keep Torah, and were not required to be circumcised. In other words, the Gentiles did not have to convert to Judaism in order to become followers of Jesus Christ.

However, to facilitate the fellowship of believers that were composed of both Jews and now Gentiles, the four restrictions in this passage provided for some much needed harmony. Yes, the Gentiles did not have to obey that which provided the foundation for Jewish life and custom (the Torah), however, the apostles and elders of the church decided that this freedom should be tempered with these restrictions to enable the fellowship of the two groups. The freedoms of all in the fellowship should not be cause for culturally offensive behavior by anyone.

James says that this solution seemed good to both the Holy Spirit and "to us". To me, this is a great example of what is meant by the "binding" and "loosing" we read of in Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18. Some have misinterpreted these words as applying to the exorcism and commanding of evil spirits. This is not the case and misses the historical context Jesus taught in. Rabbinic formulations of binding and loosing in the cultural context of Jesus' day is the backdrop of Jesus' words as he spoke of the activity of the new institution he was going to usher in, the church. In the teaching of the Rabbis relative to morals and lifestyle, "binding" was that which was forbidden, and "loosing" was that which was permitted.

In Acts 15, the loosing: believers would not be required to observe Jewish life and customs derived from the law given to Moses. The binding: in order to facilitate both Jews and Gentiles in a common fellowship, these four restrictions were to be observed.

In regard to law keeping, Paul tells us in Romans 7:6, “But now, by dying to what once bound us, we have been released from the law so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit, and not in the old way of the written code.” He goes on to use the example of the tenth commandment, “Do not covet”, to explain himself.

There are plenty of things the Lord could require of us as believers. In providing us with justification he could certainly turn and ask us to live by the law he gave Moses or any of a number of things to conform to a lifestyle that might reflect our covenant relationship with him.

But as Jesus taught, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30.

Our relationship with Jesus Christ is not reflected in law-keeping but in following the Holy Spirit, demonstrating that the Holy Spirit dwells within us, “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” Romans 8:9.

Jesus has done all the work. He offered himself as a sacrifice of atonement on the cross. I don’t know about you, but I find this to be a wonderful reality.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

--

Trevor Fisk
trevor.fisk@gmail.com

"It is to one’s honor to avoid strife,
    but every fool is quick to quarrel." Proverbs 20:3

God Provides Us His Word On Things - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 15:28-29,

“It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality. You will do well to avoid these things. Farewell.”

This passage is the conclusion of a letter drafted by the Jerusalem council when they met to consider the issue of whether Gentile converts to Christianity needed to be circumcised and required to obey the law of Moses.

The letter, sent to Antioch and accompanied by Judas and Silas, provided the decision of the council, and in it the leaders provided the credentials behind the decision. In addition to apostolic authority and the wise counsel of elders, the letter acknowledges God himself: “It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us…”!

To me, one of the wonderful things of God is that he provides us with the stamp of his own authority that we not find ourselves cast about in a sea of uncertainty. The whole concept of a divine library, a collection of written works that are recognized as authoritative, the Bible, ensures we can know without confusion what is true and what our Creator has to say.

Where some may struggle with the notion of divinely authoritative literature, many of us find within its pages illumination of God’s revelation of himself and his very own counsel! As Peter points out, “Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.” 2 Peter 1:20-21.

It is with this very authority that the Jerusalem council rendered its decision and reflects this wonderful aspect of God’s choice to provide us with his word on things!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Never A Dull Moment With God! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:26-27,

“From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.”

Here we have the conclusion of the first mission Paul and Barnabas undertook. They were assigned to the task by the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:2, committed to the work by the grace of God, 14:26, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:4, and had their message of salvation confirmed by the Lord who enabled them to do “miraculous signs and wonders”, Acts 14:3.

Paul and Barnabas encountered opposition from a sorcerer on the island of Cyprus, Acts 13:8, they were abandoned by Mark, their helper, in Perga, Acts 13:13, they encountered opposition from the Jews in Pisidian Antioch who were jealous of them, Acts 13:45. They also encountered persecution from the “God-fearing women of high standing” in that same city and were expelled, Acts 13:50. They encountered opposition from the Jews in Iconium who poisoned the people's minds against Paul and Barnabas and developed a plot to mistreat and stone them, Acts 14:2-5. In Lystra Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and stoned Paul.

Also on this trip we find that Paul and Barnabas preached the gospel wherever they went. On Cyprus, Acts 13:5, the proconsul believed their message. Many Jews and Gentile converts to Judaism followed them in Pisidian Antioch, Acts 13:43, where Gentiles believed, Acts 13:48. The gospel message spread throughout the region of Pisidian and we are told the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit, Acts 13:52. In Iconium a “great number” of Jews and Gentiles believed. In Derbe Paul and Barnabas “won a large number of disciples”, Acts 14:21, and when they returned to Antioch they were able to report all that God had done through them and how “he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, Acts 14:27.

From this account we find their trip was anything but uneventful. God was with Paul and Barnabas and astonishing things happened. Both horrible as well as wonderful things happened. Their mission was productive and fruitful as well as painful. They told the folks in Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, “We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God”, Acts 14:22.

The account of this trip reflects so much of what I see about God as revealed throughout Scripture. When God moves, all kinds of things happen – incredible things. It seems as though there is never a dull moment.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God's Kindness Speaks Of His Existence - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:15b-17,

“We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. In the past, he let all nations go their own way. Yet he has not left himself without testimony: He has shown kindness by giving you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons; he provides you with plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy.”

As Paul and Barnabas preached the good news to the folks in Lystra, they pointed out something all can relate to. Life itself is evidence that God exists. The blessings people have as seen in the weather that makes food crops possible speaks to the existence of God and demonstrates his kindness.

God is the source of the food we eat and the source of the joy we experience. That which is good in life, that which we consider to be blessing speaks to God’s very existence and his kindness toward mankind.

Although mankind is not worthy of the kindness of God – only worthy of his wrath for sin and rebellion against him - he nevertheless leaves his fingerprints in the world on those things we enjoy in life.

For those who try hard at not finding evidence of God’s existence, there is much they have to look past. For those who do not believe in God, one day they will find that God doesn’t believe in them either (their delusion that is), as he has provided them plenty to consider. Not that he has had to… but in that he has, he further expresses his kindness to mankind.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Hand Of God: Excitement And Astonishment - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:1-3,

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.”

There are those these days who mistakenly believe that during the apostolic days of the book of Acts, Paul, Peter and other apostles and disciples were able to perform miracles and healings whenever they wanted. In their attempts to mimic a misperception they have of the miraculous within the early church by the Holy Spirit, they betray a lack of understanding in this regard of the Scriptures.

Consider the case of Epaphroditus in Paul’s letter to the Philippian church. Paul felt a great anxiety that Epaphroditus might die in his illness as he served Paul as a gift from the church in Philippi. What was the cause of Paul’s anxiety? That Epaphroditus might die in service to the work of Christ by meeting Paul’s needs. It wasn’t that Epaphroditus lacked faith or had sin in his life, as is often offered as reasons why someone may not receive a healing these days. Paul holds him up as an example to the church: “honor men like him”, Philippians 2:29. The account can be read in Philippians 2:25-30.

Then there is Timothy who suffered “frequent illnesses”, 1 Timothy 5:23. Paul advised him to look to the medicinal qualities of “a little wine”. I’m certain if Paul had the ability to heal whenever he wanted, he certainly would have healed Timothy.

We read of James encouraging those who are sick to call the elders - not to a “healing service” but to prayer. We see the Holy Spirit performing miracles through the apostles and disciples at certain times and not at others.

What is my point here? As we read of Paul and Barnabas in this passage, Peter and John in Acts 3 and of other healings and miracles that took place in the book of Acts, I think we lose an important perspective of the activity of the Holy Spirit and the great faith of these early believers if we simply assume that there was something of a blanket enablement by the Holy Spirit to perform such deeds. As I read these accounts, I sense these wonderful folks of God might have woken up each morning not knowing what to expect that day. They lived their lives on the edge, not knowing what might happen from day to day.

I don’t think there was anything automatic, assumed or expected in those early days relative to miracles and healings as the gospel advanced. I suspect Paul, Barnabas, Peter and others were just as astounded and excited as anyone when these special events took place.

When God, in the person of the Holy Spirit, invaded planet Earth and confirmed the gospel message as the disciples took it to the world, it was just as exciting and fresh to them as it would be today.

How can anyone not be excited and astonished to see the hand of God reach out and act in a very visible way in our presence at any point in time?

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Gives Us Free Will (And A Lot Of Responsibility!) - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Acts 14:1-2,

“At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.”

There is an underlying truth in these verses about the way God has wired us that is quite sobering to me. It is that God has given each of us a free will. In these two verses we see people who have exercised their own volition to bring about two very different outcomes of many people.

As I think of salvation, I think of that which determines the destiny of each one of us. Will we spend an eternity in the agonizing torment of the Lake of Fire or will we enter into the resurrection of life and spend an eternity in the endless pleasures of enjoying our Lord God and all he has created us for?

As Paul and Barnabas take the gospel message to Iconium, this is what lies in the balance for each of the individuals they had the opportunity to reach. I recognize that God gifted Paul and Barnabas with those things that would enable them to take the gospel to previously un-reached regions and that the Holy Spirit himself commissioned Paul and Barnabas to just this task at hand. But there is something to notice in this passage.

We are told that there were “a great number of Jews and Gentiles” that believed the message that Paul and Barnabas brought. The cause for it, according to Acts 14:1, was that Paul and Barnabas “spoke so effectively”. Certainly this is an exercise of the gifts the Holy Spirit had endowed them with, but just as certain was the willingness and effort these two men took in order to speak effectively.

Just because we are gifted by God to serve him with the work he wants us to do does not mean it happens automatically, or that we will even comply with what God wants done. This is why Peter exhorts his readers to use the gifts given them to serve others, 1 Peter 4:10. Why exhort readers to use the gifts they have received from God unless a choice needs to be made to do so? I see a wonderful coming together of the Holy Spirit and the commitment of two godly men that result in the saving of many in Iconium. While other disciples might be discussing theology in the coffee shop, Paul and Barnabas are out making things happen for the Kingdom of God because they made a choice to do so.

Another thing I notice is the opposition to Paul and Barnabas by those “who refused to believe”. They made their choice and the text could not be clearer. They themselves refused to believe. They were culpable for the choice they made. It was not made for them. They made a conscious decision to refuse the gospel message.

Free will is an awesome thing. With it we can serve our God and participate with him in the change of outcomes of many: from eternal damnation to eternal life. Also with it, we can refuse our God and suffer the consequences that such a horrific choice will certainly bring, and possibly influence others to do so as well.

God has given us a wonderful thing in providing us with free will. But, as I say, how sobering it is to consider the responsibility and eternal destiny that flows from the exercise of it.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.