Conflict rages on, all across the US and beyond, when it comes to what amounts to an unhealthy mix of political ideology and religious beliefs. We have conservatives and liberals, Christians and nonbelievers, and racial and cultural clashes all over the place. We have Christian versus Muslim versus Jew. Was it not Christ himself who taught us that “a house divided against itself cannot stand”? Here in the 21st century, America is faced with a very similar political and religious issue. The cure for all the infighting in America and well beyond has been right in front of us all along.
First, Some Relevant Scripture Verses
It is written in the holy Scriptures that we must spend some spare time each day being gentle, loving and merciful towards each other. We are never to tear down others, but rather we should uphold one another, as it is written: “1) Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2) For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. 3) Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4) How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5) You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” (Matthew chapter 7, verses 1-5)
A Warning From Christ Himself
Even though these words of our Lord and Savior were uttered 2,000 years ago, they still apply today. For example, verse 1 should be self-explanatory. Anyone who “passes judgment” on another person really thinks they are better than those they judge. Otherwise, why would they judge as they do? Verse 2 spells out the penalty for those who do these things. If anyone judges someone as an inferior individual for whatever reason, the degree of negative judgment is directly proportional to the contempt shown towards others. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
Check Yourselves First
So it is never a good thing to look down our noses at others, or to assume that any one person is any better than the other. If God, who looks down at us from above and sees people being treated in a disrespectful manner, particularly if those individuals count themselves as ‘Christian’, they should not be surprised when things in their lives inexplicably take a turn for the worse. Their lives won’t return to normal until they start treating people fairly. So let’s all make sure we check ourselves first to keep from being examined by God when our lives are over, and then to be found wanting.
Being Contemptuous Is Wrong
There are a couple more examples I’d like to teach on for the nest few minutes, but I’ll keep it short and simple so I don’t lose anybody. The first comes from the Book of Romans, and I quote: “10) You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister? Or why do you treat them with contempt? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. 11) It is written: ‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.’ 12) So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13) Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your minds not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister..…” (Romans chapter 14: verses 10-14)
Bigotry Must be Confronted, Not Ignored
There will be equality among all humankind, just as the apostle Paul wrote in verse 10 above. (see also 2nd Corinthians chapter 8, verses 13-15) Who do we think we are, passing judgment on others we perceive to be somehow inferior to or lesser than ourselves? This includes people of different races, nationalities, religions, gender, sexual preferences or age. Above all, this includes economic status, but that has not yet been fully achieved.
It is one thing to take a stand against a perceived evil. But it’s an altogether different matter to possess a raging hatred towards others, even if that behavior was taught. One of the original 10 commandments was to “honor your father and mother….” (see Exodus chapter 20 verse 12), but if our parents or grandparents were hard hearted bigots, it’s our responsibility to disagree with their bigotry, prejudice and hate. To ignore bigotry and hate just because the bigot is a family member is to be complicit with their behavior. Prejudice, then, begins at home; but so does unconditional love.
Fair Warning From the Lord
“12) So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. 13) Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.” If we express complete disapproval for gay people for example, while professing our faith in God through his Son, the faith and devotion of that particular person would be suspect in the eyes of God and men alike. Also, in the last part of the last verse, we are admonished not to “….put any stumbling block or obstacle in the way of a brother or sister.” It’s hard to say for sure what the apostle Paul meant by ‘stumbling block’, but in modern terms this could have been anything from an ethnic barrier of one kind or another, but more likely an economic barrier so the top 1% can hold on to their wealth at the expense of everyone else. It’s just like we have today, and God will judge any and all who hoarded their gains and shared nothing with others in the End Times we’re in.
A Major Contribution From the Apostle James
For my final example of why we should not go around judging others, particularly the ones we detest the most, I will present this timeless quote from the apostle James: “11) Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. 12) There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you – who are you to judge your neighbor?“ (James chapter 4, verses 11-12)
The apostle James was saying that if we judge others, we are presumably taking God’s place, as if God needed our help to begin with. But only God is without sin. It is for this exact reason that we must not judge others, even if they have judged us first. All of us have sinned at least one time or another, or more (never mind how much or how badly), and we have collectively fallen short of God’s magnificent glory. But the apostle Paul wrote to the Philippian church that, “We are to continue working out our own salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord”. If we can maintain that kind of an attitude, we will find our propensities for being judgmental or prejudiced will disappear altogether. In the process, we will find ourselves being transformed into a people with loving hearts. And, it is only those same loving hearts who will get to dwell forever with the Lord in heaven.
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Lately it has occurred to me that the world is full of followers. We have followers of other people and personalities such as in sports, TV or in Hollywood. We have lots of followers of fashion trends, brands of cars and trucks of all kinds, followers and lovers of anything antique, most notably furniture and classic cars. Preachers have their own broods of followers, and pundits have cliques of their own too. Ditto for all the music stars.
The World’s Best Things to Follow
Last but most certainly not least are all the multitudes of followers on social media. You name it and they’re there, and in droves, to be sure. Some follow people, pieces, things, and trends. All the world’s followers can be found on Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Linked In, Tumblr and Quora. Some follow publications such as Medium, WordPress, Substack and an entire host of lesser-known publications. I post my blog on many of them myself, and I have followers too. But those who are my followers do so for better reasons. They follow me, a servant of the Lord’s, to learn about God, Christ, the Holy Spirit, and their inter-relatedness. They don’t learn about myself, they learn about the unstoppable power of Jesus Christ that I represent.
Let’s Not Forget What God Says
The Lord God Almighty and his one and only Son are the only two people who are worth following during the tumultuous times in which we are living. Here is what the Scriptures say about that: “You must obey my laws and be careful to follow my decrees. I am the Lord your God”. (Leviticus 18:4) That’s a direct quote from the Almighty himself. Now here comes one from Jesus: “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) Now there’s a good reason to follow anybody, let alone Christ Jesus!
A Few Pertinent Bible Quotes
In the next quotation, I’m going to let the words of Christ himself be the requirements for following Jesus when he said, “Then Jesus said to his disciples, ‘Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.’” (Matt. 16:24). When Jesus said we have to “take up our cross”, I don’t think he was talking about relatively trivial things like giving up alcohol and cigarettes. Although the giving up of old and destructive habits can be a good thing, I think our Savior was talking about taking up the cause of Christ and everything that it stands for.
What Taking Up a Cross Actually Means
Let me put that into perspective for you. First, the cross that Christ had to carry was made of solid wood that was rough and full of splinters. It must have weighed between 100-150 pounds. And second, the total distance that Jesus had to carry that cross was approximately one third to one half mile altogether. I challenge anyone reading this or seeing this video to carry 150 pounds from one-third to one-half mile on level ground, let alone uphill as Christ had to do. So, when Jesus taught that we must take up a cross and follow him, he was talking about moving big obstacles and taking up big causes in our lives.
Some Examples of Things Worth Following
What are these big obstacles and meaningful causes? How about social justice or world peace? What about ending poverty by raising the minimum wage, social justice in the form of unconditional equality, or ending war and destroying all nuclear weapons? What about something as basic as ending hunger? As I write this, There are about 25 million homeless people in the US, and 13 million of them are children. If another country was doing this to our citizens and kids, we’d be at war. Still looking for something spiritual worth following? (never mind the physical) Let me quote the apostle Paul: “Follow the way of love and eagerly desire gifts of the Spirit, especially prophecy.” (1 Corinthians 14:1)
Two Crucial Commandments That Anyone Can Follow
What does following “the way of love” mean here in the 21st century? It means following Jesus Christ and his teachings. According to the Scriptures (and since the following quote can be found in all 4 gospels) as taught by Christ himself: “34) Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducee’s, the Pharisees got together. 35) One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36) ‘Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?’ 37) Jesus replied: ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38) This is the first and greatest commandment. 39) And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40) All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew chapter 22, verses 34-40)
How Does This Apply to Modern Times?
Here in modern times, loving God sincerely and Jesus Christ wholeheartedly are the two focal points of contemporary faith that they always have been. Nothing has changed over the centuries. Today, true believers are those who look after the needs of orphans, widows, the fatherless, the homeless, the oppressed and the depressed. That’s the true meaning of being ‘religious’ here in the 21st century. So what’s the payoff for doing all these things? The prophet David, slayer of Goliath and the first king of Jerusalem, said it perfectly, and I quote: “Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” (Psalm 29:6)
If You Want to Be a Follower, Follow Jesus First
Obey God’s commandments through the teachings of Christ. That’s all there is to this. See to the needs of others, and it will flow back to you in the form of blessings that you may not be experiencing currently. So if you want to latch onto something of real substance, or something worth following, follow Jesus. His wisdom is without barriers or limitations as we understand them. His guidance and counsel is the kind that could only come through the saving power of Christ, of the cross on which he was crucified, of the blood that was shed upon it, and on the tomb that could not hold him. Jesus conquered the ultimate foe, which was death, but only for those who put their faith and trust in him. It is only they who put their implicit faith in Christ who will be allowed to spend eternity with when our physical lives are over. Only the faithful followers will be granted eternal life. Make the correct choice by following Christ, and he will never let you down.
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Last week as we left off at verse 21 of Acts 22, the apostle Paul had obtained permission from the Roman commander to speak to the crowd. Having done this, he began what amounted to a t0 minute speech explaining his actions, with particular emphasis on Paul’s own conversion experience. Paul gave what amounted to a testimony about how Christ had transformed him, and for a short while the crowd listened with rapt attention. But that was before Paul then said he had been sent “to the Gentiles” to preach the Word about Jesus.
Paul’s Testimony Rejected
When Paul, a Jewish man, told the crowd God had assigned himself to them, and that this was the very reason he was there, people took offense at him. They probably mistook Paul’s zeal and good intentions as condescending behavior towards them. Here, they probably reasoned, is this ex-Sanhedrin member who has been ousted by his own people, and he wants to tell us how we should live our lives? No way! Now, let me give the apostle Luke’s account of what unfolded that day, as we begin this week’s lesson at verse 21.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“21) Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’” 22) The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, ‘Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!’ 23) As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24) the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25) As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?’ 26) When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. ‘What are you going to do?’ he asked. ‘This man is a Roman citizen.’” (Acts 22: 21-26)
The Lord Spares Paul’s Life Through Those Who Had Arrested Him
Notice, as I wrote above, how Paul’s words infuriated the crowd even as he was trying to placate them by explaining himself, while taking the opportunity to evangelize the throngs before him. But as we all know, you cannot reason with unreasonable people, and that’s what the apostle Paul had run into. Each and every one of those closest to Paul were taking their cloaks off and throwing them to the ground. I guess you know that anytime two men remove their coats, a real physical fight is about to begin. Same goes for throwing dust and dirt up into the air, which is always flung in the direction of an opponent. Thousands of people wanted a fist fight with Paul, meaning he had a real problem on his hands. Had it not been for the Roman officers present, Paul would surely have been killed by that mob right then and there. But God spared him, because He had work for Paul to do.
There Was Just One Sticking Point About Paul’s Arrest
At this point the Roman commander is fed up with the entire situation, especially all the disorderly conduct of the mob surrounding Paul. Concluding that the risk to the deputies there was too great to remain where they were, “the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this.” ‘Beat the truth out of him’, said the Roman commander. He was demanding to know how the mob scene they had just barely escaped from had gotten so out of hand. It was his job to know everything about it so he would know who he could charge with a criminal offense. Up to this point, Paul was the prime candidate as far as the commander was concerned. Unfortunately for the Roman commander, he was lacking a critical piece of information.
Paul, an Apostle and Roman Citizen
But it doesn’t take long at all for him to discover his error, as we see in verses 25-26. “25) As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, ‘Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?’ 26) When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. ‘What are you going to do?’ he asked. ‘This man is a Roman citizen.’” Now in those days, the Roman Empire encompassed the entire land area surrounding the Mediterranean sea. At the height of its power in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD, the Roman Empire was a huge expanse of land covering some 2.2 million square miles (5.7 million sq. km), according to answers.com (you may view that page from here, if you like).
Anyone working in the Empire’s far-flung provinces in the employment of the Empire acted as Roman representatives and as its citizens, in that order. As such, it was lawful to place a non-citizen under arrest without being charged. Roman citizens, on the other hand, had the benefit of the Roman court system. And, Paul was a citizen. But he is innocent until proven guilty under Roman law, as we will now see as we move on to part 2 of this week’s lesson.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“27) The commander went to Paul and asked, ‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ he answered. 28) Then the commander said, ‘I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.’ ‘But I was born a citizen,’ Paul replied. 29) Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. 30) The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.” (Acts 22, verses 27-30)
The Situation Begins to Change
So the Roman commander, who has grown impatient with the near-riot outside, demands information from Paul. When he finds out Paul is a citizen, he retorts, “‘Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?’ ‘Yes, I am,’ he answered. 28) Then the commander said, ‘I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.’ ‘But I was born a citizen,’ Paul replied. 29) Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately…..” Up until this point, obviously no one believed a word Paul had told them from back in part 2 of Acts 22, which we went over last week. Their discovery of Paul’s Roman citizenship changed their minds in a hurry, because nobody ignored the absolute authority of Rome. They didn’t dare, due to a carefully orchestrated brutality that only the Roman Empire could mete out to its subjects. By arresting Paul without a formal charge, they had committed the Roman equivalent of a felony offense.
Things Become Even More Fluid
Still, the Roman commander had yet to have a clear reason, in his own mind, of how and why the riot had started. After all, “The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains. The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews.” This was because the Roman commander knew he would have to give an account to his superior officers of his arrest of a Roman citizen. It’s not that Paul was above the law – far from it! Roman citizens who committed crimes were subject to the same harsh punishment as non-citizens. Rather than risk making an arbitrary ruling that could reflect badly on himself, the Word describes what the Roman commander did next.
The Roman Commander Places Himself in a Win-Win Situation
“The commander wanted to find out exactly why Paul was being accused by the Jews. So the next day he released him and ordered the chief priests and all the members of the Sanhedrin to assemble….” The Romans were taking no chances with Paul, so to the jail he went to spend the night. But he was released the following day to appear before the assembly – the Sanhedrin. So the entire Sanhedrin together with the Temple Chief Priests – our equivalent of a joint session of Congress – were called to convene that very morning, at which point Paul was called to testify before them. It is likely that unfamiliarity with Jewish customs was one of the main reasons the commander did as he did. If the Jews were right, then he would be thanked and maybe rewarded for turning Paul over to them. But if Paul was innocent, he could then bring charges against the Asian provincial Jews who had incited the whole incident back in chapter 21. That would make him look good to his Roman superior officers, so it was a win-win situation for the commander.
Paul’s Turn to Speak Finally Arrives
“Then he brought Paul and had him stand before them.” I suspect this may have been the Roman commander’s way of letting Paul know exactly who was in charge of things. ‘So’, the commander may have thought, ‘this guy wants to give speeches? OK, let’s see him give one now’. And so the apostle Paul finds himself on the spot once again, having been thrust into the limelight before a hostile audience, many of whom had been Paul’s former peers prior to his salvation in Christ, which he encountered on the road to Damascus back in Acts chapter 9. I find myself writing something similar to how I closed out last week’s message, wondering what Paul will say, and more importantly how he will say it when confronted by over 100 of his own accusers while under guard. To find out what happens next, be sure and come on back next week as we move on to part one of Acts 23.
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I have been blessed with being able to play a piano from a very young age, about 5 or so. For the last fourteen years I have played the keyboards in the same church, serving as a musician. The keyboard is an oldie-but-goody Yamaha YSR-290, a 73 key model, which is only one step away from a full size 88-key piano. But it’s a digital model so it’s very light compared to acoustic pianos, which can tip the scales at 500 pounds or more for a spinet or a console, and half again as much for a grand piano. About five years ago, an anonymous donor donated an ancient Hammond organ with its own Leslie amplifier, which consisted of a rotating woofer-type speaker and attached rotating horn. I don’t know the wattage rating for the amp, but it must be substantial because it can get pretty loud at full volume.
Identification of Its Model
At the time, it didn’t work properly. I would turn it on and it did have power, but it wouldn’t play, and no one knew why. So one Sunday morning after service I got into the back side of the organ and determined it approximate age and what appeared to be the correct model number. Come to find out it was a Hammond made sometime between the mid-1950s to the early 1960s, and its chassis consisted of antique vacuum tubes as its power source. Getting parts could be a problem because of its age, I thought. I related all these things to pastor that same day.
An Ultimately Unsuccessful Repair Job
So for a couple more years it just sat there with the other instruments unused. One Sunday the church was able to collect enough money to repair the old instrument, and I had located two local people who could fix the organ. An older service man came and worked on it, replacing several of the vacuum tubes on the chassis, and he got it working. But after about a year or so, the old organ stopped working again for no apparent reason. The symptoms were the same as before – power with no sound. We were unable to locate the old man who had worked on it before. I guess he retired, I don’t know. So for many more months the antique instrument sat in the background, unused.
Part of the Solution
By this time, the church had owned that donated old organ for over 5 years. I thought it was a shame that this beautiful old instrument couldn’t be put to good use. Then one Tuesday evening last month at an event commemorating that church’s 30th anniversary, we had another church in the same denomination (I will decline to name it) visit with us. Several of their musicians came along and joined the rest of our musicians, including myself, for the midweek extravaganza. It turned out one of the guest musicians was familiar with the old Hammond and, to my amazement, got that old organ working! It turned out that the old Hammond could only be powered on in a certain way to get it to work. He showed me the power-on sequence and I thought everything would be fine.
An Awkward Sunday Morning Service, sans Music
The following Sunday morning, two things happened in the music department there at church. The first was that our old Yamaha digital piano stopped working due to a broken power coupling down inside the keyboard. This was something that had existed for awhile, but considering that the old Yamaha was nearly 20 years old, I think it was amazing that it had lasted for so long. Only problem then became, that I was unsuccessful in getting the old Hammond organ to power up. The amplifier was still working, and the organ had power good and well enough, but it produced no sound. By now I was convinced that I must be missing information about the organ itself, otherwise it would be working. Since I had heard it play I knew it worked. So, with no working keyboard, we had church with no music for that Sunday, which was awkward at best. The service came off as fairly lame as far as church services go. To me at least, a Sunday service without music just won’t cut it.
Obtaining Correct Information is Crucial in Church as well as Business
It turned out I was lacking two key pieces of information. The first was the model number of the organ. I thought it was a Hammond B3, but after checking the organ’s serial number it turned out it was actually a model C3, which is the top of the line. The second was the power-on sequence, which was very specific. The following Sunday morning, I got up on stage before service had started and I cranked up the Hammond using the new start-up sequence, which was slightly different than I had first thought. When the antique instrument was at full power, the sound was nothing short of incredible, better than ever in fact. That was because the guest musician had started up the organ with a different sequence than what I had just used.
The Finished Result of Its Restoration
And so, last Sunday morning, for the first time in over 5 years, the old organ worked perfectly. When I cranked up the volume and spun that Leslie amplifier, the sound was so clear and resonant that it literally sent chills down my spine. It was as if every last pound of brick and mortar, all the framing and the roof, floors and ceiling within that church sang in harmony all at once when I played that old Hammond C3. It also bares testimony by the beautiful way it sounds that there is still something to be said for old analog legacy technology and its magnificent audio abilities. When I play it now, that old Hammond sounds as if there is an analog choir singing from within it. Because, in a way, there really is. And it is present both in Spirit and in sound.
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It’s been a long time – many months – since I have written a piece about economic inequality. Lately I have been distracted by the war in Ukraine, the immigration crisis at America’s southern border, the injustice of the Drug War, and self-help articles like my recent anti-gun-violence blog post “What America Needs is Some Anger Management Classes”, which you can read from here. First, let me give you a few relevant links regarding the scourge of inequality in the US, which has the dubious distinction of being one of the most unequal countries in which to live on the entire planet.
Without a doubt, God sees all of these goings-on, He sees a lot of injustice happening everywhere, and I would say He is fed up to here with all of it. So for this week’s Sunday message I want to share with you all a quotation from the Bible that ties in with this topic very well. “Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, to deprive the poor of their rights and withhold justice for my people, making widows their prey and robbing the fatherless. What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches? Nothing will remain except to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand still upraised.” (Isaiah chapter 10, verses 1-4)
The Unjust American Minimum Wage
What’s a modern example of what the prophet Isaiah wrote about here, which was roughly 2,700 years ago? The pathetic state of wages, globally speaking, is the first thing that comes to my mind. If any one of you has ever had to take a minimum wage job – and I would define anything under $14.00 per hour to be a ‘minimal wage’ – then you know exactly what I mean. Here in Atlanta, Ga. where I live and work, the minimum wage is still set at a paltry $7.25 per hour. There are lots of homeless shelters in and near downtown Atlanta, and they all stay full, and with ‘waiting lists’ to boot. Georgia’s ultra-low minimum wage is the primary reason why. In Atlanta, the average rental rate for a 1 bedroom apartment as of the summer of 2023 is well in excess of $1400-$1800 dollars per month. Do the math and it’s easy to see why these hapless individuals can’t rent apartments.
The Drug War; Another Example of Modern Injustice Rooted in Inequality
Another example of a modern-day “unjust law” is most definitely the Drug War, which is actually a massive race-based roundup of the poor. These are mostly people of color, mainly Black and Latino/Latina, and it is no coincidence that they are the ones who can least afford to hire a lawyer. Moreover, as I proved conclusively in my 2016 book, “Cannabis Legalization and the Bible: Compatible or Not?”, the Marijuana plant was made by God on the third day of Creation (see Genesis chapter 1, verses 11-13). Cigarettes are legal, yet they kill over 50,000 people annually, and everybody’s just fine with that, particularly law enforcement (“You will smoke these and you WILL like them”). But marijuana, which is classified as a ‘class 1’ dangerous drug when it is not, remains illegal at the federal level. This is a whole series of laws designed to prosecute those who use a substance that can’t be taxed. The Drug War is all about the money, including the huge profits being “earned” by the private prison industry. It has nothing to do with justice whatsoever.
Injustice and Inequality Enforced by the Federal Government
What’s an example of an “oppressive decree”? One example would be the federal income tax, which was passed in 1919 so America could pay her debts incurred by the First World War. This was a law passed at 3AM and signed by only a handful of people. By the time Congress found out about it when they convened around the first of the following week, and since news traveled so slowly back then, there was nothing they could do even though a lot of lawmakers were very upset at that time. Another example of an “oppressive decree” would be the Patriot Act, which has been renewed 3 times since 2001 even though it is being used against American citizens as well as foreign nationals. In this respect, the Patriot Act as it is currently written and being implemented is unconstitutional.
Contrary to Popular Belief, the US is in Bible Prophecy
“What will you do on the day of reckoning, when disaster comes from afar? To whom will you run for help? Where will you leave your riches?” I have already shown that the prophet was referring to the End Times, or Last Days, which I have clearly depicted in previous weekly commentary’s. I have also proven conclusively that the United States is Mystery Babylon in Ezekiel chapter 7, Zechariah chapter 12, and Revelation chapter 18.
A Controversial Topic at Best; There Will Be Those Who Disagree, but That’s What the First Amendment is For Free Speech and Freedom of Worship
I fully realize that what I’m about to write here is not a popular topic, but the Bible clearly states that the USA is going to endure a nuclear attack at some point in the not-too-distant future. Whether this attack comes in the form of a lone terrorist bomb or from a nuclear tactical first strike from Russia and China combined, (see Revelation 18, verses 7-10) I can’t say. I do not have access to any such information except that which God gives me, or that He helps me deduce on my own. So the conclusion here in verse 3 is that the “day of reckoning” is a day in the fairly near future when the Nuclear Age, which was started by the USA with the twin nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan in 1945, will soon come back and bite America in the backside. This ‘blow-back’ from 78 years ago will be absolutely devastating to America. Personally, I have become concerned enough about my country’s future that I obtained a passport just several years ago.
America’s Bloated Military
“Nothing will remain except to cringe among the captives or fall among the slain. Yet for all this, his anger is not turned away, his hand still upraised.” As I mentioned before, there are still a lot of people who get infuriated when I write or tell them that this verse and others like it throughout the Bible are talking about the United States. But it’s true! Just look around you. America’s military is stretched dangerously thin in a number of places around the globe. America now has over 700 military bases scattered around the world in about 160 countries at last count. It takes lots and lots of people to man those bases. Many of them are costly and simply unneeded.
The Top 1% of Rich People Are About to Hear From the Rest of Us if We Do This Right
But before any of them can be shut down, the Deep State itself must first be shut down. But is it moral for Christians to participate in such seditious activities? Not normally, but in cases where the government is corrupt to the core, and in cases where the government threatens the livelihood and personal safety of its own citizens, then yes – it is not only OK, but such activities should be encouraged whether in or out of church. There are a number of nonviolent ways this can be accomplished, like hack attacks or Denial of Service attacks on their computer infrastructure, to name 2 examples. Similar attacks on its ‘players’ would be still another. I’m sure you can think of more ways than that and then, by all means, implement those solutions. There will be (I hope) picket lines and protest marches out in the streets. But by all means, do something! Participate! Because if we don’t, what little is left of civil liberties in America, like the freedom of speech that makes my writing this Web posting possible, will soon be gone forever.
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Paul Finally Gets His Chance to Speak to the Crowd
(Acts 21: 37-40; Acts 22, verses 1-11)
Last week as we left off at verse 36 of Acts 21, the apostle Paul had just been arrested after another riot had occurred like the one that occurred at Ephesus back in chapter 19 and verses 23-41. Only this time the setting was Jerusalem, and the Roman officers who arrested Paul were not impressed at all with Paul’s evangelistic activities. Paul found himself bound with two chains, one for his hands and one for his feet. In this way he was carried through the entrance and brought into the officers’ barracks. Today as we take up where we left off, we will be moving on to chapter 22, where what I believe was the Spirit of the Lord enabled Paul to have an opportunity to address the crowd. But before he does so, he must first obtain the permission of the Roman commander. It is at this exact point that we will continue on to part 1 of Acts 22, but beginning at verse 37 of chapter 21:
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“37) As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, ‘May I say something to you?’ ‘Do you speak Greek?’ he replied. 38) ‘Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?’ 39) Paul answered, ‘I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.’ 40) After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: (22) 1)‘Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.’ 2) When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet.” (Acts 21, verses 37-40; Acts 33,verses 1-2)
Thanks to the Holy Spirit, the Apostle Paul Finally Gets His Chance to Speak
First, Paul asks the Roman commander for permission to address him. The commander agrees, provided Paul speaks Greek to him. But it’s the commander who has the first question for Paul in verse 38, thinking that Paul must be a revolutionary of some sort. Assuring the commander that he is not that person, Paul secures the Roman commander’s permission to speak to the crowd. Paul then proceeds to address the crowd in their native tongue, for which they all gave him their undivided attention.
Notice what just occurred? Only minutes before, the entire city was in an uproar. It was likely people were being hurt or trampled throughout the time the commotion was going on, to the point where it had taken the Roman equivalent of the SWAT team to quell the commotion. And yet all Paul had to do was hold up his hand for silence, and the crowd immediately complied. Such “amazing grace, how sweet the sound”! And then, Paul began to address them in their native language, by which he exemplified one of the Gifts of the Spirit, the gift of speaking in other languages (or other tongues in older versions of the Bible), which he later defined in writing in 1st Corinthians chapter 12, verses 7-11.
Part Two of This Week’s Verses
“Then Paul said: 3) ‘I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4) I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5) as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.‘” (Acts chapter 22, verses 3-5)
Paul’s Explanation Begins
Paul immediately makes it clear that he is no Egyptian, nor is he a revolutionary of any kind. In point of fact, he states that he is a man who was formerly like the Jewish rabbi’s who had started the riot. To paraphrase the apostle Paul, ‘I was just like you, including being convinced I was absolutely right’, he told the crowd in verse 3. “I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison”, Paul told them plainly in verse 4. He then tells of the time he went to Damascus to arrest and bring to trial some of the early followers of The Way, and that’s where we will continue at verse 6:
Part Three of This Week’s Verses
“6) About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7) I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8) ‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9) My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10) ‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11) My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me.‘”
So beginning at verse 6, we find Paul continuing his explanation of his actions, which he also turned into an opportunity to evangelize the crowd. He began by relating his testimony of how he came to know the Lord, the events on the road to Damascus as Luke wrote about them in Acts chapter 9, and his encounter with the risen Spirit of the Lord Christ Jesus, which knocked Paul off his horse and blinded him. All this happened in the presence of those traveling with Paul, and all were witnesses to his encounter. Except, it was only Paul who heard and understood the voice of the risen Christ that day. All his entourage knew was that they should continue to Damascus, since they were headed there anyway.
What Happens Next? Come On Back for Next Week’s Lesson
So onward they all went, as the apostle Paul continues to relate the story of his own conversion to the Gospel, or The Way as it was known then. As we continue further into Acts chapter 22, we find Paul finishing, or trying to finish, his testimony. What will he say, and how will he say it? He will get to finish, but not before being interrupted from somewhere or another, just like always. Will the authorities set Paul free again, like what happened at Ephesus, or like when Peter miraculously escaped from jail back in chapter 12? For that, my dear readers, you will have to come back next week for part 2 of Acts chapter 22. I look forward to being with you then. Shalom..…
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One of the primary purposes of this Web ministry, besides extolling the Name of Jesus Christ, is to stand against social injustice and economic inequality in all its forms, as well as the extreme immorality of waging warfare. I firmly believe that any minister who does not do these things is only doing half his or her job. In that case, all they would be doing is collecting a paycheck every Sunday morning for the sake of profit and materialism, forgetting that Jesus preached against this very thing over and over again (but don’t take my word for it, it’s in all four gospels, go and read it for yourself).
Trying to Minister as Best I Can in the Footsteps of Christ
Although Jesus did take His ministry to the religious establishment of his day, which centered around the temple at Jerusalem and the Sanhedrin (or Hebrew ruling elect) of that time, he was rejected and ultimately executed by them just as the Old Testament prophets foretold. This compelled him to reach out to the poor and downtrodden, the outcast and the marginalized who otherwise had no voice at all. He ministered to the sick, the homeless, the addicted and the unemployed and all others who had nothing, with the knowledge that the indwelling of the Spirit of Christ is vastly superior to mere material possessions. I try my best to emulate this mind-set in my ministry and in the people I meet in order that my words and actions may most accurately imitate my Savior and the redeemer of my very soul, Christ Jesus the Lord. (Is He your Savior too? If not, ask him to come and live in your heart starting right now)
A Critical Need for Social Justice
In today’s world there is social injustice and what I call ‘enforced inequality’ everywhere we look. A literal class war is ongoing here in the USA, throughout the Middle East, in Europe and in parts of Asia that has the wealthy accumulating ridiculous amounts of wealth in a downright obscene orgy of greed, and all at the expense of the middle and working classes who are being economically decimated. This illegal and immoral accumulation of extreme wealth is unparalleled in world history.
But if we look at the true levels of unemployment in the US, which by definition must include those who are underemployed (working part time at one or more jobs when full-time employment is both desired and required) or older workers who have been prematurely forced out of the job market for good, the true level of unemployment exceeds 24% in the US alone, not counting the rest of the developed world. Instead of creating more jobs that are the hallmark of any economic recovery, fewer and fewer people are doing more work for less pay.
The Jig Is Up for the Current Economic System
In the meantime, those lucky individuals who still have jobs run the increasing risk of having their jobs out-sourced overseas for pennies on the dollar, or being replaced by workers being imported through H1B work visas to work for wages that are a fraction of their American counterparts. Those who are agile enough to avoid either fate will find themselves being replaced by robots and automation in 10 or 20 years. The government has been concealing this from its constituency for decades, but they can’t keep it a secret any longer, thanks in large part to the Internet. One thing is for certain – the centuries-old paradigm of working for money to buy or rent overpriced housing, not to mention overpriced food, clothing, and oftentimes poor quality merchandise, is going to have to be replaced. This is simply inevitable.
What is also inevitable is that this change will have to come from the bottom up rather than from the top down for obvious reasons. It will also mean the end of the capitalist economic system as we have known it, and the same goes for the current 2-party political system. Until then, the unending occupation of 700 military bases globally, plus the clandestine wars being waged on every continent, are costing the US government $6 billion dollars each day, money that could be much better spent here at home to create some badly needed new jobs.
Something Good We Can Do Instead of Waging War
Let me illustrate why America can easily afford to do this. If the combined US military and intelligence communities set aside the financial expenditures for a single day and put that money into an interest-bearing account of your choice, there would be sufficient funds for a 4-year college education for every school kid in America, from pre-K to a high school senior inclusive. And that’s just from one day’s expenditures! So, those who say we can’t afford free public education from the cradle to the grave, as well as free internet, simply don’t know what they’re talking about.
The World Needs You! Wake Up!
But what do we have instead? American workers are being discarded like so much human scrap by multinational corporations as being no longer useful or too expensive to keep around, resulting in a wave of homelessness not seen since the 1930’s. The majority of today’s homeless population are college educated professionals, not stereotypical street bums, and that is a great social injustice, not to mention a colossal loss of human potential. This has been going on for so long now that America has become accustomed to it. I’m trying to shake you all out of your indifference and complacency! If people don’t snap out of it and come to grips with the fact that we will all soon be facing financial oblivion, oblivion is where we will all soon be.
The Real Independence Day
So it is for all of the above reasons and because of my deep concerns that I say we don’t have much to celebrate this Independence Day. ‘America the Beautiful’ has become America the tarnished, America the bankrupt, America the loan shark, America the ruthless drug dealer, America the hustler of oil, and America the unscrupulous arms merchant. I want no part of any of the above. I want to be part of the American resurgence, but also part of the American resistance. My country has been stolen by a cadre of very wealthy psychopaths, and like millions of others I too have come to that realization. Like all those other millions, I too have come to the realization that we will have to retake our country by force, since it will never be returned voluntarily. How that comes about remains to be seen, but we won’t have long to wait until we find out. Happy independence day, then, such as it is. Let’s all start planning how we can restore that independence which has been taken away. That’s when our true independence will begin!
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You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern, all rights reserved; available from this link
Last week when we left off at verse 26 of Acts 21, Paul and the elders at Jerusalem were having a seven-day purification ceremony, which included Paul and a number of the men shaving their heads in a joint vow they had made together. This week as we take up where we left off, we find that some Jewish men from the province of Asia (which was a part of present-day Turkey) have arrived in Jerusalem while the 7-day purification ceremony was going on. The purpose of the ceremony, you recall, was as a unified protest and public demonstration of their vehement disagreement with certain Jewish leaders, who were teaching that Christian converts must also convert to Judaism in a manner that combined the two faiths. That teaching, which still goes on today but in few denominations, is grossly in error.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
But evidently at least one of the Jews from the province of Asia recognized Paul from earlier in his missionary journey in chapters 16 and 17, which we covered previously. It is at that point where we will begin this week’s lesson, starting at verse 27: “27) When the seven days were nearly over, some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul at the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd and seized him, 28) shouting, ‘Fellow Israelite’s, help us! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people and our law and this place. And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.’ 29) (They had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple.)”
Of Bogus Allegations and Trumped Up Charges
What we have here is another riot, like at Ephesus, only this time it’s in Jerusalem, the last place where Paul wanted to draw any unwanted attention towards himself. And we see in verse 28 that it was started by a lie, which was, “Fellow Israelite’s, help us!” These Jews from the province of Asia were from what is modern Turkey today. They were most certainly not Israelite’s, let alone citizens of Jerusalem. So their cry to their “fellow Israelite’s” was a bogus appeal made for bogus reasons. On top of that, in the very next sentence their own snobbery reared its ugly head when the Jewish men asserted, “And besides, he has brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place.” This didn’t just mean people of Greek origin. They were talking about all non-Jews, which excluded everyone else in the crowd except for themselves. They were talking about everybody else. So we have these religious bigots and devout liars – seem familiar to ya? – who have come to knock the apostle Paul over once again. And now let’s move on to part two of this week’s teaching:
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“30) The whole city was aroused, and the people came running from all directions. Seizing Paul, they dragged him from the temple, and immediately the gates were shut. 31) While they were trying to kill him, news reached the commander of the Roman troops that the whole city of Jerusalem was in an uproar. 32) He at once took some officers and soldiers and ran down to the crowd. When the rioters saw the commander and his soldiers, they stopped beating Paul. 33) The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34) Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. 35) When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36) The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Get rid of him!’” (Acts 21, verses 30-36)
An Act of Self Preservation That Prevented Any Lasting Damage
Do you notice the first thing that happened? So organized was the incitement of the crowd by the Asian provincial Jews that the entire city, at least for the most part, ran directly to where Paul and the others were just completing their 7 days of purification (see verse 26 from last week’s lesson). The very next thing that happened once Paul had been seized and dragged from the purification ceremony was that those who had taken the oath of purification with Paul shut the door behind him as an act of self-preservation. Evidently no one thought that Paul was going to survive what was about to happen to him, and their feelings were justified as we will see in just a minute. What this was not, however, was an act of betrayal on the part of the other celebrants there at the ceremony that had just abruptly wrapped up. Had they not done what they did, the entire leadership of the early Church there in Jerusalem would have been incarcerated or killed, and there would have been a real chance of the Church being seriously damaged as a result.
Paul the Apostle is Saved by Improbable Means
Fortunately for Paul, and all those other celebrants at the purification ceremony which denounced the Jews who taught Judaism in Christian churches, the Roman soldiers arrived just in time to save Paul’s life. This just goes to show you what can happen to people who speak truth to power. In this case the apostle Paul, together with the other early Church leadership, had made a public statement of 7 days duration against the Jewish infiltrators in the early Church. This obviously infuriated them, having been stirred up and incited by the Asian provincial Jews who also happened to be there. “The commander came up and arrested him and ordered him to be bound with two chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done….. and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks.”
Back to the Barracks in Chains
As the verses above show, there were no handcuffs back then, only chains. In Paul’s case, one for his hands and the other for his feet. Poor Paul gets arrested again for incitement, very similar to what happened to him at Ephesus (from Acts 19, which we have covered previously). The commander wanted to know what Paul had done, since Paul was at the center of all the public outcry. But the noise was so great that neither could hear the other over the din of the crowd. So Paul finds himself getting marched back to the barracks where the soldiers had just came from.
To Find Out What Happened Next, You’ll Have to Return Next Week at This Time
“35) When Paul reached the steps, the violence of the mob was so great he had to be carried by the soldiers. 36) The crowd that followed kept shouting, ‘Get rid of him!’” I can hear it now: ‘Out with him! Get him out of here!’ This was mostly because the crowd had been deprived of their opportunity to kill Paul, which frustrated them greatly and agitated them even more. In order to spare him from being killed by the angry mob, the Roman soldiers picked Paul up and carried him on their shoulders while they protected him – and themselves – from the enraged crowd. Finally, they were able to make their way safely into the barracks, and Paul probably got tied to a chair or to a post as his interrogation began. So what would Paul be asked, and how would he respond? What, at this point, could he be charged with? If he were to be found guilty in a court of law, what would his punishment be? To find out the course and substance of Paul’s interrogation, not to mention the outcome, be sure and come on back next week for part 3 of Acts chapter 21. Shalom.…
Since you proved you like my writing style by reading all the way to the end, come and join me for unlimited access to my blog, plus 18 million other articles from thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. You’ll receive my biweekly blog, which gets posted every Sunday Morning at 6:30AM. This includes my ongoing Biblical study series, which gets published every Wednesday at 7PM. You’ll also gain access to my archives, some merchandise, and my free You Tube channel. Come aboard for Spiritual growth, education, and enrichment….
Why Most of the American People Need to Take Anger Management Classes
by Rev. Paul J. Bern
Coming this September, my first novel, “One Lone Survivor” (stay tuned)
For this week’s message, I’m feeling the need to write about the recent flood of shootings here in Atlanta and elsewhere, but I’m especially writing about my home town of Atlanta, Ga. There have been a flurry of shootings here in the A-T-L that have left me troubled. Let me cite the following news headlines for examples:
I can see two main reasons for all the gun violence. The first I can sum up in two words – anger management, or more accurately the lack thereof on the part of all too many Americans of all races, enthnicities and complexions. Too many people are using their emotions instead of their minds for processing thoughts and feelings. This will require some people to adopt new ways of thinking. (more on this at the end) The second I can sum up in one word – greed! There are too many people trying to shake down too many others for a quick, easy profit. The fact that much of this stems from the lack of economic opportunity, combined with starvation wages that are on par with the 1960’s, changes nothing. Allow me to share a few examples of what the Bible says about this.
The Gang Problem and the Bible
“My son, if sinners entice you, do not give in to them. If they say, “Come along with us; let’s lie in wait for someone’s blood, let’s waylay some harmless soul; let’s swallow them alive, like the grave, and whole, like those who go down to the pit; we will get all sorts of valuable things and fill our houses with plunder; throw in your lot with us, and we will share a common purse” – my son, do not go along with them, do not set foot on their paths; for their feet rush into sin, and they are swift to shed blood.” (Proverbs chapter 1, verses 8-16)
These verses describe the gang problem here in the US, which is quite substantial, very well. As you know, youth plus a sense of belonging, minus any positive role models at home, and minus any real chance at economic or educational opportunities, equals future gang members. If our youth can’t find the love, acceptance and guidance they need from home and church, they will go and get it somewhere else. Invariably, they wind up hanging around with the wrong crowd.
Time for Some Tough Love from Pastor Paul
But there is more to America’s anger management issues. People react emotionally instead of thoughtfully because they allow evil things like greed, pride and a bad temper to rule over them, as it is written: “A fool finds pleasure in evil conduct, but a man of understanding delights in wisdom.” (Proverbs 10: 23) But isn’t there more to it than just that, you ask? You’re right, it’s more than just a lack of understanding. Some people need to grow up and learn to control their tempers, and to cease provoking others. “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger”. (Proverbs 15: 1) And again it is written in that same Book of Proverbs: “A hot-tempered man stirs up dissension, but a patient man calms a quarrel.” (Proverbs 15: 18)
Where Did Love Go?
But at the end of the day, those who commit gun violence have one common denominator – a lack of love in their lives. Hatred has replaced love in a world that can’t stop hating because it doesn’t know how. The reason some people don’t know how to stop hating nor how to start loving is because they refuse to take the Bible and its teachings seriously. Moreover, there is no love because there is no trust due to fear – people are afraid to trust one another because they’re afraid if they do they might miss out on something beneficial, having forgotten that mutual trust is itself beneficial, as is mutual love. The apostle John put it best when he wrote:
Never Forget the Real Message
“This is the message you have heard from the beginning: that we should love one another. Do not be like Cain, who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother’s were righteous. Do not be surprised, my brothers, if the world hates you. We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know no murderer has eternal life in him. This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” (1st John chapter 3, verses 11-16)
But Jesus said it best of all. “’Teacher, what is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus replied, ‘Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second one is like it; love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the prophets hang on these two commandments.’” (Matthew chapter 22, verses 36-40)
A Course In Anger Management
Where does anger come from? You can get all the details from this link. But to sum it up, anger can come from hate or rage, it can also be a result of being offended or from being assaulted or insulted. Sometimes anger comes when we see someone being taken advantage of, or of being ripped off. But other times anger comes from being too impatient. It’s as if to say to another, ‘Who do you think you are by slowing my progress, or by being in my way?’ This very thing is how a lot of these “road rage” incidents get started. In Atlanta, it’s not unheard of for a driver to shoot another from being too impatient when in heavy traffic. And, Atlanta has a whole lot of heavy traffic.
The solution, then, is for more disciplined behavior on the part of people everywhere. Driving faster than anyone else will only make a difference of 2-3 minutes relative to the driver’s arrival at their destination. Driving hard and fast will also wear out your car or truck sooner rather than later. It’s time for some people out there to grow up. You know who you are. Under no circumstances is shooting another driver who got in your way worth all the time you would spend in prison. As for all you traffic bullies who are out there, I have a bit of news for you. Bullies are takers, and takers are losers. It’s time for everybody to grow up and get a real life. Cancel your subscriptions if you must (really, please don’t) but the truth is still the truth, and I stand on the side of truth every day of the year.
Since you proved you like my writing style by reading all the way to the end, come and join me for unlimited access to my blog, plus 18 million other articles from thousands of other writers by signing up for a membership. You’ll receive my biweekly blog, which gets posted every Sunday Morning at 6:30AM. This includes my ongoing Biblical study series, which gets published every Wednesday at 7PM. You’ll also gain access to my archives, some merchandise, and my free You Tube channel. Come aboard for Spiritual growth, education, and enrichment….
You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern, all rights reserved; available from this link
Last week as we left off at verse 11, we found Paul, Luke and the others intercepted at Caesarea by a prophet from Judea named Agabus, as it is written in verse 11: “….he took Paul’s belt, tied his own hands and feet with it, and said, ‘The Holy Spirit says, ‘In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles’”. This may well have startled Paul, but I suspect that it did not. He had been insisting all along that it was his fate to suffer and die for Christ, and that he had to go to Jerusalem, despite the strenuous objections of Paul’s co-workers, not to mention all the churches he had founded along the way. The apostle Luke chronicled these events very well indeed as we begin this week’s Biblical teaching, starting at verse 12.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“12) When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13) Then Paul answered, ‘Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.’ 14) When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, ‘The Lord’s will be done.’ 15) After this, we started on our way up to Jerusalem. 16) Some of the disciples from Caesarea accompanied us and brought us to the home of Mnason, where we were to stay. He was a man from Cyprus and one of the early disciples.” (Acts chapter 21, verses 12-16)
Paul’s Determination Despite Pleadings to the Contrary
The Bible makes it pretty clear in these verses that the other apostles with Paul and Luke did everything in their power to try and talk Paul out of going to Jerusalem. Why, they must have asked him, did he feel so compelled to go to Jerusalem? Why would he voluntarily walk into his own death? But Paul understood something the others did not. Paul was looking forward to earning a much better resurrection at the last trumpet, which is Christ’s return. He could have evaded capture by his former compatriots in Judaism and lived out a normal lifespan out in the countryside somewhere preaching, teaching and being a pastor. He could have led a good and rich life as such, but he chose the difficult road for himself as a token of faith in the risen Christ. That, and for his monumental appreciation for the Supreme Sacrifice of our risen Lord!
So Paul has at this point left, or is about to leave, all he has known for the last several years – possibly more. He was on his way to Jerusalem, where he was a wanted man, and where he could face death if put on trial by the Sanhedrin, the governing body of all Judaism at that time. On the evening of the following day, Paul and the others were brought to the home of Mnason, probably in the hopes of trying one more time to talk Paul out of departing for Jerusalem the next day. This brings us to part two of this week’s lesson, starting at verse 17.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“17) When we arrived at Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters received us warmly. 18) The next day Paul and the rest of us went to see James, and all the elders were present. 19) Paul greeted them and reported in detail what God had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 20) When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to Paul: ‘You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews have believed, and all of them are zealous for the law. 21) They have been informed that you teach all the Jews who live among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or live according to our customs. 22) What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come….’”
The Early Church’s Dilemma
Paul’s report to James and all the elders with them was an uplifting message to all who heard it. So much so that the elders were prompted to report back about how men were already interjecting falsehoods into the original Gospel. Simply trying to reason with those Jewish zealots for Christendom was evidently not possible, as verses 21 and 22 reveal. How, they asked Paul, could they try and make the necessary corrections to what was being taught when they were so outnumbered?
We can see from how these verses were worded that the early Church had been infiltrated by those who wanted everyone to follow the Old Law while worshiping the risen Lord and Savior, all at once. But Jesus had previously taught he came to earth to fulfill the Old Law (see Matthew 5: 17-18). He himself was the new Law, so that whoever believes in him, and in his crucifixion and resurrection, will never perish but live forever! Just as I am writing these words to each of you, so the elders in Jerusalem were telling Paul – please tell them all these things. They won’t listen to us, they told him, so hopefully they will listen to you, ‘brother Paul’. This brings us to the third and final part of this week’s lesson, starting at verse 22:
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
“22) ‘What shall we do? They will certainly hear that you have come, 23) so do what we tell you. There are four men with us who have made a vow. 24) Take these men, join in their purification rites and pay their expenses, so that they can have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is no truth in these reports about you, but that you yourself are living in obedience to the law. 25) As for the Gentile believers, we have written to them our decision that they should abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals and from sexual immorality.’ 26) The next day Paul took the men and purified himself along with them. Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end and the offering would be made for each of them.”
Paul’s Public Vow Against Church Infiltrators
So here we have some of the elders at Jerusalem meeting with Paul and those with him, so they could work out a way to take a stand against those who spread the phony gospel of Judaic Christianity, where the Jewish customs of the Old Law of Moses were being blended with Christian beliefs. These men had devised a plan, but to meet the plan’s objectives, Paul had to make a vow with the rest of the men, which included all of them shaving their heads. So Paul, who backed away from nothing, naturally agreed to take this vow together with the other men. So they underwent the “purification rites” as Luke called them in verse 26. Note, also, that the first thing listed that they would all abstain from was any sexual immorality. By joining with the other men in this public vow, Paul took a public stand against those false teachers who had infiltrated the early Church. “Then he went to the temple to give notice of the date when the days of purification would end….”
What would be the outcome of all this? What would the reaction be from the Jewish Christians when they saw that Paul had taken a public stand against what they were teaching and preaching, together with the rest of the elders, and even the apostle James? For the answers to these questions, be sure and return next week for the third and final part of our study of Acts chapter 21. God willing, I’ll see you all then.
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What 21 Years In the Technology Business, and What it Taught Me About the Benefits of Working for Yourself
by Rev. Paul J. Bern
First, a Little Background
The year was 1988, and as I looked around me I saw a need for some serious change in my professional life. I had spent the previous six years as a local truck driver and courier contractor for several different companies. I became bored with those jobs, so I searched for a fresh start for myself, realizing my need for a complete career change. After making a lot of phone calls, I chose learning computer and electronics repair as my new vocation. At this time IBM’s personal computers, together with a whole host of competitors, were in the early stages of development. I saw that as a means to get a fresh start in life.
Earning My Way Through Tech School
I worked as a box truck delivery driver during part of the time I was in tech school, and went to class at least some nights plus every Saturday. It was a one year course for full-time students, two years if you went part time like I did. After the truck driving job ended, I worked at an electronics assembly plant for about a year. That company was Scientific-Atlanta, which was located in a northeastern suburb of Atlanta. Their assembly plant, which made cable TV converter boxes, was shut down and relocated to Mexico just a few years later. Over 1,100 people got fired just because the top management had decided we were all too expensive to keep around. It was my first exposure to the ugly side of being a tech worker. We were all very expendable, and I still remember how dismayed I was about the whole situation.
What I Learned From My Three Years As an Electronics Technician
I finally got my degree in Computer Technology in October of 1989, and I remember what a tough time I had finding work after I entered the job market. After a few months went by where I worked on several different short-term assignments for various staffing agencies, I finally got my first real permanent job after my “temp” job at Scientific-Atlanta got exported to Mexico unexpectedly. I was fortunate enough to be hired by Wegener Communications, Inc., building and troubleshooting satellite TV receivers. The following year I changed over to Princeton Graphics systems repairing computer monitors. These were the old-style box monitors from before the days of flat screens. Princeton made 14 inch and 16 inch “super VGA” monitors that were among the best in the business. I only wished that job could have lasted longer, but it was temporary like all the others I ever saw or heard of.
For Me, It Was Time to Change the Game
The main thing that still stands out to me, even after all these years, was how unstable the tech work environment was everywhere I looked. All the jobs were from technology staffing firms. There were no permanent positions available anywhere that I ever found. This meant we could be fired for no reason, that we work with no benefits and no job security. When I graduated only 2 years before, I thought the whole world was my oyster, mainly due to the greatly increasing prevalence of personal computers. It looked as if my long-term job security would be guaranteed because I would never run out of computers to fix, build and sell. What I found instead was a job market where the people were mere commodities instead of living, breathing human beings. By the time my 3rd year of being an electronics technician rolled around, I had another ‘temp’ job end prematurely, and that was it for me. I had had enough.
Starting a Business
I had spent the previous 3 years working on a total of 7 jobs, feeling like a human ping-pong ball. So I decided to start a business. Scraping together all the money that I had, which included funds from a lawsuit I had recently won, is how I managed to get things started. I had two cars that I liquidated for more start-up capital. I spent that money buying as much inventory as my tiny little budget would allow. Then, I rented a small 10 by 10 flea market booth, which was $250.00 per month (this was in 1991). Immediately I began offering my services as an electronics technician, fixing anything electronic that could be fixed.
I also sourced some kits to build electronic surveillance devices for end users. These were very small room and telephone surveillance devices. The room ‘bug’ was the size of a postage stamp, and it was powered by a 9 volt battery. The telephone version used the 24 volts from the phone line to listen in on calls. (this was several years before wireless phones became popular)
How to Plant and Grow a 1-Man Business
I also gradually began offering computer repair services, and my skills grew over time. Due to a lack of opportunity to serve as a technician employed by other companies, I ultimately had to hire myself. I stayed in that little flea market booth for 14 months before I saved enough money to rent my first storefront. It was very small, only about 700 square feet, but it was enough to nearly triple the size of my tiny little flea market space. I put in a whole lot of extra hours working in my shop, but that’s what it takes to make a small business grow. You’ve got to stay with it no matter how difficult it seems, and I clearly remember putting in a lot of 70-hour work weeks.
Getting Into the Computer Business When the Getting Was Good
There were a lot more parts that went into personal computers back then, so I’m only to touch on them briefly. First, there were all the different main logic boards. These were printed circuit silicon boards that started out with upper and lower layers, but soon they mushroomed into much more intricate, multilayered, main circuit boards, sometimes called ‘motherboards’ by those who were in the computer trade back then. IBM was the father of the personal computer craze when it really took off, starting back in the early 1980’s. Within just a few short years, everybody was “cloning” Microsoft-compatible PC’s. From 1991 until 1999, all I did was build and sell new and used computers, and provide repair services to those who needed it. They were at least as popular as television was when it really took off back in the 1950’s.
Memory
Then there was the topic of memory. Back in the early days of personal computing, motherboards started out at 128 kilobytes (not a typo!) of memory, but they quickly advanced to 256K, 512K and 640K of random access memory, or RAM for short. From there, computer memory went from 640K up to 1 ‘megabyte’, which was quickly followed by 4, 8 and 16 MB RAM configurations within a time span of just a couple of years.
Microprocessors
Back in the early days of computing, the first generation microprocessors were the 8080, followed by the 8086 and 8088 generations. Motorola had their MC68000 series microprocessors for Apple and Mac computers. These were all known as “8-bit” PC motherboards because they could only process data at a maximum of 8 “bits” at a time (there are 4 bits in a “byte”, hence the reference to kilobytes, which is 100 “bytes”). But by 1990 and later, the first 16-bit processors came along in the form of 80286 and 80386 microprocessors, which were introduced less than a year apart. The 80386 came in “SX” and “DX” configurations. The SX’s were 16 bit, but the DX introduced the first true 32-bit processors, a giant leap from only a few years before. The 386DX’s were followed with the 80486, and then the Pentium processors were introduced, starting around 1996 and going up from there to where we are today. A new version of motherboards had to be introduced for every generation of new microprocessor that hit the market just to keep up with the advances of microprocessors and computer architecture.
Various Disk Drives for Data Storage and Retrieval
Data storage started out with floppy disk drives, which came in 3 sizes. The earliest drives were of the 8-inch variety, and they could only store a maximum of 180KB of data. By the middle of the 1980’s, the 2nd generation of floppy drive was introduced. These were of the 5.25-inch variety, and they were the first “double density” drives because they could hold up to 360KB of data, a 100% increase from the previous generation. The first floppy drives to market were the “full height” drives, which took up two 5.25-inch drive bays. This was followed only a couple of years later by “half height” drives, which only took up one drive bay, cutting the physical size of the drives in half.
The next downsizing of floppy drives occurred when the first 3.5-inch drives were introduced around 1992. This doubled the density again, this time up to 720KB of storage. Only thing was, the first “high-density” floppy drives came on the computing scene at about this same time. The 5.25-inch drives went from 360KB up to 1.2 megabytes, and the 3.5” drives jumped from 720KB up to 1.44MB. But that was the end of the road for floppy drives.
Hard Disk Drives
The first hard disk drives were configured in a similar fashion. The very first ones that I can remember were of 5 megabytes capacity, and they were ‘full height’ 5.25-inch drives, like the 2nd generation floppy drives that I described above. These were big and bulky drives that weighed about 10 pounds apiece. Within a year, drive capacity doubled to 10MB, then 20. Like their predecessor, hard disk drives from that time period from the late 1980’s to the early 1990’s soon shrunk to half-height 5.25-inch (cutting their weight and dimensions in half), and they shrunk further still when the first 3.5-inch 40MB drives were introduced about 1993, which were greatly downsized to an average weight of about 3 pounds. Soon after, they exploded in storage capacity from 80MB to 540MB in the span of just a couple of years. From 540MB capacity, hard drives grew still more with the first 750MB drives around 1997, up to the first 1-gigabyte drives the following year, up until where we are today.
Controller Cards and Hard Drives In Different Styles and Speeds
Main logic boards from 25-30 years ago consisted of the main processor, RAM and ROM (read-only memory), and what were known back then as “expansion slots”. One of the primary items that needed to be added on so the PC became fully functional were the ‘controller cards’. These were printed circuit boards that were only about ¼ to 1/3 the size of the main logic board, or ‘motherboard’. As the name implies, the primary purpose of the expansion cards was to regulate the data flow and data transmission speed, also called the “throughput”, between the hard drive and the processor. They used two cables, one for DC power and the other for data.
The earliest hard drive controller cards used a data transmission protocol known as an RLL interface. These controllers used 2 ‘ribbon cables’, one for incoming data and the other for outbound data. Their data transmission speed was measured at 7.5 megabits per second, also called the MBPS rate (MIPs for short), which was hilariously slow by today’s standards. The largest capacity RLL hard drives that I can remember topped out at about 30 megabytes of storage. Nearly all were huge by today’s standards, taking up 2 5.25” storage bays to hold it and weighing an average of 10 pounds.
The Second, Third and Fourth Generation Hard Drives and Controller Cards
The next controller protocol were called “MFM” drives. It was at this point in the history of personal computing that hard drives began their first downsizing. Since MFM hard drives had 50% more storage space from the same drive and controller, and that’s how drives became physically smaller, in increments at first, but adding much more capacity as time went on. The third generation hard drives and controllers were called “Small Computer Special Interface”, or by the acronym ‘SCSI’. These were the first 3.5” drives that fit in the smaller drive bays that were built into the newest computer cases of that time period. With the new SCSI drives, data transmission rate doubled within just a year or so. This occurred around the early to mid 1990’s.
The following year, the first IDE hard drives hit the market. Speed and storage doubled again by 1996. By the end of the following year, the first 1-Gigabyte capacity hard drives were introduced, and with them came the first 32-bit operating systems. MS-DOS was replaced with Windows 95, which was followed by Windows 98 around the Christmas shopping season of 1997. As a result, computer speeds doubled and then doubled again by the end of 1998, and continuing up until today.
Interface Cards and the Evolution of Motherboards
Besides the screen and keyboard in personal computers from the 1980’s and early 1990’s, computers needed to have the ability to connect with what were called “peripheral devices”. From the very start around 1980 or so, there were “I/O cards” (input/output), which had 2 serial ports, 1 parallel port, and a game or joystick port. The serial ports were for 1st generation printers and computer networks. ‘Serial’ in this case refers to the flow of the data, which was transmitted in serial, or single file, mode. These I/O cards were plugged into an expansion slot on each respective motherboard. At first, this was good for business. After all, the more parts the customer needed, the better it was for sales. This is what I experienced firsthand as the owner of a small computer store from 1991 to 1999.
The earlier versions of computer motherboards used separate expansion cards for the floppy drive and hard drive controllers. Other specialty cards such as for ‘tape backups’, were an early version of computer backup/restore functions. That’s not counting the ‘I/O cards, which were basically for everything else you can think of. But, by the late 1990’s all of the early versions were consolidated into a single main logic board. This happened because computers were gradually getting smaller and lighter with each passing year. By this time, the second generation “laptop” PC’s had hit the market, miniaturizing computers a great deal smaller still.
The Basic Differences Between Serial and Parallel Data Transmission
Unlike serial data transmission, ‘parallel’ referred to side-by-side data transmission, with the widest possible mode was 16 bits at a time, a huge improvement over the relatively sluggish serial printers. It was right about this time that a new network protocol now known as “Ethernet” came to be. Instead of 16 data bits at a time, transmission rates leaped to 100 data bits (sometimes called “10/100” speeds), which were sent in what was known as ‘blocks” of data. Computer networking speeds continued to grow rapidly into the broadband and fiber optic networks we have today.
The End of My Years of Self-Employment
From 1988 until 2001, I made a real good living being a technician, and particularly as a small PC sales and repair shop owner from 1991 until 1999. Before and again after that I still did pretty good as a contract electronics technician during 1988, 1989, and 1990. By the spring of 1991 I had saved up enough to open up my first storefront. When the lease ran out in 1995, I moved four miles down the road to a slightly bigger shop, about 1,000 square feet. That lasted until the summer of 1999, at which time the big computer companies like Dell, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard and an alphabet soup of off-brand computers started dumping computers in the retail PC market at or even below cost. This had the effect of starving the small operators like myself out of business.
Stopped by a Health Crisis of Serious Proportions
So from 1999-2001 I went back to work as a contract warranty field engineer, but it was right about that time when the “dot-com bubble” burst. Everybody, including myself, found themselves laid off. After a fruitless 14-month long search for work, I ended up changing vocations. I became a contract delivery driver for a local courier company. I had a small pickup, so I had a good vehicle for it. I stayed with it for 4 years, but in the end I got tired of my vehicles wearing out before their time because I had to drive an average of 60,000 miles a year to make a good living. But there was one other thing that stopped me in my tracks: Four months after my 50th birthday, I had a stroke. This was no mini-stroke, either, this was the real deal. This forced me out of the courier business since I could no longer handle the large boxes of printed matter I was accustomed to carrying.
The Collapse of My Health
For myself, the first thing that happened was getting evicted from the master bedroom I was renting for the previous 2 years. I ended up homeless with only my broken-down GMC cargo van for shelter. I remained in this predicament throughout the summer until October. That’s when I was rushed to another Atlanta hospital. I stayed there for about 2 weeks before being transferred to one final hospital for 5 months. This thankfully spared me from having to deal with homelessness through the winter, which I probably would not have survived. I guess you could say the Almighty God took pity on me without my asking for it. I am so very thankful that God chose to show me mercy. Let me just say I was in worse shape health-wise back then than I had previously realized.
End of the Road
Would I do this all over again? Was it worth a total of 21 years of my life to be a ‘temporary’ electronics technician, then a computer and network technician? No matter where I worked, I was only a “temp” worker. After 5 more years of ‘contract’ work, those ‘temp’ jobs slipped out the back door, never to be seen or heard from again. The one-word answer to my question, then, is a very large ‘NO’! Not if my career will ruin my health and force me into early retirement 15 years before I planned to. Not if I became destitute through no fault of my own.
The Lessons Learned
Was it worth all that when I compare my earnings during that period to what I was making during the peak years of self employment? Absolutely not, which is why I would never advise any college-bound high school senior or undergraduate to choose IT as a career. Today you can do much better if you work from home doing side-hustles, like driving for Uber (I do NOT recommend Lyft at all) or filling out surveys, or dog walking. Today, anyone who chooses to can make better money as a long-haul trucker, driving a big rig, than one can earn as, for example, a Windows network administrator. Serious, it’s not worth the indebtedness one would incur by obtaining a student loan to go to college. Seriously, forget about it. Chart your own road instead of following the road maps put before you that serve only the business owners.
I’m on medical retirement now. I have an apartment that I rent through the US department of housing and urban development (HUD). My rent is pro-rated to no more than 30% of the going rate, and I no longer need a car due to easy access to public transit. I write articles like this one, trying to make extra money. I have 8 Christian nonfiction books on Amazon, and I’m an online Christian minister with a blog and a You-Tube channel.
Sometimes people I meet on the street or online want to know why I founded this online church and nonprofit instead of using a regular church building or even a humble storefront. How does this online-only organization stay afloat when I have no ability to take up a collection or any kind of offering? I was once even accused of “preaching into a computer”!
I’ve Seen a Lot of Bad Churches
But my critics don’t see what I have seen. I gave my heart, mind and especially my soul to Jesus Christ back in 1992, and since then I have served as a musician at 5 different churches over the last 3 decades. (I’m a lifetime piano/organ/keyboard player) So, I have observed firsthand the inner workings of churches for a very long time by now, and I have seen a lot of things that clash with the original Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have also seen a few churches that are actually cults in disguise. They should be avoided as much as possible. More about that further down in this article.
Finding a Church ‘Home’ Away From Home
But after nearly 20 years of searching, I found the church where I’ve served as a musician since 2009. That’s where I still play the keys every Sunday morning, at the Prayer of Faith Church of God in Christ in Atlanta, Ga. (If you’re a local resident, the street address is 861 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, Atlanta, Ga., 30318) But once that is over, I hurry back home to my PC and go to work. My weekly Sunday messages are usually posted at 6:30AM Sunday morning’s, and my ongoing Biblical study series usually posts every Thursday evening at 7PM.
Things People Dislike the Most About Many Brick and Mortar Churches
What are some of the things people dislike about traditional churches? I can think of at least these 3:
Churches are run like businesses, and it shows. They spend all the tens or hundreds of thousands, with some annual donations into the million dollar range, on bigger and fancier churches, on the salaries of the pastor, his/her assistant pastor, the music director, the musicians and sound engineer, and let’s not forget the building maintenance people.
People have become fed up with the incessant demands from church leaders to “tithe” 10% of their income each week. Plus, a lot of people can’t afford to give that much anyway, since wages in America are at or near starvation levels. For an example of why collecting “tithes” works so well for churches, let’s use a hypothetical example of a poor church where the average wage is, say, $30,000.00 per year per member and there are 100 members. Ten percent of $30K is $3,000.00 per year for each member, so if there are 100 members each giving 10% of their incomes, 100 x 3,000 = $300,000 per year. Not bad for an allegedly ‘poor’ church. The biggest churches are raking in millions each year.
People have been driven away from some churches due to abuse within the clergy. Sometimes the abuse is financial, and in a worst case can even be sexual in nature.
The Advantages of Online Worship
So what are some of the things people like about nontraditional churches, such as those operating on line like this one?
No exposure to others in church who may be sick, but they come anyway, endangering everyone else due to possible exposure.
Not having to deal with the internal politics and cliques that inevitably rise up in bad churches.
Never being asked to donate 10% of their income week after week.
Not having to leave home to attend. Your motor vehicle, whatever it is, stays in your driveway or parking lot, and your fuel stays in your tank.
Being able to attend church whenever you like, on your own schedule.
Being able to pick and choose what message you want to read or watch.
Obtaining relief from all the phony pomp and circumstance one encounters in traditional churches.
The complete absence of traditional dogma or, for that matter, with traditional religion in all its forms.
The complete absence of denominational ‘teachings’ as you have probably come to know them.
The complete absence of political ideology of any kind.
What You Will Continue to Get by Becoming an Online Member Here at the Social Gospel Worship and Learning Center, an Online Faith Based Community
You will get all of the above I just mentioned, plus one other thing – Jesus Christ is taught here exclusively. His virgin birth, his exemplary life without sin, his crucifixion, death, and miraculous rise from death on the morning of the Third Day. You will receive Jesus Christ and all He taught us, plus numerous applications thereof. And, you will receive my biweekly blog, the “Social Gospel Blog”, “where truth, justice and the Bible meet”. There is a free version and a paid version. The free version can be found on WordPress.com at https://socialgospel849838951.wordpress.com. You can start following me there.
The paid version can be found either on Substack.com at https://pbern.substack.com or on Medium.com at https://medium.com/@greatestservant62. The Medium version is probably the better deal of the two. There you will find unlimited access to my blog plus 18 million other writers by signing up for a membership. You’ll receive my biweekly blog, which gets posted every Sunday Morning at 6:30AM. This includes my ongoing Biblical study series, which gets published every Thursday at 7PM. You’ll also gain access to merchandise and my You Tube channel. The price for either Substack or Medium is only $5.00 per month or $50.00 per year, that works out to 16 cents per day. Come aboard for Spiritual growth, education, and enrichment….
This week, I think it’s time to (respectfully) point out certain errors committed by organized religion. As an activist online pastor, I sometimes have to take issue when I see evidence of wrong teaching. Sometimes this can result in predictions about the future being made that later turn out to be wrong. I still remember all the predictions about May 14th, 2018 and the 70th anniversary of the founding of the nation of Israel. But the date came and went without incident. The same thing happened when the fourth Blood Moon came and went without so much as a whimper back on September 28th, 2015.
There’s Nothing Wrong With the Bible
Now let me be abundantly clear right here. This does not mean I think there is anything wrong with the Bible. On the contrary, the Bible is the infallible written Word of God. No one who has read this Book would arbitrarily dismiss it unless they put no faith in the Scriptures at all, or because they don’t understand the sacred nature of the Bible. Either that, or they simply lack understanding, which is usually due to inadequate or wrong instruction. But, sometimes it can be a matter of whose version of the Bible you are accustomed to using. As a minister, I use 3 different versions of the Bible for study and to help me with my writing. Those three are the NIV (new international version), NLT (new living translation) and/or the Amplified Bible.
My Top Ten List of Religion Being on the Wrong Side of History
When we Christians get political, we often do so because we believe that we have God on our side. This is true whether we are liberal, progressive or conservative, and throughout most of American history there have been all of the above. When we examine that history, it quickly becomes evident that Christians have frequently been on the wrong side of it, to put it mildly. Here are some more things that American Christians, particularly those of the conservative stripe, have gotten completely wrong when they were so sure they were speaking on God’s behalf:
1) Slavery. Both sides of the American slavery debate claimed to be speaking from profound Christian conviction. The Bible has a rather matter-of-fact view of slavery, something pro-slavery Christians routinely pointed out. Abolitionists took a broader, less literal view of the Bible. Unsurprisingly, this divide led to the American South being, to this day, home of the most people who take a fundamentalist view of Christianity. Of course, nowadays you can’t find even the most liberal fan of the Bible who is willing to agree with their predecessors in the 19th century, who also believed the Bible endorsed slavery. Of the many things conservative Christians have gotten wrong over the years, the pro-slavery argument is one that will hopefully never be revived.
2) Women’s Rights. Unsurprisingly, conservative Christianity was hostile to women’s suffrage, just as it’s been hostile to women’s progress ever since the apostle Paul wrote that “women should be silent” in the church. Women’s “God-given” roles were routinely referenced in arguments against giving women the right to vote, such as when Susan Fenimore Cooper – daughter of James Fenimore Cooper – wrote in Harper’s that “Christianity confirms the subordinate position of woman, by allotting to man the headship in plain language and by positive precept.” While the argument is clearly wrong in retrospect and disavowed by most modern conservatives, there are tragically still some Christian conservative extremists who continue to insist that the issue isn’t resolved and should still be up for debate.
3) Evolution. From the time it became evident that life on earth evolved over millions of years, many conservative Christians were aghast and resisted this as hard as they could. The Scopes monkey trial is the most famous example, but the Dover trial of 2005 over the teaching of intelligent design in schools is up there in terms of sheer hilarity. The Republican-appointed judge even went so far as to describe the Christian conservative defenders of creationism as liars pushing a theory of “breathtaking inanity.”
4) Pain relief for childbirth. The Bible explicitly lays out pain in childbirth as Eve’s punishment for sin, so unsurprisingly that’s what many Christians continue to believe has to be so. Once reliable pain relief in childbirth began to be developed, there was a lot of resistance to it from Christians who feared it defied God to let women have some relief. The truth is that pain in childbirth is not a punishment from God, but the product of evolution, which is a far from perfect process. Eventually, the argument that women owed it to God to suffer through childbirth faded to the fringes of right-wing Christianity. Natural childbirth has seen a resurgence in popularity since the 1960s, but that was more of a reaction to some medical overreach than a belief that women are sinful and deserve to suffer.
5) The Catholic church. Modern American conservative Protestants embrace Catholics and have even started to borrow some Catholic arguments against things like abortion and contraception. But from the early 19th until the mid-20th centuries, there was widespread anti-Catholic sentiment, much of it tied up in hostility to Catholic immigrants. There was even an anti-Catholic political party in the early 19th century. Catholics are still viewed as idolaters and drunkards by many modern Protestants. Anti-Catholic paranoia also led to another “Christian” led folly…
6) Prohibition. Hostility to Catholic immigrants was a large part of the reason temperance mania took over many Protestant communities in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Despite the fact that Jesus and the apostles were wine drinkers, abstinence from alcohol — and forcing abstinence on others by force of law — became a major Christian cause during this period, which led up to Prohibition. This was true, even though many in the temperance movement were also aligned with the suffragist cause, making Prohibition one of the primary conservative Christian follies. Luckily, it took little more than a decade for this colossal Constitutional error banning alcohol to be fixed.
7) Segregation. Religious leaders like Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led the desegregation movement, but it’s also important to note that the pro-segregation movement was also conceived as a Progressive Christian one. Arguments against “race mixing” were largely framed in religious terms. The judge who initially ruled against the interracial couple in Loving v. Virginia argued that the “Almighty God” put people on separate continents and “did not intend for the races to mix.” Christian right leader Jerry Falwell got his start fighting to uphold segregation, giving sermons about how integration was offensive to God. As Max Blumenthal noted in the Nation, the modern religious right as we know it started off as a movement to defend slavery first and segregation later.
8) Contraception. From the beginning of the “birth control movement,” Christian conservatives fought to keep women from being able to have sex without getting pregnant. Devout Christian Anthony Comstock successfully convinced Congress in 1872 that contraception was ungodly, leading to a federal ban on sharing birth control information across state lines. This was finally repealed in 1936. In 1963, the US Supreme Court ended anti-contraception laws for married women. Then in 1971, the Supreme Court also eliminated the last of the anti-contraception laws banning birth control for single people. Nowadays, 99 percent of sexually active women have used contraception at some point in their lives.
9) School prayer. Along with supporting segregation and opposing feminism, the third issue that created the modern religious right is the issue of prayer in public schools. In 1961, the Supreme Court ruled against school-led prayers, even if they were supposedly voluntary. All attempts to have this decision overturned failed in court up until now. There’s no evidence that these bullying tactics have ever converted anyone to Christianity, but they keep on trying anyway, like banging their heads against a wall. If your children want to go ahead and pray in school, they should be able to do so just to themselves without fear of punishment or bullying.
10) Marriage equality. The religious right, which in my view is neither, is still fighting like it’s not obvious that they’re wrong on this one. The tide is shifting so fast it’s quickly becoming apparent that this issue, like segregation, is going to be one where they’ll be pretending they didn’t fight so hard for the side of wrong in a few decades. The majority of Americans now support same-sex marriage. The momentum is in the direction of justice and equality. Christian conservatives are, as with most things, on the wrong side of this issue too.
As a result of all of the above, let me just say I’m glad to be a modern Christian and a proponent of the Social Gospel. The phrase ‘conservative Christian’ is a contradiction. Conservative people are those who do exactly as the word implies – they conserve. They don’t spend money, they hoard it. The same goes for cars, food, houses and other investments, plus whatever else they can buy at a low price so they can sell for a much higher one. Conservatives are, for the most part, tightwads. Rich people stay rich by not spending any more than they have to. They hoard the rest. Contrast that with Jesus Christ, who kept nothing for himself, but freely gave to his apostles and to those in need. “Freely you have received”, Jesus said, “freely give”. We have all received freely the salvation of Christ through His shed blood on the cross. Let’s freely give as the Spirit would lead us.
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Last week when we left off at verse 24, the apostle Paul was addressing the elders he had summoned from Ephesus. This was the same group of men who had spirited Paul out of that city, and who had seen him as far as Miletus, a coastal city on what would be the western shores of modern Turkey today. Paul is leaving for Jerusalem, and as he tells them that he expects a lot of trouble upon his arrival, he also delivers his final exhortations to these men who were now in positions of leadership within the early Church. Going to considerable lengths to divert their attention away from himself, Paul instead focuses on their purpose for living, which was to preach the Gospel everywhere they went to as many as would hear it. And so today, as we move on to part 3 of Acts chapter 20, the apostle Paul gives some final and inspiring instructions to the elders there with him, starting at verse 25.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“25) Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom will ever see me again. 26) Therefore, I declare to you today that I am innocent of the blood of any of you. 27) For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God. 28) Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
Paul the Apostle’s Innocence
The apostle Paul’s declaration in verse 25 that he would never see any of them ever again was not really a prophetic statement. It was just a fact of life that the limits of time, not to mention Paul’s physical endurance, would prevent Paul from ever returning. He would be shocked, and likely frighted, of our modes of travel today, which we all take for granted. Verse 26-27 is clearly different, where Paul talks about being “…. innocent of the blood of any of you. 27) For I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God.” On the surface of things, this statement doesn’t seem to make much sense, since none of those men had ever shed any blood of behalf of Paul, nor of those they were in charge of.
Placing Our Faith in Christ
But that’s not what Paul was talking about. His statement’s purpose was two-fold: The first was to let the elders know that they could expect persecution for their belief in the Blood of Jesus. Paul was warning them that their lives were about to get a lot harder, and probably more complicated, as they would have to elude the authorities just to have worship services. But Paul’s other reason for saying this was to absolve himself of his involvement in the death of Stephen, an early preacher of the Gospel who was martyred back in Acts chapter 8. And there were others besides that where Paul, as an agent of the Sanhedrin prior to his conversion on the road to Damascus (see Acts chapter 9), had overseen the stoning of other Christians. But, I don’t know how many. The Bible does not provide that information. Paul’s sins, like our own, had been washed away by the Blood of Jesus. That’s why Paul’s sins, like our own, no longer matter once we place our faith in Christ.
Let Everyone Be a Shepherd for God
“Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.” Verse 28 of Acts 20 is a clear reference to Psalm 23: “The Lordis my shepherd, I lack nothing….. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lordforever.” (verses 1 and 8) Paul was telling those elders to be good shepherds for their flocks just as Jesus is our Good Shepherd. And then he reminds them one more time that their souls were all bought with the Blood of Christ. Paul continues to move their discussion along, since he has a ship to catch, beginning at verse 29.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“29) I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30) Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. 31) So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” (Acts 20, verses 29-31)
The Churches Paul Founded Contrasted With Those of Today
Paul’s prophecy came true. Ephesus is only ruins today, although the church Paul founded there thrived for many decades after his departure. Paul’s “savage wolves” have been working within churches for centuries, so this is nothing new to us. Still, to Paul and the other elders with him, infiltration of the church by nefarious individuals was something they were having to deal with for the first time. It is no exaggeration to say Paul and the elders viewed this as an insidious threat, and Paul minced no words telling them so. Much the same is still happening in churches today. We see churches wandering into apostasy everywhere we turn, or at least I sure do. All the mainstream denominations that I have ever visited teach in error. Many of the nondenominational churches are little more than cults of personality that surround the pastor, precisely the opposite of the teachings of Christ (see Luke 13: 29-30).
Getting Ourselves Close Enough to God
Another thing I want to mention here is Paul’s passion that we see brought out in verse 31: “Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.” That’s right, people, Paul warned his new converts with tears, and I think I know why. It was because Paul had passion for his work. You would have that passion too, if you were working for a Man who had just granted you eternal life. Though the body eventually wears out and dies, the human soul lives on forever. It’s only a matter of where our living souls will spend that eternity – in heaven with the Lord, or in hell with Satan and his demons living in scorching heat day and night forever. That’s why Paul warned them with tears. Have you ever prayed for something with such intensity and emotion that you wept as you prayed? I have, and if you’re not close enough to God to cry over having a need met, then you’re not close enough. Those who are like that have your work cut out for you. Never forget that God watches over us all. Having said that, let’s go ahead and conclude this week’s study, beginning at verse 32.
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
“32) Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33) I have not coveted anyone’s silver or gold or clothing. 34) You yourselves know that these hands of mine have supplied my own needs and the needs of my companions. 35) In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” 36) When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. 37) They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38) What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.”
The Problem With Money as it Applies to Many Modern Churches
Knowing this was his final goodbye, I can literally sense at the moment how Paul’s normally solid voice must have shook with emotion as he uttered those words in verse 32. As I wrote this, I even found myself having to stop for a moment and brush a tear from the corner of my own eye as I ran this scene through my mind’s eye. The very next verse is something that sets Paul apart from many ‘ministers’ in churches today. Paul worked without pay as he labored at odd jobs to support himself throughout his ministry. He never asked for money from anyone to spend on his personal needs or desires. The world needs more people like this, people who couldn’t care less about money and the trappings of wealth, seeing it for the soul-damaging distraction that money truly is. Money, you see, is a distraction from life as well as from living.
Christianity is Not a Cake Walk
“In everything I did, I showed you that by this kind of hard work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord Jesus himself said: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” As before, this is the complete antithesis of modern Christianity, where it is more blessed to give, so long as one is giving to their church of choice. That’s the real reason churches are classified by the IRS as nonprofits – because all the profits go to the pastor, his or her immediate family, and those who work there. And that is all that needs to be said for now about the pathetic state of modern Christianity, otherwise it would take me off-topic. But for now, suffice it to say that Christianity is not a cakewalk where one simply donates 10% of their income to receive a ‘get out of hell free’ card from their pastor. Try getting into heaven with nothing more than that, and you will find yourself shut out to the “outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth” (see Matt. 8: 12).
Let’s All Aspire to be Like the Apostle Paul
“37) They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. 38) What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” Paul wept with each and every one of them, just as Jesus wept when he came to Lazarus’ tomb, and just as he wept over Jerusalem (see Luke 13: 34-35). These were men who had an authentic love for one another, just as Christ has commanded each of us to have for each other. That genuine love and camaraderie that existed between them extended long after they watched Paul’s ship sail over the horizon, and it is in existence to this day in the form of the Book of Ephesians in the New Testament. Let us all aspire to do the same as Paul. I don’t mean that we should attempt to write any more of the New Testament so as to add to it, as if it were somehow inadequate. I mean that we should aspire to have the level of passion that Paul had for his ministry. If we would only inject that kind of driven passion into each of our lives, we would all be massively enriched as a result. And next week, we’ll move on to part one of Acts 21. See you then…..
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Last week as we left off at verse 12, the apostle Paul had just left Troas after bringing a young man back to health after a fall of some 3 stories. This happened during the Feast of Unleavened Bread, on “the first day of the week” (see verse 7). You can tell that Paul was one tough dude, as it relates in verse 11: “Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left.” So Paul healed the young man who fell three stories, went upstairs and ate before talking until dawn. Only after that did he leave to go to where he was going next. So after being up for 24 hours straight, Paul embarked on his journey without stopping to rest first. He was a driven man who was on a mission from God – literally.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
This week, as we take up where we left off, there is a brief description of where Paul and those traveling with him traveled to next. So let’s begin right there, starting at verse 13: “13) We went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. 14) When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene. 15) The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus. 16) Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17) From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.”
The Faithfulness of the Apostle Paul
“We” in verse 13 referred to the men who had accompanied Paul as he was spirited out of Ephesus following the riot that had occurred there (see chapter 19, verses 23-41). This includes the apostle Luke, who is the author of the Book of Acts. Paul left his traveling companions to sail around the coast without him while Paul walked the Roman road from Troas to Assos, presumably alone (see Acts 20:13–14). The thirty-mile walk and the two days that it likely took him to travel would have given him ample time for meditation as he reflected on his life and ministry thus far – the many places God had called him to go, the many churches he had helped to found, and the many new brothers and sisters in Christ whom he loved dearly. The solitude also likely gave him time for prayer as he prepared for the conflict and persecution that awaited him in Jerusalem.
Paul Walks 211 Miles for Jesus
So Paul’s compatriots, “…. went on ahead to the ship and sailed for Assos, where we were going to take Paul aboard. He had made this arrangement because he was going there on foot. When he met us at Assos, we took him aboard and went on to Mitylene.” Now Mitylene was only about 60-70 miles from Assos, with both being situated on the western Turkish coast of today. Continuing in verse 15, it reads, “The next day we set sail from there and arrived off Chios. The day after that we crossed over to Samos, and on the following day arrived at Miletus.” The total distance of that journey, counting all points in between, was about 340 Km, or about 211 miles.
Paul Calls a Meeting of the Church Leaders From Ephesus
“16) Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus to avoid spending time in the province of Asia, for he was in a hurry to reach Jerusalem, if possible, by the day of Pentecost. 17) From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.” So Paul has the rest of the men meet him at Miletus. By now Paul and all the others have been co-workers in the ministry, and co-founders in the early Church, for at least the previous year and a half. Since they knew Paul very well and had come to admire him for his integrity as well as his considerable teaching and writing abilities, Paul did not want to set sail for Jerusalem without saying goodbye to them first. Yet, he could not go back to Ephesus to do so since he was probably wanted by the authorities there by that point in time. So Paul called for a meeting elsewhere, and that’s where we will move on to, starting at verse 18.
Paul’s Deep Vision for Church Growth Everywhere
“18) When they arrived, he said to them: ‘You know how I lived the whole time I was with you, from the first day I came into the province of Asia. 19) I served the Lord with great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents. 20) You know that I have not hesitated to preach anything that would be helpful to you but have taught you publicly and from house to house. 21) I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus. 22) And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23) I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me. 24) However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.’” (Acts 20, verses 18-24)
Paul the Apostle’s Determination in the Face of Much Adversity
Paul had served everyone in Ephesus, in his own words, with “great humility and with tears and in the midst of severe testing by the plots of my Jewish opponents.” These words were ever so true, and they highlight the grit, the raw determination, and strength of mind and heart to get the job done to which God had sent his apostle to the Gentile nations. Paul was indeed severely tested “by the plots of my Jewish opponents”, even to the point of existential threats made against himself. Paul had even gone from house to house witnessing to people as he tried to lead everyone he could to the Lord Christ Jesus. This is precisely what he had been doing during his overland journeys as he traveled throughout Asia Minor, mainly in what is modern Turkey today. Except, he did it all on foot. It has been said and written that the apostle Paul walked at least 10,000 miles during his first three missionary journeys, with the rest of it spent sailing on ships through the vast waterways that comprise the eastern Mediterranean area.
Paul’s Dread About His Future
“I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.” The apostle Paul preached equality; first, with respect to race and/or nationality, and second with respect to religion. I’m certain that Paul did so because he picked it up from the apostle Luke, who had by then already written to this effect back in Acts chapter 2, verses 42-47. Moreover, the equality Paul preached and taught was unconditional in nature, just as Christ died unconditionally for each of us – provided we are willing to embrace his salvation, and to live our faith in Him as a lifestyle. “22) And now, compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23) I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me.”
Preaching the Good News to All
Verses 22 and 23 testify to Paul’s integrity as well as his faithful obedience to the Holy Spirit of Christ. We should all do so well, or even to aspire, to have the level of obedience, personal integrity, and the sharp focus that Paul had. He knew that he was in for a hard way to go, and that he would be imprisoned for an undetermined length of time. Paul had no way of knowing that he would be locked up multiple times for his faith and how he lived and taught it, off and on, for the rest of his life. “However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.”
God’s Grace is Available to All Without Charge
Jesus said during his time here on earth, “Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.” (Matt. 10: 39) Paul, who was coached by Luke, Peter and probably the other Twelve as well, had undoubtedly been taught this by those distinguished men. For that reason, I’m pretty sure Paul was thinking of those very words when he wrote what he wrote in verse 24 of Acts 20. His statement closely parallels the words of Christ as related by the apostle Matthew. Paul would testify “to the good news of God’s grace” until he drew his last breath, and his words ring true to this very day. And next week, when we return for part 3, we will be witnesses to just how loved Paul really was to those in Ephesus, as he bids those who have come to meet with him a final farewell. God willing, I will be back then to teach you even more, as the Lord continues to teach me. Be blessed in Jesus’ mighty Name…..
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For as long as I have been alive, which has been for quite a while now, there has been endless talk and rampant speculation about the ‘rapture’, or literally snatching away, of all the ‘real’ followers of Christ. This has been predicted to take place within 3-7 years prior to the return, or Second Coming, of our Lord and Savior. There are 3 versions or explanations of the “rapture” of the Church, also known in the Book of Revelation as the Bride of Christ. But before we get into that, let’s have a look at one of several passages in the New Testament about the ‘rapture’ so we can get a little background, and I quote:
First Thessalonians Chapter Four Explained
“Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to God’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, and the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet our Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (1st Thessalonians 4, verses 13-18)
The Necessity of Our Sincerity Regarding Our Faith
There is considerable symbolism being used here by the apostle Paul, the man who wrote the above passage of Scripture, but its nature is not that complex. The phrase “those who fall asleep” is an ancient expression for what we now call ‘the deceased’ or ‘the dearly departed’ or ‘the late whoever’ and so on. But Paul then comes right back and sums up the essence of Christianity in one simple sentence: “We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.” So right here Paul establishes that all who were sincere believers in Christ Jesus while they were living will rise again just as Jesus did, when he returns for us. Despite those who doubt or make fun of Biblical teachings such as these, they will all come to pass exactly as the Bible says, of that you can be certain. It’s the timing of it all that no one knows for sure.
Jesus Isn’t Descending to Earth for Us, It’s We Believers Who Will Go to Meet Him
The apostle Paul then closes out this train of thought with: “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, and the voice of the archangel and the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet our Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.” Notice that when the Lord returns, he will not descend to the earth. We’re going to meet Him in the air instead. I suspect that one main reason could be due to an excess of radiation due to nuclear fallout from a catastrophic war. Like, say, World War Three, for instance. Hold that thought though, because I’m going to tell you why in just a minute. But first, I need to explain the difference between pre-tribulation, mid-tribulation, and post-tribulation rapture. Please stay with me, everyone, this will not be difficult to understand, but I have to be very careful how I explain all this.
The Tribulation Periods Defined
‘Pre-tribulation’ means the dead believers in Christ, along with all who are alive at the time of their resurrection, will be taken up at the beginning of the 7 year Tribulation period. ‘Mid-tribulation’ means at the halfway point, or roughly 3.5 years after it starts, and ‘post-tribulation means we’ll all be stuck here until it’s over and Jesus returns to rule the earth. First, allow me to reference 2 short passages of Scripture that completely disproves the first scenario, the ‘pre-tribulation rapture’. The first is from the Gospel of Matthew chapter 24, beginning at verse 3:
Jesus Prophesied That There Will Be Christian Martyrs in the Last Days
“As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, some of the disciples came to him privately. ‘Tell us’, they said, ‘when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered, ‘Watch out that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name saying, ‘I am the Christ’, and will deceive many. You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Because of the increase in wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end shall be saved. And this gospel will be preached to the whole world, and then the end will come.’” (Matt. 24, verses 3-14)
Jesus Breaks It All Down
When asked about this series of events by his apostles, the very first thing out of the mouth of our Lord and Savior was, “Watch out that no one deceives you.” That sums up everything we need to know about all those who claim to predict the future. Anyone who claims to know the date of Christ’s return, or who says they know exactly when the ‘rapture’ of the Church will occur, simply doesn’t know what they’re talking about. Moreover, they bring divine Judgment on themselves for claiming to speak on God’s behalf, when in fact they are only speaking for themselves. God doesn’t take that lightly, you know.
Pointing Out the Errors
But right after that is when Jesus gets to the point when he said, “Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. All these are the beginning of birth pains. Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me.” These four little sentences straight from the mouth of our Savior and Redeemer eliminate any possibility that the “pre-tribulation rapture” is the correct Biblical interpretation. After all, we can’t be taken up to heaven prior to the start of the tribulation period if some of us will be put to death for our faith. Nor can we be “raptured” away while simultaneously refusing to take the “Mark of the Beast” from the Antichrist, his soldiers and minions, all at once. It is not possible to be at two different points in time simultaneously. Jesus and his armies of angels can be, but not us. I rest my case.
All the Believers Will Be Put to Death
There’s more, and it can be found in Revelation chapter 13, and I quote: “The beast was given power to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months. He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and his dwelling place and those who live in heaven. He was given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation. All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.” (Revelation 13, verses 5-8)
My Other Reason for Teaching Against the “Pre-Trib Rapture”
“The beast” in this passage of Scripture symbolizes the Antichrist, who was “given power to make war against the saints and to conquer them. And he was given authority over every tribe, people, language, and nation.” How can the Antichrist conquer the saints, evidently by the use of the military, if they were “raptured” at the start of the 7 year tribulation? This is my second and final reason for my case against the “pre-tribulation rapture”. The contradiction between the two is unmistakable.
Those Who Survive Will Be Imprisoned
And so all religious worship involving anything other than the Mark of the Beast will be outlawed, as it is written: “All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast – all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world. He who has an ear, let him hear. If anyone is going into captivity, into captivity he will go. If anyone is to be killed with the sword, with the sword he will be killed. This calls for patient endurance and faithfulness on the part of the saints.” (Revelation 13, verses 8-10)
Only a Few Will Be Saved
Does this read like there’s going to be a “pre-tribulation rapture”? On the contrary – some of us will be imprisoned for our faith, and still more of us will be killed. This is because their names are all found in the “Book of Life belonging to the Lamb”, who is Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who has removed the sins of the world. But this is only for those who believe in Him and call upon his Name. The rest of humanity who worships the beast, which will be the majority of people from that time soon to come, will seal their own doom by doing so. None of us has any way of knowing when the ‘rapture’ will occur. It’s time to stop wasting time speculating about it, and to live our lives as if Jesus were coming this very night to take us home. Because, you know, one of these nights he really will.
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This week, in our ongoing series on the writings of the apostle Luke, we will be moving on to part one of Acts chapter twenty. As we do so, the apostle Paul is leaving Ephesus, and is on a journey through Macedonia and Greece, with his ultimate destination being Jerusalem. Macedonia remained as it was until the mid-fourteenth century, when it became a part of the Ottoman Empire. It remained that way until the end of World War 1, when it became a part of Yugoslavia. It remained that way until the Balkan Wars of the 1990’s, the outcome of which was to have Yugoslavia broken up into four countries, one of which was Macedonia. So it took a total of 600 years for the country of Macedonia, together with its people, to come full circle and regain its original identity. Having explained Macedonia’s background and history from a Biblical perspective, let’s begin this week’s lesson at verse one of Acts 20:
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“1) When the uproar had ended, Paul sent for the disciples and, after encouraging them, said goodbye and set out for Macedonia. 2) He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece, 3) where he stayed three months. Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia. 4) He was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, Timothy also, and Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. 5) These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6) But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” (Acts 20, verses 1-6)
Paul the Apostle Leaves Ephesus
Like I mentioned in last week’s lesson, Paul the apostle was no dummy, and he knew when it was time for him to get out of Ephesus. The riot that had just occurred had begun over the perceived encroachment of Christianity into their totally pagan culture. The population of the entire city had gotten completely out of control over this issue, and Paul wanted no part in that. So Paul left Ephesus, leaving the church there in capable hands. Paul went on another of his ‘road trips’, traveling throughout Macedonia while making many stops along the way. You could say that Paul went on the road with his own version of a modern-day revival tour. Since Paul was a tent maker, he may have brought his own tents with him, but the Bible doesn’t tell us that.
The Significance of the Number Three in Parts of the Bible
After a long, meandering journey, with many stops along the way, Paul arrived in Greece, where he stayed for three months. The number 3 is one that consistently reappears throughout the Bible, with the most significant being that Jesus was dead and in the ground for three days and three nights before he arose in magnificent splendor. Paul’s travels were filled with peril and fraught with danger, as verse 3 relates (there’s that number again): “Because some Jews had plotted against him just as he was about to sail for Syria, he decided to go back through Macedonia.” As you can see, the early Church had its own intelligence network, like the “underground” forces in Europe during World War 2.
The Plot Against Paul
So back through Macedonia Paul goes, this time accompanied by a team of men, all of whom were converted earlier by Paul as Christ-followers. There were two men from the church at Thessalonica, Timothy, two from the province of Asia, plus others. Evidently they had been the ones who had come to warn Paul about the plot that was about to be hatched against him. The Bible doesn’t specify the nature of this plot, except that it was Jew against Christian and, specifically, certain men in positions of leadership in the synagogues of that era. You know, the same group of men who handed Christ over to the Romans to be slaughtered?
Our Need to Reconnect
“5) These men went on ahead and waited for us at Troas. 6) But we sailed from Philippi after the Festival of Unleavened Bread, and five days later joined the others at Troas, where we stayed seven days.” There’s another number you see a lot of in the Bible, the number 7. According to Genesis chapter 1, there were 7 days to creation, 6 days of work and 1 day of rest. In a world where many find themselves working up to 7 days a week, usually with no time off except for emergencies (like mental health emergencies from overwork), these poor individuals have lost sight of this simple Biblical premise designed for us to have some balance in our lives. People in the Western hemisphere, and particularly in the US, urgently need to reconnect with this basic premise of healthy living. And now let’s move on to part 2 of this week’s lesson.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“7) On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8) There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9) Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. 10) Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’ 11) Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12) The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.” (Acts 20, verses 7-12)
Paul the Apostle Preaching and Teaching the Word
In verse 7, the “first day of the week” did not mean the Sabbath, since that was the seventh day of the week. It was just that, since their faith was so fervent and intense, they had a breaking of bread, which they ate in Christ’s memory just as at the Last Supper, every day of the week. Here is where we find out that Paul was a long-winded preacher. Anytime anyone can talk until midnight before running out of things to say, as Paul did back then, I would call that a really long church service. Except it wasn’t a service, it was a Bible lesson, a Sunday school that ran 7 days a week. It doesn’t say when they stopped to eat dinner or not, but I would imagine they did at some point during Paul’s teaching. Otherwise, they would have been one hungry bunch of folks.
Paul Performs an Act of Healing
It says plainly in verse 9 that one person fell into a deep sleep and fell out a window. That makes me wonder how many others were nodding off during Paul’s marathon teaching session. It finally got to the point where, “he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. ‘Don’t be alarmed,’ he said. ‘He’s alive!’” The apostle Paul, filled with deep concern for Eutychus, had laid hands on the young man’s lifeless body and prayed him back to health in a matter of moments. Still, it says in verse 11 that Paul stopped to eat, and then proceeded to talk until daylight. All the while, “The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”
Be Sure and Return Next Week for Part Two of Acts 20
It is probable that some of the people there had begun to grow restless with Paul’s incessant talking. By saving the young man’s life – Eutychus was probably just a teenager – Paul proved that their long hours together were not in vain. And yet, it was not Paul who showed them all, but rather the Spirit of the risen Lord that dwelt within Paul’s heart, mind and soul. The apostle Paul had learned how to yield to the Holy Spirit and let Him work, rather than attempt to work on his own. He also put his teaching into action, and set a good example for everyone, by saving the young man’s life. Afterward, Paul goes and visits several different places in that vicinity, which is where we will begin for next week’s lesson. So be sure and come on back next week for part 2 of Acts chapter 20.
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It has been my observation for quite some time now that there seems to be a lot of misinformation and misunderstanding about water and Holy Spirit baptism. The reason this concerns me so much is that the topic of baptism seems to be getting misinterpreted in many modern churches and the various denominations thereof. Each denomination continues to insist that their methods of worship and their sets of beliefs are the only correct way to interpret the Scriptures. The problem I have with this train of thought is that if everybody thinks everyone else is wrong, then no one is truly correct in any of their custom made interpretations. So to get started with this explanation, here are the original verses from which water and Holy Spirit baptism are derived.
Some Pertinent Bible Verses Spoken By Jesus Himself
1) “Now there was a Pharisee, a man named Nicodemus who was a member of the Jewish ruling council. 2) He came to Jesus at night and said, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the signs you are doing if God were not with him.” 3) Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” 4) “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” 5) Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6) Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. 7) You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ 8) The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:1-8)
The Two Definitions of Baptism
First, we have water baptism. This is usually done as a condition of being a Christ follower. Normally, water baptism comes first, followed by Holy Spirit baptism. But, that isn’t necessarily true all the time. Saul, who became Paul the apostle, actually received his Holy Spirit baptism first on the road to Damascus (see Acts chapter 9) prior to receiving water baptism, which happened shortly after Paul arrived at his destination. Back when I first converted to Christianity, I was water baptized in 1992, but I did not receive my Holy Spirit baptism until 2008. But hey, that’s just me, so that won’t work the same way every time. Others may experience something altogether different.
Some Additional Verses for Your Digestion
Further down in that same passage of Scripture, the Bible further explains by spelling out the context of this teaching. As before, these are the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I quote: “16) For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17) For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18) Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3: 16-18)
Spiritual Gifts as They Apply to Holy Spirit Baptism
Some churches, and even whole denominations, take Holy Spirit baptism to extremes. I think it’s important to use the Scriptures to define this Spiritual phenomenon before taking any sides with all the various teaching and Biblical interpretation that currently exists. And there is a whole lot out there to choose from. But here in black and white is the explanation straight from the apostle Paul, and I quote:
4) “There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. 5) There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. 6)There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work. 7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8) To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, 9) to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, 10) to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. 11) All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.” (1st Corinthians chapter 12, verses 4-11)
The True Meaning of These Verses
OK, now let’s examine this one example at a time. Starting at verse 7, our text reads, “7) Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. 8) To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit….” Knowledge, gained through the studying of new information, consists of a rich storage of information. Wisdom, on the other hand, has to do more with insight, understanding and accepting of the fundamental ‘nature’ of things in life.
Moving along to verse 9, it says, “to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit…” To have a gift of faith gets manifested in the form of encouragement and exhortation to those who are losing heart because of discouragement and all the hassles of everyday living. On the other hand, be very careful when encountering those with gifts of healing. Not all of them are genuine, and such people have the potential to do great harm to your mind and spirit. To avoid being judgmental, that’s as far as I will take this topic for now.
Some Additional Spiritual Gifts That Bear Examination
The Word as composed by the apostle Paul continues to list the various kinds of Spiritual gifts, and I quote from verse 10, “to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits…” As before in verse 8, be very careful when encountering those with gifts of healing. Not all of them are the real deal. I cannot overemphasize how critically important this is. Prophecy is different, however. Prophecy is my only Spiritual gift besides teaching, and two are plenty for myself. In fact, they are more than enough for me to handle. Prophecy means to be able to speak the Word of the Lord and apply it to any given situation. Prophecy can be an application of the Word of God in the form of teaching, preaching or the proclamation of any serious event. To clarify a popular misconception, prophecy does not include the ability to foretell the future. That would be a fortune teller, which is derived from the occult.
Pray for Those Who Are Missing the Mark
Paul’s explanation finishes up at verses 10 and 11, and I quote, “to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.” The gift of discerning spirits is given by the Holy Spirit, who disperses these gifts to believers for service in the body of Christ. Every believer has a spiritual ability for a specific service, but there is no room for self-choosing. If you meet someone who claims to have received any Spiritual gift entirely on their own, be wary of such people. They are living in a state of apostasy and they are delusional, which is a sign of possible mental illness. But instead of judging anyone, pray for such people instead.
Speaking and Praying in Tongues
The last two examples cited by the apostle Paul have been the subject to a lot of misinterpretation and misunderstanding. ‘Speaking in tongues’ means having the supernatural ability to proclaim, teach and preach the Word in another language without the benefit of any prior knowledge of that particular language. It is done solely for the benefit of the recipients of the message. For instance, if an American who knows only English as a language begins to preach in Spanish, French, Russian or any other language to Spanish, French or Russian audiences, that would qualify as a good example of speaking in tongues. The same applies to anyone who prays in other languages for an individual or a group who speak that language, and for their benefit.
One Final Word on Praying In Tongues and Spiritual Gifts
However, as the apostle Paul pointed out in 1st Corinthians chapter 14 verse 5, if anyone prays in another language (or tongue, the two words mean the same thing) and there is no one there to interpret, that person should remain silent. Let me add one other thing, and that is those who pray in tongues that are unintelligible. Although I have prayed in tongues myself, I pray a certain little pray of praise and thanks to God, and acknowledgment of Jesus Christ as Lord over all the earth. But, I pray this little prayer in Hebrew, which is a language that I normally don’t speak. So I mostly pray this certain prayer in silence, since there is no one there to interpret.
There are also those who pray in tongues out loud even though no one is there to interpret. Sometimes the person praying doesn’t know what they just prayed for because they are praying Spiritually. I will decline to take sides in this controversial issue. As to those who pray this way, that is ultimately between the Lord and the person praying. Be sure and check your inboxes on Wednesdays at 7PM for my ongoing weekly Biblical study series, and Sunday mornings at 6AM for my weekly messages. Thank you all for your time and attention. You are all very much appreciated. Try to enjoy the rest of your day.
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You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern, all rights reserved; available from this link
Last week when we left off at verse 31 of Acts chapter 19, we found the apostle Paul being restrained by his Christian brothers from going out and trying to reason with a crowd of tens of thousands, having been persuaded to attempt no such thing lest he be crushed or otherwise killed by this angry mob that had formed. At this point, Paul had been in Ephesus for some time, having founded and built a church there that was growing each week. But there were no pro audio systems available to Paul, or anyone else for 19 more centuries. Paul had absolutely no chance of telling the crowd what he wanted to say, which simply was, “Jesus is Lord over all.” Yet he wanted to try anyway, and that’s where we will begin part four of Acts chapter 19.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“32) The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there. 33) The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34) But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ 35) The city clerk quieted the crowd and said: ‘Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? 36) Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.’” (Acts 19, verses 32-36)
Like a Hornet’s Nest
OK, now let’s think back to how all this started. A silversmith named Demetrius made statues and other religious relics for their god Artemis. He, together with many other craftsmen, were evidently earning a very comfortable living from the crafting and sale of these idols. In other words, their religion was also a profitable enterprise, not unlike some churches today, especially the ones that demand 10% of the incomes of its members. So, these guys are doing just great, and along comes Paul preaching Jesus Christ crucified, died and resurrected, and he’s converting people to Christianity left and right. Christianity had become a threat to their livelihoods. And, since they have the majority of the people there worshiping these idols, everyone has been offended by Christianity. Paul and the disciples with him were finding themselves in the middle of a virtual hornet’s nest.
There Is Only One True God
It was a mob scene that would rival any riot we could think of today. “Most of the people did not even know why they were there.” In some ways that scene was similar to that of the Arab-Jew clashes in modern Israel today. And, in the end, that’s all this was – antisemitism, as it is written, “33) The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. 34) But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’” Alexander, you see, was from the synagogue there in Ephesus, the same people who were so abusive towards Paul when he presented the gospel to them that he left and went to the lecture hall at Tyrannus instead, and where he had been based ever since. To those in the crowd, the Jews’ worship of the Lord Almighty was just as much an offense to them.
Let’s Not Do Anything Rash
Finally, after all the hubbub quieted down to a manageable level, and after Alexander had been shouted down from the podium, it was the city clerk who finally got the crowd to do some listening instead of all their shouting about nothing. “…Fellow Ephesians, doesn’t all the world know that the city of Ephesus is the guardian of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image, which fell from heaven? Therefore, since these facts are undeniable, you ought to calm down and not do anything rash.’” I don’t know what the city clerk meant by his reference to the image of Artemis, “who fell from heaven”. That would have to have been either a meteorite or something like that, such as a chunk of ice, which is rare but it does occur. I find it a strange notion that an entire city would worship some darned space boulder, so there’s really no way to know for certain what the city clerk was referring to.
Jesus Lives Forever
What the city clerk did say was that their faith in this idol they were worshiping was beyond questioning, and so they should never, he said, have gotten so worked up about it in the first place. The Christianity that Paul and those with him were preaching and teaching about was being viewed as a passing fad by the city clerk, whereas Artemis, or so they reasoned, would be there forever. As we all now know, it was and is very much the other way around. Artemis is a relic from ancient history that would be completely forgotten if it weren’t for Acts chapter 19. The name of Jesus Christ, on the other hand, lives on for all eternity. Having said that, let’s hold that thought as we move on to part 2 of this week’s study.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“37) ‘You have brought these men here, though they have neither robbed temples nor blasphemed our goddess. 38) If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39) If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly. 40) As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.’ 41) After he had said this, he dismissed the assembly.”
Laying Down the Law
OK, let’s all go back to our studies of chapter 18 from several weeks ago. Remember how Paul had been previously seized by the Temple authorities in Corinth? Gallio, the proconsul who served as the local magistrate there, had dismissed the charges against Paul straight out of hand (see verses 14-17) because the proceedings had been called for a religious dispute instead of issues of legality. Here at the conclusion of chapter 19, we find a similar occurrence in the verses above. The city clerk, whose name is not mentioned in this case, was clearly unhappy with what was happening, especially with all the noise and confusion. He rebukes them all, being the sole legal authority present: “38) If, then, Demetrius and his fellow craftsmen have a grievance against anybody, the courts are open and there are proconsuls. They can press charges. 39) If there is anything further you want to bring up, it must be settled in a legal assembly.”
Beware of the First Century Roman Occupiers
The city clerk’s address to the crowd left no doubt as to who was in charge. I would call this an example of leadership in action. Take your demonstrations before the authorities, he ordered the crowd, and keep them out of the streets so people can go back to work. “As it is, we are in danger of being charged with rioting because of what happened today. In that case we would not be able to account for this commotion, since there is no reason for it.” Right here is the underlying crux of the matter as far as the Ephesian populace was concerned, and especially for that city clerk. The place in which they were living was a part of the Roman Empire as it existed back then. So the city clerk was admonishing the crowd by telling them there would be hell to pay if the Romans ever found out what had occurred. And he was absolutely right.
Be Sure and Stop By Next Week to Continue this Biblical Study Series
Next week, as we move on to chapter 20 in this ongoing series of Biblical studies, Paul remained in Ephesus for only a short while longer, having realized that his days were numbered there. His very presence for the previous 2 years, together with the evangelizing activities of the church he had founded, were the spark that kindled the riot that had just occurred there. The time had come for Paul to move on, and he had by this time begun to quietly acknowledge that to himself, and soon after to the others with whom he had worked for the last 2 years. So everyone be sure and return next week for another installment of this series on the writings of the apostle Luke, part 1 of chapter 20. I look forward to seeing you all then!
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Last week when we finished part 2 of Acts chapter 19, the apostle Paul was performing many acts of miraculous healing after his arrival in Ephesus, which we discussed the previous week in part 1. After traveling all through the province of Asia, which took may months of arduous walking since Paul had no transportation, he arrived at Ephesus and made it his home for the next 2 years. This week as we begin part 3 of this 4-part series on Acts chapter 19, the effects of Paul’s long stay in Ephesus are beginning to be felt far beyond their base at the lecture hall of Tyrannus (see verse 9). As a result, the leaders of other pagan religions there in Ephesus began to feel that Paul is encroaching on their ‘territory’.
Attracting All the Wrong Kinds of Attention
As time goes on, the growth of Christianity (called “The Way” back then, see verse 9) was spiking to the point that the other religious leaders felt threatened by the activities of Paul, and by extension the other Twelve as well. But for now we will continue to focus on Paul’s missionary journeys, with this being his second of three, not counting his journey to Rome, which was his last and which cost him his life. Concern is running so deep among those whose businesses were associated with all these various pagan religions that an emergency meeting has been called by a man who we would call the foreman, or maybe “lead craftsman”, for those who were associated with this pagan industry. So let’s take up where we left off last week, beginning at verse 23.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“23) About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. 24) A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. 25) He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: ‘You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26) And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. 27) There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.‘”
An Existential Threat
Here again in verse 23, we have an example of the early Church being called “The Way”. I wish that it were still so, since the name makes a lot more sense than all the various denominational names, which are ubiquitous as the grains of sand on a beach. But Jesus Christ is “The Way, the Truth and The Life”, as John’s gospel relates it to us. That’s where that name came from. So we have this individual Demetrius who makes silver shrines for their pagan god Artemis, and you can be sure he was charging a premium price for each and every one of those idols. He says in verse 25 and 26, “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. 26) And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all.” To these people, Paul’s activities had become intolerable in much the same way as the activities of Christ Jesus had infuriated the Jews in Jerusalem more than a decade earlier.
Introducing the Real Jesus Christ
The apostle Paul, it seems, had “led astray large numbers of people” (according to Demetrius) by convincing them that “gods made by human hands are no gods at all”. How dare he do such a thing! After all, if their pagan gods were as fake as Paul said, then why were their businesses so successful? After all, they reasoned, we can judge things by the fruit that they bear. Since their idol-making enterprises were doing so well, that counted as ‘bearing good fruit’. This, of course, was what I would now call defective reasoning, but never mind all that for the moment. Those who had been worshiping false gods, or none at all, found themselves being introduced to the real God, whose only Son died for us all. Some believed Paul and some did not, and those who didn’t opposed Paul vigorously.
The Modern Goddess of Materialism
“27) There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.” Today we have a goddess that is worshiped throughout the Western world, in all the capitalist countries, and that goddess is material prosperity and all the things it can buy. We also possess the world’s largest military to protect it all. The driver of all this prosperity is the stock market, which is funded by banks. The banks, in turn, run on credit, which runs on confidence which keeps the whole thing going. But if everyone loses confidence (in their ability to repay each other), then the whole thing comes unraveled and falls apart. That’s what happened during the 2008 crash on Wall Street that started the Great Recession. Moreover, this same scenario threatens to have a repeat performance.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
So Demetrius and his cronies were afraid that Paul and The Way were going to destroy ‘confidence’ (the misplaced faith of their customers) in their businesses and cause them all to crash, sort of like what happened in 2008, except with religious overtones. And they were all livid with Paul and his helpers to such an extent that a mob scene and a riot unfolded, as we will see in part 2 of today’s lesson. “28) When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: ‘Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!’ 29) Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. 30) Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. 31) Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater.” (Acts 19, verses 28-31)
Understand that when the text says, “The whole city was in an uproar”, Ephesus at that time had a population of about 225,000 men, women and children. So it’s easy to see that this crowd easily numbered into the tens of thousands, possibly in excess of 100,000 people! Paul didn’t stand a chance of being heard over all the noise and confusion, and yet evidently he wanted to try anyway. But as you can see, any attempt to do so would have cost him his life, and it wasn’t Paul’s time to depart this earth just yet. God had lots more work for Paul to do. That’s why he was stopped by his associates and helpers from doing so. They were simply doing God’s will. So how does the riot finally end? What will become of Paul and his helpers? To find out, you’ll all have to come back next week for the conclusion of Acts chapter 19.
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For decades, the United States has been thought of as a Christian nation around the globe. But today that is dramatically changing – especially among America’s young people. The truth is that all of the recent polls tell us that Americans under 30 years of age are rejecting the Christian faith in unprecedented numbers. In fact, what the numbers reveal is not a slow move away from the Christian faith. Rather, they clearly portray a massive wave of young Americans practically running away from traditional Christianity as fast as they can. Not only that, but the vast majority of young adults in America today do not go to church, do not pray and do not read the Bible. Just consider a few of the following facts:
65% rarely or never pray with others, and 38% almost never pray by themselves, either.
65% rarely or never attend worship services of any kind.
67% don’t read the Bible or any other religious texts on a regular basis.
Lack of Commitment
That is a solid two-thirds of American young adults who don’t even have the slightest connection to traditional Christianity. If the current trends continue, the Millennial generation will see churches closing as quickly as Oldsmobile, Pontiac, Daewoo, Plymouth and Saturn dealerships from just a few years ago. The survey did find that 65% of those surveyed did call themselves “Christian”, but among that 65%, the majority are what I call CINO’s (Christians in name only). Most are just indifferent. The more precisely you try to measure their Christianity, the fewer you find committed to the faith.
Falling Away
But it just isn’t this latest survey that is showing a mass exodus from the Christian faith by America’s young people. According to a recent survey by America’s Research Group, 95 percent of 20 to 29 year old evangelical Christians attended church regularly during their elementary school and middle school years. However, only 55 percent of those young evangelical Christians still attended church regularly during high school, and only 11 percent of them were still regularly attending church when they went to college. That’s it, just a paltry 11 percent. And, that was among self-identified evangelical Christians.
Losing Their Religion
But the most recent survey from this same nonprofit was perhaps even more troubling. According to that survey, 15% of Americans now say they have “no religion” – which is up from 8% in 1990. However, what was much more disturbing was that 46% of Americans between the ages of 18 to 34 indicated that they had no religion in the survey. These are people who have simply put God out of their lives. Is it any wonder that the proliferation of mass shootings and other absolutely evil deeds are on the rise? Forty-six percent is not just a trend. That is not just a landslide, either. I would define that as a stampede.
Today there most certainly is a mass exodus of America’s young people from the traditional Christian faith. There is simply no getting around it. I think a primary reason for this is that the Bible is no longer taught in the home like it was a generation ago. In the process, we are losing our core values of our Judeo-Christian heritage. Another recent poll by the same America’s Research Group showed that less than 1 percent of all Americans between the ages of 18 and 23 hold a Biblical world view. And what is a Biblical world view? This has been defined as someone holding on to the following six key beliefs:
1) Believing that absolute moral truth exists.
2) Believing that the Bible is completely accurate in all of the principles it teaches.
3) Believing that Satan is considered to be a real being or force, not merely symbolic.
4) Believing that a person cannot earn their way into Heaven by trying to be good or by doing good works.
5) Believing that Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth.
6) Believing that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful creator of the world who still rules the universe today.
A Point of Deep Concern for Christ Following People
Using those six criteria, less than 1 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 23 hold a Biblical world view. That’s no more than 3 million out of 336,000,000! The implications of this are staggering. The truth is that the United States is quickly becoming a highly secularized nation. Europe has already been down this road, and now America is rapidly following. Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of churches will close in the next 10 years as more and more people simply quit going. Large numbers of Christian ministries, radio stations, television shows and book stores will have to shut their doors because there will not be nearly enough people to support them.
Too Many Churches are Filled With Disingenuous People
But the most frightening thing of all is that we are losing almost an entire generation to the secular world. Never before in US history has an entire generation rejected the Gospel as much as this one has. America’s young people are rejecting the Christian faith of their fathers and grandparents, and yet the mainstream Christian establishment keeps running around and telling everyone that everything is fine. No, everything is not fine. Not even close. In point of fact, nowhere near. The Church in America is broken – completely. It is very rare to find a church where authentic Christianity is being practiced anymore. Instead, most churches are run like businesses while claiming nonprofit status. It’s a contradiction if ever I saw one. No wonder modern Christianity has credibility issues.
Driven Away by the Very Churches That Purport to Teach Goodness
Our young people are not stupid. They know what is real and what is not. When they hear pastors tell them they must give 10% of what they earn each and every week, that’s not what the Gospel says and they know it. When they hear TV evangelists trying to convince them that God wants us all to be rich, or when our youth hear them condemning gay people when it’s not their business to judge, and when they see ‘conservative Christians’ protesting abortion in the streets as they send your sons and daughters off to fight wars that benefit only a handful of people, millennial’s can already see the hand-writing on the wall.
Searching for the Real Jesus
If the Church in America – yes, I said the Church – would repent and turn back to real, authentic Christianity, at least we would have a chance of capturing the attention of those young Americans who are honestly looking for real truth. But instead, people of all ages – not just the young – are hungry and thirsty for some authenticity. They’re fed up to here with all the spiritual bull-crap being dished out by for-profit churches and all the con artists on TV who have the nerve to call themselves “apostle” or “bishop”. They’re looking for some authenticity. You know, like the kind Jesus had?
Religion Incorporated
What did Jesus say about all this? “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled” (Matthew chapter five, verse 6). Translated into 21st century English, this simply means come to Jesus Christ in and of himself, and simply leave organized religion behind. You will no doubt recall that Jesus put his money where his mouth was in this regard when he threw the money changers out of the temple. He wasn’t nice about it either. He didn’t have to be. In the here and now of the modern church – or Religion Incorporated as I like to call it – anybody can see that the descendants of the money changers have once again set up shop in houses of worship. As a result, you can be really sure that He is returning very soon for yet another house cleaning. Christ will be far more angry the second time around than he was the first time. So very much more….
When We Surrender to the World, We Turn Our Backs on Christ
On the surface, it would be easy to say that every bit of the fault for this lies with modern church leadership. But that is not entirely the fault of the Church, although the leadership does bear a good bit of the responsibility. The truth is that we – the parents of the millennial’s I’m writing about – have created a society where our children are taught that Jesus and Christianity are not important any more. Our public schools teach our children day after day that they evolved from monkeys, that abortion, indiscriminate sex before marriage and homosexuality are perfectly normal for everyone, and that anyone who disagrees is either a bigot or an idiot.
Then these same accusers go home and surround themselves with endless entertainment for the rest of the day such as television, video games, Internet, movies, and often pornography. In so doing, they effectively isolate themselves from their families and each other. The overwhelming message regarding the Christian faith in the above forms of entertainment is that either Christianity is irrelevant or not true. Only thing is, they have forgotten that you can’t mock God or Jesus. You cannot mock God any more than a Cadillac can mock General Motors.
Totally Unacceptable
So should we be surprised that the overwhelming majority of our children and grandchildren have rejected the Christian faith? What else were we expecting? Pope Francis? We have raised our children in the godless society that we have constructed, so why are we so surprised that they have become godless individuals? People everywhere are pulling their hair out trying to figure out why all these school shootings have sprung up seemingly out of nowhere over the last 15-20 years or so.
But nobody should be surprised. We are just reaping what we have sown, and we now have an unexpected bumper crop of wanton violence, and a pandemic of mental illness. I’d say we have our work cut out for us for the foreseeable future, so we’d better get started. This is something that will take 2 or 3 generations to repair. Moreover, if we don’t start repairing the damage we have caused by letting electronic devices do our parenting for us, we are going to lose an entire generation. And that, ladies and gentlemen, would be totally unacceptable.
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Last week when we completed part one of Acts 19, the apostle Paul had amassed an enormous amount of healing power through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. He was actively accessing this implanted power – power that he did not possess himself, but which had been imparted by his baptism with the Holy Spirit of the risen Lord Christ Jesus. Untold scores had been healed of various diseases or medical conditions, possibly hundreds or even thousands. All this was occurring in the city of Ephesus, in what is now western Turkey. It was to the church there that the Book of Ephesians in the New Testament was written. There were also some other disciples who were driving demons out of victims of demonic possession, and that is where we will begin this week’s lesson. So let’s all start off together at verse 13.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“13) Some Jews who went around driving out evil spirits tried to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who were demon-possessed. They would say, ‘In the name of the Jesus whom Paul preaches, I command you to come out.’ 14) Seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, were doing this. 15) One day the evil spirit answered them, ‘Jesus I know, and Paul I know about, but who are you?’ 16) Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” (Acts 19, verses 13-16)
One Necessary Ingredient
Demonic possession is very real, and it is not something that can be trifled around with. The 1970’s movie, “The Exorcist” barely scratched the surface when it comes to something as serious and scary as demonic possession. These 7 sons of Sceva, as the apostle Luke related, evidently thought they could drive out demons by a human combination of determination, focus and faith. While all three are certainly worthy of consideration as it applies to our topic, there is one missing ingredient that is vitally important to ministry – the baptism of the Holy Spirit.
Remember last week’s study when Paul asked in verse 2 of chapter 19 if the brothers at Ephesus had received Holy Spirit baptism? They had no knowledge of the Holy Spirit, meaning they also had no understanding of Christ’s resurrection. When asked whose baptism they had, they replied, “John’s”, meaning John the Baptist. John the Baptist, you will recall from our study of Luke’s gospel, had been executed decades previously by King Herod. No one knows the exact date of his execution, but it was probably in the years 28-29 AD (Matthew 14:1-12; Mark 6:14-27; Luke 9:9) after Herod the Tetrarch imprisoned John the Baptist in 27 AD (Matthew 4:12; Mark 1:14) at the behest of Herodias his brother’s wife whom he took as his mistress. (Matthew 14:3-5; Mark 6:17-20)
Solid Objects and Spiritual Ones are Exact Opposites
It is likely that, like the believers Paul found at Ephesus, the 7 sons of Sceva had John’s water baptism but not that of the Holy Spirit. Why is this significant? Because no one can drive out demons except by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Things that are solid cannot drive out spiritual things any more than one can mix oil and water. In that instance, neither can drive out the other, nor can they be mixed together. In the same way, it is not possible for someone without the baptism of the Holy Spirit to drive out demons, let alone be effective at it (see John’s gospel chapter 3 for the meaning of Holy Spirit baptism).
Real Demons Are Nothing to Play Around With
So, when Sceva’s sons tried to drive the demon out of their ‘customer’ in verse 16, “…. the man who had the evil spirit jumped on them and overpowered them all. He gave them such a beating that they ran out of the house naked and bleeding.” That’s what you get for playing around with real demons, like Sceva’s sons were doing. You’ll be lucky to survive such an encounter as that, and that’s no joke either. And now let’s move on to part 2 of this week’s ongoing lesson.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“17) All the people in Ephesus – Jews and Greeks – learned about this and were filled with fear and gave great honor to the Lord Jesus. 18) Many of the believers began to confess openly and tell all the evil things they had done. 19) Some of them who had used magic brought their magic books and burned them before everyone. Those books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. 20) So in a powerful way the word of the Lord kept spreading and growing. 21) After these things, Paul decided to go to Jerusalem, planning to go through the countries of Macedonia and southern Greece and then on to Jerusalem. He said, ‘After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also visit Rome.’ 22) Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, ahead to Macedonia, but he himself stayed in Asia for a while.” (Acts 19, verses 17-22)
Confession and Repentance
So the incident with the 7 sons of Sceva caused quite a sensation throughout that part of the world. People everywhere, “…. were filled with fear and gave great honor to the Lord Jesus. Many of the believers began to confess openly and tell all the evil things they had done.” Confession, as you just read, is an integral part of practicing Christianity. In fact, Christianity in the absence of confession and repentance is really not Christianity at all. The Bible tells us to confess our sins, errors, imperfections and faults, first to God and then to each other. Openness with one another is a requirement of Christianity, and keeping our relationships honest and open is vital to living Christianity as a lifestyle rather than merely as a set of beliefs. Moreover, nobody can fool God. They would only be kidding themselves.
The Real Thing
“19) Some of them who had used magic brought their magic books and burned them before everyone. Those books were worth about fifty thousand silver coins. 20) So in a powerful way the Word of the Lord kept spreading and growing.” This occurrence in verse 19, where fifty thousand silver coins would equal roughly $750,000 in today’s money (assuming one ounce of silver per coin), is what I would call an example of true repentance. Any time you have a group of people willing to throw away what could have amounted to their life’s savings for their newfound belief in a blessed Savior and Redeemer, I’d call that genuine faith and repentance any day of the year.
Paul Takes a Break
Following all these things, Paul stayed in various places in the province of Asia (not the continent), vowing to visit Jerusalem and his old enemies there before working his way towards Rome. “He said, ‘After I have been to Jerusalem, I must also visit Rome.’ Paul sent Timothy and Erastus, two of his helpers, ahead to Macedonia, but he himself stayed in Asia for a while.” Now Macedonia is fairly close to where the country is situated today, although the borders no longer correspond exactly.
Back to Work for the Apostle Paul
The province of Asia, as it was known back then, comprises the western half of modern Turkey, and that is where Paul remained as he preached, taught and planted churches. He had no itinerary, no schedule, and no paycheck. Yet he was in his element because he was doing what God had called him to do, and he did so with great fervor and devoted purpose. He was living his life to the fullest, which is precisely what we all need to be doing, if we’re not doing so already. Never worrying about money, where he would spend that night, what he would have to eat, or whether his sandals would wear out, Paul was called to be an apostle because Paul was a man who knew how to get his priorities straight.
Closing Remarks
Few people are like the apostle Paul. So few know how to get their priorities straight. They don’t know what truly matters in life. Their lives are filled with social media skimming, TV show and movie streaming, video games, virtual reality, and pornography. All some people want to do is have fun all the time. Unfortunately, life simply doesn’t work like that, nor was it ever designed to. So for this week, your assignment is to find out what really matters to you the most. If it’s any of the above things, or if it’s an addiction, you’re on the wrong track. But please don’t get mad at me for writing this. I’m just a guy who really cares and who really wants to help. But, if you are already doing these things, then keep up the good work. And next week we’ll move on to part 3 of Acts 19.
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As my longtime readers know by now, I am well known for preaching the Word, offering Biblical instruction to those who accept it, and standing up against war and injustice. I have found still another example of injustice in the form of extreme corruption that can be, most unfortunately, found within the vestiges of organized religion. Plus, this is still another example of why I have become a critic of organized religion in general, and those who abuse the kids of their church members, or their wives. Allow me to quote a small portion of a much larger article from the Associated Press, followed by a Bible verse or two.
Report details ‘staggering’ church sex abuse in Maryland
LEA SKENE, BRIAN WITTE and SARAH BRUMFIELD (c) 2023
BALTIMORE (AP) — More than 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children and often escaped accountability, according to a long-awaited state report released Wednesday that revealed the scope of abuse spanning 80 years and accused church leaders of decades of cover-ups.
The report paints a damning picture of the archdiocese, which is the oldest Roman Catholic diocese in the country and spans much of Maryland. Some parishes, schools and congregations had more than one abuser at the same time….
The Maryland Attorney General’s Office released the findings of their yearslong investigation during Holy Week — considered the most sacred time of year in Christianity ahead of Easter Sunday — and said the number of victims is likely far higher. The report was redacted to protect confidential grand jury materials, meaning the identities of some accused clergy were removed.
ABUSE RECALLED AS A ‘LIFE SENTENCE’
“The staggering pervasiveness of the abuse itself underscores the culpability of the Church hierarchy,” the report said. “The sheer number of abusers and victims, the depravity of the abusers’ conduct, and the frequency with which known abusers were given the opportunity to continue preying upon children are astonishing.”
Disclosure of the redacted findings marks a significant development in an ongoing legal battle over their release and adds to growing evidence from parishes across the country as numerous similar revelations have rocked the Catholic Church in recent years. Victims said the report was a long-overdue public reckoning with shameful accusations the church has been facing for decades……” (read the entire article from this link)
Two Scriptural Quotes From the New Testament
What does the Bible teach us about sexual immorality? You don’t have to look very far to find answers. “Ephesians 5:3 says, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” First Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 3 reads, “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality….”
As you just read,”not even a hint” means exactly what it says. “Impurity”, as the verse says, is a by-product of sexual immorality. So is “greed”, since sexually immoral people have insatiable sexual appetites. They are always wanting more and more, and so on. All these things are “improper for God’s holy people”. Evidently the guys with those little red caps at the Vatican forgot to read those verses. In point of fact, since the Catholic church doesn’t teach about the overwhelming power of the Holy Spirit, it’s no wonder they cannot discern demonic activity. As a result, they make themselves vulnerable to Satanic attacks of all kinds. It’s no wonder they can’t resist abusing young boys.
Losing Our Religion
It is for reasons such as this that so many people have lost faith in organized religion. Between the internal abuse that goes on in some churches and worn-out exhortations to ‘tithe’ 10% of your income, it’s no wonder people are leaving in droves. Religion, Inc. has a serious credibility problem of their own making. Jesus Christ said about those people who are like them, “Beware of those who come to you. They are like wolves in sheep’s clothing, seeking someone they can devour”. You have surely met them before, and undoubtedly you will cross paths with you again. More and more people are flocking to virtual churches, where there is no dress code or creed, no chance of catching COVID, no internal politics, no political ideology, and no demands for 10% of your income. You can find out more on my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/revpauljbern.
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This week, in our chronological studies of the writings of the apostle Luke, we will be moving on to part 1 of Acts chapter 19, where we find the apostle Paul has made his way from where he was in Corinth up into the interior of what would be southeastern Asia Minor today. He traveled hundreds of miles northeast of Rome or northwest of Jerusalem. He traveled up through the regions of Galatia and Phrygia, in what would be roughly northwestern Turkey today. And so today as we begin this week’s in-depth analysis, we find Paul has eventually arrived in Ephesus, a city on the western coast of what is modern Turkey, and that’s where we’ll start, beginning at verse one.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“1) While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples 2) and asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ 3) So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied. 4) Paul said, ‘John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ 5) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. 7) There were about twelve men in all.” (Acts 19, verses 1-7)
Paul the Apostle Walks Hundreds of Miles for the Cause of Christ
So here we have the apostle Paul having just arrived in Ephesus, where he found some disciples, or other Christian believers of mixed Jewish and Gentile heritage. Notice that by now, Paul had made good on his vow to leave Judaism and take the Gospel to the Gentile nations, as we read in part one of chapter 18 from two weeks ago. As a result, he had traveled in a large semi-circle throughout the interior of what would be western and west-central Turkey today. At his farthest point in this second missionary journey, Paul was within about 150 miles of the northern coast, near the Black Sea. Now that he has arrived back at the other (western) coast again, he resolves to strengthen the church that had been planted there, evidently by a disciple of John the Baptist decades before.
The Necessity of Water Baptism
As you can see, the ministry of John the Baptist was far more significant and had a far greater reach than what is being taught in churches today, particularly here in North America. That’s why he said in Luke chapter 7, “I must decrease so that He may increase.” (see Luke 7, verses 18-35, which we studied a while back, for the full story on John the Baptist) Today’s “prosperity gospel” says that we all must increase in our wealth, and by as wide a margin as possible. To put it bluntly, this is nothing more than raw sewage. But Luke’s narrative continues, “….and (Paul) asked them, ‘Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?’ They answered, ‘No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.’ So Paul asked, ‘Then what baptism did you receive?’ ‘John’s baptism,’ they replied.”
Learning to Lead Better Lives With More Empathy and Compassion
The reason these people had embraced John’s baptism is because they had seen a need within themselves to lead better lives and to be a lot more caring towards others. In short, Christ had given them a better way of living. To sum it up, they had repented of their old ways and embraced new ways of thinking and of living by emulating the teachings of Jesus Christ. If everybody did this today, the world would truly be a much better place. But the only baptism they had ever heard of had been that of John the Baptist. In today’s terminology, they had incomplete information.
So then Paul said to them, “….John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.’ 5) On hearing this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6) When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them….” Notice that the only way Holy Spirit baptism can be administered is by the laying on of hands, just like the only way water baptism can be administered is by water immersion. Pouring a few drops of water across a baby’s forehead is not real baptism, folks. I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but it’s the truth. And now let’s move on to part 2 of this week’s study.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“8) Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God. 9) But some of them became obstinate; they refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way. So Paul left them. He took the disciples with him and had discussions daily in the lecture hall of Tyrannus. 10) This went on for two years, so that all the Jews and Greeks who lived in the province of Asia heard the word of the Lord. 11) God did extraordinary miracles through Paul, 12) so that even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” (Acts 19, verses 8-12)
Paul Stays In Ephesus For Two Years
So here in verse 8, we see that Paul has had a change of heart, and is once again back in a synagogue, where he and his fathers before him had been educated and raised. It can be a difficult thing to have to renounce one’s religion, but this was, once again, what Paul – a lifelong Jew – found himself forced to do. So Paul and those with him moved to a lecture hall, which was presumably either paid for out of church proceeds, or the space was given to Paul by Christian sympathizers and true believers. And, they stayed there for two full years, six months longer than Paul had stayed in Corinth. Notice too, God was unable to work any miracles through Paul until he stepped away from the synagogue completely. Once that was completed, the miracles worked by God through his willing servant Paul flowed like water out of a fire hydrant.
Paul Stays for Two Full Years
“….even handkerchiefs and aprons that had touched him were taken to the sick, and their illnesses were cured and the evil spirits left them.” This did not happen because Paul had special powers just because he was an apostle, as some church denominations erroneously teach. All the miraculous healing of all those individuals took place because Paul, like John the Baptist before him, caused himself to “decrease so that He may increase’. He voluntarily relinquished all ownership of the healing of those who he had healed so that the apostle Paul could be used by God to be God’s healer. Think of it as a conduit for God’s tremendous power, which is unimaginably vast, strong and deep. So Paul stayed at Ephesus and built the church there. Next week when we return for part two, we will see where all this leads, and how some who purported to emulate Paul’s healing powers would up getting badly beaten for their trouble. So everyone please be sure and return next week for part 2. Shalom, and be blessed in Jesus’ mighty Name….
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Explaining the Social Gospel Faith Based Community
For this week’s Sunday message, I’m going to make the mission and vision for this blog and video channel known more clearly. I’m dividing this message into two parts.
Part One: Who We Are
The church that’s not a church, but it remains a nonprofit faith based community. Online only, no brick or mortar found here;
NO religion, no dogma, no denomination, no internal politics, no cults, no political ideology; (Christian Nationalists need not apply)
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What Was the Original Definition of a Tithe?
“30) ‘A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord. 31) Whoever would redeem any of their tithe must add a fifth of the value to it. 32) Every tithe of the herd and flock—every tenth animal that passes under the shepherd’s rod—will be holy to the Lord. 33) No one may pick out the good from the bad or make any substitution. If anyone does make a substitution, both the animal and its substitute become holy and cannot be redeemed.’” (Leviticus 27: 30-33)
“A tithe of everything from the land, whether grain from the soil or fruit from the trees, belongs to the Lord; it is holy to the Lord.” Originally, tithing was measured in “grain from the soil and fruit from the trees”. That was how tithes were originally collected. Crops from the ground and livestock from ancient ranchers was the currency at the time this Law of Leviticus was put into effect. But that was over 3,500 years ago. This is the reason why I call “tithing” a false teaching: because it has no parallel in modern times. There was no currency, nor was there any monetary system in place like we know it today. So if you want to give your church a shocking dose of reality, show up this Christmas or Easter morning with a live lamb in tow, and try to offer it up in an ‘offering’ since you ‘can’t afford to tithe’.
Your Correct and Proper Instruction from the Spirit of the Risen Lord
Instead, what I preach and teach about on this website is only this: Jesus Christ, the Son of God, crucified, died and resurrected on the morning of the Third Day. This is the only reason that our souls can be saved. It is the mission of this faith based community to spread this great news far and wide. Without the voluntary salvation of Jesus on the Cross, our souls would perish when our bodies get old and die. But when the blood of Jesus that was shed in love for each and every one of us reaches our hearts, minds and souls, it cleanses us through and through, like a really good hot shower.
Part Two: Who I Am
Foster care survivor who once attempted suicide (ask me about it at webpreacher@yahoo.com)
Retired IT professional, total of 21 years before having a stroke in March of 2006
started writing while recovering, waiting in transitional housing. I finally got my own apartment after 4 year wait
The first is my book series: The Social Gospel Teaching Series Volumes 1, 2 and 3. by Rev. Paul J. Bern
My First Novel: “One Lone Survivor” by Rev. Paul J. Bern, a faith-based novel (due to be released Tues. 05/09/23, photo not yet available)
Where Does Your Church’s Name Come From?
The term “social gospel” is usually used to describe a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that first came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. This Movement began to lose its intensity after President Roosevelt passed Social Security into law in 1935. That’s when the churches got lazy and started letting the government worry about it. But today – with inflation having done much damage to the US economy and to consumers – people are, once again, taking matters into their own hands. This trend became rejuvenated after the Great Recession of 2008 took place, and has been gaining momentum ever since.
That’s why the Social Gospel has been revived here in the southeastern US, and elsewhere across North America, as something that can benefit a lot of sick and hurting people. As it paves a way forward to ending poverty and hunger, this Movement is reestablishing social and economic equality. Those who adhere to the Social Gospel seek to apply Christian ethics to social problems such as poverty, slums, poor nutrition and education, alcoholism, crime, and war. Advocates of our modernized movement interpret the Kingdom of God as requiring social as well as individual salvation, seeking the betterment of society through application of the Biblical principles of charity and justice. The Social Gospel is especially promulgated among liberal Protestant ministers. That’s why I call the blog “The Social Gospel Blog”.
The test-only weekly message gets posted every Sunday at 6AM on Word Press, Substack.com or Medium.com. The weekly Biblical study series gets posted every Thursday afternoon, or no later than 7PM.
The weekly Biblical study series is a long and interwoven series of Bible studies that are in the order of their appearance in the Bible. For example, we are currently embroiled in the writings of the apostle Luke. Starting at chapter one and verse one, we go through each chapter one verse at a time. For the sake of brevity, each chapter is divided into between 2 and 4 lessons. We have already gone all the way through the Gospel of Luke, a process that took roughly 2 years. We are currently in the Book of Acts, where we will be starting on chapter 19 next Thursday April 27th. The text version of these weekly messages and the study series can be found on either Word Press, Medium or Substack. There are also video’s of these messages on my You Tube channel. Don’t forget to give me a ‘like’, ‘share’ and a ‘subscribe’, OK?
Before I begin my remarks, I wish to start by thanking everyone for taking time out to read this article. You are not here by accident. In some way, God has directed you here because you are probably searching for answers to life’s daily dilemmas. Whether we realize it or not, to one extent or another, we sense there has got to be more solutions to living better, if only we could locate the answers we seek. Our minds and thoughts need stimulus because we have this vision of something out there that’s far greater than ourselves. We can’t see it, but we know it’s there all the same. So we go out and begin looking everywhere we can think of. Invariably, we wind up in a church. But then we find out sooner or later that it’s God who we are searching for, and He’s not in any man-made churches.
Does Anybody Really Know Where God Lives?
I had arrived at that same conclusion by the mid-twenty-teens. So in 2015 I started my first on-line church. Since I’m a disabled retiree, launching the Blog, plus a website that I had at the time, is a natural fit. There is, however, one ongoing problem with this type of church. That problem is finances. I have no way to pass a collection basket around like regular churches do. So why do I spend money out of my own pocket and donate my time free of charge? The simple answer is to reach out to people who are hungry and thirsty for some real truth. My primary intent is to be able to help other people. Moreover, I have discovered that the Bible – minus all the religious interpretations – together with the internet, remain the best tools to use to accomplish such a goal. That’s why I’m out here.
Building an Audience the Right Way
The first group of people that I want to reach are those who are disenfranchised by traditional religion. I am one such person myself, having had some strongly negative experiences with churches in the past. Never mind the details, they’re no longer important. Perhaps you are a former Catholic who was molested by a priest, or you know someone who was. There are also numerous cases of people actually getting ripped off by other church members, and I have witnessed this behavior once or twice in the past. I have also seen churches where there was a lot of internal politics going on, churches with memberships divided up into cliques, and sometimes with much financial impropriety at the top. I can only tell you that, based on my own experiences, if you run into one of these churches or any members thereof, turn and run like crazy for the nearest exit.
Why People are Fed Up With Organized Religion
Due to examples such as these, organized religion in the early 21st century has a huge credibility problem. Is it any wonder that so many people have stopped going to church? The TV preachers, who are little more than well-dressed con artists, only exacerbate the problem. I hope to address this problem, plus reach out to those who no longer attend church, by launching this blog, and its video channel. There is a real God, and I’m writing this to confirm what you already suspect – which is that God is not usually found in brick-and-mortar churches. Mainstream churches today, by and large, have slid into apostasy.
If Everybody Else Is Wrong, Then Nobody’s Right
If I had to think up one phrase to describe this blog, it would nonreligious. I back away from organized religion because each denomination thinks that their interpretation of the Bible is the only correct one. Well, to that I say that if everybody else is wrong besides yourself or your church, then nobody’s right. Except, of course, for Jesus Christ, who is and who remains the Son of God.
On the other hand, there are so many moral and upright people who do not go to church due to their own lack of confidence in organized religion in general. But those who do so really try to practice their faith as best they can, and try to live by the golden rule, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” The simple solution for me is to emulate Christ as He would have me to do. I will embrace all people of all denominations as the Bible commands me to do.
A Few Verses of Scripture
“Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. To the Jews I become like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I become like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. To those not having the law I become like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but I am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. To the weak I become weak to win the weak.I have become all things to all men (and women) so that by all possible means I might save some. I do this for the sake of the Gospel, that I might share in its blessings.” (I Cor. 9: 19-23)
I Have Found a Better Way
This exquisite quote is from the New Testament, composed by the apostle Paul, and it sums up what my own goal is with this new online faith-based community. I want to reach out to everyone and say, ‘That bad contact you had with that brick-and-mortar church did not represent the true Church. Why not meet online instead? You can come any time, it’s always free, and I don’t demand 10% of what you earn’.
The problem with church denominations is they all have a separate core of beliefs that all members are expected to pledge allegiance to. No two churches are alike. One denomination preaches against the other, and all insist that they are the only ones whose teachings are correct. Various churches openly compete against each other, and they do this because they have lost their focus, which is Christ Jesus crucified, resurrected, and ascended into heaven. For me, these three things are the central focus of my faith, and it is a faith that I gladly share with others.
Why is Your Blog Called the “Social Gospel Blog”
The term “social gospel” is usually used to describe a Protestant Christian intellectual movement that first came to prominence in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Those who adhere to the social gospel seek to apply Christian ethics to their faith and becoming part of the solution. We live our faith as a lifestyle to contribute towards the answers to social problems such as poverty, slums, poor nutrition and education, alcoholism, crime, and war. Advocates of our movement interpret the Kingdom of God as requiring social as well as individual salvation, seeking the betterment of society through application of the Biblical principles of charity and justice.
Today, the Social Gospel is especially promulgated among liberal Protestant ministers and nondenominational churches. It has been revived in the southeastern US and elsewhere across North America as something that can benefit a lot of sick and hurting people, as it paves a way forward to ending poverty and hunger while reestablishing social and economic equality. God doesn’t reside in structures of brick and mortar. God dwells in the hearts of every true believer. He is more than willing to come and live within your own heart too.
No More Brick and Mortar
This brings me to the second and equally good reason for founding this online faith-based community, and that is to make God available to casual Web surfers who have no church background at all. I want to tell each of them that God is real, and that Jesus is not a fairy-tale. He is the only sure thing in this temporal world we live in. Everything else is merely a distraction at best, or a fatal attraction at worst. That’s why Jesus Christ is the one person we can all rely on in our times of need. Our lives are a free gift from God, and He wants us to be able to use this gift to the best of our abilities so we can have as good a life as possible while glorifying Him for the outcome.
What Isaiah Said
That’s His will for our lives. The Bible tells us that God seeks people’s hearts whether they realize it or not, as it is written: “I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me” (Isaiah 65: 1) This verse is addressed to all who read it, regardless of who you are, what you’ve done (or not), or where you’ve been. Your past no longer matters, so simply let it all go. The founding of this community and this Christian blog have this same intent. It is my hope and my prayer that someone who reads this message will realize that God may be closer to them (and vice versa) than they thought.
One More Thing
In closing, this blog and the above links and its website are available 24×7 to anyone who wants to use them as a mentoring, life coaching, self-help or spiritual resource. The main point is that God is available 24×7 as well. He loves you whether you think so or not, and he cares about what happens to you. Trust God and He will prove himself trustworthy to you. Give your life to Him and He will give himself completely over to you. In the process, He will love you unconditionally and eternally. The key to life and successful living are summed up right here. Until next time then, keep Jesus in your heart and thank Him daily for the supreme Sacrifice He made for each of us. Each new day is a gift from God, so treat it as such. May the peace of Christ be with you all. Shalom….
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Starting this week and moving forward, I’m going to change the tone of this blog (now starting its 7th year) while leaving the modern Christian theme as it is. The motto, “Where truth, justice and the Bible meet” remains the same as well. Teaching people of the ways of Jesus Christ, the Lord and Master of us all, obviously will continue, but with a greater intensity than ever before, since the Day of His return edges ever closer. But, I have often been critical of the ways that mainstream Christianity runs their churches like businesses, and the sometimes-glaring insincerity and hypocrisy of organized religion in general, and mainstream Christianity in the US in particular.
What the Scriptures Say About the Death and Resurrection of Christ
To conserve on length and deep meanings, I’m going to briefly comment on two sets of Bible quotations from two different versions of the Gospel, that of the apostles Matthew and John. Let’s start at the Gospel of Matthew, the very first book of the New Testament, and the easiest to find for all our new members. Regarding the crucifixion of Jesus, Matthew wrote: “50) And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. 51) At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52) and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53) They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people. 54) When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified, and exclaimed, “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matt. chapter 27, verses 50-54)
Recalling the events shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, Matthew wrote: “5)The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. 6) He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. 7) Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (Matt. 28, verses 5-7)
The Account of the Apostle John
Now let’s compare this account of the Apostle Matthew to that of John, “the apostle who Jesus loved”. Regarding the death of Christ on the cross, John wrote: “30) When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. 31) Now it was the day of Preparation, and the next day was to be a special Sabbath. Because the Jewish leaders did not want the bodies left on the crosses during the Sabbath, they asked Pilate to have the legs broken and the bodies taken down.” (John chapter 19, verses 30-31)
Regarding Jesus’ resurrection including the first time one of His followers recognized him as the risen Savior, John wrote, “15) He asked her, ‘Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?’ Thinking he was the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.’ 16) Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means “Teacher”). 17) Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” John chapter 20, verses 15-17)
Has the Bible Lost its Flavor or Impact Over the Centuries?
Matthew and Luke were the only two apostles who were literate during the life of Christ (Matthew was a tax collector and Luke was a physician). By the time they had all been martyred for their Christian faith as it was originally taught, all 12 had become literate, or they had a lot of scribes to assist. The Bible as we have come to know it, however, was not finalized until the 3rd and 4th centuries, a bit over 1,600 years ago. During that 3-century time span and continuing until the 20th century or so, the original Bible, which was written in the Hebrew language, was translated into Greek, then Latin, and then to 15th century English with the publication of the King James version in the early 1600’s. It has been re-translated so many times since that some of the original meaning has been lost to antiquity.
Differences Between Hebrew and Western Calendars, and Why This Matters
Everybody knows that our modern (‘Western’) calendar has been in effect ever since Jesus Christ rose from the dead after being in his grave for 3 days and 3 nights. That’s 2,000 years plus a couple of decades, considering that Christ walked the earth for about 33 years. But he came into the world born of Jewish parents, and he identified himself as a Jewish man for his entire life. The Hebrew nation had been in existence for at least 2,500 years, since the time of God’s promise to Abraham, where God made Abraham the “father of many nations” (see Genesis chapter 13, verses 14-18) up until the present day. So the Hebrew (‘Jewish’) nation began their calendar from that point going onward about 2,500 years before the start of our modern calendar.
That’s why there is so much difference between them. There is also the little detail of our 365-day year versus the 360-day Hebrew calendar. The current date as I write this is April 7, 2023, but on the Jewish calendar it is the year 5,783. This proves that the exact date of the crucifixion and death has been lost to time. That’s why nobody really knows the exact date of Christ’s resurrection. How could they, considering the enormous difference between our calendar and that used by Jesus and his Jewish peers?
Exchanging the Truth of the Resurrection for a Poor Substitution
So this “Easter Sunday”, let’s all tune out modern churches, which are all about their attendance and their “tithes” amounting to a demand for 10% of each members paycheck. It is imperative that we all remain focused of the crucifixion, death and resurrection of Christ Jesus our Lord, Savior and Kinsman Redeemer. In the process of keeping the various congregations focused on their giving, not to mention being told what to think and how to think it, we/they are losing sight of the original meaning of Christ’s resurrection. Resurrection is where we ask for God’s forgiveness for our numerous sins against him as we profess an undying belief in the cleansing power of the blood of Jesus Christ.
But I have observed that modern churches distract their congregations with being too focused on donations. The original message of salvation bought by the shedding of His blood is mostly being lost. In its place we have been distracted with demands for 10% of their paychecks, the internal politics of churches as viable enterprises, and cults of personality revolving around the pastor and his/her immediate family. This “Easter” (a term that is found nowhere in the modern Bible), let’s focus on the original reason for the celebration, which is to revel in the free gift of eternal life that is derived from Jesus Christ and him alone.
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The events of this past week handed down by the New York Superior Court have left all Donald Trump’s supporters in shock. The newly-indicted former president Trump can be considered a microcosm of America because he represents what America represents, and as such is someone who is admired by many. Donald Trump represents the American dream of becoming wealthy from a capitalist economic system that, allegedly, gives everyone a fair shot at becoming a rich businessman or real estate tycoon. But president Trump found out the hard way that being president of the United States was nothing at all like running a real estate empire. When he ran for election in 2016, he wanted a job that he wasn’t prepared to take on.
Trump’s and America’s Misplaced Priorities
Worse yet, he failed to appreciate the difficulty, level of responsibility and long hours of being the US president. His assumption of the office of the President was poorly planned and poorly executed. When it comes to the presidency, it appears that Donald Trump was a fish out of water. Our country, therefore, is in serious trouble, and this situation is serious enough to warrant our undivided attention. That’s because Jesus prophesied 2,000 years ago on this very topic, and I quote: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19-21
America, We Have a Problem
So president Trump represents a microcosm of the US, and by extension capitalism. As such, Trump represents everything that is wrong with America, and everything that is wrong with capitalism, all at once. The ugly truth is that Donald Trump didn’t become a mega-billionaire because he is an exceptionally shrewd individual, or because he has some kind of inside track in the business world. Donald Trump got rich by screwing people every chance he got. During his presidency, Donald Trump was sued at least 134 times, according to the Boston Globe. He has reportedly filed bankruptcy at least 4 times since the 1980’s, evidently for the sole express purpose of stiffing his creditors while short-selling the property(s) in question.
The Blind Pursuit of Riches Is Only for the Corrupt
Donald Trump is a human shark, and a big, menacing “great white” at that. He reveals capitalism for the essentially predatory economic system that it truly is. Trump is also a perfect example of the fact that, in a capitalist economy where everything is organized in a hierarchical manner, there are only a handful who end up at the top of the heap, similar to Donald Trump. Everyone else winds up underneath, where the majority of us get financially crushed without mercy (it’s called ‘inflation’). Moreover, Donald Trump represents all that is corrupt with Washington, DC. Washington is overburdened with corruption from within, and crushing debt from without. In fact, Washington is so heavily laden with debt and corruption that it is slowly sinking into the soil it sits on.
Yet Jesus warned us long ago to beware of the pursuit of riches, and I quote: “As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” 1 Timothy 6:17-19
The True State of Mainstream Christianity
Former president Trump is also a microcosm of the current state of mainstream Christianity no matter what denomination. In spite of doing all the things I already wrote about, president Trump is a regular churchgoer. Donald Trump, like much of the rest of America, seems to think he can do whatever is expedient for himself and his family real estate empire, and he undoubtedly calls himself ‘blessed’ because of it all. Well-to-do mainstream “Christians” are filled with people just like that every Sunday morning. They firmly believe God has blessed them, when all they really did was to help themselves to all they could carry away from the ‘negotiating table’. Or sometimes, whatever they can take by force; it happens every day.
Christianity in Reverse
They go to church every Sunday as a token of acknowledgment of their sinful natures and professing their devout beliefs, but then they go back to doing the same things the following week. Jesus had something to say about this issue, and I quote: “Looking at his disciples he said, ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you who hunger, for you will be satisfied. Blessed are you when men hate you, and when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil, because of the Son of Man.” (Luke chapter 6, verses 20-22)
The Teachings of Christ Applied to Modern Times
But then Jesus continues: “But woe to you who are rich, for you have already received your comfort. Woe to you who are well fed now, for you will go hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to you when all men speak well of you, for that is how their fathers treated the false prophets.” (Luke 6, verses 24-26) So based on this quote from our Lord and Savior, many of those who think they are richly blessed by God are actually on their way to hell.
Make Sure Your Treasure Is Not Misplaced
Oftentimes these are the people who think life is all about accumulating as much as we can, when in fact life is all about the legacy we leave behind. Instead of being focused on ourselves, we’re supposed to be focused on Christ and the blood he shed for us all, and then to obey the commandments of Christ. But what are today’s churches focused on? The bottom line, which is propelled by church membership and the money those members donate (“tithes”). But Jesus has already drawn the road map to eternal glory for us to follow, and I quote: “Sell your possessions, and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” Luke 12:33-34
Hold Money and Wealth In Contempt
Jesus said it and I still believe it: There will be no billionaires in heaven. Period, end of story. To be rich is to be self-seeking. We as Christians, on the other hand, have a moral obligation to stand up to tyranny, and to oppose greed and materialism as being the very antithesis of what it truly means to be an authentic follower of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Moreover, the Bible has a few other things to say about rich people who are obsessed with obtaining even more wealth, just like former president Trump, and I quote just one of the many examples in the Bible: “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.” 1 Timothy 6:10
Danger Ahead
As you all can see, the above quotes, combined with the serious nature of the Trump indictment and the corrupt nature of America’s political and economic systems, are a microcosm of what is wrong with America, capitalism and Christianity. I’m trying to sound the alarm about this because I see danger ahead, and we had better begin preparing for it now while we still have a little time left. Better hurry, too, or it will be too late.
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Last week when we left off in our chronological study of the writings of the apostle Luke, we completed the remainder of Acts chapter 17, where the apostle Paul had just finished evangelizing many of the Jews and Greeks in the Synagogue in Athens. His message that Sabbath morning had been none other than their souls being saved by the shed blood of Christ, who was slain and yet lives! He had made some remarks about one of the idols in the Aereopagus, which had the inscription, “To an unknown god”. That “unknown god”, Paul argued, was none other than the risen Christ, and he then used the Bible – our Old Testament, since that was the entire Bible at the time – to prove his point and so persuade as many as he could to place their faith in Christ alone. Some believed him, but others “sneered” at him, as I wrote last week.
Part One of This Week’s Verses For Study and Memorization
This week as we begin part one of chapter 18, we discover the apostle Paul has left Athens for Corinth, a Grecian town roughly 100 Km west of Athens. It is at this point that Paul begins the process of founding a church in that city. So let’s begin at verse one of Acts 18. (1) “After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. 2) There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, 3) and because he was a tent maker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. 4) Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.” (Acts 18, verses 1-4)
No Qualms About Doing Some Work
Although the apostle Luke did not specify Paul’s reasons why he left Athens for Corinth, it may have been because of the significant amount of resistance from the native Greeks, particularly those whose livelihoods were tied to the idol-making industry that flourished at that time. Although Christian churches exist in Greece today, they are primarily of the Greek Orthodox faith, which is an entirely separate branch of Christendom. So Paul arrived in Corinth, and soon after befriends Aquila and his wife, and he gets an opportunity to earn some extra money as a worker in their tent making ‘enterprise’.
Contrast the difference between the way Paul approached his ministry back then, and the way certain TV evangelists do today. In point of fact, they all want – even demand – 10% of your income, but Paul simply went to work when he needed money. But, he also honored the Sabbath by spending his single day off each week trying his best to persuade the local Jewish and Greek Corinthians that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. The apostle Paul never asked any of them for a single dollar.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“5) When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. 6) But when they opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, “Your blood be on your own heads! I am innocent of it. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.” 7) Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. 8) Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” (Acts 18, verses 5-8)
Paul Segues From Tent Making Back to Full Time Ministry
You will recall from 2 lessons ago when Timothy and Silas had stayed at Berea to finish planting the church that they had founded together there with Paul. So evidently Timothy and Silas had traveled from Berea to Athens and, discovering that Paul had moved on to Corinth, caught up with him there. It was evidently at that point that Paul ceased his tent-making employment with Aquila and began once again to devote his full time occupation to that of itinerant preacher, especially since his 2 co-workers had arrived. When Luke wrote these words, he did not specify how much time had elapsed from the time of Silas and Timothy’s arrival to the time of Paul’s leaving the synagogue in protest, as he did in verse 6.
An Example of Determination
And so it was at this time in the history of the early Church that a major turning point occurred. Paul leaves the synagogue in disgust, vowing never to return, and he made good on that vow for the rest of his life everywhere he went. Without actually planning to do so, Paul left the synagogue and went to the first house he saw. Paul was so filled with frustration at this point that he began going door to door, and I find Paul’s passion and zeal very noteworthy here. Most other preachers, if faced with such a situation where they were compelled to leave as Paul was, might well throw up their hands and quit. Seriously, they might simply walk away thinking to themselves, “I’ve had just about enough of this”. But not the apostle Paul, who was overwhelmed with determination.
Seek and You Will Find
And so Paul moved on “….to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue leader, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard Paul believed and were baptized.” Paul’s fortunes changed immediately upon his stepping away from the synagogues and taking his message straight to the people. The very first door he knocked on was opened to him by Titius Justus, just as Jesus taught in Matthew 7, verses 7-8: “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” On that note, let’s finish up with this week’s lesson.
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
“9) One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: ‘Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. 10) For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.’ 11) So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God. 12) While Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews of Corinth made a united attack on Paul and brought him to the place of judgment. 13) ‘This man,’ they charged, ‘is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law.‘” (Acts chapter 18, verses 9-13)
The Churches Move From the Synagogues to Private Residences
So now we are at the point where the early Church, at least from Paul’s point of view, had moved from the synagogues to private homes. As my long-time readers know, the churches in Paul’s letters were all located in private homes, especially when they were first planted. This was done to follow the teachings of Christ (see Matt. 10, verses 11-15). And now that Silas and Timothy were with him, Paul gained the time and resources he needed to preach, teach and evangelize the Good News of Jesus Christ.
It was at approximately this point in his ministry there at Corinth that Paul got the message of great encouragement that is documented in verses 9 and 10. I can only imagine my own joy at receiving a message audibly from the Lord, but I get plenty of Spiritual encouragement from him already, and it serves me very well for the most part. If I ever get anything more than that, such as a vision like Paul’s, I will consider it to be a bonus.
From Christian-Haters to Hateful ‘Conservative Christians’
And yet upon getting that encouragement through the vision he received, it was soon after that Paul found himself dragged before Junius Gallio, the Roman proconsul of Achaia (the apostle Paul was at Corinth circa A.D. 53) under the emperor Claudius. So this guy Gallio was our modern equivalent of a governor. The accusations leveled against him must have sounded very familiar to Paul by now: “‘This man,’ they charged, ‘is persuading the people to worship God in ways contrary to the law’”. The similarities between the early church’s hecklers and the modern-day “conservative Christians” are striking.
Be Sure and Return Next Lesson For Part Two of Acts Chapter 18
And so the Jews and their allies, not to mention their financial backers, are all seated on one side of the aisle, and Paul – with Silas, Timothy, and Titius Justus likely close by – and a numbers of other individuals – are seated on the other. Like our modern-day court system in at least some ways, the prosecution comes prepared to present their case to Proconsul Gallio. What did they say and how did they say it? More importantly, what does Paul say in response? To find out, come on back next week for part 2 of Acts chapter 18. Enjoy the rest of your day, and don’t forget to pray at least 2-3 times per day (grace before meals not included).
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What the Scriptures Say About All Your Outstanding Loans
(Deuteronomy chapter 15, verses 1-11) by Rev. Paul J. Bern
I am dedicating this weekly message to people everywhere who are in debt, which includes the majority of the adult population in the US, Canada, western Europe and Japan, among other places scattered across the planet. When I use the term ‘in debt’, I’m including mortgages, car loans, credit card debt, furniture, appliances, pawn shop and title loans, and whatever else you can think of. What do the Scriptures say about this? You’ll be very surprised at first, which will likely be followed by anger and outrage. First, let’s examine mortgages.
The Year for Canceling Debts
“1) At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2) This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel any loan they have made to a fellow Israelite. They shall not require payment from anyone among their own people, because the Lord’s time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3) You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your fellow Israelite owes you.” (Deuteronomy 15, verses 1-3)
Paying Off a Mortgage? You’ve Been Had
All you who read or view this, if you’re trying to pay off a 30-year mortgage, you’ve been victimized. All of you who are mortgage holders are being ripped off right up in your faces. For many years you have worked diligently to repay your loans, only to find out as you read or view this that you’re being robbed, and that this has been going on in your lives for years, possibly many years. Capitalism used to be the best overall economic system in all of human history, but it has been abused to the point of being run into the ground. An example of how this is occurring can be found as we continue from the text I’m using.
Follow My Commandments for a Rich Life
4) However, there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5) if only you fully obey the Lord your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. For the Lord your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.” (Deuteronomy 15, verses 4-6)
The Severity of Our Situation
Let’s contrast this with what has been happening within the US today. Thanks to rampant economic inequality, we have a situation where a little over 1% of the US population has firm control over 99% of the total wealth. America used to be the world’s economic powerhouse, but today she has a national debt exceeding $17 trillion dollars, an impossible sum to repay. Homelessness has become a real problem, especially in large cities. In the US today, 35 million people are hungry, or don’t know where there next meal will come from, and 13 million of them are children. If another country was doing this to our children, we’d be at war. The Bible tell us plainly in the next verse how all that money should be redirected.
Generosity Is a Virtue Too
“7) If anyone is poor among your fellow Israelite’s in any of the towns of the land the Lord your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. 8) Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need. 9) Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: “The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near,” so that you do not show ill will toward the needy among your fellow Israelite’s and give them nothing. They may then appeal to the Lord against you, and you will be found guilty of sin.” (Deuteronomy 15, verses 7-9)
A 21st Century Solution to an Age-Old Problem
When you substitute “fellow Americans” for “Israelite’s”, this passage fits the US to a tee. All that has to happen is for the top 1% to return a portion of their money, which was taken at the expense of the overwhelming majority of the population. Although this may be easier said than done, ultimately this is what is going to have to happen. Since the rich will undoubtedly refuse to surrender their ill-gotten wealth, legislation is currently being finalized known as “Universal Basic Income”, and support for this is gradually building as time goes on. It is also being viewed as a solution to the need for a higher minimum wage, taking the burden of increasing wages off the backs of small business owners and taken over by governments at the state and federal level. In verse 9, a warning is found for those who think they can game this Biblical system at God’s expense. They “will be guilty of sin” of a particularly deliberate kind.
There Will Be No Stingy People in Heaven
The following 2 verses are a direct order from the Lord Jesus Christ: “10) Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the Lord your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11) There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your fellow Israelite’s who are poor and needy in your land.” If those who are able to render assistance to someone in need would only do so, much of the ongoing pandemic of poverty would go away by itself. All we have to do is to simply obey these two commandments just above, and that would put forth an enormous, comprehensive solution to homelessness and hunger.
If We Continue As We Are, Disaster Awaits Us All
As it stands right now, we as a united people are all that is standing between prosperity and despair. But before this can happen, we have to unite as an American people and demand that real change takes place with respect to indebtedness. We must boycott 30 year mortgages, car loans that take longer to pay off than the vehicle will last, and let’s not forget about our student loans while we’re at it. As it stands right now, If rent, mortgage and food prices keep going up at the current rate, all of us will be homeless within a year or two.
All across America these days, we have several things in turmoil all at once. First, we have rampant discrimination, where women, people of color, minorities and immigrants still only earn two thirds as much as Caucasian men do. Moreover, institutionalized racism still exists where there should be none, and especially not in the 21st century.
Welcome College Students! Here’s Your Payment Book….
Second, we have institutionalized unfairness, where only the kids from the wealthiest families get a chance to obtain a college degree. Everybody else has to take out predatory student loan(s) that can never be fully repaid. These fresh college graduates face a lifetime of indebtedness. They have all simply wanted to better themselves, and this is what they get? Financial slavery?
Inequality Everywhere
Then, there is the scourge of inequality, where only those who can afford private medical insurance have full access to treatment. As a result, we have an entire country that is chronically sick. The sickest ones are those who are uninsured due to low wages, which is prevalent in the American workplace. This does not include the fact that there is a mental health epidemic going on in the US today, where at least one out of every four citizens is in need of treatment of one kind or another. It seems that life in America today will drive you crazy if you let it.
The State of America vs State of our Military
OK, everybody hold that thought while I point out how drastically out of balance life in America is today. As I write this, congress is spending $858 billion dollars on weapons and war for fiscal year 2023—the largest Pentagon budget in history. President Biden is expected to request even more for next year. How is all this money being spent? Here’s two examples:
The newest US aircraft carrier is the USS Gerald R. Ford. Ordered in 2008 and commissioned in 2017, the USS Gerald R.Ford embarked on its maiden deployment in October 2022, years behind schedule and billions over budget. The Gerald R. Ford class is a class of nuclear poweredaircraft carriers currently being constructed for the United States Navy. The class, with a planned total of ten ships, will replace the Navy’s current carriers on a one-for-one basis, starting with the lead ship, Gerald R. Ford, replacing Enterprise (CVN-65), and then eventually taking the place of the existing Nimitz-class carriers. The new vessels have a hull similar to the Nimitz-class, but introduce technologies since developed with the CVN(X)/CVN-21 program, such as the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS), as well as other design features intended to improve efficiency and reduce operating costs, including sailing with smaller crews. This class of aircraft carriers is named after former US President Gerald R. Ford. The first ship of the class, CVN-78, was procured in 2008 and commissioned into service on 22 July 2017. The second ship of the class, John F. Kennedy (CVN-79), is expected to be commissioned into service in 2024. They cost $13 billion dollars apiece! Read the full article at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gerald_R._Ford-class_aircraft_carrier
How Does the US Military Intend to Use These Weapons?
So what is the Pentagon going to spend that $868 billion on, and why do we need so much of it? Let’s list our enemies and their potential harm to America. First is, or was, Russia. The US has literally thousands of nuclear-tipped missiles of all types aimed at the former USSR. But Russia’s invasion and takeover bid of Ukraine have proven Russia to be a paper tiger. If Russia’s ICBM’s (intercontinental ballistic missiles) that are aimed at the US don’t work any better than the rest of Russia’s army has in Ukraine, I don’t think America has very much to worry about.
What About China?
Then there is China, the world’s most inhabited country. I call them ‘copycat China’ because many of the weapons possessed by the Chinese military appear to be nearly identical to their US counterparts. Their jet fighters, bombers, and most of their ballistic missiles all look just like ours. China engages in a great deal of corporate espionage that spans the entire globe. China has even imitated the US space program by landing a robot on the far side of the moon. Unfortunately for the Chinese, the craft stopped working after only a few weeks. America has already been there, and we will be sending a manned flight to the moon later this year. So China isn’t much of a threat, provided that America remains vigilant against China’s espionage apparatus.
There Is a Better Way
Contrast that $868 million with a quote from my newest book release, “What We Want and Why We Want It” by this author. In it there is an analogy of one day’s military expenditures that could be redirected to far better education, free medicare for all, and ending homelessness. “If America took all the money for one day’s military expenditures, such as maintaining over 700 military bases worldwide, and devoted those funds to education instead of waging war, there would be enough money to finance the educations of every student in the entire country, starting at pre-K and ending with the first 4 years of college. It’s time to put down the guns and download some books instead.
In another example, if America took all the money I just wrote about and used those funds for housing the homeless, there would be enough money to move every homeless family in America into a basic, 3-bedroom 2 bath house fully stocked with groceries, and with all the utilities paid up for the first year. Those are just two examples, hence the title to this piece.
Enough Is Enough
Don’t you agree that endless money fuels endless war, often at the expense of human needs at home and abroad? Everybody except for a tiny minority is sick and tired of all the wars that benefit only a select few. Jesus said it best, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called ‘the sons of God’”, and again it is written, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth”. (Matthew chapter 5, verses 5-9) Your voice is needed at the ballot box, or in the streets when necessary, to convince Congress to rein in military spending and make a meaningful investment in sustainable peace, and preventing violent conflict around the world.
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The celebration of the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible was back in 2011, and Bible publishers are still ostentatiously commemorating that landmark by producing an abundance of gorgeous hand-bound versions complete with illustrations – for a premium price, of course. The hoopla is entirely justified, since the King James Bible revolutionized Bible reading, bringing Scripture into a common vernacular for the first time for the English-speaking world. Although I personally use other versions (NIV, NLT, & Amplified), it is not too much to say that the King James Bible – mass produced as it was – democratized religion by taking it out of the hands of the clerical few and giving it to the many, thanks to a cutting edge technology from back then known as the printing press.
Using Technology to Spread the Gospel
Today, another much bigger revolution in church as we have known it is underway. Today’s technology goes a giant step further, making Scripture – in any language and any translation – accessible to anyone on earth with a decent mobile phone. It need not be a hard-wired connection any more, just a basic smart phone is all you need. Just like the 500-year-old Protestant Reformation, which was aided by the advent of the printing press and which helped give birth to the King James Bible, changes wrought by new Web-based technology have the ability to expand the reach and scope of the gospel of Jesus Christ like we previously never have. In the face of church leaders who claimed that only they could interpret the Bible for the common people, Reformation leaders like Martin Luther taught that nothing supersedes the authority of the Word itself. “A simple layman armed with Scripture,” Luther wrote, “is greater than the mightiest pope without it.”
The Internet Has Made Traditional Churches Obsolete
In that vein, today’s digital technology gives users the text, plain and simple, without the interpretive lens of established authorities. And it lets users share interpretations with other non-authorities, like family members, friends and coworkers. With the Bible on iPhone’s, iPad’s and ‘tablets’ of various kinds, believers can bypass constraining religious structures – otherwise known as denominations and brick-and-mortar churches – in favor of a more individualized connection with God. We can’t see God, and we can’t see the internet visually, yet people who have a hunger and a thirst for God – or at the very least some power greater than themselves – connect with God this way.
This blog and online community is based on that fact, that there is an emerging new power outlet that we can plug in to that is like a direct link to God. Churches are getting on the Web in droves because they are discovering the same thing. There is an intensity now, a burning desire to bring ourselves as close as we can get to God, because millions of Christians all over the world are beginning to recognize that we are living in the Last Days. There is now a growing sense of urgency to get as many souls into God’s kingdom as can be because we are all running out of time. The more ways we can find to do this, the better. I cannot overemphasize the urgency of our situation.
Hungry and Thirsty for Real Truth
This helps solve a problem that Christian leaders are increasingly articulating; that even among people who say that Jesus Christ is their personal Lord and Savior, too many folks don’t read their Bibles. Here in the 21st century, more than a third of those who self-identify as born-again Christians rarely or never read the Bible. Many don’t even own one. Among ‘unaffiliated’ people – that is, Americans who don’t belong to a religious congregation – more than two thirds say they don’t read the Bible. Especially among 18-to-29 year old’s, Bible reading has come to feel like homework, associated with “right” or “wrong” interpretations, and accompanied by stern lectures from the pulpit.
Today’s young Christians, or millenials if you like, have come to expect experiences that appear unscripted and interactive, which allows them to be open and honest with their questions. To put it simply, they are hungry and thirsty for an authenticity that can only be found by reading the Bible. The majority of today’s churches lack this certain authenticity. If anyone reading this does not own a Bible because they can’t afford it, please send me your email addresses in the responses below, or contact me directly from this link.
Aching for a Fresh Connection
This yearning for a more directly connected faith – including Bible readings and verses to inspire or console wherever and whenever they’re needed – is being met with an enthusiastic embrace. For growing numbers of young people, a leather-bound Bible sitting like an artifact on a stand in the family living room has no allure. It’s not an invitation for exploration or questioning. Young people want to absorb their spirituality the way they do their news or their music. They want to browse for Jesus on Facebook, Tweet on Twitter, link up on Linked In, and Google whatever is left. They are also streaming Christian content on their various digital devices directly off the Web, bypassing cable TV and printed media completely.
You Can Even Visit Church On Your Phone
Thus we now have products such as “Youversion” (not a paid endorsement), a digital Bible available for free on iTunes and developed by a 34-year-old technology buff and Christian pastor from Oklahoma named Bobby Grunewald. In an interview on a Christian TV channel recently, he said he conceived of it while on a layover at Chicago O’Hara International Airport, wishing he had a Bible to read. “What we’re really trying to address is, how do we increase engagement in the Bible?” he said. Now available in 113 versions and 41 languages, including Arabic, “Youversion” has a community component that allows users to share thoughts and insights on Bible verses with friends. It has been installed on more than 20 million Smart-phones since 2008.
How to Spot Phony Pastors
Traditionalists (and I’m definitely not one of those) worry that technology allows young believers to practice religion without committing to what many churches call “a church home” – and they’re right. But, what they are really afraid of is that donations will falter as a result of this development. The very idea of not having the church participants right there with them so these hired-hand pastors can pass around a collection basket (or two) completely unnerves these types of ‘leaders’ and ‘teachers’. That’s how you can tell if a pastor is in the ministry for the right reasons, or not.
Christianity’s Evolution
Let me give you an example. I once watched a Michigan pastor named Rob Bell on a Christian video that I streamed off the Web. It was the eve of the publication of his then-new bestseller “Love Wins” (not a paid endorsement). It was said on the show that after the book-signing, many of Pastor Bell’s acolytes said they felt they knew Rob through his sermons, which they regularly downloaded off the internet, even though they had never met him. They hailed from places like Australia, South Africa and New Jersey. They listen to Bell while they’re working out, or commuting to work. They get their religion – like their meals – on the run. Pastor Bell is going about this in the right way, and traditional churches with their comparatively high overhead are being left behind in the dust of history.
The Large Carbon Footprint of Bible Printing
The family Bible has long been given as a gift on graduation day or other big occasions and inscribed with special dates such as births, marriages, or deaths. Some of these Bibles would go on to become collector’s items that are treasured, protected and preserved. I can see a world in the not-too-distant future when the Bible may exist primarily online, or on a ‘thumb-drive’, especially due to the number of trees we must otherwise cut down to make the paper on which to print them.
People Are Changing, and Churches Will Have to Change With Them
For right now, worship services and Bible studies are still done almost exclusively as public gatherings in a house of worship, or sometimes in a “home church”, which is exactly as the name implies. But more and more people are beginning to trend towards Web-based churches such as this one that offers a more personalized one-on-one experience. As a result for a rapidly growing minority, the necessity of physically gathering each week in the same place with the same people becomes a traditional form of worship that has begun to fade into the past. Moreover, more and more people are getting by without the expense of owning and insuring (and fixing!) a motor vehicle. Without a doubt, these two trends represent new twin crises for organized religion. If church as we have known it has difficulty adapting to these new technologies that can reach audiences that number in the millions, they will cease to exist soon after.
“Whenever Two or More Are Gathered, There I Am in Their Midst”
This question already has organized religion seeking to redefine what it means to be a body of believers. Besides, with all this new technology, the faithful can now have church as little or as often as they want (but often is definitely better, even if it’s for only 5 minutes each time). Just remember to make sure your worship is as authentic as the Lord and Savior you worship. Search your hearts for the answer to this question. God sees all and He knows all. Above all, never stop praying and praising Jesus, because he’s coming back sooner than you might expect.
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Last week when we concluded Acts 16, Paul and Silas had just left Philippi, where they had been imprisoned for the previous 24 hours, and where they had been beaten with whips. But for Paul and Silas it was worth it all, considering how many people had been led to the Lord there. Moreover, the people of Philippi were so deeply moved and inspired by the two apostles’ resolute courage that they founded a church there. It was this very church to who Paul later wrote his letter to them, which ultimately was turned into the Book of Philippians, one of the most inspiring reads in all the New Testament. Having completed the first portion of their journey, they traveled east to Thessalonica, and then still further to Berea in the area around the border between Greece and Turkey today. And so as we begin part one of this week’s in-depth study of Acts 17, we find Paul and Silas arriving at Thessalonica.
Part One of This Week’s Study and Memorization Verses
“1) When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2) As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3) explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said. 4) Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.
“5) But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6) But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: ‘These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7) and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus. 8) When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9) Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.” (Acts 17, verses 1-9)
Pure Heart Preaching
Into the synagogue at Thessalonica went Paul and Silas to preach the Word. Evidently, they were well received, otherwise they would not have been invited a total of three times. They were also quite effective in their testimony and their instruction, as we see in verses 3 and 4: “….explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,’ he said. 4) Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.” So here we have the apostle Paul, sometimes called “the 13th apostle” in some theological circles today, telling it like it truly is to those in attendance at the synagogue at Thessalonica. Jesus is the risen Lord and Savior, Paul told them, making him Messiah, and the entire Hebrew nation had missed it, not realizing who Christ was. Notice once again that there were at least as many non-Jews in attendance in the synagogue as there were Jews.
The Apostles Had the Divine Protection of Christ
“5) But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason’s house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6) But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials….” Things were much the same back then as they are today – those in positions of power and authority will inevitably abuse their authority every chance they get.
So it was with the synagogue leadership there in Thessalonica, who organized a mob for the sole express purpose of forcibly removing Paul and Silas from Jason’s house, presumably to take them outside the city gates and to kill them both. But the Lord was with them, I am sure, because they both knew to stay elsewhere that night. There is no way that Paul’s and Silas’ absence from Jason’s house was a mere coincidence. This, everyone, is just one example of multitudes regarding what great lengths God will go to in order to protect preachers of and believers in his Word.
Resistance to Change Is a Fact of Life
“They are all defying Caesar’s decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus. 8) When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9) Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.” This, ladies and gentlemen, is how change is thwarted by the status quo. This is how resistance to change for the better is stopped in its tracks – unless, of course, the change is ordained by God. In this case, it most certainly was. Jason and the other believers with him were made to post bond like criminals, because Christianity was still criminalized at that time, and it continued to be for about 250 more years.
Part Two of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
The posting of bail by Jason and company brings us to part 2 of this week’s lesson: “10) As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11) Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12) As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” (Acts 17, verses 10-12)
The True Holy Spirit Does Not Discriminate
After nightfall that same day, Paul and Silas were quietly escorted out of town by a few of the brothers, escaping any further persecution there. They traveled further to the east to Berea, a city in Macedonia that is actually in northern Greece today. Arriving in the synagogue there, Paul began to preach the Word with great effect, “….for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12) As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.” Notice, as I have pointed out before, that the Gospel of Christ is freely and equally available to Jew and Gentile or to men and women, and all at once. That is true Christianity as it was meant to be taught, and to be lived as a lifestyle. Human equality, my dear readers, is Scriptural.
It Was All About the Money, Just Like Today
The people of Berea did more than merely express belief in the risen Redeemer, they embraced him as the Son of God. This embrace means maintaining a personal relationship with the risen Lord, a one-on-one relationship, not unlike a marriage. This concept of a personal relationship between Jesus and his followers could never be allowed by the Jews at Thessalonica – or in any other synagogue – because it would have made their own functions at the Temple obsolete. In other words, they all would have been out of a job.
This is the main difference between the Old Testament and the New Testament: In the old one, God is far away and aloof. He cannot be looked at directly or touched in any way, but in the New Testament, God has come in the form of his Son, and has dwelt among us. The apostles all saw him and touched his wounds, and He remains with us in Spirit and in Truth. Next week when we move on to part 2, we’ll see what happens next in Berea as the Pharisees in Thessalonica are informed of the location of Paul and Silas. See you then.…
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Now released: “Our Reasons for Revolt Series”, a 3-book set of factual nonfiction about the true state of the US in 2023
The latest offering from Author Rev. Paul J. Bern: the “Reasons for Revolt” series, a set of 3 Christian nonfiction books. The titles are “Occupying America: We Shall Overcome”, “Cannabis Legalization and the Bible: Compatible or Not?”, and “What We Want and Why We Want It”. From a history of revolts in chapter 1 of “Occupying America”, to the reasons why the ‘war on drugs’ is actually a war on the American populace, to a demand for higher wages, free health care and free public college tuition, this cutting edge 3-book set is a reader’s delight that is brimming over with the dissent, dissatisfaction, and the building rage currently being experienced by the American people. Guaranteed to make the reader take to the streets in protest! Now available in print, Amazon Kindle or Audible versions. Guaranteed to be worth the wait! #people#healthcare#cannabis#amazon#education #raisethewage
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For this week’s message I’m going to pass along a warning from the Lord, through the Scriptures, regarding the future of the USA. Prophecy, in the scriptural sense, simply means affirmatively declaring the Word of God, or of conveying the will of God and letting it be known with precision. For example, if I say, “Everyone act, think and live as if Jesus will return at a time when many will be caught off guard” (see Matt.24: 44), then I have prophesied the Word of God by allowing myself to be used as a vessel for God’s Word to humankind, or as a conduit for God’s awesome power (which is beyond all human imagination). And so allow me just a few short minutes to relate what I believe is this important Word from the Lord God Almighty through his Son, Jesus Christ, the Lamb that was slain and yet lives.
The US Is Bankrupt
As it was in the times of the prophets of old, so it is today – “my people perish due to a lack of knowledge”. Everyone today seems filled with book knowledge, and yet can’t perform basic life skills like preparing a budget, reading a local bus schedule or changing a flat tire. America’s days as a superpower, both militarily and economically, are just about over. Do you not see what is happening all around you? Your government is printing money at maximum speed to keep your rigged capitalist economic system, a system based on indebtedness and greed that is a laughingstock both up in heaven and down in hell, from imploding. It is as plain and bright as the daytime sunshine God created that America’s pyramid-schemed economic system has run its course.
A Bible Quote That May Mystify Some
It will soon be exactly as it was written by the beloved apostle John, “In her heart she boasts, ‘I sit as queen, I am not a widow, and I will never mourn’. Therefore in one day her plagues will overtake her: death, mourning, and famine. She will be consumed by fire, for mighty is the Lord God who judges her. When the kings of the earth who committed adultery with her and shared her luxury see the smoke of her burning, they will weep and mourn over her. Terrified at her torment, they will stand far off and cry, ‘Woe! Woe, oh great city, O Babylon, city of power! In one hour your doom has come!’” (Revelation chapter 18, verses 7-10)
The True Identity of “Mystery Babylon”
A controversy has been raised for centuries regarding the identity of “Babylon, city of power” mentioned above. In times of old, most people of faith concluded that it was the Vatican. More recently, Islam has been declared the culprit, but I’m not sure that’s the case either. Granted, the Islamic nations are mentioned in Ezekiel chapters 38 & 39 as being in alliance with “the king of the north”, which likely includes Russia. So we can rule out the Catholic and Muslim faiths. Guess what modern country is left? Is there anyone who still doubts that this passage of Scripture was written about our country, the United States? Go back and read that again, or better yet, read Revelation chapter eighteen in its entirety, it’s all right there in black and white. “In one hour her doom will come”….
The Sins of American Power
Everyone knows the US is the world’s biggest (by far) military power. But America is also #1 globally in homicides, the production of pornography, first in the number of people in prison, and the only developed industrialized nation that withholds medical care and higher education from its population unless we pay exorbitant prices to obtain them. Never mind that medical care, together with higher education and internet access, are fundamental, basic human rights. When the government – any government – sins against its own people, it sins collectively against God.
This May Not Be Popular, but I Take a Stand Against Corruption
So how else is the US government sinning against God? Our dollar, or more accurately the rate they are being printed, makes a major currency devaluation likely, possibly even in the near future. This is particularly true if the abuses on Wall Street, as well as Washington DC, continue unabated. This huge cover-up of the abuse of power will result in America’s destruction unless it is all forcibly stopped immediately by any means necessary. If the US does not repent of these egregious sins and get its house in order, God will punish our country with even more economic hardship, natural disasters and plagues than it has ever seen in her lifetime. I know there are those who will not take my warning seriously, but I remind you that the future of our country is at stake. I do not speak for myself, but I speak on the Lord’s behalf through Christ Jesus his Son. He is the composer of this message; I’m just a courier.
We Have Ruined the Whole Earth
We have taken the earth that God created and ruined it. Everything is polluted, even our own bodies. Oil residue still exists on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico and western Florida well over a decade after that oil rig explosion in the Gulf of Mexico; the seafood (not OUR seafood, since it all belongs to God) is contaminated with mercury and hundreds of tons of scrap plastic; our livestock are catching deadly new strains of the flu, and our IQ’s become ever more diminished due to ingesting fluoridated water for decades. Autism, once thought to have originated from childhood vaccines, is now being more correctly understood as having environmental rather than medical causes and origins.
I Once Published a Book About This
We’re doing all this to ourselves. Humanity has collectively become suicidal, and we’re taking the whole planet with us on the way out. We have collectively become insane, and it’s all because of a group of psychopaths that have hijacked the US government and military for their own enrichment. Since it is ourselves, the bottom 99%, who are on the receiving end of all this abuse, we will have to band together to get out of this untenable situation. For some ideas on how you can peacefully fight back, get a copy of my book “Occupying America: We Shall Overcome” from this link.
Everything Depends On the Dollar
Hard times are coming, of that we can all be sure. Wars are breaking out everywhere we look. God has shown me that gas rationing and food rationing are both in America’s future. Poverty will increase by leaps and bounds, creating a permanent underclass of Americans who will become the spearhead of a Second American Revolution. Civil unrest is definitely coming, the likes of which haven’t been seen since the 1960’s. Rioting may occur in many areas. People may have to stay barricaded in their homes and apartments for days and weeks at a time. With 70% of America’s economy dependent on consumer spending, this is ominous to say the least. If and when the dollar collapses – a very real probability – all these things will be so much worse.
America’s Day of Reckoning Fast Approaches
The Bible warns us that “a day is coming when no one will be able to work”. We Americans have been taking our privileged lives for granted for too long. God is a patient and loving God who is slow to anger but swift and sure regarding his punishment for those who willfully disobey. When we take a look around us, we see our neighborhoods, subdivisions, schools, churches, businesses, and industries, and all the infrastructure associated with them. Yet God is warning us all that even the tallest tower – which here in Atlanta is just over 52 stories – will not be left standing upon the arrival of the great and dreadful Day of the Lord. It is only then, when the arrival of Christ Jesus splits the Mount of Olives in two, that “every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord”. We children of His are all just about out of time.
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You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern, all rights reserved
Last week when we left off at verse 28 of Acts chapter 16, Paul and Silas were in a bad way. After driving an evil spirit out of a young slave girl, it turned out that spirit gave her the power to foretell the future. This rare, and unnatural, ability was Satanic in nature. Paul and Silas clearly perceived this. The slave girl’s captors – I won’t call them ‘owners’ since I think humans owning other humans is immoral – were milking her for all she was worth, and they were undoubtedly making a hefty profit from her strange and unnatural abilities. But the salvation of her soul had an unintended effect – the slave girl’s “owners” pressed charges against the two apostles. And so Paul and Silas had been thrown in jail and severely flogged.
Paul Saves the Lives of His Captors
Late that night there was a severe earthquake that damaged the jail in which Paul and Silas were being held. The doors were thrown open and the shackles Paul and Silas were chained to miraculously came undone. As the story is told in verse 27, next “The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.” Fortunately, Paul immediately spoke up because he was a Roman citizen and was well versed in the ways of the Roman Empire. He knew the jailer would have fallen on his sword, and stopped him from doing so, saving his captor’s life. And so this week, as we move on to part 3 of Acts chapter 16, we find Paul and Silas’ formerly authoritative jailer coming to verify what Paul has told him, and the jailer is now a nervous wreck. So let’s take up where we last left off, beginning at verse 29.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“29) The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30) He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ 31) They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.’ 32) Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33) At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. 34) The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole household. 35) When it was daylight, the magistrates sent their officers to the jailer with the order: ‘Release those men.’ 36) The jailer told Paul, ‘The magistrates have ordered that you and Silas be released. Now you can leave. Go in peace.‘” (Acts 16, verses 29-36)
That Age-Old Question
That jailer had been thoroughly shaken from top to bottom by what he just experienced. Although the earthquake was an unusual occurrence, it was much more than just that. The rest of the prisoners in there with Paul and Silas would have taken advantage of the situation. But thanks to them, the remainder of the prisoners had stayed put when the quake struck. Evidently this was something outside the jailer’s scope of experience, and so he found himself totally blown away by the surprising (for the jailer) behavior of the two apostles. So compelling was that particular experience that the jailer “….rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. 30) He then brought them out and asked, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’”
Paul and Silas Bear Witness of the Risen Lord
The jailer was keenly aware that something supernatural had just taken place. From his viewpoint, it must have seemed like the earthquake had occurred so the shackles could fall off the two men, and the jailer must have seen it as some kind of supernatural sign directed at himself. How else, he must have thought, could this have occurred? But Paul answered his question directly and to the point: “31) They replied, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved — you and your household.’ 32) Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. 33) At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized.”
The Source of Their Power
The Power behind the quake, Paul told the jailer and his household, was indeed the same power that caused their chains to fall off while they were in maximum security. It was also, Paul explained to them all, the power that caused himself, Silas and the remaining prisoners to remain in their places after the quake occurred. And, Paul further taught, it was that same Power that had raised Jesus Christ from the dead on the morning of the third day after he died on the cross for us all. Amen!
A Story With a Happy Ending, Part One
We can also see here that the jailer was a compassionate man at heart. As the Word says, before Paul and Silas baptized them, the jailer personally washed their wounds to lessen the shock of the cold water they were about to be immersed in. Only then would the jailer allow the two men to baptize himself and his entire household. Like the young slave girl’s owners, the jailer also had slaves. He likely reasoned that if the young slave girl could be delivered of demonic possession, then his slaves could be saved too. This was the opposite reaction of the slave girl’s owner at the beginning of this story, who had Paul and Silas prosecuted and beaten for ruining their former source of income.
A Meal of Thanks, Followed by Release
“The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God — he and his whole household.” And so they all had themselves a nice little feast in the middle of the night, and it was an event thanks to the saving power of the risen Lord. The next morning the magistrate ordered the two apostles to be released. “Now you can leave. Go in peace,” the jailer told them.
Part Two of This Week’s Study and Memorization Verses
But in the following verses, the jailer gets a surprise he hadn’t counted on, starting at verse 37: “But Paul said to the officers: ‘They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now do they want to get rid of us quietly? No! Let them come themselves and escort us out. 38) The officers reported this to the magistrates, and when they heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were alarmed. 39) They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. 40) After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them. Then they left.”
Happy Ending Part Two
Paul and Silas were both citizens of the Roman Empire. The people who had pressed charges against them were not. Those who had pressed charges against the two apostles had them severely flogged, and they likely weren’t Roman citizens either. They feared prosecution by the Romans because it could mean an end to their lives. The magistrates were employees of the Empire, like a civilian contractor for the military in modern times. Paul and Silas wanted to be protected on their way out of town, and understandably so. They feared being attacked again by the same people who had them flogged and jailed previously. So, “They came to appease them and escorted them from the prison, requesting them to leave the city. After Paul and Silas came out of the prison, they went to Lydia’s house, where they met with the brothers and sisters and encouraged them.”
Paul and Silas Get Everything They asked For
So Paul and Silas got a security detail to escort them safely to Lydia’s house prior to leaving town. Under any other circumstances, the outcome of their adventure in Philippi could have been much different. But within minutes the two apostles were back at Lydia’s house. Without a doubt, everyone there had been quite worried about Paul and Silas, having only second-hand information as to their fate. But the two apostles, unmindful of their painful wounds, reassured them all with words of encouragement and exhortation. Then, says verse 40, they left.
Where did Paul and Silas go next in their quest to spread the Gospel? What or who would they find waiting for them there? The answer can be found in part one of chapter 17, which is where we’ll move on to for next week’s Biblical teaching. Be sure and come back then, and many thanks to all of you for reading these weekly postings, you are all very much appreciated.
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Every time I see it, I write about it, particularly if the topic can be found in the Scriptures in one way or another. My long-time subscribers know this to be true because I consistently write about injustice, world peace, governmental malfeasance and corruption, plus publication of antiwar blog postings, as well as examples of human qualities like empathy and compassion. That’s not including my weekly Biblical study series, where I take the reader to an in-depth look of the Scriptures from a modern perspective.
The Ongoing Water Crisis in the US
It is for these reasons that I present to you my latest Sabbath Day message. This week it’s about something that came to my attention only 2 days ago, that being the ongoing water crisis happening in cities large and small, all across America. There was a sizable article in this past Friday morning’s Web news, which lands on my desktop every day, that laid out a case for the declaration of a water emergency all across the US. Since this was a fairly long article (about an 8-minute read) I am only going to post a small portion, and it reads as follows:
The Water Crisis No One In America Is Fixing
Bryn Nelson; Thu, February 16, 2023
“On Feb. 3, 2022, a train loaded with toxic chemicals derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, igniting a fire and forcing the controlled release and burn of vinyl chloride, a known cancer-causing compound, to avert a disastrous explosion. The environmental catastrophe killed thousands of fish in nearby streams and has triggered growing concerns over the impact on residents’ health and on the village’s surface, ground, and well water.
“East Palestine joins a long list of other places in the United States facing major threats to clean water. In October 2022, a campaign called “Imagine a Day Without Water” asked Americans to stand with those who lack adequate drinking water, sanitation, or both. In one of the richest countries on Earth, the tally of those who live even without basic indoor plumbing might surprise you: more than 2 million…..
“The lack of access to clean drinking water, sanitary bathrooms, and treated wastewater is an ongoing emergency for many parts of the US as well. In rural and urban communities throughout the country, water tainted by pollutants, woefully inadequate sewage treatment, and a lack of restrooms (or plumbing at all) have laid bare the legacy of neglect……
“Nearly half a million US households lacked complete plumbing, while many more were living in communities with unclean water. Surveys suggest that the former problem is a disproportionately rural issue while the latter is disproportionately urban. “As it currently stands, counties with elevated levels of incomplete plumbing and poor water quality in America—which are variously likely to be more indigenous, less educated, older, and poorer—are continuing to slip through the cracks…..” (c) Yahoo News 02/17/23 all rights reserved
Injustice Across Our Land
It is simply inexcusable that there are 2 million people without clean water in what is allegedly the richest country in the world. But God sees us differently, as it is written: “Rich and poor have this in common: The Lord is the Maker of them all.” (Proverbs 22:2) For decades, the lack of effective municipal management combined with the landowners of these properties without clean water have forced the residents, whether they are renters or paying off mortgages, to expose them to unsanitary living conditions. The local water treatment facilities and the slumlords of these blighted properties escape liability while everybody at the county courthouse looks the other way. About this it is written: “2)How long will you defend the unjust and show partiality to the wicked? 3) Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed. 4) Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” (Psalms chapter 82, verses 2-4)
Mutual Help for Mutual Benefit
In these difficult times in which we live, it’s in everyone’s best interest to see to the needs of anyone they can help. Many of us are really hurting right now. There is no one standing in line to help us, so we must devise a way to help each other for the mutual benefit of all. There is a verse in the Book of Psalms that spells out the difference between those who are willing to help and those who only help themselves; “The righteous care about justice for the poor, but the wicked have no such concern.” (Proverbs 29 verse 7) Let’s all be sure and find small ways that we can help each other. Setting a good example such as this will hopefully motivate at least some of the stingy people in the world to do the right thing, and there are plenty right here at home. About this the Bible also says (again, in the Book of Proverbs), “Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.”
Giving Honor to God With Just a Few Gallons of Water
Giving honor to God by helping the poor is an idea that has always worked well among people of Faith like ourselves. We can start by finding individuals, families and whole communities who are in need of clean water. A gallon of filtered water only costs a dollar so buy several, or several hundred, as your budget allows, and drop them off at any charity of your choice. Churches and their related nonprofits are a very good choice for grassroots benefits such as this. So are food banks and charities like the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Goodwill Industries. Until these various water treatment plants and people I’m writing about make up their minds and go out and do some good, the world will remain much the same. It’s up to us to make a difference.
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Freedom In Christ, Jail at the Hands of Rome, but Still Free
You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern, all rights reserved
When we left off last week at verse 15, Paul and Silas had been invited to stay – and were staying by the time this week’s study takes place – at the house of Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth and a business owner. This was just after her conversion at Philippi, having been baptized by Paul and Silas in the river at the place where they had met. This week we will move on starting at verse 16, where Paul and Silas run into trouble on the way to that same place of prayer where they had met Lydia before.
Part One of This Week’s Study Verses
“16) Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. 17) She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, ‘These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.’ 18) She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, ‘In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!’ At that moment the spirit left her.
19) When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.’ 22) The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. 23) After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. 24) When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.”
The Apostle Paul Rebukes an Evil Spirit, Healing the Young Woman
First of all, let’s just set aside for the moment all religious pretense and theology. The Bible is clearly telling us two things about predicting the future and those claiming to possess the ability to do so. First, we can’t and we were never meant to, at least not in our natural state, be able to foretell the future. Second, those who can, as we are about to find out, are demon-possessed people – literally – because otherwise that individual would have no such ability.
Paul and Silas ignored her for a long time even though she followed them wherever they went. But even Paul and Silas had their breaking point. “Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her.” And so Paul rebuked the evil spirit that had seized control of the young slave girl and drove it out with only the spoken words, “Come out of her!”. Only the indwelling of the Holy Spirit of the risen Christ has that kind of instant and formidable power.
The Emancipation of a Former Fortune Teller
Driving out that evil spirit had unintended consequences for Paul and Silas, as we find out in the very next verse. “19) When her owners realized that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace to face the authorities. 20) They brought them before the magistrates and said, ‘These men are Jews, and are throwing our city into an uproar 21) by advocating customs unlawful for us Romans to accept or practice.’” These men were furious because Paul and Silas had ruined their source of income, and it is evident that the young woman was nothing more than a cash cow to her captors. We would call her a victim of human trafficking today. If they were standing before the throne of God at Judgment Day, I suspect the slave girl would be allowed to enter heaven, but her captors wouldn’t be so fortunate.
Maximum Beating and Confinement
“After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully.” This just goes to show you that being a Christian can get you singled out by the authorities in a hurry, especially if what you’re teaching and preaching goes against the status quo. Being a Christian – and by that I mean living your faith as opposed to merely professing idle belief – is no cakewalk, and anyone who implies otherwise is trying to mislead you into joining their congregation so they can milk you for money. Stay away from those churches, they are filled with vultures in human form. But to get back to our lesson, one byproduct of serving Christ is that whenever we drive demons out, their demon friends are sure to come around looking to stir up trouble – with ourselves. And so Paul and Silas found themselves getting “severely flogged” before being put into a maximum security cell. And so now let’s move on to part two of this week’s study, beginning at verse 25.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“25) About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. 26) Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. 27) The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. 28) But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!‘” (Acts 16, verses 25-28)
The Ultimate Fate of All True Believers
As we can see there in verse 25, it didn’t matter where Paul and Silas went – they either preached and taught the Word of God and the Way of salvation, or they were in a mode of prayer and praise, full time 24×7. There was no other way to get the Word of God out to the people, since there was no mass media as we know today. The other prisoners, wrote the apostle Luke, sat up and listened to them, having never heard such prayers being spoken or such prayers being uttered as those of Paul and Silas. I wonder how many of them gave their hearts to the Lord, either while still in jail or after being released? Someday we will all know for sure, as we meet one another in heaven.
The Cold-Blooded Nature of the Roman Empire
But then came a violent earthquake, and the prison doors were flung open, undoubtedly at the direction of the Lord Almighty. Next, “The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped.” The jailer, who would have faced the death penalty because he failed his mission, thought it fitting to end his own life on his terms, rather than face a Roman court. The world was a very harsh place back then, and the death penalty was handed down by the Roman Empire with alarming regularity. Joining the Roman legions back then was like joining the Mafia – you served until death, and if one’s death was a bit premature, well, that’s too bad because that’s life. Those Romans were not nice people to work for.
See You Next Time for Part Three
But Paul, knowing all this, prevented the jailer from doing so in verse 28. “But Paul shouted, ‘Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!‘” In true Christ-like fashion, Paul showed compassion for his captors, even though he and Silas had been beaten severely just hours before. How did the jailer react when he realized Paul and Silas had saved his life? To get the answer to this probing question, you’ll have to come back next week for part three of Acts chapter 16. See you then!
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As I write this week’s commentary we are coming up on the twelfth anniversary of Japan’s triple disaster that happened back in March 2011. The colossal earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster are unparalleled in human history. The worst and most troubling part is the leakage of many hundreds of tons of radioactive water into the Pacific ocean off Japan’s eastern coast. This has been done repeatedly over the last twelve years, creating a huge “dead zone” in the North Pacific ocean that stretches from Japan to the Aleutian Islands on the north to Hawaii on the south, and surrounding the island of Guam and its US military base in the north central Pacific. This radioactivity will remain in the water for many decades, killing most – if not all – of the sea life that once lived there. As of this week, Japanese authorities have decided to dump some of the contaminated water currently stored in storage tanks, into the Pacific ocean because they are running out of storage capacity. Details below:
“Nuclear plants have long been touted as a reliable source of carbon-free energy, though many plants across the world had been shuttered in past decades over worries about the safety of nuclear waste disposal. In this new era of nuclear revival, similar uncertainties abound.
“In Japan, one plant that isn’t even operational has become the front line for the fight between activists seeking safety assurances for waste disposal and operators who are running out of space in on-site tanks to store the wastewater accumulating from keeping damaged reactors cool. Currently, Japan plans to release wastewater from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the Pacific Ocean later this year.
“It’s just horrendous to think what it might mean,” says Henry Puna, the secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), a regional intergovernmental organization that has more than a dozen member countries, including, for example, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, and Vanuatu. “The people of the Pacific are people of the ocean. The ocean is very much central to our lives, to our culture, to our livelihoods. Anything that prejudices the health of the ocean is a matter of serious concern.” (copyright 2023 Yahoo News)
The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster in the Scriptures
Being the long-time student of the Bible that I am, I searched the Scriptures prior to writing this to see if I could find a connection between Japan’s 2011 nuclear disaster and Biblical prophecy. There is a strikingly similar disaster predicted in the book of Revelation in chapter six, verses 7-8. I quote: “When the Lamb opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, ‘Come’!” I looked, and before me was a pale horse! Its rider was named Death, and Hades was following closely behind him. They were given power over a fourth of the earth to kill by sword, famine and plague, and by the wild beasts of the earth.”
Biblical Prophecy Fulfilled
“Hades” is an old word for hell that is seldom heard any more. The context of this brief quote is that the 7 Seals were being opened. ‘Plague’ represents the radioactivity of the sea water, and ‘famine’ represents the death of all the ocean life that used to be a part of a soon-to-be-broken food chain. ‘Pale horse’ is a reference to death. Given the vastness of the Pacific ocean, the North Pacific, where the water has become radioactive to the point of being lethal, comprises about one fourth of all the world’s oceans. If all the fish in the North Atlantic died off from radiation sickness, which is already occurring, then the remainder of the food chain that feeds off those fish will become sick and die as well.
That same food chain ends with us, the whole of humanity. About one quarter of the world’s population lives on either of the coasts of the Pacific, from China, Korea and Japan to the Alaskan and west coasts of North America. It is no exaggeration to say this entire population is at very high risk of contamination.
Natural Disasters and God
People have questioned me about why God would allow such a disaster to take place. In times like these, many people find comfort in their faith. But disasters can also challenge long-held beliefs. Whenever a disaster like this occurs, I go back to the Bible, to the First Book of Kings. Elijah, in despair over the situation in Israel, runs back to Mt. Sinai to find the God of Moses. “And lo, the Lord God passed by. There was a mighty wind, splitting mountains and shattering rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind. There was an earthquake but the Lord was not in the earthquake.” To me, that is the key. The Lord was not in the earthquake. Natural disasters are acts of nature, not acts of God. God cares about the well-being of good people and bad too. Nature is blind, an equal-opportunity destroyer.
God’s Convenient Location
Where is God in Japan today? God is right there with the Japanese people who are grieving and sorrowful. He is in the courage of people to carry on their lives after the tragedy, in the resilience of those whose lives have been destroyed, families swept away and homes lost. But, they resolve to rebuild their lives. God is in the goodness and generosity of people all over the world to reach out and help strangers who live far from them, to contribute aid, to pray for them. Most of all, God is in the hearts of those who run to Him for comfort in times of tribulation. Those who have lost everything can take heart in the fact that God is giving them a chance to reboot their lives, or to start over again on a clean sheet of paper.
We Are Never Alone
For the believer, there is no satisfactory answer for why we suffer. It’s simply a fact of life, and each person has to come to grips with that. It’s not as if some magic answer can be found. But the idea of God suffering along with us can be very helpful. The Christian believes that God became human and that God underwent all the things we do. Jesus on the cross cried, “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?” Christians do not have an impersonal God, but a God who understands what it means to suffer. People can relate more easily to a God who understands them. In my own life, when I have felt great sorrow I have trusted that God is with me in this and that I’m not facing my struggles alone.
Natural Disasters Can Be a Test From God
Oftentimes people become more religious in times of sorrow. They find that they are able to meet God in new ways. Why? Because when our defenses are down and we’re more vulnerable, God can break into our lives more easily. It’s not that God is closer, it’s that we’re more open. Japan’s nuclear disaster is not the result of any sins of these people; we need to be clear that there is no belief that these victims “deserved” it for any of their actions. Rather, we should see these kinds of tragedies as a test from God. Jews, Muslims and Christians believe that God tests those he loves, and these tragedies also serve as a reminder to the rest of us to remain grateful to God for all our blessings and cognizant that we must support those in need.
Our Suffering Can Bring Us Closer to God
These kinds of calamities should push us in positive ways. They should strengthen our faith in God and in his goodness. We attribute the things we don’t understand to his limitless wisdom and comfort ourselves that he is with us and he loves us. We can conclude that there must be some meaning in what has happened, even if it is beyond our comprehension here at this time. We are trained by our faith that every suffering, whether big or small, brings us closer to God’s mercy and forgiveness. Every natural phenomenon challenges us as God’s trustees on this Earth, showing us that we should continue to study and explore ways of safeguarding humankind and all creatures from being subjected to this kind of devastation. It is the collective duty of all humankind to put resources in this and advance our understanding of how to respond to these disasters in a scientific way.
The Most Important Thing of All
As we contemplate the great number of people who have died during and after this tragedy, we may feel very strongly that we ourselves, in some part or manner, also have died. The pain of one part of humankind is the pain of the whole of humanity. And the human species and the planet Earth are one body. What happens to one part of the body happens to the whole body. An event such as this earthquake and tsnunami reminds us of the impermanent nature of our lives. It helps us remember that what’s most important is to love each other, to be there for each other, and to treasure each moment we have that we are alive. This is the best that we can do for those who have died. We can live in such a way that they can feel they are continuing to live in us, more mindfully, more profoundly, more beautifully, tasting every minute of life available to us, for them.
Compassion Equals Strength of Character
The best way to make sense of tragedies like this is that terrible things can happen to perfectly innocent or otherwise good people. This understanding inspires compassion within a real believer. Religiosity, on the other hand, erodes compassion. Thoughts like, “this might be all part of God’s plan,” or “there are no accidents in life,” or “everyone on some level gets what he or she deserves” – these ideas are not only stupid, they are extraordinarily callous. They are nothing more than a childish refusal to connect with the suffering of other human beings. It is time to grow up and let our hearts break at moments like this. There is no weakness to be found in hearts that break for others.
Japan’s Difficult History
World War II was another disaster (though not a natural one) for the Japanese and left great psychological scars. I expect to see an increased need for spiritual strengthening and sustenance in the aftermath of the Japanese quake/tsunami, which in some ways was greater than WWII. The Japanese have always been very vulnerable to frequent earthquakes and typhoons, tsunami, and other extreme weather. So throughout their history they have known the ferocity and unpredictability of nature and thus have a strong relationship, often one of fear and respect, with God. Even so, perhaps this tells you something of how their geology and climate affect their religious convictions and expressions rather than how religion will relate to the earthquake-tsunami-nuclear-meltdown disasters.
Pray for Japan
Personally, I don’t believe God ever wanted this to happen. I don’t think it was ever God’s intention, not in the human sense as mankind understands it. We know that there are going to be storms in life. No matter what happens we need to keep our faith and trust in Almighty God. And I want the people of Japan to know that God hasn’t forgotten them, that God really does care for them and that he loves them unconditionally. I care and God cares, and we’re continuing to stand by them.
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As Timothy Joins Paul and Silas, Christianity Grows
(Acts chapter 16, verses 1-15)
You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern, all rights reserved. Available from this link.
This week, in our ongoing study of the chronology of the writings of the apostle Luke, we’ll be moving on to Acts chapter 16. When we concluded Acts 15 last week, Paul and Barnabas had split into two teams after having a considerable disagreement about whether the apostle Mark should come with them. But this breakup over what amounted to a personnel issue was exactly what God had planned, since the two men who had been working together for several previous years were now split up into two teams. Barnabas took Mark, who was rejoining the apostles after a hiatus of undetermined length, and sailed for Cyprus. Paul took Silas and “went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches”. So today, as we begin part one of Acts 16, Paul and Silas have departed Antioch and are in the process of moving from town to town – which is where we will begin at verse one.
Part One of This Week’s Study Verses
“1) Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where a disciple named Timothy lived, whose mother was Jewish and a believer but whose father was a Greek. 2) The believers at Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. 3) Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.
6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8) So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9) During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10) After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16, verses 1-10)
The Apostles Have a Change of Plans
So Paul and Silas went back to where he and Barnabas had been before, to the churches they had planted together in Derbe and Lystra. The apostle Paul wanted to introduce Silas to these churches as his new coworker, as well as to further build these churches up in the strength and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. It was at Lystra, where Timothy lived, that he was introduced to Paul and Silas, and who ultimately had 2 books in the New Testament named after him. But then in verse 3, we encounter something a bit unexpected – as a condition to entering the ministry and being co-workers with Paul and Silas, Paul had him circumcised. The Bible’s reason is clearly stated: “Paul wanted to take him along on the journey, so he circumcised him because of the Jews who lived in that area, for they all knew that his father was a Greek.”
Paul’s Contradiction Concerning Timothy’s Christian Conversion
I’m sure you remember from last week’s study that this very topic was debated at length at the Council at Jerusalem, and that the decision had been handed down that Jewish believers in Jesus should not compel, not was it necessary to require, new Gentile converts to Christianity to be circumcised in accordance with Jewish customs. And yet, the first thing Paul did with Timothy was to have him circumcised. The apostle Paul was an orthodox Jew, and a former member of the Sanhedrin at Jerusalem, so Jewish customs meant a great deal to him.
Timothy Is Brought On Board
Granted, all those who knew Timothy knew his father was Gentile and his mother was Jewish. Paul did not have Timothy circumcised to honor his mother. He did so in the name of ‘peaceful coexistence’ between Jews and Greeks there at Lystra, and as a Jewish man. As I wrote in last week’s study, Paul was one of those people who were set in their ways, even if it meant going against the grain of the new faith in which he believed so strongly and taught so fervently. For that reason, I think he also circumcised Timothy as a condition of being his co-worker. Remember, this was the same man who said gay people can’t be saved, who said that the apostle Mark should be banned from the ministry, and who said women should not be allowed to preach or teach, but should “remain silent”.
The New Freedom Found In Christian Faith
“4) As they traveled from town to town, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to obey. 5) So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” With this being done, the old requirement of male circumcision was done away with for good – except for certain churches that insist on continuing with this apostasy to this day. We went over that in part 2 of Acts 15. This decision strengthened the faith of the believers immeasurably, because the burden of of Old Law had been lifted for good. At last they were free to practice their faiths without feeling like they had Moses and the prophets constantly looking over their shoulders.
Paul and His Compatriots Are Turned Away From What Would Be Become Muslim Territory Centuries Later
“6) Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7) When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to.” The geographic locations Luke was referring to here make up the area around the Black Sea, in what would be the southwestern Russian provinces today. After around the eight century, this area became predominantly Muslim, and it remains so to this day. And so they ended up going to Macedonia instead. And now let’s move on to part 2 of this week’s study, beginning at verse eleven.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“11) From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12) From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days. 13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15) When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.”
The Apostles Continue to Add New Converts to the Faith
Troas, Samothrace and Neapolis were 3 towns within a couple days walk from each other. All these towns were on or near the Mediterranean coast, in the northeast corner of that body of water, where modern-day Turkey shares a border with Macedonia today. From there they went on to Philippi, the capital, where they founded the church whose name would inspire the Book of Philippians. “13) On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14) One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”
The Apostles Manage to Secure Some Lodging for Themselves
The reason they had to go outside the city gate to pray is because there was evidently no synagogue where they could go. Or at least, not there in Philippi. So they went down to the river to pray, and presumably to bathe, although the Bible leaves out little details like that. So they encountered a group of women there, who were presumably getting their daily washing done, and they convert Lydia to the faith. So moved by the experience was Lydia that she insisted on giving Paul and Silas lodging for the duration of their stay. “When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. ‘If you consider me a believer in the Lord,’ she said, ‘come and stay at my house.’ And she persuaded us.” And so Paul and Silas stayed there at Lydia’s house for the duration of their stay there. And next week, when we move on to part 2 of Acts 16, we’ll see what happens next, as Paul and Silas find themselves in the same bad situation that Peter had found himself in back in Acts chapter 12 – in jail for the sake of the Gospel. I look forward to seeing you back here next week.
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This week’s Sabbath Day message will be on a topic that was actually suggested by one of my subscribers, since she had never found anything about prayer in any of my postings from the past. When I went back to my archives, which are substantial in that I have blog postings dating back to about the last ten years or so, I discovered that she was correct. That’s why this week’s commentary will be on prayer, and I’m really going to get down to some interesting details about the inner workings of prayer in this week’s message. This will include an explanation of how we should pray, and examples of ways to go about it. First, let me begin with a quote from famed Christian musician, singer and producer Dr. Ron Kenoly. This quote has been borrowed from Dr. Kenoly’s website: https://ronkenoly.org/
When Jesus Taught Us How to Pray
“Hello Friends, I trust and pray that you are being blessed as we continue to learn that our Heavenly Father has a Name. I hope that you are realizing the value that He places on His Name. In Luke 6, the disciples would notice how Yahushua (Jesus) would get up early and pray and then he would go through the balance of the day, performing signs, wonders and miracles and delivering profound teachings. The disciples asked him to teach them how to pray. Yahushua taught them what is known as the Lord’s/Disciples Prayer. The prayer is a prayer that almost every New Testament believer has learned by heart. It begins as such…
God’s True Identity
“Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name…” I want to pause here for a moment at the word Name. What is our Heavenly Father’s Name? Almost every believer knows the prayer but very few people have investigated enough to know what our Heavenly Father’s Name really is.Proverbs 30:4, which asks asks, ‘what is His Name?’ The answer to the question is given to us in Exodus 3:13-15, when Moses asked The Eternal One, ‘Who shall I say sent me?’ The Almighty said “I Am the Self Existing One”. In the original Hebrew that translates to YaHuWaH (The Eternal One) goes on to say, that this is His Name to every generation, an affirmation: Let us exalt His Name. Let us declare His Sovereignty. Let us proclaim and publish His Name, YaHuWaH, the Name above all names.”
So, there you have it; one Christian minister of words and music gives us his take on the topic of prayer, which is that we must begin at the beginning. That means we fall back to the teachings of Christ. For this example, let me take you to the Gospel of Matthew, and I quote from the very words of Christ himself: 9) “This, then, is how you should pray: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10) your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11) Give us today our daily bread. 12) And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13) And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.’ 14) For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. (Matt. 6: 9-14)
Who Should We Pray For?
When is the best time to pray? The apostle Paul, in 1st Thessalonians chapter 5, answers that question very handily. “Pray continually”. This doesn’t mean we have to remain on our knees all day long. That’s not what the Lord wants at all. Instead, we are to pray during the day as if we had a running conversation with Jesus, as if He is right there in your home, or riding along with you in your car. That’s because Jesus is already there with you. If you hear an ambulance going by with its siren wailing, stop and pray for those ‘first responders’. If a police officer goes by you on the way to an emergency situation, pray for that officer’s safety. Pray for the sick, the disabled, the elderly and the homeless. There is so very much that we can do, and all through prayer.
Praying in Unity Multiplies the Power of Prayer
But do our prayers have any real power or substance, since the skeptical see no evidence of that? The following example from the Old Testament proves what can happen when a multitude of people call upon the Lord to offer a part of their blessings (here it was in the form of livestock, since there was no currency back in those days). It reads as follows: “25) The entire assembly of Judah rejoiced, along with the priests and Levites and all who had assembled from Israel, including the foreigners who had come from Israel and also those who resided in Judah. 26) There was great joy in Jerusalem, for since the days of Solomon son of David king of Israel there had been nothing like this in Jerusalem. 27) The priests and the Levites stood to bless the people, and God heard them, for their prayer reached heaven, his holy dwelling place. (2nd Chronicles 30: 27)
Just Because You Can’t See It, Doesn’t Mean It’s Not There
As you just read, the power of prayer, though invisible, can be instantaneous and formidable. Jesus commented on this very thing when he taught us, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” (Mark 11: 24) Prayer can also be an antidote to anxiety, as it is written: “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians chapter 4, verse 6)
God Will Hear Your Cry
The Lord also answers cries for help as He sees us through trials and circumstances. The more frantic the prayer, the more strength in His response, as it is written by King David of Jerusalem: “The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.” (Psalms chapter 6, verse 9) Fasting is still another way of praying, with denial of self being a kind of Spiritual down payment on the blessing or remediation of our prayers, as it is written: “So we fasted and petitioned our God about this, and he answered our prayer.” (Ezra chapter 8, verse 23)
The Eternal Payoff of Fervent, Continuous Prayer
Prayer and its results are absolutely real, and the power thereof has been documented in stories within churches of people being healed of all kinds of infirmities, not to mention all those good people who have given their hearts and pledged their allegiance to the Risen Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. These are the ones whose souls have been saved, and so they will all go home to Glory when their physical lives are finished, and their bodies wear out and die. That means us, those who believe in Jesus and everything He represents, totally and without reservation.
Maintaining Our Relationship to Christ
If, however, you do not count yourself as being one who believes, and if you do not pray, then don’t expect anything from God. By the same token, if one says they believe in Jesus while not doing much in the way of prayer, then it’s time to step up your prayer life to the next level. How can we call Jesus our Lord and Kinsman Redeemer if we never talk to him? If you never talk to your own friends unless you need something from someone, all I can say is that, that individual will not have any friends left after only a short while.
Humility Above All
Most importantly, we must humble ourselves before the Lord, being ever mindful of our place beneath Him, as it is written, “If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2nd Chronicles chapter 7, verse 14)
A Spiritual Road Map
Do you see that? The proper way to pray, besides the Lord’s prayer from the Four Gospels where Jesus taught us to pray, 2nd Chronicles 7 and verse 14 sums it up perfectly. Not because of the way I have written this, but rather because of the way the Bible teaches it. The Bible has just as much sacredness to it as it did 1,950-3,500 years ago when the above quotations were written. The examples I have cited are a road map in the Spirit of how to go about praying. Prayer is something we can all do on a mostly continuous basis to the best of our abilities.
Practice Your Praying for a Richer and More Fulfilled Life
In closing, let’s all make a genuine effort in the coming weeks and months to pray on a continuous basis, remaining in a constant state of communication with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let nothing stand in your way that impedes your prayer life, and together we will all become more enriched Christians with more and better ways to live our lives for Christ.
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Last week when we left off at the conclusion of part two of Acts chapter 15, the apostle James had just made some concluding remarks after Peter had finished speaking. A nearly unanimous decision had been made at that first Council at Jerusalem, which was that new Gentile converts to the Faith should not be compelled to practice Jewish customs. This teaching has served ever since as a kind of rule book on how the Gospel should be taught, as well as what not to teach. Under no circumstances should any Gentile be compelled to engage in any of the religious practices of their Jewish brethren in Christ. In fact, Peter conclusively argued that this should be the other way around; that all should adhere to the teachings of our Lord and Savior.
All Have Been Made Equal Under Christ
Jesus taught us all that the Law of Moses had already been fulfilled. Those were laws that had been covered over by the shed blood of Christ, and certified by his resurrection on the morning of the third day. Hallelujah, thank you Jesus! This week as we move on to third and final part of Acts 15, we find the contents of the letter sent by the council at Jerusalem back to Antioch, a city in southern Turkey that still exists today. In it was contained the best news of all, which is that all are equal under the New Law of Christ, including Jews and Gentiles and everyone else.
Part One of This Week’s Study Verses
So let’s continue this week where we concluded last, beginning at verse 23. “23) With them they sent the following letter: “The apostles and elders, your brothers, and to the Gentile believers in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia: Greetings. 24) We have heard that some went out from us without our authorization and disturbed you, troubling your minds by what they said. 25) So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul — 26) men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27) Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing. 28) It seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to burden you with anything beyond the following requirements: 29) 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.’ 30) So the men were sent off and went down to Antioch, where they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31) The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32) Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.” (Acts 15, verses 23-32)
The Guilt of the Pharisees
Right from the outset, the purpose of the letter is quite clear. The letter was to put to rest false and misleading teachings about the Word of the Lord, which is tantamount to calling God a liar. These “teachings”, which we have previously discussed at length, were perpetrated by the Pharisees, who were affiliated with those who had handed Christ over to the Romans to be crucified. So let’s not forget that the Pharisees were all accessories to the murder of Jesus Christ
Can’t Fool the Holy Spirit of the Risen Lord
“25) So we all agreed to choose some men and send them to you with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul — 26) men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27) Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas to confirm by word of mouth what we are writing.” Let’s not forget that the origin of the argument about Gentiles taking on Jewish customs had originated at Antioch. When Paul and Silas first reached Jerusalem, they encountered the same assertions there, with both Christian and Pharisee waiting to greet the two missionaries, one to welcome and embrace them, but the other to accuse and mislead them – as if the Holy Spirit could somehow be misled.
Settling Matters of Faith
Next, the church at Antioch – and elsewhere since the message was hand copied and sent countless times – was reminded that the two men sent as witnesses had risked their lives for the Gospel. This was far more, the apostles and elders wrote back, than any of those who had tried to inject false teachings into the Gospel had ever done for Christ – and ever would. The letter then reiterates that we went over last week, about food sacrificed to idols, abstention of meat from strangled animals and from blood.
So, “….they gathered the church together and delivered the letter. 31) The people read it and were glad for its encouraging message. 32) Judas and Silas, who themselves were prophets, said much to encourage and strengthen the believers.” This entire episode concerning Jew against Gentile – and the most cherished beliefs of each – was now behind them all, and everyone was quite relieved that this matter of faith had been settled. And now let’s conclude this week’s ongoing study, starting at verse 33.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“33) After spending some time there, they were sent off by the believers with the blessing of peace to return to those who had sent them there. 34) But Silas decided to remain there. 35) But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they and many others taught and preached the word of the Lord. 36) Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, ‘Let us go back and visit the believers in all the towns where we preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.’ 37) Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38) 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. 39) They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, 40) but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord. 41) He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.” (Acts 15, verses 33-41)
The Meaning of “Shabbot”
So now we see that everyone went back to Antioch except for Silas, who presumably decided to remain and to study and learn from the apostles there in Jerusalem. But Paul and Barnabas continued to preach and teach the Gospel at Antioch, including the breaking of bread at “Shabbot”, which was celebrated daily. Interestingly enough, when we compare a Shabbot celebration with its Gentile equivalent, ‘potluck dinners’, we find they are fairly similar.
Paul and Barnabas Part Company
One day Paul was feeling a bit nostalgic, so he decided it would be a good idea to revisit some of the churches they had planted. This, however, is where he and Barnabas came into quite a bit of disagreement. As you saw, their differences were over a choice of people who were to be on their team. “37) Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, 38) 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. 39) They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company.…”
The Gospel of Mark and His Martyrdom
“John, also called Mark” in verse 37, was the composer of the Gospel of Mark, as we know it today. So, for Paul to refuse to work with Mark comes as a bit of a surprise, but Paul could be a fairly rigid individual when it came to his beliefs. Evidently the apostle Mark, one of the original Twelve, had made a decision to step away from the ministry at some point in the fairly recent past. Presumably Mark was at a stage in his own walk with the Lord where he felt well enough to resume the ministry. Paul, on the other hand, felt that since Mark had left the ministry once before, he might change his mind and leave again. In fact this never did occur after Mark rejoined the rest of the apostles. He stayed with the early Church from then on, and was ultimately martyred for his faith.
The Apostle Paul’s Character and Temperament
So we can see that, in this regard, Paul not only underestimated Mark and so judged him when he shouldn’t have, but Paul could be pretty tough when it came to his judgment of other people in general. Don’t forget that, before Paul (then known as Saul) gave his heart to Christ, his prior occupation had been an undercover operative for the Sanhedrin. On occasion, he was well known for acting as judge, jury and executioner all at once. Paul was nobody to be trifled with, and he could get extremely tough in a hurry with other men. Let’s not forget that this is the same man who said all gay people are condemned no matter what, and that all women should “be silent” during church services. I do not believe either of those last two are true. Prior to his conversion, Saul also thought all Christians should be killed no matter what, too. So we see clear evidence here that the apostle Paul could be very rigid and judgmental at times.
“Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and left, commended by the believers to the grace of the Lord.” And so, they resolved their conflict by splitting into two teams. And thanks to all that had occurred up to this point, the early Church continued to grow by leaps and bounds. Next week as we move on to chapter 16, we will find a new member of the early church’s apostolic team of leaders, a young protege by the name of Timothy. I look forward to seeing you all back at that time. Enjoy the rest of your week, and be blessed in Jesus’ mighty Name.
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“What We Want and Why We Want It” by Rev. Paul J. Bern Written in a combination populist and progressive style, this faith-based nonfiction book chronicles the ongoing demise of the US middle class and what Rev. Bern calls, “the ticking time bomb of inequality”. This new book spells out the American people’s demand for free health care, free higher education for everyone without qualification, an end to the Drug War that includes prison reform, repealing and replacing the federal income tax, and the need for a $15.00 per hour minimum wage. Best of all, this literary work explains simple ways to fund all of the above. This recently released book is a must-read for everyone who thinks America is headed in the wrong direction. Inspired by the 01/06 insurrection from this past winter in Washington, DC, this is the book that smacks the political establishment right between the eyes. The American people want free health care and free public education for life. Nothing less will do! Has several chapters devoted to the US military-industrial complex and describes how it can be replaced. A must-read for every one of voting age. (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0927X4FWF)
They can be found in most any church on any Sunday morning. You know the ones I’m writing about. They always dress as if they’re going to a fashion show, wearing expensive and sometimes flashy clothing. The ladies will most always have a big gawky hat that matches their outfits, while the men will be dressed in expensive suits with genuine leather shoes or boots. The members who own the most expensive cars or trucks park closest to the door, while those who drive only what they can afford park their vehicles towards the back of the lot.
Giving Has Become An Expectation
Once inside, they sing a hymn or two, followed by the requisite 45-minute sermon. Next comes the offering. This is where the faithful “tithe” 10% of their income, or as much as they think that they can afford for that week. Some don’t put in anything because they’re broke. Poor people are always shown the door the quickest of all, since the weekly collection is this church’s primary reason for existence. Those who can’t afford to give anything find themselves being replaced with those who can. It’s all about the money.
Don’t Get Mad With God
The attendee’s at modern churches believe that by attending services weekly and “tithing” of their magical 10%, they can coast through life with neither a worry or a care. But when hardship or pain befalls them, they get mad at God and leave church in a huff. That’s because many of them feel like God has let them down when they encounter misfortune. It’s as if they didn’t get a return on their investment when they gave that 10%, and now they’re mad about it. Problem is, God never promised us any of those things. I’m giving you a quote from Isaiah chapter 58 that talks about this at length, including a stern rebuke from the Lord that we should all pay close attention to.
Five Little Verses
“2) For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them. 3) ‘Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ “Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. 4) Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. 5) Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes? Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the Lord?” (Isaiah 58: 2-5)
In this quote from Scripture, there are some people who are upset and have become offended that their prayers are unanswered. They perceive that their fasting and sacrifices are being ignored, and they perceived correctly. The problem is, they are doing this to themselves. The Lord is telling them that they must change their behavior if they want to be considered as true followers and worshipers. But more than that, God put the Israelite’s on notice that he was fed up with the Hebrew nation because they evidently mistreated one another to such an extreme that the infighting among them had gotten completely out of control. God wanted to see some peace and justice among his people, and it was nowhere to be found. In the next few verses, we get to find out what God told them about this.
Still More Eloquent Verses From the Prophet Isaiah
6) “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke? 7) Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter – when you see the naked, to clothe them, and not to turn away from your own flesh and blood? 8) Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear; then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will be your rear guard. 9)Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I. ‘If you do away with the yoke of oppression, with the pointing finger and malicious talk, 10) and if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness, and your night will become like the noonday.” (Isaiah 58, verses 6-10)
Summarizing the Remainder of This Scriptural Quotation
Here is a summary of what the Lord was telling the Hebrew nation at that time:
If you want to have a time of fasting, fast against injustice and oppression.
During your time of fasting, fast against poverty and homelessness so you can do more good with the life the Lord has given you.
When we do these things, the glory of the Lord will shine upon us, and we will reflect His glory like a mirror.
When we serve others first, God will sit up and take notice, and he will reward us accordingly. Then we will become like shining stars for Jesus Christ.
The Ultimate Form of Existence
During his time of ministry on earth, Jesus spent his time either teaching people or healing the sick, the lame and the blind. He didn’t spend any time pontificating or posturing like what is so common in modern churches. He never asked anyone to ‘tithe‘ 10% of their income like modern churches do. He never charged anyone for healing them. Jesus never charged the woman at the well (in John’s Gospel chapter four) anything for a therapy session, nor did he charge Nicodemus anything for a professional consultation (see John chapter three). Jesus has set an awesome and tremendous example for everyone to follow. His selflessness was and still remains the ultimate form of existence. Tune into Jesus each day, stay on that frequency continuously, and you can’t go wrong.
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Last week as we left off at verse 12, a council had been convened at Jerusalem among the leadership of the early Church to discuss whether Jewish customs should be mandatory for non-Jewish believers, all of whom were united in their faith in Christ. Paul and Barnabas had first encountered this erroneous teaching on their first missionary journey together, and they had brought this to the attention of the apostles in Jerusalem. Peter, having heard all sides in this discussion, makes an eloquent statement against the whole idea of forcing Gentiles to undergo circumcision and to celebrate the Jewish Holy Days. He quotes extensively from the Old Testament – the only Bible in existence at that time – to make his arguments known. Then, Peter bears witness to what Saul and Barnabas have told him about the success of their journey, capturing the imaginations and inspiring the souls of everyone there.
Part One of This Week’s Study Verses
Today as we progress forward, we’ll take up where we left off as Peter concludes his speech before the group, starting at verse 13. “13) When they finished, James spoke up. “Brothers,” he said, “listen to me. 14) Simon has described to us how God first intervened to choose a people for his name from the Gentiles. 15) The words of the prophets are in agreement with this, as it is written: 16) “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it, 17) that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things — 18) things known from long ago.” (Acts 15, verses 13-18)
The Prophecy of the Prophet Amos
In the above passage, Simon was Peter’s given name, as you recall from our studies of Luke’s gospel earlier in this series. Like everyone else, James was also struck by the salvation of the Gentiles, which had previously been outside the scope of his experience just like the other apostles. Keep in mind that it was the apostle Luke who was writing this – the only non-Jew out of the original Twelve. James then quotes from Amos 9: 11-12 in verses 16-18. Although he was a Gentile, Luke made it his business to make sure he was well versed on the Torah, the Jewish Bible, to broaden his understanding of the faith of his Jewish co-workers of the Gospel, not to mention that of his Lord and Savior. “After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it….” Here we find the prophet Amos writing about the restoration of the Temple at Jerusalem, and of the coming of the Jewish Messiah, who was Christ himself.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“….that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things — things known from long ago.” This is the exact point at which Amos prophesied of the unity of Jews and non-Jews (Gentiles) under one Cross, a prophesy that had seen its fulfillment at the Day of Pentecost (see Acts chapter 2). First Peter and now James both added their thoughts on this topic, which brings us to the second half of this week’s study, beginning at verse 19. “19) ‘It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. 20) Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood. 21) For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.’ 22) Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.” (Acts 15, verses 19-22)
Tying This to Last Week’s Lesson
Turning the Gentiles away from their new faith by imposing Jewish practices upon them is counterproductive, Peter and James argued, and so it was pointless to continue doing so. The early Church was shooting itself in the foot by turning away Gentiles and attempting to make Christianity a religion for Jews only, James stated. I’m sure he quoted from Christ’s teaching – which we know today as Matt. 5: 17 – pertaining to the fact that Jesus had already fulfilled that Law. Peter had previously answered the original question in much the same way in verse 11 of last week’s study.
Making It Easy for New Believers to Join
“….we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God. Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.” Instead of turning Gentiles away, James admonished his Jewish brethren, we must open up persistent communications with them. We should ‘write to them’, which in today’s world would be a blitz of phone calls and emails telling as many people about Jesus as possible. You know, like I try to do with this blog?
People Who Care More About Their Food Than They Do About Their Worship
The part about food that was sacrificed to idols is something seldom seen in the Western world today, although there are those who make a bigger deal about the turkey they baked than about the church service that Sunday morning following Thanksgiving or Christmas. The reason that blood and strangled animals were mentioned by Peter and James was because they are forbidden in the Old Law.
Relying On the Holy Spirit That Lives Within
Moreover, the consumption of blood and the meat of strangled animals in modern times has to do with demonic worship and the occult. As for abstaining from sexual immorality, that is something that humanity still struggles with, and all the more so for true believers. But those who succeed in avoiding sexually immoral behavior do so because they rely on the Holy Spirit that dwells within them, rather than solely on their own abilities and human willpower.
Let’s Follow Our Hearts for Christ
“For the law of Moses has been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” This strikes me as being a bit of a rough translation. What James was actually trying to say was that, if any follower of Christ wanted to learn Jewish laws and customs, let them attend a synagogue on their own. But as for their faith in Jesus, in order to continue to maintain it, all true believers should attend church as it was in the first century AD. As they did, James was telling them, they should all practice their faith as it was meant to be practiced, not what some 3rd party said they should do.
“Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to choose some of their own men and send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas (called Barsabbas) and Silas, men who were leaders among the believers.” This was the way the Church grew back then. In this case Paul, Barnabas and the others – to whom the Jewish question was originally asked – were going back to Antioch to bring the answer to this question back with them, along with Silas and Judas Barsabbas.
We Are Only Slightly Better Than Spoiled Children Compared to the 1st Century
We don’t realize how easy and convenient our lives have become until we view life in the first century when all these things took place. News traveled at a snail’s pace back then. Even our modern postal service seems fast compared to those times. At least today’s postal workers have those little white vans. All communication traveled on foot and was delivered by word of mouth back then.
So the four servants of the Lord set out from Jerusalem on foot headed north, bringing the news back to Antioch, where this whole journey from these last couple of chapters began. They carried with them a letter explaining everything I have written about this topic of Jew vs. Gentile. This included the best news of all, which is that all are equal under the New Law of Christ, including Jews and Gentiles and everyone else. Next week when we return, we’ll delve into the contents of that letter, as well as what happened during the return trip. God willing, I will see you then….
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When we last concluded our study of Acts chapter 14, Paul and Barnabas had entered the city of Lystra and had preached the Word in the local synagogue. The people present had received with gratitude the salvation of Christ, but the Gentiles of that city were very pagan in their religious practices. The “priest of the Temple of Zeus” had brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates to offer sacrifices to the pair of preachers. As I wrote last week, this could well have been a considerable temptation to them both. They could have set up a Christian church, and had the whole town eating right out of their hands if they wanted to. In a way, it could have been an excellent opportunity to turn the entire town to Christ. Except that this would have been the wrong way to go about it when compared to what the Bible teaches (see Isaiah 44: 17).
The Apostles Paul and Barnabas Set a Great Example
It was Christ who was to be worshiped and not themselves. Indeed, when they realized what was occurring – keep in mind it was their first day in that city, having no prior knowledge of it as far as I know – the scene before them upset Paul and Barnabas a great deal. If nothing else, it proves that these two men were preachers of integrity because they lived and breathed it. This is the kind of thing that can happen when one is led by the Holy Spirit rather than by their minds. To find out just how upset they became, let’s take up where we left off last week, beginning at verse 14:
Part One of This Week’s Study Verses
“14) But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15) “Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16) In the past, he let all nations go their own way. 17) 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.” 18) Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.” (Acts 14, verses 14-18)
Paul, Barnabas, and Difficult Crowd
In verses 14 and 15, Paul and Barnabas are shouting above the crowd that there is only one true God. They even tore their clothes in their duress! “We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.” In verses 17 and 18, they are asking the crowd to believe in – at the very least – the true God who brings the sun, the rain, the crops and the seasons. ‘If you must pollute the message of Christ with your idols, then at least show some pure belief in the Father who sent Him!’ This was the essence of what Paul and Barnabas were trying to say to the crowd. “18) Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.” To sum it up, Paul and Barnabas had a tough crowd on their hands. They were having a difficult day at the office, that’s for sure. But as we continue this week’s study beginning at verse 19, their day was about to get so much worse.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“19) Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and won the crowd over. They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. 20) But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. 21) They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, 22) strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.” (Acts 14, verses 19-22)
Paul and Barnabas Emulate Two of the Apostles
Paul’s and Barnabas’ trolls of that day, the Jewish temple authorities from the two cities where they had just come from, caught up with them at right about this time. Remember from last week’s study, verses 5-7, where Paul and Barnabas had to flee Iconium to keep from getting killed? It was those very people who showed up unannounced and stirred up some of the Jews that Paul and Barnabas had just converted earlier that day, causing them to turn against them. “They stoned Paul and dragged him outside the city, thinking he was dead. But after the disciples had gathered around him, he got up and went back into the city.” Paul may not have been dead, but he was certainly close to it. But the disciples gathered around him, praying over his body continuously for an undetermined amount of time, that detail being lost in the mists of history. By being given up for dead, only to walk back into the city later that same day, Paul emulated Christ while Barnabas emulated the apostle John, the disciple who stayed with Jesus’ mother while Jesus suffered and died on the cross.
The Price of Entry Into God’s Kingdom Was Paid by Their Suffering
“The next day he and Barnabas left for Derbe. They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples.” I find it noteworthy that there was no bitterness on Paul’s part toward Barnabas with regard to his stoning the day before. Barnabas had evidently been spared from the majority of the stoning, but he was bruised and bleeding enough to be unable to help protect Paul from the mob of his Jewish ‘brethren’. Still, Paul didn’t hold it against him, or at the very least had settled any differences he may have had with Barnabas well before they left on their journey to Derbe. “Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith. ‘We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God,’ they said.”
There Has Always Been a Price to be Paid for Taking a Stand
Paul and Barnabas felt compelled to return to the cities they had most recently visited, to tell the congregations there how Paul’s life was spared, and to greatly encourage them. Let’s not forget this was a time of wholesale persecution of Christians and all things having to do with the Gospel. It took a lot of guts to express belief in Christ and openly live one’s faith back then, just like it took a lot of guts for Blacks and white folks to march together for civil rights and racial equality in the 1950’s and 1960’s here in America. There is a price to be paid for taking a public stand in favor of an unpopular idea, or traditional religion like Christianity.
Christianity Entails Accountability
The problem many have with Christianity is that it entails an ongoing relationship with the Son of God. So what’s so bad about that? It demands accountability on the part of the believer while insisting that we adhere to the teachings of Jesus Christ. Unfortunately for some, the whole idea of a Power greater than themselves is more than they can stomach. Which, by extension, makes them extremely self-centered individuals. Which is why the religious establishment of the time hated Christians so much. They were Jews competing with Jewish dogma, and they were winning at every turn. And now, let’s conclude this week’s study, beginning at verse 23.
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
“23) Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust. 24) After going through Pisidia, they came into Pamphylia, 25) and when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26) From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. 27) On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles. 28) And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.” (Acts 14, verses 23-28)
The Great Perception of Paul and Barnabas, and Why God Chose Them
As we can see in verse 23, Paul and Barnabas knew that, once they left Lystra and Iconium a second time, it was doubtful as to when they would be able to return. And so, after considerable prayer and fasting, they “committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust”. They put their trust in the elders they appointed, sure enough, but Paul and Barnabas put their ultimate trust in God, knowing He would see them through as time went on. To view this another way, Paul and Barnabas knew when to move on. They were both very perceptive individuals of great discretion, and I think that’s the most likely reason God chose them both.
The Enrichment and Empowerment of the Early Church Through Paul and Barnabas
“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….” Antioch, which was situated several hundred miles north of Jerusalem, became the northern base of Christianity in the early days of the Church. And so all that had happened to Paul and Barnabas, on what has become known as Paul’s first missionary journey, was disseminated and passed on by word of mouth there at Antioch. The Church was greatly enriched and empowered by Paul’s and Barnabas’ stories of leading others to salvation while barely escaping death themselves. In that same vein, I hope to do the same with all my readers, enriching and empowering them and their lives as we all learn together to live better for Christ. And next week, we’ll get started on chapter 15 in our ongoing studies of the writings of the apostle Luke.
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Hello, everyone; let me introduce you to my three-volume series on the writings of the apostles Luke and Paul. My name is Rev. Paul Bern, and I’m the author of this 3-volume series. These volumes are far more than a mere collection of Bible studies. They are a running commentary on the total content of the apostles Luke and Paul, told in the third person to the reader. This series of lessons are comprised of running commentaries that are disseminated from a modern perspective, and with a 21st century viewpoint. The three volumes, along with photos of their covers, are listed below.
This is the first in a series of Biblical studies of the writings of the apostles. The Gospel of the Apostle Luke was chosen first of this series, followed by the Acts of the Apostles. Luke’s writings are not only some of the most detailed, but are also filled with reasons about what motivated him to continue being a follower of Jesus Christ. The author juxtaposes the relevancy of Luke’s writings to 21st century life, and the application of old terminologies to modern thinking. Packed with useful material for pastors, laity and teachers.
“The Social Gospel Teaching Series Volume 2: the Acts of the Apostles” by Rev. Paul J. Bern
This is the second in a series of 3 Biblical studies of the writings of the apostles Luke and Paul. This 2nd of 3 volumes of the writings of the apostles Luke and Paul present them from some far broader perspectives that are much more applicable to modern life than one might expect. Each study is limited to a few pages for the sake of brevity. These studies are done from a whole new 21st century perspective that is sure to educate while making the process enjoyable. A must-read for believers, whether they attend church or not. An inspirational guide for secular people too.
“The Social Gospel Teaching Series Vol. 3: the Apostle Paul” by Rev. Paul J. Bern
Seven years in the making, this third of a series is a lot more than just a compilation of Bible studies. This collection of the writings of the apostle Paul presents them from far broader perspectives that are much more applicable to modern life than one might expect. Each study is limited to a few pages for the sake of brevity. These studies are done from a whole new 21st century perspective that is sure to educate while making the process enjoyable. Over 500 pages of enlightenment.
Coming soon to Amazon and my new website (under construction): The Social Gospel Teaching Series by Rev. Paul J. Bern, volumes 1, 2 and 3 will be available as a 3-book set, price to be announced soon. Please stand by or give me a day or two, thanks everyone.
You are about to read a brief excerpt from my Christian nonfiction book, “The Social Gospel Learning Series Vol. 2: the Acts of the Apostles” (c) copyright 2022 by Rev. Paul J. Bern
When we left off last week at verse 41 of Acts 13, the apostle Paul was concluding his first ‘sermon’ as a new convert as he addressed the synagogue in Pisidian Antioch. Pisidian Antioch is located 1 km north of Yalvac in the province of Isparta in southern Turkey. He finished up the greater portion of that Sabbath morning by quoting from the prophet Habakkuk 1: 5: “Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.” Paul was referring to those present who rejected his message, all of whom were Jews and many of whom were quite vocal about it. Their vocal and vehement opposition to Paul’s message of salvation as taught by Christ will come to a climax today as we finish up my final installment of Acts chapter 13. So let’s take up where we last left off, beginning at verse 42.
Part One of This Week’s Study Verses
42) “As Paul and Barnabas were leaving the synagogue, the people invited them to speak further about these things on the next Sabbath. 43) When the congregation was dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God. 44) On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45) When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him. 46) Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. 47) For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’”
Watch Out for Wrong Teachings in the Churches
So the crowd received a Word from the Lord through Paul’s message that had an authentic Spiritual power, a formidable message that was beyond description. The church still has preachers and teachers of the Word who discharge their duties with power and anointing, but we continue to need a lot more of them. What we don’t need are more preachers of the “prosperity gospel” or the “pre-tribulation rapture”, where the entire Church allegedly gets a free pass, never having to endure any persecution in the End Times in which we find ourselves. These are false teachings that must be avoided.
What Paul and Barnabas Achieved Through the Spirit of the Risen Lord
But the people in that Synagogue that morning weren’t as stupid and naive as some Christians are today. They knew the real thing when they saw it, and they knew real Truth when they heard it – Divine truth! That is exactly why Paul and Barnabas were invited to return the following Sabbath. That’s why the people wanted so much to hear them again. Once a preacher or teacher gets his/her students or audience focused on the things of God instead of that of this world, the scope and depth of their entire field of vision completely changes focus, which changes the listeners forever. And that’s precisely what Paul and Barnabas accomplished that morning.
The Risen Spirit Works Like a Magnet for Every Person in the Whole Town
“44) On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45) When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy. They began to contradict what Paul was saying and heaped abuse on him.” It seems supernatural to us now that “almost the entire city” showed up the following Sabbath for morning services. Considering there was no phone, internet or email, Paul and Barnabas relied solely on word-of-mouth, and it paid off really big, just like when Jesus walked the Earth his Father created.
The Teachings of and About Christ Offend a Few of the People
When the Jews who were in charge of the synagogue heard Paul’s words, they were filled with jealousy and rage. As I have written previously, the Jews of that time – plus many more since – see themselves as exclusive unto themselves, having little or nothing to do with non-Jews. The very thought of equality between Jew and Gentile offended some of them, especially those in positions of leadership. But, they were offended most of all with the teaching of Christ as Messiah.
Christianity Is Meant for Everybody
“Then Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly: ‘We had to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles.” The reason Paul and Barnabas spoke the Word of God to the Jews first is because they were themselves Jewish, as was Christ the Lord. The fact that they were in a synagogue bore heavily in this case too, but there were also many Gentiles present, such as Greeks, secular and Christian Arabs, and Turkish individuals as well. But the way the Bible is translated right here doesn’t really convey how animated the discussion surrounding Paul’s Sabbath message actually was. It says, “Paul and Barnabas answered them boldly….”
Paul and Barnabas Quote From the Book of Isaiah
In 21st century terms, this could be written as, ‘Paul and Barnabas took all the rejection, snobbery and contempt heaped upon them and threw it all right back in their faces.’ The accusatory manner in which these insults were delivered was similarly thrown back in the faces of all the Jews who refused to believe their message, and who were verbally abusive to them. Interestingly enough, there was not a single Gentile in the audience who rejected Paul’s and Barnabas’ message. They then quote scripture to back themselves up: “For this is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have made you a light for the Gentiles, that you may bring salvation to the ends of the earth.’” (Isaiah 49: 6)
Christ Magnified
In the original Greek text, known as the Septuagint by theologians, “you” is in the singular, indicating that the message is for each individual reader. This is significant because it lines up with the words of Christ, and I quote: “18) Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19) Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20) and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28: 18-20) And now let’s conclude this week’s study, starting at verse 48.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“48) When the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and honored the word of the Lord; and all who were appointed for eternal life believed. 49) The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50) But the Jewish leaders incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. 51) So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them and went to Iconium. 52) And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.”
Our Souls Are Immortal, But Our Bodies Aren’t
“….all who were appointed for eternal life believed. The word of the Lord spread through the whole region.” Notice it says “all who were/are appointed”, and that means appointed by God from long before any of us were born. It is a reference to prophecies from the old and the new Testaments concerning eternal life (see Psalm 119: 89, Isa. 26: 4, Matt. 19: 16 or 1st John 5: 13, among others). Eternal life is a black and white issue, there is no gray area here. It’s not that some have it while others don’t. Everyone has a soul, or a spirit if you like, that lives on after our bodies wear out and die.
It’s where our souls will spend eternity that makes all the difference. Some will spend eternity with Jesus and all the Saints, which is his Bride, the greater Church. Others will spend theirs in hell for refusing to believe in God, or at least in his Son Jesus, and for adamantly refusing to obey the teaching and commands of Jesus Christ. The two foremost commands he has already given us; that we should love God our Creator with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, and to love our neighbors as ourselves. Meaning, those who are lovers of everything else but God and each other will burn.
Expelled Just for Speaking the Truth
So the religious leadership there at Pisidian Antioch organized all the political and business leaders. All stated that the then-new teaching known as The Way presented an existential threat to their way of life. You know, just like political and business leaders of any given city, region or country today? Those in positions of power manufacture a problem, always in the form of a group or individual that has interests contrary to theirs, and then present their ready-made solution, which is to forcibly liquidate the “problem”. These people are all a bunch of assassins, so watch out for them.
“They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. So they shook the dust off their feet as a warning to them….” By now you all must realize that it was only by their reliance on the Holy Spirit to guide them, plus some very sharp wits, that enabled them to survive all the attacks and persecutions they were subject to. Paul and Barnabas weren’t just thrown out of the synagogue or out of Pisidian Antioch, they were expelled from the entire region.
The Work of the Apostles and Other Disciples In Magnified by the Lord
But they rejoiced because of it because they had the honor of being persecuted for their belief in Christ as Lord and Savior: “….the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” But this was about far more than their own beliefs. This was about fulfilling their mission to tell as many people about the Gospel as they could. Whether their message, the message of Christ, was well received by the listeners or not was left up to them, but rather to the Holy Spirit. Their mission, and that of the Twelve and all the others with them by this point, was fulfilled once the message was delivered, the healing had been distributed and prayers offered. At that point, it was time to move on to the next town.
That would be an interesting life in His service, don’t you think? Traveling around from town to town, depending on the weather to be able to preach at outdoor meetings when a synagogue wasn’t available, and never knowing what kind of reception you will get – this was the life of an apostle in a post-ascension world. In next week’s lesson, as we move on to chapter 14, we will see how all this continues to play out as the early Church continues to grow. Until then.…
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It’s that time of year again, the closing days of the holiday shopping season when people by the millions will finish spending an average of $870.00 each between now and December 31st on a bunch of cheap imported Chinese crap that nobody really needs. The worst part for American consumers is that all these inexpensive imported products from the sweat shops of the developing world are designed and manufactured in such a way as to make sure the items wear out sooner rather than later. These crooked manufacturers continue bearing down on the American consumer to go out and buy a replacement, preferably sooner rather than later. The giant US multinational corporations have figured out that if you make a product just good enough to hold out for a little while, you can still get people to buy it even though it is made as cheaply as possible. (such as motor vehicles)
Longstanding Protests Are Happening Worldwide
Unfortunately for these same monstrosity corporations, the American consumer has begun to wake up and realize they have been had and that things have been this way for a long time. People everywhere are getting a little more angry about this each day. Their fury and rage first manifested itself in the Arab Spring of 2011, followed by rioting in Spain and England that summer, followed by civil unrest in Greece that has yet to completely simmer down. This has been followed here in the US and Europe in the form of the Occupy Wall Street and “We Are the 99%” protest movements of which I am proud to be a part, and both of which are still very much ongoing. Speaking of being “very much ongoing”, let’s not forget about the Black Lives Matter movement while we’re at it.
It’s Time to Reject Materialism and to Come Back to Christ
All I’m saying is that people everywhere have become more questioning, more critical or have even become opposed to capitalism as we know it. I think this is due to what is increasingly being viewed as capitalism’s predatory nature and its emphasis of profits over people. Many of us, including myself, are completely up in arms over the state of our country as we close out the year 2022. The Christmas shopping season of which I write is just one symptom of capitalism gone overboard, with a mad dash to acquire more and more material things just so they acquire still more.
All this is happening at a time when we are supposed to be quietly celebrating the birthday of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. This is indicative of a society that has lost its sense of direction and its purpose for being. I was one of millions of people who boycotted Black Friday last month as a way to peacefully protest being forced to live in a world where the main thing that matters most seems to be how much money one can make.
The Game Where He/She Who Gets the Most, Wins
I’ve been there and done all that. I owned a small computer store all through the 1990’s and made some real good money. I never got rich, but I’m okay with that. I know what it’s like to have all that, and do you know what I found out about wealth and riches? It’s just a big trap, a never-ending treadmill of the pursuit of profits and profitability until it consumes your whole life, until in the end you realize that it was all just an illusion. Like a game of Monopoly, when the game of profit taking comes to an end (and sooner or later they all do) and the game is over, everything goes back in the box only to start all over again next time. That’s all capitalism and the taking of profits is – one big Monopoly game where the person with the most money wins, and always at the expense of everybody else. Is it any wonder that capitalism and the taking of profits has ruined the spirit of Christmas, let alone the whole country? Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong at all with turning a nice profit, but not if it means ripping off your customers and cheating your employees.
We Are Like Sheep Led to Slaughter
What have we become? Like cattle and sheep headed to slaughter, we roll out at this time of the year at the bidding of shop-till-you-drop gimmicks. Meanwhile, we fight and claw for the blue light special at the various suburban box stores who offer low wages and no benefits to staff. So, how much can we save? Wally World is offering 25% off, while Sneers & Rareback is offering 30%. Let’s run to Sneers! It’s only 30 more miles down the road and we’ve got enough gas.
Your Savings While Shopping Are a Chunk of the Wages of Someone Else
What about all the Asian people slaving in non union factories for pennies a day? What do they make off the deal? Who is actually winning? Is it really the mesmerized consumers teary and googly-eyed while giggling gleefully at 30, 40, and 50% off deals? Our politicians say it’s the American workers. Yes, it is our right to slave part time at minimum wages and no health benefits while we shop till we drop looking for that fantastic deal. Or we can refuse to work until somebody that pays a living wage can be found.
Americans Need to Quit Consumerism and Being Materialistic
We make this statement as employees of corporations are lining the pockets of senators, congressmen and supreme-court justices in Washington DC while seated on presidential cabinets making decisions regarding the future of our planet, ourselves and of our children. Meanwhile our consumerism is devouring the planet into what might soon become more lifeless than the moon or, God forbid, a Wall Street tycoon. Yet, mesmerized by commercials with intelligence levels less than a jackass after having a lobotomy, we roll gleefully into the gates of the shopping centers, the strip malls and humongous big box stores.
For example, consider the following December 2013 release from the Associated Press.
“A shopper in Los Angeles pepper-sprayed her competition for an X-box and scuffles broke out elsewhere around the United States as bargain-hunters crowded malls and big-box stores in an earlier-than-usual start to the madness known as Black Friday. And some shoppers arrived with sharp elbows. On Thanksgiving night, a Walmart in Los Angeles brought out a crate of discounted X-boxes, and as a crowd waited for the video game players to be unwrapped, a woman fired pepper spray at the other shoppers “in order to get an advantage,” police said. Ten people suffered cuts and bruises in the chaos, and 10 others had minor injuries from the spray, authorities said. The woman got away in the confusion, and it was not immediately clear whether she got an X-box. On Friday morning, police said, two women were injured and a man was charged after a fight broke out at an upstate New York Walmart. And a man was arrested in a scuffle at a jewelry counter at a Walmart in Kissimmee, Fla. In the US. Wal-Mart, the world’s biggest retailer, has taken steps in recent years to control its Black Friday crowds following the 2008 death of one of its workers in a stampede of shoppers. This year, it staggered its door-buster deals instead of offering them all at once.” (Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press, (c)2013)
Find Some Richness In Your Heart This Christmas
Lennon and McCartney of the Beatles wrote in the song “Revolution”, “you say you want a revolution, well you know, we’d all love to change your head.” Yes, it is more than changing Wall Street. It is, ultimately, about changing ourselves. This Christmas, change how you celebrate. Speak from your heart to your kids about consumerism and how it is affecting the planet as well as our behavior. Ladies, instead of buying your guy a new bag of golf clubs, give him a night he will never forget. Be creative, be loving, be tender and compassionate. Enjoy each other. To enjoy is to enjoin, to enjoin is to unite. Consumerism keeps us isolated by gimmicks of sensationalist advertising of unrealistically beautiful women, “perfect” children and gorgeous hunks of men that are created off the corporate mold. And who is being molded by all these advertising gimmicks? You are! For what purpose? To make others rich. Don’t go there this year. Find richness in your heart and share that this Christmas. And keep more of your money too.
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Last week as we concluded our study of Acts 27, we finished off part 3 with the shipwreck described in vivid detail by the apostle Luke. After being blown around by a major storm that lasted 2 full weeks – due to the sailing ship’s lack of mechanical propulsion – the pilot and his crew managed to beach what was left of the ship on the eastern shores of Malta. Malta is situated in the east-central part of the Mediterranean sea, with Sicily to the north, Algeria to the west, Libya to the south, and the island of Crete far off to the east by roughly 1,000 miles or so. So the island of Malta isn’t near much of anything. So much so that the culture there seemed a bit backward and superstitious to Paul, and the other men with him couldn’t help but notice it. With that in mind, let’s plunge right in to the refreshing waters of the apostle Luke’s written testimony, starting at verse 1.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2) The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. 3) Paul gathered a pile of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand. 4) When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.’ 5) But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects. 6) The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.” (Acts 28, verses 1-6)
How God Can Change Us Through the Power of His Risen Spirit
Sometimes in life we are taught things that later turn out to be wrong. Denominational church dogma has a disconcerting habit of repeatedly doing just that (based on my own experiences). Things that we learn from first-hand experience, on the other hand, tend to stick with us for our entire lifetimes. Unless, that is, something or someone comes along and completely upsets our entire way of looking at things. Jesus Christ is such a person as that. Just as the Holy Spirit of the risen Lord is a consuming fire, so the large bonfire that evening consumed the cold night air was a metaphor for the mercy and goodness of the Lord Almighty. The great kindness of the Maltese people lifted the spirits of all 260 people who had been on that ship. Anytime anyone can raise the tired spirits of any group of strangers, and with the absence of organized religion, that’s when you know the Holy Spirit is truly at work.
You Can Live a Great Life by Being a Willing Teacher or Receptive Student
Next in verses 3 and 4, we have the little incident with the apostle Paul and the snake that found itself flung into the bonfire. The fact that Paul was unharmed by that venomous snake obviously startled the people of Malta, as it is written: “4) When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live.’ 5) But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and suffered no ill effects.” There is a God who stands for Justice and Mercy, but his real name is Jesus Christ. OK, so if we tie this into what I said in the previous paragraph about “Sometimes in life we are taught things that later turn out to be wrong”, the suspicion directed at Paul by the Maltese people was one of those instances where this was the case. The apostle Paul demolished the superstitions of the island’s inhabitants once they saw he was unharmed.
Nothing Compares With the Spirit of the Risen Lord
“The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall dead; but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god.” See what I mean? The Maltese people based their initial judgment of Paul on what amounted to folklore by our standards. But folklore by our standards was all they knew, so the whole tribe thought that only an escaped murderer with special powers could have done what Paul did in the presence of everyone. They were witnessing and experiencing the power of the Holy Spirit for the very first time, and there is nothing that compares with the Spirit of the risen Lord. Bearing that in mind, let’s move on to the second part of this week’s lesson, beginning at verse 7.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“7) There was an estate nearby that belonged to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us to his home and showed us generous hospitality for three days. 8) His father was sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him and, after prayer, placed his hands on him and healed him. 9) When this had happened, the rest of the sick on the island came and were cured. 10) They honored us in many ways; and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed.” (Acts 28, verses 7-10)
The apostle Paul was very grateful for the shower of hospitality, as were the other 260 or so people who were on board the storm-stricken vessel that we covered in lasts week’s study. So when Paul saw an opportunity to heal someone, he did not hesitate to do so. Many were healed following the first one in the house of Publius, and many sick or handicapped persons were healed on Malta. And now, let’s close this week’s installment beginning at verse 11.
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
“11) After three months we put out to sea in a ship that had wintered in the island – it was an Alexandrian ship with the figurehead of the twin gods Castor and Pollux. 12) We put in at Syracuse and stayed there three days. 13) From there we set sail and arrived at Rhegium. The next day the south wind came up, and on the following day we reached Puteoli. 14) There we found some brothers and sisters who invited us to spend a week with them. And so we came to Rome. 15) The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged. 16) When we got to Rome, Paul was allowed to live by himself, with a soldier to guard him.” (Acts 28, verses 11-16)
A Little Bit of First Century Geography
The verses from the above passage comprises several consecutive weeks of sailing, with stops at 4 different ports along the way. The first was Syracuse, on the southern tip of Sicily, followed by Rhegium on the southern tip of the Italian boot. Afterwards there were 3 more ports closer together, going up the western coast of Italy towards Rome. The 1st of those three was Puteoli, where Paul and those with him met up with some “brothers” (notice the absence of titles, unlike today’s churches?), many of whom were accompanied by their fellowship of believers. Having spent an entire week there and being rejuvenated by the hospitality of Puteoli’s people, they completed the final leg of their northward journey to Rome days later. “And so we came to Rome. The brothers and sisters there had heard that we were coming, and they traveled as far as the Forum of Appius and the Three Taverns to meet us. At the sight of these people Paul thanked God and was encouraged.”
The Good News of Christ’s Salvation Spreads Far and Wide Thanks to the Apostle Paul
As you can see, Christianity had developed quite a following by the time this was occurring, which was roughly 15 or maybe 20 years after the Resurrection of Christ the Lord. So much had the Christian faith grown by this time that Paul, who was nearly killed on 3 separate occasions, had nearly achieved ‘rock star’ status by the time he reached Rome. For the apostle Paul, it was more than enough validation for all the bad experiences he had endured, including the attempts on his life at the hands of his fellow Jews. He gave thanks out in public for his deliverance from a watery grave, and for the opportunities to heal all those whom he could heal. And now, Paul was on his way to Rome, the final stop on this particular journey. A trial awaited him, that much was certain, but the outcome of it all was anyone’s guess. To find out what happens, please be sure and stop back next week for the final installment of the Apostle Luke Gospel Study Series, part 2 if Acts 28.
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Supplemental message to all my viewers, readers and subscribers from the Social Gospel Worship and Learning Center for Monday 10/16/23
by Author Rev. Paul J. Bern, pastor
All my readers know by now that I believe in the Bible for several reasons. First, it’s the true written Word from Almighty God. Second, it’s about Jesus Christ and the shedding of his Blood as he hung on a wooden cross for 3 hours until he died from blood loss while in extreme agony. Then, on the morning of the third day of His burial, he rose from the grave to live forever. Finally, it has come to my attention that Jesus and his Father stand for truth, justice, fairness and compassion. By extension that includes human equality – unconditionally and with no expectation of repayment.
With respect to human equality, that means economic equality. So, when this Web based ‘short’ showed up in my morning news just recently that originated from the Australian press, I simply had to pounce all over what you are about to read. Moreover, for anyone who doubts the motives of striking workers all over North America, check out this posting from Yahoo News from Friday 10/06/23.
“In a rare, honest glimpse of the contempt and utter lack of care the oligarch class has for the workers whose exploitation produces their wealth, Australian property developer Tim Gurner — infamous for launching the “millennial’s have no money because they’re eating avocado toast” broadside — smeared workers for being “arrogant” and called for unemployment to rise by a whopping 50%. “We need to see pain in the economy…we need to remind people they work for the employer, not the other way around,” said Gurner, doubtlessly squinting through a gold-rimmed monocle and twirling his waxed mustache. “Pain in the economy” means kids going hungry, families suffering, and people losing their homes — all so that the ultra-wealthy can lower the price of labor and pocket even more profit. It’s selfish cruelty writ large — and the guiding principle of oligarchic capitalism.”
A Biblical Quote About the True Value of Workers Everywhere
Now let’s compare what was said just above to what the Bible says about the true value of the workers; “The worker is worth his/her wages” (Luke chapter 10 verse 7). In modern lingo, this means that workers are worth every penny for their work. But with the minimum wage still stuck at a paltry $7.25 per hour in nearly half the states in the country, workers will continue to be cheated because it’s still legal to do that. It’s no wonder at all to me that labor unions are sprouting up like flower beds in the Spring.
Is Equality in the Bible Anywhere?
If a substantial wage increase is already in the Scriptures, is there any mention of how those increased wages should be distributed? Actually, the apostle Paul mentioned this in the second of his two letters he wrote to the church at Corinth, and I quote “13) Our desire is not that others might be relieved while you are hard pressed, but that there might be equality. 14) At the present time your plenty will supply what they need, so that in turn their plenty will supply what you need. The goal is equality, 15) as it is written: “The one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little.” (2nd Corinthians 8, verses 13-15) I see human equality written between each one of the words from this Biblical quotation written by the apostle Paul. Unconditional human equality isn’t just a political talking point – it’s also Scriptural, an ancient and time-honored tradition.
What Church Was Like in the First Century
This made me wonder what else was in the Bible about this topic. That was when I went to the Book of Acts chapter 2, verses 42-47, and I quote: “42) They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43) Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44) All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45) They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 46) Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47) praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
Everybody take a good look at these 2 sentences one more time. “All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45) They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” Because of how they lived, the first century Church “enjoyed the favor of all the people”. They also found a way to combat poverty. In today’s terms, this would amount to communal living. Not socialism or communism, since they are politically based, but 1st century Christianity as it was meant to be. Except that back then, it was called, “The Way”. The term “Christian” was not in common use until decades later.
One Final Example From Scripture
It is also written just two chapters later in the Book of Acts, this time in chapter 4, verses 32-37, and I quote: “32) All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33) With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34) that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35) and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 36) Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37) sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.”
Why Economic Inequality Is Unjust and Unfair
There it is in black and white, everyone. If you’re a real Christian, you see all people as being basically the same. No matter what race, religion, gender, age, or sexual orientation people may be, are all treated the same way. This especially means the economic status of everyone. Unconditional equality reigns supreme as the master plan for how we treat each other. This is why economic inequality must be stamped out like an accidental fire in your kitchen. Otherwise, how would any of us have any chance at prosperity?
Under no circumstances will any worker be considered greedy or “arrogant” just because they are asking, and striking, for more pay. Unconditional equality is in the Bible in the 3 different places I have just listed. I challenge anyone to start living this alternative lifestyle that is faith-based instead of being based on money. Instead of donating our weekly 10% each and every week, let’s go out and find someone who needs our help and follow through with that. Enough talk about money, let’s talk about leading some souls to Jesus Christ, who saved us all. By ourselves we can do little, but when we organize and unite we can accomplish much.
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Putin’s Threats to Use Nukes and Its Contradiction With Authentic Christianity
The Ongoing Obscenity of the Specter of Nuclear War
by Rev. Paul J. Bern
(Matthew chapter 26, verse 52; chapter 5 verse 9)
The war in Ukraine has lasted more than 18 months, with no end in sight as of this writing. At the height of its military operations, the United States was spending $60 billion per month on the twin wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. That is not counting all the other bases the US military now has in well over 140 countries around the world, such as Germany, Japan, South Korea, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Diego Garcia and Kuwait, to name a few of the major ones. A stepped up nuclear arms program is the ultimate escalation. All this is coming from Vladimir Putin, a man who is reputedly portrayed as a devout member of the Russian Orthodox Church.
He Who Lives by the Sword Will Die by the Sword
This raises a fundamental question; why is our country’s leadership (because it’s not just president Biden) doing this? Why take a chance on a nuclear conflagration ever happening in the first place? Have we become collectively suicidal and homicidal, all at once? Look at the world from the standpoint of armaments. The USA is the world’s #1 arms manufacturer by far. This leads me to the conclusion that most of the arms being manufactured by other countries, such as Russia (the #2 arms manufacturer), are in place to counter the American threat. Too many Americans do not realize how much our country has frightened and damaged much of the world. We have the military and our elected politicians to blame; this happened on their watch. And now the Pentagon wants to ramp up nuclear arms production? I rebuke those intentions in the name of Jesus, who said, “He who lives by the sword will die by the sword”. (Matthew chapter 26, verse 52) I’m quite certain that these words of Christ are not limited to swords. By extension, nukes are included.
They Have Been Lying to Us Right From the Start
The notion of America being a superpower – the highly vaunted American Empire – is a 20th century notion whose retirement date has long since arrived. With over 8 billion people currently inhabiting the earth, waging war has become counter-productive. It creates more problems than it solves, both in terms of human lives and in damage to the environment, which is already severely damaged and in need of extensive rejuvenation. Moreover, wars are almost never being fought for the reasons stated to the public.
Guess Who’s Really in Charge?
Let’s take Afghanistan as an example. The US military was allegedly there to find Osama Bin Laden, but the truth is that Afghanistan is a country with vast untapped natural resources, including enormous copper deposits. Meaning, all the fuss about Afghanistan’s poppy seed crop being a target of the ‘drug war’ here in the US is just a whitewash job on the American public. Upon closer examination of what has happened there, out of sight of the American people, it becomes apparent that none other than the CIA has been running the show.
America Has Betrayed Her Own Values
This is a stark contrast to what I have been teaching about being a people of peace for the last 7 years (I started this Christian blog back in 2015). It brings the US “war on terror” into sharp focus and sheds light on the criminality of the American Empire’s military machine and its illegal incursions into countries where it does not belong.
The truth of the matter is that the US position with respect to the dictators in the Arab world has been one of pure hypocrisy. We have supported these tyrants in the name of “stability” and the “war on terrorism” in exchange for easy access to their oil, but it has been a policy that has contributed mightily to the oppression of the people in those countries, as well as ongoing economic slavery here at home. This is a betrayal of our own revolutionary past as well as exacerbating Islamic terrorism.
Going Nuclear Is Not the Way to Go
Contrary to what is being reported in the ‘Lame Stream Media’, populist revolts in the Arab world have been non-sectarian, grass roots organizations in every country they have occurred. That fact would seem to expose and make America’s policy in the “war on terrorism” while initiating wars in the Muslim world obsolete and absurd. Regarding this, former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said during Bush 43’s second term in office, “Any secretary of defense who advises a president to engage in land wars with vast armies in foreign lands needs to have his head examined”. So going nuclear is now the new way to wage war? Go to Japan and find a few of the survivors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and ask them whether nuclear war is a viable option, and see what they tell you.
No More Endless Wars
The fact is Washington’s entire strategy of preemptive nuclear war and the whole “war on terrorism” is a ruse, a cruel invention concocted by neoconservatives and cold war warriors who were itching to replace the defunct Soviet Union with another enemy – otherwise the purpose for their existence would have to be called into question. Not only is the war on terror a reason for the American Empire to exist, it has become the only reason for its existence. It was and is a fantasy perpetrated by them and foisted on the American people.
The Noble Cause of Peace
But in light of the unfolding “awakening” in much of the world, why aren’t there more serious discussions in the White House and Pentagon of the absurdity of America’s continuous global wars? Jesus commented on this very thing during his ‘Sermon on the Mount’ when he said, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the Sons of God” (Matthew chapter 5, verse 9) From here it seems the US resembles (in its ability to end its wars) a giant ship at sea that takes an excruciatingly long time to reverse course. Like the Viet Nam quagmire of the 20th century, our country seems stuck, committed to the non-winnable ‘endless wars’ yet unwilling and unable to face reality. War is an ongoing obscenity, and America is addicted to it. It’s time for America, particularly those inside the Washington Beltway, to check it’s collective self into ‘war rehab’. No more wars and their civilian casualties, and especially no more nukes! I urge you all to stand against the US military-industrial complex. What will you do this coming week to stand up for the noble cause of peace?
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Last week as we left off at verse 29 of Acts chapter 27, the storm that was battering the ship they were traveling on had become so severe that those on board were helping the crew toss the cargo overboard in an attempt to save the ship and themselves. Had this particular vessel been equipped with a modern form of propulsion rather than sails, they would have stood a fairly decent chance of being able to outrun, or go around, that storm. Instead, they found themselves caught up in that storm as they were being pushed along with it. As we begin part 3 of this week’s lesson on Acts 27, we finally find their circumstances showing signs of changing for the better, starting at verse 30.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“30) In an attempt to escape from the ship, the sailors let the lifeboat down into the sea, pretending they were going to lower some anchors from the bow. 31) Then Paul said to the centurion and the soldiers, ‘Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.’ 32) So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away. 33) Just before dawn Paul urged them all to eat. “For the last fourteen days,” he said, “you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food – you haven’t eaten anything. 34) Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive. Not one of you will lose a single hair from his head.’ 35) After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all. Then he broke it and began to eat. 36) They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37) Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38) When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.” (Acts 27, verses 30-38)
Whoever Stands Firm to the End Will Be Saved
Without a doubt, the ship the apostle Paul was on had just experienced a near- catastrophe at sea. So much so that Paul said in verses 31-32, “’Unless these men stay with the ship, you cannot be saved.’ So the soldiers cut the ropes that held the lifeboat and let it drift away….” By now it is clear that Paul had quite a bit of sailing experience – even to the point of knowing what to throw overboard and what to keep. Sometimes life can be like that. There are times in life where we see clearly to our intended destinations, and still others where we can barely see our hands in front of our faces. But the Bible tells us repeatedly that he or she who holds out to the very end will most certainly be saved by the Blood of the Lamb. (Matthew 24, verse 13)
Sometimes It’s OK to Take a Break
Once again, beginning at verse 33, the apostle Paul begins to have a greater role, not in the fate of the ship, but in the lives of those who were on-board with him. Saying and doing what needed to be said or done, as he encouraged the men on board, he urged them to stop and eat something: ‘For the last fourteen days,’ he said, ‘you have been in constant suspense and have gone without food – you haven’t eaten anything. 34) Now I urge you to take some food. You need it to survive….. 35) After he said this, he took some bread and gave thanks to God in front of them all…..”
The Continuing Efforts to Save the Ship and All on Board
I don’t know about yourselves, but I don’t really see myself as being the type of personality that could endure 2 weeks at sea without eating anything. So it’s no wonder that, once Paul had baked the loaf of bread that he was about to consume, the rest of them joined in immediately, and I quote: “36) They were all encouraged and ate some food themselves. 37) Altogether there were 276 of us on board. 38) When they had eaten as much as they wanted, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain into the sea.” And so, even though it was evident the storm was no longer their biggest problem, they had continued in a state of heightened alert since the ship had been damaged by the storm to the extent that it could no longer carry its cargo, let alone the 276 individuals on board. And so they continued to throw heavy objects overboard. Let’s hold that thought as we continue to the second half of this week’s study, beginning at verse 39.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“39) When daylight came, they did not recognize the land, but they saw a bay with a sandy beach, where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 40) Cutting loose the anchors, they left them in the sea and at the same time untied the ropes that held the rudders. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and made for the beach. 41) But the ship struck a sandbar and ran aground. The bow stuck fast and would not move, and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding of the surf. 42) The soldiers planned to kill the prisoners to prevent any of them from swimming away and escaping. 43) But the centurion wanted to spare Paul’s life and kept them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land. 44) The rest were to get there on planks or on other pieces of the ship. In this way everyone reached land safely.” (Acts 27, verses 39-44)
For the Sake of Expediency
Those aboard what was left of that ship were being presented with a choice in verse 39. Those choices were to go for that beach or attempt to find a better one with a deeper harbor. Either way the voyage was over. One thing I have learned over the years when it comes to being a servant of the Lord Almighty is to never try and second-guess God. Sometimes when a solution to a problem is presented to us, we are to be ever thankful as we receive it, even if it doesn’t seem right at first. This inevitably leads to our own differentiation between our emotions, our logic, and our souls or spirits. The apostles Paul and Luke, together with Aristarchus of Thessalonica, Julius their Roman guard, and the other 260 or so passengers and crew, knew that if they saw land with a suitable beach, they should make for the shoreline immediately. No speculation about a better landing spot was ever considered. They simply did what needed to be done.
Necessary Steps Had to be Taken
Life and how we live it puts us in similar predicaments today. Sometimes we are presented with a choice that doesn’t seem to fit our situation at first. Oftentimes it’s because we’ve seen better choices in our own pasts, to the point that the current choice seems inadequate (FOMO). That’s what that beach may have looked like just before they hit that sand bar. But first, they had to cut loose all that was holding the ship back. Like the freight back in verse 18 from last week’s study, everything that held the ship down or kept it from moving forward was thrown overboard or cut loose from the ship. Had any of these drastic steps not been taken, they would have sank before they made it to shore with the probable loss of everyone on board.
A Nearly Miraculous Ending to This Tale of Survival
By now Paul’s strong faith in Christ, combined with the prayers from the people of faith who were on board, had made a deep impression on everyone else. So taken aback with the formidable faith of Paul and the others were the rest of those on board that Julius the centurion put an end to the plans of some of those on board who wanted the prisoners executed, as we saw in verses 42-43. Instead, he organized a plan of escape so that, at the end of the chapter, everyone reached shore without the loss of one single life. This is a really great ending to the harrowing tale of being lost at sea for two weeks, only to culminate in a successful landing with no fatalities.
So what’s in store for them now? First, they needed to get their bearings straight by identifying their location. But that is something I must hold in reserve until next week’s Biblical lesson. So until then, stay safe, stay in tune with God, and continue to live your faith as a lifestyle. God willing, I will be back next week to start the final chapter of the Book of Acts.
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I get a view of the inner workings of modern churches every Sunday morning when I take my place behind the keyboards at the little church just under a mile from where I live. Every week the Bible lessons are taught to various groups by their group leaders, but everyone is studying from the same books. They only teach certain parts of the Bible while skipping over parts of it. It is for this reason, plus many more that I’m about to share, that I keep organized religion – whatever the denomination may be – at arms length. In my case, it does have the added benefit of paying what amounts to a couple hundred dollars each month for my talents, giving me a badly needed second income (my monthly retirement check won’t go far enough).
It Seems Like the Same Old Stuff
Every Sunday morning the same thing happens, generally speaking, although there was one notable exception from just a couple weeks ago (check it out here). Once the Bible studies have concluded, the service begins. My favorite part comes next, and that’s the music. Once the songs we sing are concluded, the message is delivered from the pastor, which is followed by the offering. Church services all over the world happen in much the same way, with the same outcome. The faithfulness of the church members usually gets measured by their attendance and their giving – which is measured by their donations.
Is Your Church Sanctimonious?
This makes me wonder what Jesus thought about all this. In Matthew chapter 21, verses 12-13, he said to those present there with him, “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”. He was referring to the times of the past where ritual slaughter of animals was presented as an offering to God from the Isrealites of old as atonement for sin. Jesus was telling all the religious people who were present that Almighty God had grown tired of their incessant offerings. Christ was telling those present that he wanted to see a lot more compassion, empathy and mercy. He did so due to the religious snobbery and sanctimony of those in authority as poverty raged all around them while they turned their backs to the poor.
Does Jesus Really Need Our 10% Each Week?
Today, not much has changed. Every Sunday morning, the congregation gathers for the (hopefully) inspirational sermon and dutifully chip in what they can, sincerely believing that they have done all that is required of them. But didn’t I quote Christ Jesus just above? “I desire mercy, not sacrifice”? After much study, prayer and contemplation, this is what the commands of Christ mean to us here in the present tense. Don’t brag to your friends, neighbors, other church members, your pastor or your relatives, how often you have been to church or how much you gave at collection time. Instead of all that here’s a list of pointed questions we can ask of ourselves and each other.
When Was the Last Time You Helped Someone?
Instead of your church attendance or the amount of our donations (or not), when have you ever done any of the following things? When was the last tine you:
Took in an orphan kid, even if only temporarily?
Paid the back property taxes for an elderly homeowner?
Paid someone or some family’s internet bill so their children can continue their education?
Feed a homeless person or couple?
Talked someone out of committing suicide, or obtained professional help for them?
Had food delivered to a widow or other needy person?
Helped out a homeless person in need?
Bought some groceries for a poor family?
Partially or fully paid someone’s college tuition?
Partially or fully paid someone’s student loan?
Paid someone’s water, gas or electric bill?
Summary
The list you just read is a modernized version of the commands of Christ. Don’t tell Him or us about what you have sacrificed, how much money you donated. Don’t tell Jesus how merciful you are towards others. Do so by your actions. Talk is cheap and words may be a dollar a dozen, but our actions speak volumes. Make the world a better place. Help someone who needs it. Feed the hungry, take in the homeless (especially the children). “Love your neighbor as yourself”. Everyone can do something no matter how small or insignificant it may be. When you do these things, “the peace of Christ, which is beyond all human understanding or comprehension”, will be with you.
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Last week in our ongoing Biblical study series of the writings of the apostle Luke, the apostle Paul, together with the others with him including his guard Julius, had left the port of Caesarea and was headed to Rome with some stops along the way. But since the weather wouldn’t cooperate with the pilot’s plans (see verses 4-9 from last week’s study), the ship wound up on the southwest side of the island of Crete. At that point in the voyage, since it was getting later in the year with increasingly unfavorable weather conditions, the decision was made to finish the voyage for Rome. So Paul, Julius his Roman guard in the Alexandrian ship from the port of Lycia, along with Luke, Aristarchus plus the crew and some others, set sail for Rome. Things started out well enough, but once they left what would be near the coast of Crete, things got progressively worse. So let’s pick up where we left off last week, stating at verse 13.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“13) When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14) Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15) The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16) As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17) so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor and let the ship be driven along. 18) We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19) On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands. 20) When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” (Acts 27, verses 13-20)
Although I’m no expert on cargo ships from that time period, but they ranged in capacity from 70-100 metric tons all the way up to 400 metric tons in capacity (for more info, just click here). While not exactly tiny, these vessels of the sea had lengths of 25-30 feet on the low end to over 100 feet for the biggest vessels. Still, these merchant ships and their crews were the kings of commerce in their day. I don’t know how big the ship was that Paul was on, but it most likely was one that was above average in size and displacement, Otherwise, the storm they were caught up in would have already sunk the ship.
The Fine Art of Sailing First Century Cargo Ships
From the time they left the shores of what would be modern Greece today, they had sailed on the south side of Cyprus and westward to the south side of Crete. However, their ultimate destination was Rome, so the ship, crew and passengers left once again, probably after a day’s rest. “14) Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15) The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along.” If we take a look at a map of the Mediterranean sea, we can see the island of Crete situated in nearly the center of the Mediterranean. There is nothing west of there but open water until we go further towards Sicily and Malta. So the ship Paul and company were on was largely protected while they were on the south side of those two islands. But, once they came around to a northwestern bearing towards Italy, that’s when all hell broke loose.
The Raging Fury of the Storm
Verses 18 -19 bring the severity of the storm into sharp focus, like having a front row seat at a movie or a sporting event. “18) We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19) On the third day, they threw the ship’s tackle overboard with their own hands…..” As you can see, that ship was taking on water faster that it could be bailed out. Their situation was becoming increasingly urgent as the hours crawled on by even to the point of throwing the cargo overboard. “20) When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved.” The storm was of such intensity that everyone lost track of time itself.
Life Van Be a Lot Like ‘Northeasters’ and How We Respond to Them
I’m sure you all have noticed that life can be a lot like the sudden, violent storm that Paul, Luke, Aristarchus and the rest of the ship’s crew experienced. When they left the port at Crete’s western edge, everything was fine. But before that day had ended, they found themselves in the worst storm of their lives. Their situation was so dire that they began throwing the cargo overboard in an attempt to save the ship. In our own lives, we too can find some sort of excess baggage of the emotional, psychological or Spiritual kind that we need to “throw overboard”. It is my sincere hope that someone somewhere benefits from these words that I write today. Jettison all that useless baggage, everyone! You don’t need all that junk anymore. Replace all of it with Christ the Lord. And now, let’s move on to part 2 of this week’s lesson, beginning at verse 21.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“21) After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: ‘Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22) But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23) Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24) and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ 25) So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26) Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” (Acts 27, verses 21-26)
How Natural Disasters Are Defined, Then and Now
Now we see in even more graphic detail that Paul’s situation, along with everyone else on board, was increasingly dire. The seas were too rough to fix a decent meal, and so it had been days since they had eaten anything by this point. Neither the sun nor the moon and stars had been seen for possibly as much as a week. Evidently there was enough of a lull in the weather for Paul to say what needed to be said. “Paul stood up before them and said: ‘Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22) But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed.” Centuries later, people find themselves enduring great loss due to natural disasters. When that does happen to less fortunate individuals, the response seems to be universal – we can replace the stuff we lost, but lives are irreplaceable. This truth is still the same, and always will be.
Part Three of This Week’s Study Verses
25) “So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26) Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.” So Paul was saying that even running the ship onto the rocky shore would be better than drowning, and he was absolutely right. Now, here comes the remaining verses of this week’s lesson. “27) On the fourteenth night we were still being driven across the Adriatic Sea, when about midnight the sailors sensed they were approaching land. 28) They took soundings and found that the water was a hundred and twenty feet deep. A short time later they took soundings again and found it was ninety feet deep. 29) Fearing that we would be dashed against the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and prayed for daylight.” (Acts 27, verses 25-29)
In verse 27 where it says the sailors “sensed they were approaching land”, it doesn’t say how they knew they were getting close to it. Added to this mystery was the fact that it was in the middle of the night, yet the sailors knew they were getting close to land. It’s not until the final two verses when they realize the were closer to land than they thought. So much so, in fact, that when they took “soundings” and discovered they were getting close to the shore line. So how much closer were they by then? Would they be able to beach their ship and walk ashore, or would they drown trying? Stop on back here next week for part 3 of Acts 27, and you will find out. Until then, take good care.…
This biweekly faith-based blog and video channel is only possible because of readers and viewers like you. You can help support this online ministry with a paid subscription for only $5.00 per month (that’s 16 cents a day) or $50.00 per year. Merchandise available (nonfiction Christian books, computers & faith-based T-shirts, more coming later) and you get free access to my You Tube channel. Sign up at https://pbern.substack.com
Like nearly everyone else, I too am appalled by the infighting in Washington over politics, ideology and religion. Moreover, I find all the bickering between the peaceful 90%, which is us, and the war hawks (the top 10%) to be little more than a sideshow considering what’s actually at stake, which is the future of democracy itself. I am equally put off by all the sniping and infighting between religious denominations over man-made dogma and traditions steeped in pomp and circumstance while they remind everyone constantly to “support our troops”. They are all in favor of brawling with, and even killing those who disagree with them, while calling themselves “pro-life”. It makes no sense.
No One Can Worship God and Materialism
I will use the Scriptures to prove that the one true God is above and beyond all wars, churches and organized religions, in keeping with the theme of this website. The first thing that I want to remind you of is that there are many false gods in the modern world. The most egregious example that comes to mind is the worship of money and material goods and all the evils that come with them. In the apostle Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul wrote that “the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil”. That means money in and of itself is not always evil, but greed and the insatiable lust for more and more money most definitely are. Jesus said in the four Gospels, “No one can serve two masters. He/she will either love one and reject the other, or cling to the latter while despising the former. You cannot serve both God and materialism.” (Luke 16: 13) I think this would apply to, among other things, the sales of military armaments by the US military-industrial complex.
Getting Our Priorities Straight
The “love of materialism” appears in many forms. Let’s ask ourselves these questions – do we sometimes find ourselves in automotive dealerships every time a new model comes out? Do we shop for new clothes, electronics, mobile or “smart” phones, the latest computers, and new decor for our homes whether we need them or not, just because they’re “on sale”? Do we sometimes find ourselves shopping for a new house whether we need one or not? Are any of us in debt up to our eyeballs (not counting student loans) because we owe too much on our credit cards and everything else? If anyone answered “yes” to any of these questions, and particularly if you prioritize these things at the expense of your Spiritual lives, then you are worshiping a false god(s). Sorry to have to tell you that, but truth is truth.
It is Jesus Christ and he alone that must be at the top of our priorities. Anything else takes a back seat to Jesus in the order of our lives. Most of the things I just mentioned (excluding greed) are not evil in and of themselves. But false and futile worship of anything other than God, while bypassing or not including Jesus Christ as our Savior, amounts to idol worship. A similar line of questioning was presented to the apostle Paul nearly 2,000 years ago, and it is well documented in the book of Acts in the New Testament. I will begin with a quote from chapter 17, beginning at verse 22.
A Clarifying and Topical Quote From the Bible
“Then Paul stood up at the meeting of the Areopagus and said, ‘Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are religious. For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth…. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps to reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each of us…. as some of your own poets have said, “we are his offspring”. Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone – an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent….when they heard about [Jesus] resurrection from the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “we want to hear from you again on this subject”. (Acts 17, verses 22-32)
The Real Truth About God and His Origins
This passage is just one of numerous examples of the apostle Paul’s teaching about the one true God. I especially appreciate that Paul made two distinct points about God. The first is that God is above and beyond all nationalities, races and religions because he preached the same message equally to Jews, Greeks and all other Gentiles. The one true God is also above and beyond all the material possessions money can buy. These things were considered to be radical teachings at the time because all these groups believed that their version of God was the correct one to the exclusion of everything and everybody else.
This very mistake continues to be made today by certain church denominations who I will decline to name. Nobody has the exclusive path to God. No one has the right to claim that they are any closer to God than anyone else. It’s just not true and it never was. Moreover, nobody has the right to condemn another person’s religion, so long as their beliefs don’t hurt or restrict the freedom of anyone else. And, we can’t buy our way into heaven either.
God Has an Address, Which is the Heart, Mind and Soul of Every True Believer
The second point that catches the human eye and captures my imagination is what Paul said about where God lives. “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He himself gives life and breath and everything else.” What an awesome statement! Think about how many religions there are in the world. There are over 4000 Protestant denominations alone, and that’s just in North America. All are called churches or houses of worship regardless of which religion they represent. And yet God doesn’t live in any of them. Instead, for the true believer, God lives in the souls, minds and hearts of all individual believers. The true Church is portable too, moving along with whatever task God may assign us. Never mind all the spiritual sophistry that’s being “taught” in some modern churches, because it’s largely based on money.
What Matters to God
God doesn’t care who you are, where you live, what you have done (or not), what country you are from or what church you are connected with (or not). He doesn’t care where you have been, and He doesn’t care about what is in your past. Unlike many men and women who attend church regularly, God doesn’t care what you look like, or how much money you give to your church or to charities, or what your social or economic status is. The one true God doesn’t even live in churches, although a lot of phony religious leaders and related clergy will no doubt insist that He does. Instead, God wants to live and breathe in our souls, hearts and minds. He wants you to become a church in and of yourself, a church that walks and talks. Not only does God want to live inside you, He wants us all to pay that forward by unconditionally sharing our faith with others. Also, to quote the apostle Paul, God wants us to “continue to work out your own salvation with fear and trembling before the Lord” (Philippians 2: 12).
The True and Authentic God
In closing, let me add that there is absolutely nothing wrong with going to church no matter what religion you identify with. If you currently attend, I’m certain that God wants you to continue to go so long as you keep hearing messages from the pulpit that are encouraging, uplifting and positive, and most importantly based on Scripture. I don’t want this message to be a reason for those who are attending church to stop going. God forbid! On the other hand, please keep in mind that the church is just a building and nothing more. I acknowledge that churches are built as meeting places for like-minded believers and that they should remain so. But now that you have read today’s message I hope I have given everyone a better perspective, whether in church or out. You can look at organized religion with skepticism as I do, but do not let that compromise your most deeply held Spiritual beliefs. The one true God is greater that all the religions in the world combined. He is truly above and beyond it all.
Live Your Faith as a Lifestyle
Let me bring up one last thing before I go, and I really wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t point this out. If we are going to have God living inside of each of us then we should be living and acting as if He did. Watch what you say and how you say it. Clean up your life and the language that you use. Be mindful of anything that you are doing to excess because this is the root of all addictive behavior. Live your life as if God is watching what you do and listening to everything you say because He really is. Until next time, then, be a believer that walks and talks the good example of Christ for others to follow, especially those who look up to you. And the almost incomprehensible peace that is the very embodiment of Jesus Christ – the Savior of the world – will remain with you all permanently. Amen.
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Last week as we put the finishing touches on our knowledge of Acts chapter 26 and what it all actually means, we saw the apostle Paul had concluded his testimony to King Agrippa in the presence of governor Festus and various officials and dignitaries of their time. About his testimony Festus had said to Agrippa, “This man could have been set free had he not appealed to Caesar” (see verse 32 of Acts chapter 26). But Paul, who was on a mission from Almighty God, undertook that journey knowing it could be a life-ending decision. But first, he must sail to Rome on a perilous journey by ship, and sailing ships were far more rudimentary than they are today. And so on that point, let’s all go to verse 1 of Acts 27.
Part One of This Week’s Verses for Study and Memorization
“1) When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who belonged to the Imperial Regiment. 2) We boarded a ship from Adramyttium about to sail for ports along the coast of the province of Asia, and we put out to sea. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, was with us. 3) The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs. 4) From there we put out to sea again and passed to the lee of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 5) When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6) There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board. 7) We made slow headway for many days and had difficulty arriving off Cnidus. When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. 8) We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.” (Acts 27, verses 1-8)
People Were Compelled to Lead Hazardous Lives Back Then
In verse 2, Adramyttium was originally located at the head of the Gulf of Adramyttium, on the River Caicus in the Plain of Thebe, approximately 4 kilometers west of the modern town of Burhaniye, but later moved 13 kilometers northeast to its current location and became known as Edremit. Also in verse 2, (Acts 20:4) “They are designated “men of Macedonia, Paul’s companions in travel.” We learn later that Aristarchus was a native of Thessalonica (Acts 27: 2). They were probably seized to extract from them information about their leader Paul, but when they could tell nothing, and since they were Greeks, nothing further was done to them. But both men would be executed by the Romans in their not-too-distant futures.
The Geography of Those Times
“3) The next day we landed at Sidon; and Julius, in kindness to Paul, allowed him to go to his friends so they might provide for his needs.” Right here in this verse is ample proof that Paul posed no threat whatsoever to his Roman captors. In fact, he readily gained their trust once they realized that Paul’s faith was genuine and authentic. Paul reinforced the trust he had earned when he came back to the ship on schedule. In verse 5, “ 5) When we had sailed across the open sea off the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6) There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy and put us on board.” All these seaports were located along the southern coast of modern-day Turkey.
Verses 7 and 8 further trace the directions of Paul’s Roman captors as they ultimately ended up in the seaport of Fair Havens. By now everyone realizes that traveling long distances in the 1st century AD was difficult on a good day. On a bad day, trying to sail a boat was a pointless exercise in futility. “When the wind did not allow us to hold our course, we sailed to the lee of Crete, opposite Salmone. We moved along the coast with difficulty and came to a place called Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea.” Fair Havens is on the south side (“leeward”) of the island nation of Crete in the central part of the Mediterranean sea. And now let’s move on to part 2 of this week’s study series.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
“9) Much time had been lost, and sailing had already become dangerous because by now it was after the Day of Atonement. So Paul warned them, 10) ‘Men, I can see that our voyage is going to be disastrous and bring great loss to ship and cargo, and to our own lives also.’ 11) But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12) Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest.”(Acts 27, verses 9-12)
For any persons who weren’t aware, Paul the apostle and the others with him were all Jews who were converts to Christianity, so the Day of Atonement had deep meaning and was of major significance for each of them. All except for the Roman guards, who evidently cared nothing about the convictions of Paul, Luke and company. So much so that the ship’s captain and her owner convinced Julius the centurion to set sail ASAP. And, that meant setting sail on the morning of the first day of the Jewish feast of Yom Kippur, just so Julius and his fellow soldiers could show off their sailing skills and their disdain for Christianity, not to mention their total disrespect for our risen Lord and Savior. But this is what happened in verses 9, 10 and 11.
Off to Rome They Went
“….But the centurion, instead of listening to what Paul said, followed the advice of the pilot and of the owner of the ship. 12) Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on….” Can’t stay where they were, but couldn’t leave either? It looks like some additional planning in this case would have been beneficial for everyone concerned. But that was not to be. And so the apostles Paul and Luke, together with Aristarchus, who had been a member of the church at Thessalonica that the apostle Paul had founded, set sail for Rome. Will they make it despite setting sail at an inopportune time from a weather standpoint? At this juncture, there’s no way to tell. But if you will only return next week at this time for the next lesson in this series, everything will become clear to you. So, God willing, I will see you then.
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For this Sunday’s message, I want to share with you all what happened at the Church where I play keyboards every Sunday morning. In case this raises any questions, let me explain why I’m a musician in one church while leading an online church all at once. I have been preaching and teaching online since 2015. I’m on three different blogs under two different organizational names, I’ve been all over social media, and readership and subscribers have been slowly ramping up to the point that I now have over 8,000 people reading or watching my stuff.
Why I Can’t Do Any Live Broadcasts or Podcasts Yet
But I’m not doing any live events yet for my Sunday service online. My reason is I play keyboards (digital piano or Hammond organ) at Atlanta’s Prayer of Faith Church of God in Christ every Sunday morning at 10:00 AM. Some might say that my interests are divided by doing things as I do, but I remind them that I am serving Jesus Christ, my Savior and Kinsman Redeemer, in two places under two different capacities. I’m a pastor and Bible teacher online, but I’m just a musician at the brick-and-mortar church I attend, and I’m perfectly OK with that.
Setting the Stage
Last Sunday at church was a lot different than the usual morning service. As I took my seat at the keyboard I noticed a younger man, Caucasian, probably in his 30s or maybe his 40s who I had never seen before. Apparently homeless, he was seated in the second row of pews from the front, fairly close to one of the windows. On this particular Sunday it was the pastor’s wife, evangelist Teresa A. Norris who began to deliver the Lord’s Word. Within 5 minutes of the start of her delivery, I noticed the new guest begin acting rather strangely. He was muttering things that made no sense, just to himself at first, but then he gradually became more vocal as the first few minutes wore on.
Here’s Where the Prayers Began
Finally after 6 or 7 minutes of this, Mrs. Norris stopped her delivery and told the guest that she or any of the other leaders would be happy to discuss that with him after the service was over. By this time the man was becoming noticeably agitated and his interruptions escalated. As this was happening, the pastor’s wife (‘first lady Norris’), together with himself and quite a lot of other members who were there that day including myself, immediately launched a group prayer that went all the way to the moon. When that happened, the ‘guest’ began streaming all kinds of unintelligible stuff, and profanity began to flow from the mouth of our ‘guest’.
Prayers Really Do Work
The more unruly the ‘guest’ became, the louder the prayers became. Finally, and very abruptly, the ‘guest’ grabbed his stuff and went storming out the front door. Some would just dismiss it all as the rantings of a madman, but I saw that differently because I was there. What happened at my part-time church last Sunday morning was a clear-cut case of demonic possession. The serious and threatening nature of demonic possession should never be underestimated. That man could have pulled out a weapon and opened fire, killing many of us including myself. But that didn’t happen because a vastly superior force was already present by the time our unruly guest arrived. And it was the combination of the presence of the Spirit of the Risen Lord and our fervent prayers that ultimately drove that man away.
Never underestimate the power of prayer because of its authenticity. Never overestimate the power of evil and of deranged individuals, you never know what might happen. And when you pray, do so expecting an answer. Provided, that what you seek is in your own best interests, as well as those around you, and especially to God, you should pray as often as you can with everything you’ve got. Never ket up until you begin to see a good result
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Paul the Apostle Continues His Riveting Testimony Before King Agrippa
Why Paul Appealed to Caesar When He Could Have Been Set Free
(Acts chapter 26 part 2, verses 19-32)
Last week as we left off at part 1 of Acts chapter 26, the apostle Paul was giving his testimony before King Agrippa, in the presence of many of those who had imprisoned Paul previously. Moreover, the majority of those individuals seated before Paul, Festus and king Agrippa were accessories to the murder of Jesus Christ, who rose from the dead on the morning of the 3rd day, much to their humiliation. As the apostle Luke wrote, Paul had not yet finished his defense, so let’s start where we left off at verse 19.
Part One of This Week’s Verse for Study and Memorization
“19) So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. 20) First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21) That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me. 22) But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen – 23) that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” 24) At this point Festus interrupted Paul’s defense. “You are out of your mind, Paul!” he shouted. “Your great learning is driving you insane.‘” (Acts 26, verses 19-24)
The Critical Ingredient that the Jews Lacked in Their Faith
Since the first half of Paul’s testimony to Festus and the king was covered last week, this week we find Paul the apostle beginning to turn up the intensity of his rhetoric. He testified vigorously against the Jews from Jerusalem, and especially to those who were denigrating the sacred Name of the Lord. In verses 20-21 Paul said, “20) First to those in Damascus, then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. 21) That is why some Jews seized me in the temple courts and tried to kill me.” ‘I remind them’, to paraphrase Paul regarding his Jewish accusers and former brethren, ‘of the very thing that they lack, which is Christ’s Salvation’. All they had to do was believe, but they were too proud.
Paul Testifies Directly to God
Moving on to verse 22, the apostle Paul would not allow himself to be separated from Christ in any way, and compared his faith to that of Moses from centuries before: “But God has helped me to this very day; so I stand here and testify to small and great alike. I am saying nothing beyond what the prophets and Moses said would happen….” Paul was testifying on the Lord’s behalf what His intentions were, and that those intentions manifested themselves through Paul. Those who saw or were touched could be saved by embracing the Gospel, and by being healed (in that order).
It was not until the following sentence was uttered that the real purpose of Paul’s testimony came forth: “23),,,,that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to his own people and to the Gentiles.” Immediately, King Agrippa stops the proceedings at verse 24, as he accuses the apostle Paul of insanity. “Your great learning is driving you insane.” I don’t know about you, but if anyone is called ‘insane’ because of their Christian beliefs, that’s a huge compliment to a real believer.
Part Two of This Week’s Study Verses
So here we have the apostle Paul being called a madman in full view of everyone, and how does Paul respond? “25) ‘I am not insane, most excellent Festus,’ Paul replied. ‘What I am saying is true and reasonable. 26) The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27) King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’ 28) Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’ 29) Paul replied, ‘Short time or long – I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.’ 30) The king rose, and with him, the governor and Bernice, and those sitting with them. 31) After they left the room, they began saying to one another, ‘This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.’ 32) Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’”(Acts 26, verses 25-32)
King Agrippa Was Not Yet Convinced at This Point
Somehow, in some way, Paul seems to have found an opening in the heart of king Agrippa. Maybe it was something the king had been taught or otherwise had exposure to in his youth, who can say for sure? But his response gives away his true belief when Paul asks this question in verse 27: “The king is familiar with these things, and I can speak freely to him. I am convinced that none of this has escaped his notice, because it was not done in a corner. 27) King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you do.’ 28) Then Agrippa said to Paul, ‘Do you think that in such a short time you can persuade me to be a Christian?’” The sarcasm in Agrippa’s tone of voice was likely unmistakable by this time. He was telling Paul to take a look around and notice that he was surrounded by his enemies. So to paraphrase Agrippa, he was asking Paul, ‘if you can’t make converts out of your own people, what makes you think you can convert me?’
What Shall the Court Do With Paul the Apostle?
Paul’s reply was classic Christian: “…I pray to God that not only you but all who are listening to me today may become what I am, except for these chains.” Although Paul was in chains during these proceedings, he was more free than many of those who had no chains and walked around as free men. Seeing this as being a potential rallying cry for Paul’s supporters, King Agrippa – with Festus’ agreement – immediately adjourns the proceedings so they can discuss the matter privately starting at verse 31. “After they left the room, they began saying to one another, ‘This man is not doing anything that deserves death or imprisonment.’ “. Nobody knew what to do with Paul, except for the one thing Paul sought, which was to have this case dismissed so he could be set free, even if he had to go all the way to Caesar to do so. And even then, he stipulated, only for the cause of the risen Christ, with nothing held back for himself.
Paul’s Real Motivation
“32) Agrippa said to Festus, ‘This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caesar.’” To everyone there, what Paul the apostle was doing didn’t make any sense. He could have been set free, but Paul couldn’t allow that to occur just yet. He was mindful of what the Spirit of the Lord had told him in Acts 23, verse 11: “The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, ‘Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome.’” This right here is the real motivator for Paul – the opportunity to speak to Caesar himself. That would be the modern-day equivalent of setting up a meeting with president Biden.
Paul Begins His Journey to Rome
Paul had been told by the Spirit of the risen Lord, who had appeared to him after he had been apprehended by the Roman guards at Jerusalem, that he would testify in Rome as to the good news of the Gospel of the risen Christ. Paul had also been told that he would testify before governors and officials, and the Lord had taken the most painstaking care to make sure that everything occurred precisely where and when it was intended. Paul the apostle continued to follow in the Lord’s footsteps, as the other prophets did before him dating all the way back to Abraham. The next stop on his journey of faith will be Rome and an audience with Caesar, but the journey to Rome will take a few unexpected turns. So be sure and return next week at this time for Part One of Acts chapter 27, where Paul sets sail under guard for his audience with the Emperor. Everyone have a splendid week.
Since you evidently liked my writing style by reading all the way to the end, come and join me for unlimited access to my blog, plus thousands of articles from many other writers from all different genres. You’ll get free access to my YouTube channel, plus the “The Social Gospel Blog” (published biweekly) and the Social Gospel Worship and Learning Center’s archives; plus Christ-centered leadership, guidance, life lessons, and the true life and resurrection of Jesus Christ, all delivered to your inbox twice or more weekly, plus other extras whenever available.Subscribe here for the paid version (just 16 cents per day, $5.00 monthly or $50.00 annually). It’s easy!https://medium.com/@greatestservant62/subscribe
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