Daily Archives: April 22, 2013

Seasons

Pastor's Desk, ,

Dear Family

The weather has just been totally crazy recently. It’s been very hot, then very cold, then dry, then wet. The poor weather man has really had his work cut out with an unusual amount of curses flying his way, I’m sure. This time of year when the seasons struggle to know whether it is still autumn or perhaps sliding into winter, provides quite an interesting ride for us all.

Our lives are often like this too, aren’t they? Personally, I find it a lot easier to ride out a summer time in life, or a dry, cold winter time, than to be up and down with all sort of things hanging and banging me about. I like order. I like the ducks to all march in line, and when they don’t, I do struggle more to cope.

In the book of Ecclesiastes, we read of Solomon’s seasonal journey in life. He had everything, tried everything, but everything became “meaningless”. All his power, his wisdom, his tremendous wealth and influence, everything, he experienced as an exercise in futility. And at the end of it all, he has this to say: “Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” (Ecc 12:13). The prophet Micah has a similar commission for us. In Micah 6:8 we read, “He has shown you, O Man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before your God.” This life walk of ours is quite simple really. It’s not about money, or comfort, or health, or power, or prestige, or shoes! It’s all about God!

Seasons will come and go. Changes will happen. Difficulties will need to be faced. Storms of life are inevitable. But this one this is sure: “Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever.” Hallelujah!

Enter Stephen

Christian Life, ,

ENTER STEPHEN

“Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. But some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him, trying to argue him down. But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke.

“So in secret they bribed men to lie.’We heard him cursing Moses and God.'” Acts 6:8-11 (The Message).

It’s amazing what people will do to get their own way! As then, so now, there are always those who think nothing of sabotaging the church to carry out their own agenda.

The apostles had so far safely navigated the challenges that had come from within the church when the old sinful nature reared up its ugly head in people. One of their issues, racism among the widows in Jerusalem, had brought a jewel of a man to the surface. Stephen was “discovered” when the Jerusalem church chose the first deacons. He not only did the job he was selected to do, but he also brought the power of God’s presence into the church by his miracles and preaching.

This angered a group of “expats” in the local synagogue who were driven to jealousy by Stephen’s superior wisdom and godliness. They could not get the better of him by arguing so they turned to lying and treachery, going the same route that took Jesus to the cross.

No matter how idyllic the early church seemed to be in its initial euphoria, it was made up of people then, as it is today. People will always be people; some will have honest hearts while others will conceal their true nature behind a veneer of “spirituality” which will deceive people for a while but, when they are crossed or can’t get their own way, the real person will show up.

What was the issue with these men? Why was Stephen such a threat to them? We don’t really know. Our only clue is that Stephen outsmarted them in discussion and they couldn’t take it. They were part of the fanatical Jewish legalists who obviously could not stand the idea of a God who was kind, generous and merciful. They were provoked by the evidences of God’s goodness through Stephen. They could not get rid of God but they could get at Him through His followers!

When Jesus was in a similar situation, up against His religious opponents and brought to trial for His life, Pilate was astute enough to recognize the real reason for their hatred. Envy! Envy and jealousy are not the same thing. Jealousy covets what another person had or is; envy goes a step further. Envy will ruin or destroy another person rather than allow him to be who he is. Jealousy covets; envy kills.

Was this the reason for these men’s murderous hatred? They were willing to stoop to bribery and lying to get rid of Stephen because they hated what he was. It’s amazing to what lengths people will go to fight against God!

We must not be surprised by the reaction of people. We are not neutral when it comes to the things of God. We were born with a built-in hatred for God. The Bible states that. “For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life!” Romans 5:10 (NIV).

It takes a miracle of God’s grace to transform us from enemies to sons!

Stephen’s Defence

Christian Life, , ,

STEPHEN’S DEFENCE

“Then the Chief Priest said,’ What do you have to say for yourself?’

“Stephen replied, ‘Friends, fathers and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia…and told him, ‘Leave your country and go to the land I’ll show you.’ ……..

“And you continue, so bull-headed! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn’t get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you’ve kept up the family tradition — traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God’s Law handed down to you by angels — gift -wrapped! — and you squandered it!” Acts 7:1-53 (The Message).

No wonder Stephen got the better of his opponents! He not only knew the Scriptures. He understood the Scriptures. With great skill and insight he opened the Scriptures; one more nail in his own coffin. The men he was standing before were supposed to be the experts in the Scriptures but here was a man, on trial for perverting the Word of God, who accurately and skilfully summarised the entire Old Testament with one aim in view — to put them on trial for their treatment of Jesus and His followers.

Stephen, like Jesus and His apostles, had no thought for his own skin. He was bold to proclaim and defend the truth and, in doing so, he signed his own death warrant. Once again the accusing finger pointed at the religious leaders and once again they shrugged off responsibility by removing the accuser.

Stephen was not as gentle with the men of the High Court as the apostles had been. Although they indicted them, the offer of forgiveness was woven into their accusation which the Sanhedrin neither heard nor heeded. They did not want forgiveness — they wanted power and the money that came with power! They had passed by their opportunity and Stephen spoke, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, with deadly accuracy.

What message does this incident hold for my readers? One of the clear messages of the Bible is the mercy of God extended to anyone who will listen and heed His invitation to repent, return and lay down their arms against God. He cleared the way for reconciliation and graciously gives it to anyone who will receive His gift.

But there is another side to the coin. He has endless mercy for those who will receive it but His wrath remains on those who refuse His offer. God will never force His love on anyone. He respects His gift of free will too much to go back on it. He will always give us what we want even if we destroy ourselves in the process. On judgment day no one will ever be able to accuse Him of being unfair.

No matter how unfair man’s treatment of man may be, God’s justice is final and impeccable. Stephen put his life on the line by delivering the message but it had to be done to serve God’s purposes for the Sanhedrin.

But why should Stephen have to pay for delivering a message they refused to receive anyway? God is painting His picture on a canvas much bigger than we can see or understand. It is not our place to question but to trust because He is trustworthy

Who Said Life Is Fair?

Christian Life, ,

WHO SAID LIFE IS FAIR?

“That stirred up the people, the religious leaders and religion scholars. They grabbed Stephen and took him before the High Council. They put forward their bribed witnesses to testify. ‘This man talks nonstop against this Holy Place and God’s Law. We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the customs Moses gave us.’

“As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn’t take their eyes off him — his face was like the face of an angel.” Acts 6:12-15 (The Message).

Talk about bribery and corruption! The gloves were off and from now on the fight was on, not only against the leaders of the church, but also against anyone who claimed allegiance to Jesus.

Because of his godly life and powerful witness, backed up by the miracles God was doing through him as a testimony to the truth about Jesus, Stephen got the unwelcome attention of a group of freed Jewish slaves who were members of the synagogue of Freed Men, according to Luke. With lies and bribery they cooked up a story about him and dragged him before the Sanhedrin — the same group of men who had it in for Jesus and His followers.

Was there any hope of justice from these prejudiced leaders who had already shown their true colours in their dealings with Jesus and with the apostles? Their agenda was not about what was right but about who was right, and they thought they were and they used their clout to prove it, or so they thought.

They were willing to give their ear to anyone who told stories to their advantage. At least these men who had arrested Stephen had the good sense to bribe more than one witness! Jewish law demanded the testimony of two or three witnesses to find a man guilty of the charge. Interesting that their charge was the same one that was thrown at Jesus, a twisted version of His statement, “Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up again.” John 2:10 (NIV)

The first question we are tempted to ask in this terrible situation is: ‘Where was God in all this?’ How can God allow this kind of thing to happen to His own followers? It’s the same question we ask when we are treated unfairly. Why does God sit on His hands when life throws us a curved ball?

God is sovereign. He has the power to intervene in any situation but He doesn’t. Why? Firstly, He gave man the gift of choice and He will not override that even to prevent people from destroying themselves or others but…every person will have to give an account of the choices they made.

Secondly, in a way beyond our understanding, He turns even the worst that humans can do to His children to our good and to His glory. What they did to Jesus is a case in point. Even losing our lives is not the worst that God-haters can do to us. Our lives are secure in Him, but His kingdom grows on the testimony of those whose love and loyalty cannot be destroyed by the threat of death.

The story of Stephen is an illustration of the miracle of God’s ways. Every seed sown in the ground produces a multiplicity of seeds. It was so with the life of Jesus and it so with every person who lays down his life for the Master.

Does that mean we have to die to be of any value in God’s kingdom? Yes, but not necessarily in the literal sense. A true disciple of Jesus is one who denies himself, takes up the cross daily and follows Him. Perhaps the daily inward dying is more difficult than the once-off physical dying for Him.

A dead person is beyond resenting the unfairness that life dishes up to us. Dying to ourselves frees us from the emotional storms we experience at the choices other people make that affect us. Our times are in God’s hands and He is able to make all things work for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, because He is shaping us into sons like Jesus.