Saturday, November 30, 2024
Friday, November 29, 2024
December 1, 2024
Monday, November 25, 2024
November 24, 2024 Recap
Reflections on Sunday morning are a part of my Monday morning routine. It helps bring clarity to what I study through the week and with your added insights, the LORD brings it full circle.
Saul's conversion on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus was the beginning of his journey. Once a persecutor of The Way, he had an encounter with Jesus, he began to preach Christ in the synagogues. Saul was met with resistance and after escaping Damascus through a hole in the wall, he spent 14 years of preparation before his ministry of church plantings and writings. We can piece together Scripture to get an idea of Saul's journey and confirm Damascus, Arabia, Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Tarsus were stops he made. But, we can be sure that the LORD was ordering his steps because of the call that was on his life. Pvbs 16:9 teaches us that . Saul was led by the LORD.
After spending time in Arabia and Damascus, Saul heads to Jerusalem and according to Gal 1:18 he wanted to see Peter. Acts 9:26-31 details the meeting between Saul and the apostles. The Bible teaches us that the men of Jerusalem were afraid of Saul and rightfully so. They knew of his past and did not believe that he was a disciple of the One he once rejected. BUT Barnabus took him to the apostles and declared unto them that Saul had seen the LORD and now preached the Name of Jesus.
The BUTs we see in the WORD are a change in the course of events. No matter what we are going through, the BUTs give us HOPE! We may be sick, alone, tired, hurting, or in sin... BUT, the LORD is faithful to forgive, restore, heal, redeem, guide, and turn us around.
After Barnabus testified on Saul's behalf, Acts 9:28 says he traveled with the apostles throughout Jerusalem for 15 days and that he spoke boldly in the Name of the LORD Jesus. What a wonderful gift Barnabas gave Saul. Standing before the leaders of The Way, he confirmed what had happened in Saul's life. He was no longer the same, he had seen the Light. We need more Barnabases! The boldness to stand up for the one that needs encouraging and defending. We may never know how that can change someone's life.
One thing we can be sure of, when the Name of Jesus is being preached, resistance will come. And more certainly when that preaching is bold and full of passion, as in the case of Saul. When he disputed with the Grecians, they sought to kill him. And as the LORD would have it, the brethren heard of this and they sent him to Caesarea in order to sail to his hometown of Tarsus.
Saul's first 14 years were vague but we know he was passionately teaching Jesus is the Christ. My thoughts are that this time was a time of construction. Years that Saul spent with Jesus building his faith and spending time with the One he had sought to destroy. The life of Saul as a Pharisee and student of Gamliel prepared him for what the LORD wanted to do in the life of the Church. Jesus can take the most unlikely vessel, a resistor and persecutor, and use them to change history.
Saul's conversion on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus was the beginning of his journey. Once a persecutor of The Way, he had an encounter with Jesus, he began to preach Christ in the synagogues. Saul was met with resistance and after escaping Damascus through a hole in the wall, he spent 14 years of preparation before his ministry of church plantings and writings. We can piece together Scripture to get an idea of Saul's journey and confirm Damascus, Arabia, Jerusalem, Caesarea, and Tarsus were stops he made. But, we can be sure that the LORD was ordering his steps because of the call that was on his life. Pvbs 16:9 teaches us that . Saul was led by the LORD.
After spending time in Arabia and Damascus, Saul heads to Jerusalem and according to Gal 1:18 he wanted to see Peter. Acts 9:26-31 details the meeting between Saul and the apostles. The Bible teaches us that the men of Jerusalem were afraid of Saul and rightfully so. They knew of his past and did not believe that he was a disciple of the One he once rejected. BUT Barnabus took him to the apostles and declared unto them that Saul had seen the LORD and now preached the Name of Jesus.
The BUTs we see in the WORD are a change in the course of events. No matter what we are going through, the BUTs give us HOPE! We may be sick, alone, tired, hurting, or in sin... BUT, the LORD is faithful to forgive, restore, heal, redeem, guide, and turn us around.
After Barnabus testified on Saul's behalf, Acts 9:28 says he traveled with the apostles throughout Jerusalem for 15 days and that he spoke boldly in the Name of the LORD Jesus. What a wonderful gift Barnabas gave Saul. Standing before the leaders of The Way, he confirmed what had happened in Saul's life. He was no longer the same, he had seen the Light. We need more Barnabases! The boldness to stand up for the one that needs encouraging and defending. We may never know how that can change someone's life.
One thing we can be sure of, when the Name of Jesus is being preached, resistance will come. And more certainly when that preaching is bold and full of passion, as in the case of Saul. When he disputed with the Grecians, they sought to kill him. And as the LORD would have it, the brethren heard of this and they sent him to Caesarea in order to sail to his hometown of Tarsus.
Saul's first 14 years were vague but we know he was passionately teaching Jesus is the Christ. My thoughts are that this time was a time of construction. Years that Saul spent with Jesus building his faith and spending time with the One he had sought to destroy. The life of Saul as a Pharisee and student of Gamliel prepared him for what the LORD wanted to do in the life of the Church. Jesus can take the most unlikely vessel, a resistor and persecutor, and use them to change history.
Saturday, November 23, 2024
Wednesday, November 20, 2024
November 24, 2024
Acts 9:15-16 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he (Saul) is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
Ananias was given a prophetic word from the Holy Spirit concerning Saul. This week we will read how Saul is prepared for the call on his life. Read Gal 1:17-18 and Acts 9:26-31. As well as Acts 11:26-30, 12:23-25. We will piece all this together in a timeline that will help us understand Saul's early life following Jesus.
So, how can we prepare ourselves for the call on our life? Read Luke 10:38-42.
Monday, November 11, 2024
November 10, 2024 Recap
Opening the Word with you on Sundays is such a blessing. Our discussion is rich and opens my eyes to new things the LORD wants to speak to me.
Yesterday we read Act 9:1-25 and we were introduced to Saul. Taking time to build a biography gives a deeper meaning to his writings and his ministry. We know based on previous verses that Saul was a persecutor of The Way and was in hearty agreement to the murder of Stephen and was even an accessory. His participation in the death of Stephen in no way interfered with his legalistic beliefs. (insert sarcasm) Further into his letters, specifically Phil 3:4-6, he gives us his resume. He says he was circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless. He was educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law and zealous for God. However, just as Moses was a Hebrew boy raised in Egypt, Saul was born in Tarsus, modern day Turkey, and was a Roman citizen. It is not known exactly how he became a citizen, but we know he did not buy it, he was born a citizen, Acts 22:28. Some have suggested that his father may have been in military service to Rome and granted citizenship.
After the stoning of Stephen, Acts 8:1-3 explains how persecution of the church began and Saul was ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. This lead to the scattering of the church throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, fulfilling Jesus' command of Acts 1:7-8, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
In the first few verses of Acts 9, Saul continues his persecution by going to the High Priest in Jerusalem to get written permission to go to Damascus, Syria and arrest those that were of The Way, followers of Jesus, in order to bring them to Jerusalem to face the religious leaders. His heart and his religion were filled with so much hatred and jealousy that arresting believers and murdering them was a reasonable solution to the spreading of the Gospel. Saul was given letters to take to the synagogues and traveling north, he had an encounter with Jesus that changed everything.
Yesterday we read Act 9:1-25 and we were introduced to Saul. Taking time to build a biography gives a deeper meaning to his writings and his ministry. We know based on previous verses that Saul was a persecutor of The Way and was in hearty agreement to the murder of Stephen and was even an accessory. His participation in the death of Stephen in no way interfered with his legalistic beliefs. (insert sarcasm) Further into his letters, specifically Phil 3:4-6, he gives us his resume. He says he was circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin; a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, persecuting the church; as to righteousness in the law, faultless. He was educated under Gamaliel, strictly according to the law and zealous for God. However, just as Moses was a Hebrew boy raised in Egypt, Saul was born in Tarsus, modern day Turkey, and was a Roman citizen. It is not known exactly how he became a citizen, but we know he did not buy it, he was born a citizen, Acts 22:28. Some have suggested that his father may have been in military service to Rome and granted citizenship.
After the stoning of Stephen, Acts 8:1-3 explains how persecution of the church began and Saul was ravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison. This lead to the scattering of the church throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, fulfilling Jesus' command of Acts 1:7-8, “It is not for you to know times or epochs which the Father has fixed by His own authority; but you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be My witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and even to the remotest part of the earth.”
In the first few verses of Acts 9, Saul continues his persecution by going to the High Priest in Jerusalem to get written permission to go to Damascus, Syria and arrest those that were of The Way, followers of Jesus, in order to bring them to Jerusalem to face the religious leaders. His heart and his religion were filled with so much hatred and jealousy that arresting believers and murdering them was a reasonable solution to the spreading of the Gospel. Saul was given letters to take to the synagogues and traveling north, he had an encounter with Jesus that changed everything.
The Bible says that suddenly a light from heaven flashed around Sau; and he fell to the ground. He heard a voice and when asked “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”, Saul responds with the question, "Who are you Lord?" Saul's response tells us that he knew that the bright light came from the master and Lord, one with supremacy and authority. It confirmed that Saul was aware of the position that the Lord holds. But, there was no identity or personal relationship with the Lord. Not until He tells Saul, "I am Jesus" does it connect the person to the position. Just as Moses asked and was given the name YHWH, so Saul now knew that the Lord is Jesus. To be Lord, Jesus must hold all power and authority and rule over all and in all.
Continuing in Acts 9, Saul is now blind and lead to a house on Straight Street in Damascus. He is there praying and fasting and the Holy Spirit is a work because Saul sees a vision from the LORD and is told of a man named Ananias that is coming to lay hands on him so that he will regain his sight.
This disciple named Ananias also sees a vision from the Holy Spirit and is given instructions not only how to minister, but where Saul is and the purpose of the visit. This work the Holy Spirit does in the healing of Saul is to build faith over fear, it's to heal both physical and spiritual, it is to strengthen for both ministry and suffering. The laying on of hands brings restoration to not only Saul's physical eyes, but his spiritual eyes as well, and he will never be the same. We can trust that the Spirit is always working, He's always leading us, comforting us and healing us. Saul becomes a new creation and he immediately is healed and begins to share the Gospel and proclaim that Jesus is the Christ. According to Phil 3:7 he now counted all things that he considered gain, his lengthy resume and his righteous zeal, as loss for the sake of Christ
All those that heard the testimony of Saul continued to be amazed and his teaching increased with strength. However, not without notice. Now the hunter is the hunted and the Jews plotted how they will do away with Saul. But, we know and can trust the prophecy of Acts 9:15-16, that the Lord said to Ananias, “Go, for Saul is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”
What the Lord Jesus the Christ has promised that He will do.
Sunday, November 10, 2024
Thursday, November 7, 2024
Paul's silent years
Immediately after Paul's conversion, he took the message of Jesus the Christ to the synagogue of Damascus. All that heard him were completely amazed. Surely, this is not the same man who preached death and imprisonment. Yes, it was! What a miracle that was performed in Saul's heart. And, the longer he preached it, the stronger he got. He confounded those who listened.
Along with being confounded, after many days, their hearts filled with the thoughts and plots of murder. They must silence Saul; so they watched the gates day and night in order to kill him.
Acts 9:25 tells us something interesting, one night the disciples that were in Damascus put Saul in a basket and lowered him over the city wall. Rescuing him from the hands of the Jews that wanted to kill him. As a result, they set him free.
So, what happened to Saul? Where did he go? You have to turn to Galatians 1:17-19 to discover that Saul went to Arabia. For three years he stayed there, except for one quick visit back to Damascus.
Three years. Why would God miraculously save Saul, give him a bold message of Jesus the Messiah and then send him to the dessert for three years?
I. Don't. Know. But, I have an idea. God had to prepare Saul for the work that He had called him to perform. Paul, as he would later be named, knew that God had set him apart even from his mother's womb to preach the gospel among the gentiles. Yet, he had to spend time alone with the Father before beginning such a world changing work.
When God calls us to a mission, a ministry, or a service, sometimes there's a time of preparation and silence that must come first. We must be readied and matured in order to be where and what God needs us to be. Yes, He can instantly and miraculously transform a life; but, the conformation to accomplish His perfect will for our lives can take years.
What is God preparing you to do? Are you being molded to do a work that may be years from now?
Wednesday, November 6, 2024
November 10, 2024
Sunday we will open Acts 9:1-25 and witness the conversion of Saul of Tarsus. A Hebrew Roman citizen who is persecuting the followers of THE WAY. Paul encounters Jesus and his life will never be the same. He is a chosen instrument of the LORD, and will bear His Name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel. However, Paul will greatly suffer for His Name's sake.
I look forward to seeing you all, Sonya
Sunday, November 3, 2024
November 3, 2024 Recap
Yesterday was a wonderful time together. Meeting, praying for needs, and opening the Word is what the Body is supposed to do. Functioning properly, it brings honor to her Head, Jesus!
Last week we read a very familiar passage in Luke 10:25-37, what we refer to as The Good Samaritan. It includes Jesus' response to a lawyer who stood and asked two important questions, one being, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" As Jesus begins His final months of ministry on earth, it only seems fitting that He encounter Jewish leaders who want to test Him. His Perean Ministry involved detailed teachings on eternity and the purpose of His life and His death. His words always stirred the religious leadership to anger and jealousy.
Confronted with this question, a question that is relevant to every single person on earth, Jesus responded to him with a question, "What is written in the law, and how do you read it?" The lawyer, knowing the written and oral traditions, answers with Deuteronomy 6:4-5, The Shema. “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Jesus commended the lawyer and told him to do this and he will live. In Luke 10:29, the lawyer asks the second question, "Who is my neighbor?" He asks not out of genuine concern for the truth or his neighbor but in order to justify himself. He wanted to know where is the line. How far do I have to go? Who do I have to love? What must I do? How little can I love and still be within the law? He wanted Jesus to give him a list of people that he had to love. That is not LOVE, that is the LAW. What? Who? How much?
The parable that follows is one of Jesus' most famous teachings. In summary, a man is beaten, stripped naked, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road. Two men, a priest and a Levite, passed by the man and offered no assistance. When the Samaritan, a half-breed outcast, sees the man, he is moved with compassion. This word for compassion is the greek word splagchnizomai. It means to be moved in the inward parts. 1 John 3:17 in the KJV says, "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" This Samaritan felt compassion for the stranger that was helplessly lying on the side of the road. Often translated as pity, it is what motivated him to help this man by bandaging his wounds and taking him to an inn to continue administering aid through the night. He then left the stranger and promised to return. The Samaritan paid the debt and would cover any other expenses relating to the man's care.
Jesus then asked the lawyer, "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor...". The lawyer answered, "The one who showed mercy". Jesus commanded him, "Go and do the same".
After thinking about this story that Jesus told the lawyer, I realize something that I never noticed before. I always tried to put myself in the place of the Samaritan. And then, it hit me. I am the helpless, naked, left for dead man on the side of the road. The LAW could never heal me, it could not apply the oil and the water, or take me to the place of rest. Trying to help myself through works only made me more hopeless. But Jesus stopped and demonstrated His compassion for me by His mercy. He healed my wounds and paid my debt, a debt I could not pay. And He will return for me again.
It was LOVE and not the LAW that rescued me.
Last week we read a very familiar passage in Luke 10:25-37, what we refer to as The Good Samaritan. It includes Jesus' response to a lawyer who stood and asked two important questions, one being, "What shall I do to inherit eternal life?" As Jesus begins His final months of ministry on earth, it only seems fitting that He encounter Jewish leaders who want to test Him. His Perean Ministry involved detailed teachings on eternity and the purpose of His life and His death. His words always stirred the religious leadership to anger and jealousy.
Confronted with this question, a question that is relevant to every single person on earth, Jesus responded to him with a question, "What is written in the law, and how do you read it?" The lawyer, knowing the written and oral traditions, answers with Deuteronomy 6:4-5, The Shema. “YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR STRENGTH, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND; AND YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.”
Jesus commended the lawyer and told him to do this and he will live. In Luke 10:29, the lawyer asks the second question, "Who is my neighbor?" He asks not out of genuine concern for the truth or his neighbor but in order to justify himself. He wanted to know where is the line. How far do I have to go? Who do I have to love? What must I do? How little can I love and still be within the law? He wanted Jesus to give him a list of people that he had to love. That is not LOVE, that is the LAW. What? Who? How much?
The parable that follows is one of Jesus' most famous teachings. In summary, a man is beaten, stripped naked, robbed, and left for dead on the side of the road. Two men, a priest and a Levite, passed by the man and offered no assistance. When the Samaritan, a half-breed outcast, sees the man, he is moved with compassion. This word for compassion is the greek word splagchnizomai. It means to be moved in the inward parts. 1 John 3:17 in the KJV says, "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" This Samaritan felt compassion for the stranger that was helplessly lying on the side of the road. Often translated as pity, it is what motivated him to help this man by bandaging his wounds and taking him to an inn to continue administering aid through the night. He then left the stranger and promised to return. The Samaritan paid the debt and would cover any other expenses relating to the man's care.
Jesus then asked the lawyer, "Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor...". The lawyer answered, "The one who showed mercy". Jesus commanded him, "Go and do the same".
After thinking about this story that Jesus told the lawyer, I realize something that I never noticed before. I always tried to put myself in the place of the Samaritan. And then, it hit me. I am the helpless, naked, left for dead man on the side of the road. The LAW could never heal me, it could not apply the oil and the water, or take me to the place of rest. Trying to help myself through works only made me more hopeless. But Jesus stopped and demonstrated His compassion for me by His mercy. He healed my wounds and paid my debt, a debt I could not pay. And He will return for me again.
It was LOVE and not the LAW that rescued me.
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Sunday we flipped over to Acts and met up with Barnabas and Saul. It's been 12 years since Jesus ascended to the Throne and word of His...
