Category: Thoughts and Meditations

“While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, ‘Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.’” – Acts 13:2

Many years earlier, Saul of Tarsus (whom we call the Apostle Paul) had dramatically encountered the resurrected Jesus on the Damascus Road and been converted to Christianity. At that time, he learned that his purpose in life was to preach Christ to Jews, Gentiles, and kings. However, after an initial flurry of activity, more than a decade passed in relative obscurity.

Finally, the time was right and the Holy Spirit launched Barnabas and Saul on the first of several mission trips. These would spread the gospel and plant vibrant churches in many places.

In today’s no-wait immediate-gratification culture, it’s hard to accept that God often patiently works His plans over many years or that He might call someone into service, but make that person quietly prepare for more than a decade before activating him or her. Nonetheless we see that pattern several times in the Bible. Preparation and patience matter if we want to fulfill God’s calling upon our lives.

If we’re impatient for “something bigger”, we must learn to be patient and move on God’s schedule rather than our own, seeking to understand His big picture understanding rather than our short-sighted view of things. God may well call us to an extended season of preparation: learning, reflecting, maturing, practicing, and increasing in holiness before launching us into the primary ministry which we know in our bones is waiting for us.

This isn’t an excuse for inaction, but to learn to truly walk in step with the Holy Spirit, neither running ahead of Him in eagerness and self-confidence, nor lagging behind Him in fear or comfort.

“A soft answer turns away wrath,
but a harsh word stirs up anger.”
– Proverbs 15:1

As we navigate a world full of outrage and outrages, it can be easy to forget how God wants us to speak His truth! His people are called, counseled, and commanded to speak with a distinct tone and attitude of firm gentleness. Not everyone will agree with what we have to say, but we mustn’t let harshness on our part be the reason for that.

Any fool can get angry. The Spirit-filled followers of Jesus Christ are called to get gentle. As we stand firmly and speak boldly and gently for what is right amidst an angry world full of evil and injustice, we must do so with the gentle firmness of Jesus Christ Himself.

Christian, do not add to the harshness, bitterness, and anger that are poisoning discourse in person and online!

“And he said to them, ‘You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit anyone of another nation, but God has shown me that I should not call any person common or unclean.’” – Acts 10:28

In the Old Covenant, rigid separation by race and ethnicity was a temporary norm to prepare for what God had planned to bring redemption and blessing to all peoples through Messiah. In the New Covenant in Jesus Christ, that plan comes to fruition, and the precious truth from Genesis 1 is once again made plain: every human being bears the image of God and deserves dignity and respect on that basis.

The narrative of the world and our own residual sin tries hard to separate people into groups to make it easier to dismiss, disdain, dislike, or detest one another. The dark spiritual forces of the world want to divide things into “us” and “them”. All these forces conspire to encourage us to care about “us” and hate “them”. That isn’t the gospel!

Followers of Christ must concern themselves with all people groups and resist the sinful human tendency to avoid or write off certain groups or types of people. All people deserve the opportunity to hear the gospel and see it demonstrated by our loving and Christ-like words and actions. All people, no matter how different, are worthy of the invitation to join the family of God through faith in Jesus Christ. All people deserve to experience the love of God through the people of God – we don’t ever get to write certain groups or individuals off as hopeless, worthless, or a waste.

“And as they were going along the road they came to some water, and the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?’” – Acts 8:36

The Ethiopian eunuch, a high official of a far off kingdom considered at the time to be the “end of the earth” heard the good news of Jesus Christ and immediately responded in faith. He was so delighted about his new life in Christ that he was eager to be baptized into the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Spotting water, he asked whether there were any barriers blocking him (as there were in Judaism). He was delighted to learn there are no barriers to any Christ-follower being baptized and he was baptized right there by the side of the road!

Baptism is intended to be the powerful first step and symbol of obedience when we put our faith in Jesus Christ. It is an act of obedience to the example of Jesus and a symbolic identification with His death, burial, and resurrection. It is our public re-birth announcement to the world that we are new creations in Christ.

Baptism doesn’t save us – God’s grace saves us through faith in Christ alone – but it’s an important part of telling the world that we are saved and that Christ is our Lord! If Jesus is your Lord and Savior have you eagerly taken this first step like the Ethiopian eunuch?

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you.” – Acts 7:51

While Stephen is addressing the religious leadership of his day in Jerusalem, we must be careful that he isn’t also speaking to us!

An uncircumcised heart isn’t completely yielded to, and reshaped by, God’s grace, mercy, and love in Jesus Christ. An uncircumcised heart is hard, proud, and unyielding. It may like God and Jesus, it may go to church regularly, but it doesn’t look like God’s. An uncircumcised heart likes its own way more than God’s way. An uncircumcised heart places greater priority on personal opinion, preference, comfort, self-identity, and politics than on the things of God. Often an uncircumcised heart is completely unaware of that fact that it’s uncircumcised.

Uncircumcised ears hear only what they want to hear – they do not listen with the ears of Christ nor listen for Christ. Uncircumcised ears are not quick to listen, are not sensitive to the cries and concerns of the most vulnerable among us, and are not seeking to hear Christ’s voice among the cacophony of voices that surround us.

Far too many Christians today are walking around with uncircumcised hearts of harshness, defensiveness, and anger. Far too many Christians today have uncircumcised ears that are deaf to anything that doesn’t fit their narrative of the world. Take time to examine your own actions, attitudes, thoughts, and words. Are they those of Christ Himself or are they those of a cultural caricature of Him? Don’t resist the Holy Spirit: yield to Him, listen for and to Him, let Him reshape your heart, mind, and ears to be like those of Jesus Himself!