Today’s reading is Acts 3:1-4:37.

“When they were released, they went to their friend and reported what the chief priests and the elders had said to them” (Acts 4:23).

It must have been a little frightening to be arrested for teaching about Jesus. They must have at least endured a little temptation to give up. What was the first thing they did? They went to their friends.

This is why choosing my friends is so important. I need to make sure that my best friends, the ones I’m going to lean on when trouble strikes, will support me in the right direction. If my best friends are in the world or, even as Christians, pursuing the flesh, when trouble strikes and temptation hits, the support I get won’t point me in the right direction. I need friends who are striving to walk by the Spirit who will lift me up and help me follow Christ even when I’m arrested for teaching in His name.

Praise God for the great friends I have who are walking by the Spirit, who can advise and pray with me. Of course, this means I have to do what these apostles did. I actually have to go to them when the trouble and temptation strikes instead of holding it on the inside.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

PS. What struck you in today’s reading?

Today’s reading is Acts 5:1-6:15.

When the Council became angry with the apostles, Gamaliel, “a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people,” calmed them down. He gave wise counsel, essentially saying, “Hey guys, be careful. If God is really behind this, it won’t be stopped. If He’s not, it will come to nothing on its own” (Acts 5:35-39). Gamaliel is apparently an early practicer of “let go, and let God.”

God is in control. We’re not. We don’t have to try to be in control. We don’t have to try to clamp down on everything and everyone, because God will do His job. We can simply do what is right today and let God deal with the rest. If we are afraid something is going to go very wrong, we can simply do God’s will for our lives and let Him work on fixing things. If we are confused, we can simply choose to do what is right today and let God handle the rest.

I see two sides to what happened here. Gamaliel understood that if I’m with God, I can’t be stopped. If I’m doing God’s right things, I can’t be stopped. Let’s not see this in a shallow way. This doesn’t mean bad things will never happen to me. It simply means that no matter what happens God will see me through it on my way to heaven. I can trust Him to get me to eternal life. Every other fear pales in comparison.

However, there is another side. If I turn from God and go my own way, then I can hardly even get started. After all what is 400 men compared to the about 3000 Christ’s church started with. Theudas accomplished nothing and following his own way simply led to his own death. The same was true with Judas the Galilean. When I get all worked up trying to accomplish things (even what I believe is God’s will) my way, the end is death. I believe there is a proverb that says something like that. I need to remember it today.

In big and small things, if I’m doing God’s right things, there is no stopping me. If I’m following my own path, death is the only end. I don’t know where I’ll be tomorrow, but today, I believe I’ll do what God wants me to.

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. What struck you in today’s reading?

Announcement: I’m in New York this weekend. I’ll be preaching for the Upper West Manhattan Church of Christ in a series this weekend. If you are in the area, I’d love to actually meet you face to face. The series is entitled “Living Righteously–How Can I, Really?”

We’ll be meeting on Saturday (01/23) at 10 AM, 11 AM and 1 PM. Then again on Sunday at 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM. The congregation meets at Hostelling International, 891 Amsterdam Ave @ 103rd Street.

For more info about the congregation go here.

Today’s reading is Acts 3:1-4:37.

When Peter and John came to the temple at the hour of prayer, a lame beggar asked for alms. Peter responded, “Look at us.” The text then says the man fixed his attention on Peter and John thinking he would receive something from them. However, he didn’t. He received something from God. Peter explained that they had no money. However, “In the name of Jesus Christ, of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Acts 3:8-9 hold the key. Twice we are told the man was walking and praising God. He wasn’t praising Peter and John. He was praising God. Peter and John had focused his gaze away from themselves and on to God.

Then the crowds began to form. Notice Peter’s words: “Why do you stare at us, as though by our own power or piety we have made him walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God ofour fathers glorified his servant Jesus…And his name–by faith in his name–has made this man strong whom you see and know…” He focused the crowd’s gaze upon God. 

In both cases, the people looked at Peter and John as if they would give or had given something. In both cases, Peter and John directed the people’s gaze toward God. He is the one that should be praised and worshiped. Peter and John were just men, vessels through whom God worked. That is all. 

This is true for us. We need to focus the gaze of those around us on God. Yes, we need to display our good works, but we should do so in a way that causes people to praise God, not us. When folks offer praise to us, we should certainly be humbly thankful, but we should acknowledge God’s work in our lives so that others may praise God as well.

***Question: How can we focus others’ gaze on God instead of ourselves?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

P.S. You don’t have to just answer the question. Please, share with us what you got out of today’s reading.

John 4 convicts me about the same way every time. 

The apostles went into Sychar, bought some food and left. No one was taught. No one was helped. No one was saved.

The Samaritan woman went into Sychar and the majority of the town ended up following Jesus.

What was the difference? 

The apostles were too busy thinking about their stomachs. They were too busy and distracted by the routines of daily life. When they went to the market, they didn’t see people who needed Jesus. They simply saw people from whom they could purchase food so they and their master could be filled. Not to mention, they just saw Samaritans. How could Samaritans be saved? 

When the woman went into town she saw people who needed to meet this guy she just talked to. How could she do anything but invite them to come meet Him.

I need to be like the Samaritan woman, but all too often I’m like the apostles. How many people do I actually meet in a given week? I see check out clerks, bank tellers, fellow shoppers, etc. But do I see people who need to meet Jesus? Perhaps if I kept my eyes open more to the kind of people I’m really meeting, I would get the message out more.

It’s something for me to work on.

Just for fun, I’m including an online dramatic representation of the Samaritan woman at the well. I’m not sure I buy every bit of what is presented. However, I think it is definitely food for thought and prompts me to keep my eyes open a great deal more and quit judging ahead of time who might be willing to listen and who won’t be.

What did you get out of today’s reading?

Keep the faith and keep reading,

ELC

No doubt, the Mount of Transfiguration experience was an amazing circumstance for Jesus and His inner circle. It was so profound to Peter he mentioned it when he wrote his second letter to the Christians dispersed throughout Asia  (cf. II Peter 1:18). 

For me, however, the more profound event is the one that occurred when Jesus and His circle returned from the mountain. The situation was not nearly as bad as when Moses returned from his mountaintop experience. However, Jesus returned into a hornet’s nest. The left behind disciples had been trying to heal a boy possessed of an unclean spirit but had failed miserably. The scribes were arguing with them. The boy’s father was pleading that they do something. The crowds were witnessing the whole thing.

I believe this is the central story and the key to grasping the purpose of Mark’s gospel account. It is certainly the central story as far as the order of writing. The middle verse of the book is Mark 9:16. However, it wouldn’t matter to me where this story was located in the book, I would still believe it is central to Mark’s theme. Everything in the gospel should be read in light of this story. It drives home the purpose of Jesus and His ministry.

Over and over again, Mark highlights the struggles the disciples had. Remember in yesterday’s reading we saw Jesus get exasperated with them because they still didn’t get it despite having seen Him feed 5000 with five loaves and 4000 with seven. The book will end with an intense highlight of the apostles not believing Jesus is resurrected despite His foretelling it and despite eye-witness testimony. In this story, we see the disciples lack of faith brought right to the front. Further, we see a man with a demon-possessed son provide the example for them. Jesus told the man, “All things are possible for one who believes” (Mark 9:23, ESV). This man then stood out as an example for the apostles, the crowd, the scribes and even for us. He replied: “I believe; help my unbelief!”

That was where the apostles were. They believed, but their unbelief kept them from being able to cast out this unclean spirit. Check Jesus’ response to them when they asked why they failed. “This kind cannot be driven out by anything but prayer” (Mark 9:29, ESV). That is to say, “The problem is you guys didn’t rely on God. You didn’t rest in your faith on God. You were trying to cast this demon out on your own.” They hadn’t acted in faith. Their unbelief kept them from using the abilities Jesus had given them to cast out unclean spirits. They may have thought they were somehow special because they had been picked by the master, but this unknown man with a demon-possessed son displayed more understanding and more faith than any of them.

More than the apostles, this is where I often am. I believe in God. I believe God. But in the moment of trial, where the rubber meets the road and my faith is put to the test, I often fall back on myself and my own strength. Instead of stepping out in faith and just doing things God’s way, I often revert to what makes sense to me. How many times do I have to pray, “I believe; help my unbelief!”

What is so powerful about this story is Jesus followed this statement up with a great miracle. He didn’t wait until the man’s faith was perfect. He acted based on this man’s understanding that he needed to grow in faith. When I recognize I am not perfect, my faith needs to grow and I throw myself on Jesus to help increase my faith, God will work in my life. The Christian life is about progress not perfection. 

I will pray it again. You can pray it with me.

I believe; help my unbelief!

God will help us. The rest of Mark’ gospel is all about that help. Read it all in the light of this verse and its faith building message will come alive for you.

Keep the faith and keep reading.

ELC