Evidence of Faith

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

EVIDENCE OF FAITH

Acts 14:8-10

8 In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9 He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10 and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk.

NIV

This is going to turn ugly after what happened regarding the man who was crippled in his feet from birth. However, before the results of this healing, we want to focus on that for a moment. We notice this lame man was listening to Paul as he spoke about the good news of Jesus Christ. That good news must have included the fact that Jesus was the Son of God who came to earth in human form, went to the cross for the forgiveness of sins, was resurrected, and, after his ascension, sent the Holy Spirit to empower believers. We don't know everything Paul said, but it had to include all that and more. The point that this lame man listened and believed so much that he felt he could be healed. His faith was evident to Paul. What was the evidence of this man's faith that he could be healed? Was it a look in his eyes? Was there a glow on his face? Did he appear enlightened, light up, filled with excitement of standing up and walking for the first time in his life? Whatever it was in this crippled man's appearance, Paul saw it and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. He didn't just stand up, he jumped up. The Greek word here carries that meaning of jumping, leaping, springing up. We wonder why we do not see that kind of healing in many of the churches today. Maybe we just do not have that kind of faith to be healed. Could one person have enough faith for someone else to be healed? This narrative tells us that the man's faith caused his healing. It was the same with the woman who knew that if she could just touch the hem of his garment, she would be healed. One by one, we could go through all the healings in scripture, and most of them result from the faith of the one being healed. Some, such as the lame man that Peter and John saw on their way to the temple, it was Peter's faith that led him to tell the man to stand up and walk in the name of Jesus. Still, all healings are for the expressed reason to bring glory to God in the highest. It is good to experience a healing in the name of Jesus. A healing can give relief from some sickness, pain, or infirmity. However, is it possible that we have become comfortable in some sense, being a crippled Christian? Is it possible that we have put too much faith in man's medical profession than in Jesus? We wonder why they call it "practicing medicine." When Jesus never needed to practice healing, he just did. Paul didn't need to practice either; he simply saw the evidence of this crippled man's faith and told him to stand up. Is our faith evident? 

Never Stop Preaching

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NEVER STOP PREACHING

Acts 14:1-7

14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. 2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. 3 So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. 4 The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. 5 There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. 6 But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, 7 where they continued to preach the good news.

NIV

Why does the truth divide people so much? The truth is the truth, yet some people refuse to listen even when they hear it. Why is it that those who refuse to believe the truth want to poison the minds of others? From this narrative, the Jews who stirred up the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas used an age-old principle of trying to destroy the character of their opponents, to the point of physically harming them. Yet, no matter the situation, Paul and Barnabas continued to speak boldly about the message of grace, and they were enabled to perform miraculous signs and wonders. We wonder if we were to speak the message of grace as boldly as they did, we might be enabled to do miraculous signs and wonders in the presence of those who oppose God's grace. Sure, it is good to spend time with other believers, but we cannot simply hide within the walls of the church, so to speak. Looking out at the sinners with judgmentalism. Sure, Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogues first with the message about Jesus, the grace of God. Some believed, some were stuck in the law of Moses, and opposed their message openly. Of course, we are not going to convince everyone; in fact, we are not supposed to convince them, that is the work of the Holy Spirit. We are only supposed to tell them the truth about the grace of God. The question is, how can we do that? Where can we interact with unbelievers? Maybe the younger employed believers work with unbelievers and have the daily opportunity to share the message, but what about those who are no longer in the work force, retired, old, and maybe even a bit feeble or sickly? How do they fulfill the great commission of going into all the world and preaching the good news to everyone? What if we stood in some store and just started sharing the good news boldly? Would we be asked to leave? Would they call the police on us? Maybe, just maybe, some would listen, some would believe the message of God's grace. Maybe if we were that bold, we might be enabled to do some miraculous signs or wonders. Who knows, if we never speak up, we will never know. Paul and Barnabas never stopped; they continued to preach the good news. Could we do that? Could we never stop preaching the good news? 

Being Full

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BEING FULL

Acts 13:49-52

49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews 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 from their feet in protest against them and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

NIV

It is sad that some people not only reject the truth but also become vindictive by outwardly opposing the truth and inciting others to their cause against Jesus. Paul and Barnabas were expelled, told to leave the region. The people did not want to hear anymore; they were content to live in the darkness of their minds. There is a good possibility that they were inspired by the evil one, who is always opposed to God. It may be like that song by Bob Dylan, "You gotta serve somebody, you're either gonna serve the Lord or serve the devil, but you gotta serve somebody". However, our lesson is not about persecution or expulsion from the region, though that does play into the truth we should ponder. Luke, in his account of the Acts of the Apostles, records that the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. We cannot wait for everything to become a bed of roses, so to speak, to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Whatever our circumstances in life, we can still be filled with joy. We cannot allow those things, anything that comes against us, to suck the joy out of our lives. If we begin to focus more on our aches and pains, an infirmity, or a difficult situation, or when things just are not going the way we think they should, we are giving in to them, and we could lose the joy. We know the joy of the Lord in our strength, as Nehemiah tells us. Jesus told us that because he loves us, just as the Father loves him, he gives us his joy so that our joy may be complete. What a promise, Jesus gives us his joy so we can be, not only filled with Joy, but have complete joy, which means full to the brim joy. This may not mean we are jumping, leaping, and praising God, but it also could mean that. Yet, joy is deep within, yet if we are full of joy and the Holy Spirit, surely our countenance would reflect it. We would think that a believer whose joy is complete, that is, they are completely full of joy and the Holy Spirit, would not be walking around pained-faced, with a downcast attitude, or appearance, but their joy would be pouring out of them, and the evidence of being full of the Spirit could be visibly seen. How can we be half full of joy or half full of the Holy Spirit? The opposite of being full is not just half full, but being empty. 

Being Glad

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BEING GLAD

Acts 13:42-48

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 and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. 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.'" 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.

NIV

It is always good to urge others to continue in the grace of God. That is what we are all called to do when we are told to encourage one another and build each other up. In this case, it was Paul acting in a sense as an evangelist, who is one of the gifts of the Spirit to the church. However, the gospel can bring division among some. Because Paul and Barnabas first went to the synagogue to speak to the Jews and the devout converts to Judaism, everything was fine; in fact, they were invited back the next Sabbath to speak more about Jesus. But when the people of the city, the Gentiles, came to listen to Paul and Barnabas, the Jews became jealous and talked abusively against what Paul was saying. Talk about the "Us four and no more" mentality! Although the Jews wanted to hear more, they had not accepted Jesus as their Messiah; in fact, we are told they rejected the word of God. Paul and Barnabas were sent to the Jews in the first place; that was their calling. They were to be a light for the Gentiles. We are also supposed to be a light to the Gentiles, or the world. If we are considered to be followers of Jesus, and we love to tell the story, we should be telling it to those who have yet to decide to follow Jesus, those of the world. Most likely, we have not been called to be evangelists, but we should be witnesses to what has happened in our lives. We should also learn to speak boldly, as we are not ashamed of the gospel. There is this other concept we should take notice of regarding the Jews, whom Paul accused of not thinking they were worthy of eternal life. That was because they were stuck in the law of Moses and could not see the truth of the gospel that salvation was a free gift of God. However, the Gentiles were glad and honored the word of the Lord. All who were put in a certain order to arrange or ordained, appointed, for eternal life believed. Does this mean God chose some to believe and some not to believe? Would that mean God determines who will be saved and who will perish? Of course, not, he desires all to be saved, that no one should perish. The intent of this language was to say that all who believed were appointed to eternal life. God ordains believers to eternal life; He places us in the order of his divine will. Thank you, Lord. We heard the message, were glad, and believed. There is something about being glad. If we're glad, then our faces should show it, as should our lives. Jesus is the reason we are glad. 

Declared Innocent

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

DECLARED INNOCENT

Acts 13:38-41

38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 "'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.'"

NIV

We owe everything to Jesus. Paul makes it clear that through Jesus we have the forgiveness of our sins. That is excellent news, for who could find that kind of grace anywhere but in Jesus. They could not find justification or be declared innocent through abiding by the law of Moses. We cannot find any declaration of being just or righteous, or of being declared innocent, by abiding by any rules or regulations that we think are based on the scriptures. Of course, we want to live a righteous life as we follow Jesus, doing the right things, loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. We wonder why we still want rules, those do's and don'ts. It's not that we want to sin or just live in any manner we want, as we do want to live to please the Lord. But trying to live on our own power or strength is just like those who tried to live by the law of Moses. It is not possible for them, nor for us, to attain justification under the law. Because of Jesus, and only Jesus, can we find the forgiveness of our sins, which means that God has declared us righteous and innocent. The warning Paul quotes is from the prophet Habakkuk, about the ruthless Babylonians who overpower all cities, plundering everything , and taking captives. The warning is about scoffers, those who scoff, or despise the grace of God, Jesus. Those whom Paul was speaking to were still living under the law of Moses, and thus they were despisers or scoffers at the only means of justification, Jesus. We certainly do not despise Jesus; he is our Lord and Savior. We have confessed our sins, repented, changed the way we think, and look only to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. He is our only way to attain righteousness, be declared or rendered by God as innocent of all charges against us. Those who scoff will not be declared innocent, but will perish. Let us not take the forgiveness of our sins lightly and think that living by any rules of regulations gives us any righteousness or good standing with God. Our only hope is through Jesus, and Jesus only. We cannot add or subtract anything to or from Jesus. He is the only means of our salvation. We can never scoff or not believe that Jesus is the only way, because through him, we are declared innocent.

 

No Decay

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NO DECAY

Acts 13:32-37

32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'   34 The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.'   35 So it is stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your Holy One see decay.'   36 "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

NIV

The news about Jesus is the only good news, and Paul wanted to tell it whenever he could. That is a great lesson we should take to heart. We sing about loving to tell the story of Jesus and his glory, but do we actually tell the story to whoever we can? In a world where there is wickedness and so much bad news is generated about something by so many, hearing good news should be a desirable thing. People look to human leadership to solve their problems; some look to it to meet their needs. Some look to themselves to provide their own needs and secure their future. But the only real problem is life and death, and the only one who provides all that someone needs and has secured their future is the Lord. However, each person is given a choice to accept life instead of death. Once we choose to accept the good news that Jesus has been raised from the dead and lives, we will have life. Because all flesh will decay in this world, that is, all will die, everyone who comes from the dust will return to the dust, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but Jesus promised to those who accept him as their Lord and Savior that even through we die, we will live, and our flesh will be raised from the dead or we who are still alive will be changed. We will all have a new glorified body that will not see decay. Is there any good news better than having eternal life, never to see decay? Of course, we know that when this body does give out, we will leave it and then be present with the Lord, for we know that we only temporarily reside in this perishable and corruptible body that cannot inherit eternal life. However, to be absent from it is to be present with our Lord. However, someday, that body will be raised imperishable and uncorruptible to live forever, just as Jesus lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose, and so will we, where there is no decay. 

The Witnesses

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE WITNESSES

Acts 13:26-31

26 "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

NIV

Paul is laying out the complete plan of salvation for these people of Pisidian Antioch. He was in the synagogue and asked if he had any encouraging words. What more encouragement can there be than about Jesus taking our sins to the cross, then being raised from the dead? It has also seemed strange to us that the religious men of Israel who read the scriptures every Sabbath,  especially the prophets who spoke of the Anointed One, did not see Jesus for who he was. Their own quest for power over the people and their position in the community overshadowed their ability to see the truth. Their traditional thinking blinded them from seeing Jesus as the Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ. Paul is making it clear to both the sons of Abraham, the Jews, and the Gentiles who are God-revering. Times have not changed; we have so many people today who are blinded by their own thinking and by a desire for power or influence over others. There are so many different organizations or movements with their agenda for a better way, their way. Many stand in protest against anything that does not agree with their thinking, wanting to influence others to follow their agenda. We were once blinded by our own desires, but the scales have been removed from our eyes, more importantly, from our hearts. After Jesus was raised from the dead, we have the testimony of many witnesses to his resurrection. Can there be anything better than to be assured that Jesus was raised from the dead? Because he was resurrected, we can be confident that we who live in him and believe in Jesus will also be resurrected to eternal life, to live forever with Jesus. We cannot listen to the voices of decent, or those false prophets, teachers, with their silver-tongued deceit. There is only one truth, and his name is Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way to attain salvation and eternal life. As those who physically saw the resurrected Jesus were witnesses to others, and we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, being a witness to us of the truth about Jesus, we too should be witnesses to others. The question is, what constitutes being a witness? In a court of law, we can only testify to what we have heard, seen, or experienced. We are sworn to tell the truth and only the truth. We do not need to be an evangelist, a preacher, or a great public speaker to tell someone what happened to us. We can tell how Jesus saved us; that would be the truth. We are just the witnesses.