Acts 14.1-20 - Lystra

You've seen it in the movies, a person mistaken for a god.  It happened in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, when the Ewoks worshiped C-3P0 (right).  And it happened to Paul and Barnabas.

The people of Lystra had the right idea about the wrong people.

They wanted someone to worship and trust.  

And how quickly we turn when others disappoint us.  Lystra went from worship to stoning and don't miss a beat. We build up celebrities, sports heroes, or politicians, only to tear them down in their humanity.

Paul and Barnabas proclaimed God in human form, but they proclaimed Jesus and not themselves. Lystra (and we) miss the really important message - "turn from these worthless things to the living God."  There's something more out there - a relationship with a merciful and living God.(below: Lystra (just a mound) today)

Acts 13.13-52 - Psidian Antioch

When we think of Acts, we think of thousands of new followers of Christ and great success.  But some cities held disappointment. Even Paul had bad days.  When Paul and Barnabas left this town, "they shook the dust off their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium" (Acts 13.51). The church in Antioch of Psidia showed how Paul and Barnabas responded to rejection.
Sometimes, spreading God's Word and God's love is met with hostility or rejection. Jealousy hurts. Shaking the dust off your shoes is a way of moving on to the next item of ministry. And we should remember that failure sows the seeds of great success.  The passage says that "as many as had been destined for eternal life became believers" (Acts 13.48).  When the world hinders the seed of the gospel, God plants a tree.

Romans 16.25-27

How do you say goodbye in a letter? Most times, when you end a letter, you end it with a signature. In common practice, the end of a letter points to the sender.
For Paul, this is not enough.  He ends the letter of Romans with a soaring doxology to God. Paul signs off by giving the glory to God.
For Paul the glory of God is foremost.  His mission seeks not to bring himself into focus.  His mission magnifies "the only wise God, through Jesus Christ" (Rom 16.27).
May our lives magnify and glorify God in Christ!

Isaiah 40.1-11 - Make Straight the Pathway

Today is John the Baptist Sunday (Mark 1, Isaiah 40 - my invention, you won't find it on the liturgical calendar).  Can't believe it's that time of year again.  You can't get to Jesus without his crazy, straight-shooting cousin John.  John is such an interesting guy - hippie clothes, eating bugs, down buy the river.
Yet John's ministry was an enactment of the scriptures. "Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."  John literally went to the wilderness to make the path back to Jerusalem straight.  but he didn't straighten out the road.  He straightened out the people. The people recommitted to God, pledging themselves to God's justice and forgiveness in a fallen age.
Let us go down to the river. To (re)enact our baptism.  To recommit ourselves to God, repenting and living into the coming Kingdom.  When we go down to the water, the Holy Spirit will come to us!

2 Corinthians 9 - Cheerful Giver

Fall is the season of Stewardship.  Every season should be a season of stewardship. Churches do stewardship mainly so that they can create a budget and hopefully increase their income.
It shouldn't be that way.
But even in the early church, the apostles wrote fundraising letters.  2 Corinthians is, at its heart, a fundraising letter.  Corinth has made its pledge to Jerusalem. Paul is concerned about collecting from them.  Truly, he wants them to give as a response to God, "as a voluntary gift and not as an extortion." (v 5)
For Paul, God is all about abundance.  God the giver has made us all wealthy; we share on God's behalf.  The grace of God should transform us in many ways, even our attitude towards giving. We "share abundantly in every good work." (v8)  Money enables us to do mission and evangelistic work vicariously in other places. The bounty of this work is the "harvest of [our] righteousness." (v 10)
Rather than increasing budgets, the goal for stewardship is to increase our own cheerfulness and thanksgiving, and to sow God's righteousness in the world.
"Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift!" (v 15)

Acts 12 - The Lord Rescues

Herod.
The name appears over and over again in the scriptures.  Did this guy live forever, or what? No. From Jesus' birth through Acts, there are several rulers known as Herod. Herod the Great was the ruler who slaughtered the innocents while trying to kill the messiah whose coming was prophesied. We see Herod Agrippa I in Acts. Agrippa was boyhood friends with the emperor Tiberius's son. Josephus the historian recounts this story about the garment and the bowel pains.  Josephus recounts that the garment was made of silver.  Give God the glory - or else!
Contrast Herod's story with Peter's dramatic escape from prison.  Led by an angel during a dream-like state, God saves Peter.  And Peter gives the Lord the glory.
These stories show the goodness of God and the folly of humanity.  Heed not flatterers!  May we always give glory to God alone!

Acts 10 - Peter and Cornelius

The meeting of Cornelius and Peter was momentous for the history of the Christian faith.  Their meeting showed that Christ overcomes and transforms the barriers of culture. Cornelius takes the risky first step forward, worshiping the God of another culture, only to find that God is the God of everyone, not only the Jews or even the Romans. Peter has the courage and obedience to receive Cornelius, to believe God's desire to associate with Gentiles.
Culture blockades the faith of many. Are we primarily Americans (or whatever nationality) or are we Christians first and foremost? Can we see through our cultural blinders to see the light of Christ as it shines in others?  Do we let down our guard so that Christ can shine more through us?
May Christ shine in us for all!