Grains of Sand

Google Images He’d told the story of his encounter with Jesus on the Damascus road countless times. He had, perhaps reluctantly, described what he had been doing with his life before that encounter. But perhaps there was no time to tell that story that was any more significant than this moment on the Island of Malta. Paul and his companions are shipwrecked on the island. They had set sail for Italy at the beginning of winter—not advisable, but the captain had been in a hurry. Cargo in a hold isn’t worth much unless it gets to market. In this case the cargo didn’t get to market at all. The ship and its contents floundered and the crew now found refuge on Malta. The islanders were friendly, but superstitious. As Paul gathered wood and then put it on the fire, a snake slithered out and bit him. “ When the islanders saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, ‘This man must be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to l...

A cat's gotta do what a cat's gotta do! We don’t view Paul as a patient man, but considering that by the time we get to Acts 26, he’s been in front of the Sanhedrin, two Roman governors, Felix and Festus, and one king, Agrippa, to defend himself, we have to give him a gold star. What is it that you people don’t understand here? How many times do I have to tell you before you get the message? Do you have times when you just want to give up, to stop fighting what seems like a futile battle? Then Paul mentions what is to me a clincher of a statement. Acts 26: “ So then, King Agrippa, I was not disobedient to the vision from heaven. ” The vision, of course, is the mandate given to Paul by God on the Damascus Road to go and preach the Gospel to the Gentiles (9:15, 16; 26:15-18). Obedience to God’s call has left Paul lying for dead outside the city gates, being lowered in a basket to escape his persecutors, in jail and beaten, misunderstood by the Jewish believers and criticized ...

Google Images Most of us loved to be stroked. We appreciate people who agree with our opinions, do what we ask of them, and don’t challenge us. When faced by some real or imaginary threat, we follow the old western model and “circle the wagons” with the “good guys” (the ones who stroke us) gathered around us ready to repel the “bad guys” (the ones who challenge us). It’s not a good plan, certainly not a Biblical one. And in spiritual leaders it’s a heinous crime, an affront to all that Jesus taught. Paul, preaching to the believers in Ephesus, remarked: “ Keep watch over yourselves and all of the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood ” (Acts 20:28, NIV). He then goes on to say that it is the wolves who come in and destroy the sheep, and distort the truth (20:29). But it is Paul’s statement in verse 28 that needs to be etched in the minds and on the hearts of all those who would call themselves ov...

Areopagus from Google Images Those who are my generation and older were probably taught to stay away from the world and from those of other faith practices. We were to be “separate.” Our understanding of the Biblical concept of separation from the world was flawed. Paul gives us a prime example of that in Acts 17. The apostle is in Athens. He started out in the synagogue, which was his custom (17:17). The Athenians were idol-worshipers and this was a concern to Paul so he headed to the marketplace to preach (17:18). Then he was taken to the Areopagus (17:19). Traditionally we talk about this place as being a kind of central housing area for all the gods that the Athenians worshiped, but it was also the place where the high court met to judge criminal and civil cases so it could be that there was the possibility that someone wanted to bring Paul up on charges for “ advocating foreign gods ” (17:18). In any case, Paul did not resist. It is interesting to note that Paul, usually consi...

Google Images The bus had no recognizable markings but I was assured that it was going where I wanted to go. The driver couldn’t figure out how to lower that first step so I struggled to make that leap that would get me on board. I heard him talking to someone on his cell phone asking for instructions. I also heard him ask what streets he should use to get out of Toronto. He was heading west so I knew that at least we were going in the right direction. When we got to our destination, various passengers began to ask him to let them off  the designated stopping places along the way to the terminal. He didn’t know where those were so had to rely on the passengers to tell him exactly where they wanted to get off. The driver was extremely pleasant and cooperative—a Santa Claus with a long white beard and the belly to match. He just didn’t know exactly where he was going. But I really began to be concerned when he called back to the passengers and asked if any of us knew where the bu...

Google Images The early chapters of Acts describe a church on fire, where thousands of people came to faith and new believers were added daily to that number. This new movement must have distressed the establishment to no end. They thought they had stamped out any possibility of these Christ-followers gaining momentum when they crucified their leader. Equally amazing to those who watched was the community that grew up around these professions of faith. Acts 5 tells us: “ All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and much grace was upon them all .” We like the multiplication the believers but tend to race over the division of goods. But that’s a subject for another time, though I can hear the pundits clamoring to tell me that that was a different time, a different place, a different culture and we c...

He told them to wait and they did. Jesus had returned to His father in heaven (Acts 1:9) and there they were in the upstairs room, waiting. The eleven disciples were there, (1:13) but others were also part of “the wait.” “ They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers ” (1:14). While they waited and prayed, they also conducted the business of choosing a successor for Judas. There were two candidates. To know which one was God’s choice, they prayed together, and then voted (1:24-26). Matthias was the choice—his one and only time mentioned in Scripture. The criteria behind the choice of candidates was simple: It had to be someone who had been with Jesus from the beginning of His ministry (1:21, 22). We never heard about Matthias in any of the stories left for us in the Gospels. We never hear about Matthias again after he was chosen to replace Judas. We didn’t see him, but God did. He was what 2 Timothy 2:2 calls ...