Not Yet

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 23:12-35

 

Jeremiah 29:11

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare^[a] and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

(ESV)

 

Believers in Christ have a calling to serve as ambassadors for Christ (2 Corinthians 5:20).  Like ambassadors that serve a nation, Christians live in a foreign land with diplomatic immunity through the grace of God (Ephesians 2:8-9).  However, Christians can suffer persecution or even death, especially if they are ambassadors in a nation hostile to their beliefs.  This is the position believers in Christ are in and while some serve Christ in nations having freedom of religion, others serve as ambassadors for Christ in hostile nations. 

 

As the text of Acts 23:12-35 begins Paul is held in the barracks under protective custody but the Jews who are against Paul have not stopped their plotting against him.  Their scheming has now escalated to a group of 40 Jews swearing an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed Paul (Acts 23:12-13).  These 40 Jews then seek support for their scheme by taking their plan to the chief priests and elders and asking them to become complicit in the plot by calling on the tribune to bring Paul to himself for further questioning, and the 40 Jews waiting to ambush Paul on his way to the Tribune (Acts 23:14-15).

 

However, God places an obstacle in the path of the Jew’s plan with Paul’s nephew hearing of their planned ambush of Paul and informing Paul of the plot.  While the passage does not specifically make mention of it, Paul might have recalled his recent visitation from the Lord where God promised Paul that he would testify about Jesus in Rome.  This might have emboldened Paul to have his nephew brought before the tribune by one of the centurions (Acts 23:16-22). 

 

News of this plot moves the tribune to formulate a plot to safely deliver Paul to Governor Felix at night (Acts 23:23-24).  To add legitimacy to the situation, the tribune, who we now know as Claudius Lysias, drafts a letter to send with the soldiers accompanying Paul to Felix (Acts 23:25-30).  The soldiers obey their orders and safely deliver Paul to Felix the governor in Caesarea (Acts 23:31-32).  After reading the letter and asking Paul where he is from, Governor Felix agrees to grant Paul a hearing with his accusers and places Paul in protective custody in Herod’s praetorium (Acts 23:33-35). 

 

This passage illustrates two important principles Christians must have awareness of,

 

1)      Persecution may come from an unexpected source, for Paul this source was a group of Jews wanting to kill him, a fellow Jew.

2)      Help may come from an unexpected source, for Paul this was his nephew and the tribune. 

 

In Isaiah 54:17, God tells us that no weapon formed against God’s people will succeed but a history of believers dying for their faith that continues in many parts of the world today seems to contradict this promise.  Resolution of this contradiction occurs by determining what the passage means by not succeed.  Since this verse appears in the context of a prophecy by Isaiah about the eternal covenant of peace, we can interpret success as disarming a weapon attempting to separate one from eternity with God, promised to all who choose to believe in Jesus (John 3:16).  Since God promised Paul he would speak in Rome (Acts 23:11), the plot to kill Paul is foiled for had the Jewish mob murdered Paul, his ministry on earth would have been incomplete.  

 

God has a plan for all His children, a plan for their good and not their destruction (Jeremiah 29:11).  However, a Church history of Christians martyred for their faith would appear to mean that God’s plan for some is their destruction.  This appearance of destruction is untrue for when a believer in Jesus Christ dies, they are in the presence of the Lord and not experiencing destruction but eternity with Christ.  While it is the heart's desire for all believers in Jesus Christ to be in the presence of the Lord, this will not occur until God fulfills his plan for our life on earth (2 Corinthians 5:6-10).  My prayer is that all reading this would search their hearts, pray, and seek counsel to discover God’s plan for their life.  A world in chaos needs revival with all hands on deck in the Church following God’s plan for their lives.  May God bless and challenge everyone reading this post.  

A Nation in the Balance

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 18:1-23

 

Jeremiah 18:7-10

If at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom, that I will pluck up and break down and destroy it, ⁸ and if that nation, concerning which I have spoken, turns from its evil, I will relent of the disaster that I intended to do to it. ⁹ And if at any time I declare concerning a nation or a kingdom that I will build and plant it, ¹⁰ and if it does evil in my sight, not listening to my voice, then I will relent of the good that I had intended to do to it.

(ESV)

 

To the Lord, the nations are like a drop in a bucket and accounted as dust (Isaiah 40:15).  However, he has concern for the people within the nations, not wanting anyone to perish in the sin (2 Peter 3:9).  Judah and Israel have committed a horrible sin by turning away from God and to other gods, yet God gives them one more opportunity to repent and avoid the disaster the Lord has for them.  The fate of the nation of Judah hangs in the balance, hinging on whether the people will repent. 

 

The text of Jeremiah 18:1-23 is in three sections each dealing with why Judah is about to undergo the judgment of God.  The sections include,

 

1)      A call to repent (Jeremiah 18:1-11) – Using the illustration of a potter working with clay, the Lord instructs Jeremiah to go to the potter’s house and see how the potter takes a soiled piece of clay and fashions it into another vessel.  With the Lord acting as the potter, he can fashion Judah into a nation serving God as God intended but only if they turn from their evil (Jeremiah 18:7-8), placing themselves in the hands of the potter. 

2)      Continued rejection of God (Jeremiah 18:12-17) – Unfortunately for Judah and the people of Israel, they decide to continue following their plans and continue to act according to the stubbornness of their evil hearts (Jeremiah 18:12).  The Lord responds by reminding Judah that they have done a horrible thing by forgetting God and making offerings to false gods (Jeremiah 18:13-15).  The sin of Judah has made the land a horror and something people hiss at, shaking their heads in disbelief (Jeremiah 18:16).  More horrific than what has happened to the land is God’s intention to scatter Judah before their enemies, turning His back on them, and offering no help (Jeremiah 18:17). 

3)      Attacking the messenger (Jeremiah 18:18-23) – In response to the Lord’s call to repentance and pronouncement of his intentions to scatter them, the people could have still repented and received reconciliation with God.  However, they instead attack the messenger, Jeremiah, with their tongues and do not listen to any of his words (Jeremiah 18:18).  This prompts Jeremiah to speak, telling the Lord to listen to the voice of his adversaries (Jeremiah 18:19).  Jeremiah has done no evil to Judah and interceded for them in an attempt to turn them back to God and avoid the coming judgment, that is until the Lord told Jeremiah to stop (Jeremiah 7:16).  Jeremiah now sees that Israel intends to repay the goodness of his heart towards Judah with evil and joins the Lord in turning his back on them so God can execute His judgment. 

 

 

Once again it is obvious Judah has no intention to repent and turn from their worship of other gods and back to God.  While they could become clay in the hands of the Lord as the Potter and have the Lord fashion them into a new vessel serving God, they once again refuse (Jeremiah 18:12).  Even the pronouncement of a sentence of exile and God turning his back on them is not sufficient to bring them to repentance.  Judah has placed themselves in a position where God has no choice but to execute the judgments He set in Deuteronomy 28:15-68. 

 

Even though God deals with the Church through grace and not the law (Galatians 2:8), the Church can become lukewarm and sicken the heart of God (Revelation 3:14-22).  The purpose of the Church is not to just make people feel good, but also to challenge their hearts and transform them from conformity to the world to conformity and reconciliation with God (Romans 12:1-2).  I encourage those reading this who have not accepted Jesus as their savior and received reconciliation with God to do so by praying with me now,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

My prayer is that each person reading would heed, and not reject the conviction of the Holy Spirit and repent of the sin in their lives.  My prayer is that the Church would prepare for spiritual battle using the armor of God and remain alert through prayer (Ephesians 6:10-18).  May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post. 

Godly Calling Versus Religion

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 22:30-23:11

 

Acts 23:1-2

 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth.

(ESV)

 

I once heard a pastor say from the pulpit that religion bored him.  While this might sound like a person pastoring a Church, bored with his job, the reason for the pastor making this statement was making a differentiation between religion and one having a personal relationship and calling from God.  In John 10:12, Jesus makes a comparison between a shepherd and a hired hand.  Unfortunately, religions have people viewed and promoted by media as highly religious, are in the pulpit for personal gain and fame.  For Paul, living for Christ was a calling and why he strove to live a Godly life, but the high priest and council serve as hired hands with a duty to preserve religious traditions, something threatened by the teaching of the Apostle Paul. 

 

The Tribune has now decided to bring Paul before the high priest and council to determine the real reason Paul is accused by his fellow Jews.  We cannot be sure of is if the Tribune was prepared to enter a religious debate between the differing beliefs of two sects of Judaism, the Pharisees, and Sadducees.  The main point of contention between these different religious sects is the belief in resurrection by the Pharisees and the Sadducees who believe there is no resurrection (Matthew 22:23). 

 

Jesus entered into this dispute in Matthew 22:23-33 where the Sadducees were attempting to trap Jesus by presenting a hypothetical situation of a woman dying childless and who she would be married to in the resurrection after marrying the seven brothers of her deceased husband (Matthew 22:24-28).  Jesus answers their question by reminding them that scripture says that after the resurrection people will not marry but instead be like angels (Mark 12:25; Matthew 22:30).  Jesus then reminds them that God told Moses He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, all of which had died before Moses was born (Exodus 3:6; Matthew 22:32). 

 

For Paul, the religious confrontation over the resurrection differed because the Pharisees were part of the council (Acts 23:6).  Paul, as a Pharisee, states his hope and the resurrection of the dead as the reason he is on trial resulting in an argument over the topic of the resurrection between the Pharisees and Sadducees present in the council (Acts 22:7-9).  So contentious was the argument between these different religious sects that in the interest of Paul’s safety, the tribune once again had to take Paul to the barracks for safety (Acts 22:10).  Perhaps knowing Paul had discouragement over the religious dissension between the Pharisees and Sadducees over the resurrection, He reminds Paul that just as he testified about Jesus in Jerusalem, he will do the same in Rome (Acts 22:11). 

 

When Paul encountered Jesus on the road to Damascus, he was performing his religious duty as a Pharisee with letters to the Synagogue and Damascus, allowing him to bring any believers in Jesus (the way) to Jerusalem for trial.  However, after encountering Jesus, Paul discovered his Godly purpose and calling from God.  Paul went to Damascus as a hired hand, working for the Jews in Jerusalem but discovered his Godly calling to shepherd the Gentiles into belief in Jesus as their savior. 

 

The pastor referred to at the beginning of this post said religion bored him because it meant one was like a hired hand who shows up at work to do a job of teaching from the Bible.  This pastor found this boring, so we are correct in viewing this as one bored by their job.  However, as a pastor begins to view his preaching from the pulpit as the calling of a shepherd working under the Great Shepherd, the boredom stops.  An ungodly world in Chaos needs more pastors serving as shepherds and fewer hired hand pastors.  May God challenge and bless those reading this post. 

The Christian Sabbath.

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Jeremiah 17:19-27

 

Hebrews 4:6-7

Since therefore it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly received the good news failed to enter because of disobedience, ⁷ again he appoints a certain day, “Today,” saying through David so long afterward, in the words already quoted,

“Today, if you hear his voice,
do not harden your hearts.”

(ESV)

 

In the modern chaotic and hectic culture in which we live, the idea of rest seems illusive.  Modern culture also has the belief that one can achieve success by working just a little harder, with seeking rest viewed as laziness and one lacking ambition.  However, this does not mean that work is evil and robs one of mental and physical health but means that one must achieve a balance of work and rest in their lives.  Beginning in Genesis 2:1-3 where God rested from the work of creation and declared the seventh day or the Sabbath as holy.  The question we as believers must deal with is does the declaration of the Sabbath as a holy day still apply to Christians, requiring them to make Saturday a holy day, or is there now a deeper more spiritual meaning?

 

In Hebrews 4:6-7, the passage mentions that some will enter God’s rest and some will not based upon their level of faith and obedience to Christ with a certain day, today, appointed for rest.  From this passage, it appears that the author of Hebrews is expanding the idea of a day of rest to any day.  Since any day is now a Sabbath, this would necessitate one should work on these days for 2 Thessalonians 3:10 commands people work to provide for themselves.  As we then read the passage in Jeremiah 17:19-27, it would appear there is a biblical contradiction regarding the Sabbath.  However, like many contradictions in Scripture, resolution occurs when we study the passages in context. 

 

Jeremiah 17:19-27 occurs at the time when God’s people operated under the law, requiring the setting aside of one day a week as holy, forbidding any work on that day.  The people of Judah and Israel were guilty of disobedience in that they worshipped other gods and set up shrines to them and even sacrificed their children to them, Including Manasseh (2 Kings 21:1-9).  With this context, Jeremiah 17:19-27 represents more disobedience on the part of the people of Judah and Jerusalem disobeying the Sabbath when God’s people were under the regulations of the law to observe the sabbath (Exodus 20:8).

 

However, the way God deals with His people changed when God sent us his son Jesus, with Jesus Himself performing miracles on the Sabbath.  In one such instance, the Pharisees accused Jesus of working on the Sabbath with Jesus asking if it was lawful for one to do good on the Sabbath, citing their willingness to recover a lost lamb on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-8).  With Jesus telling His followers that miracles would be performed through them in the name of Jesus (Mark 16:17-18), we too can perform good works as Christ did on the Sabbath.  The author of Hebrews carries the idea of the Sabbath even further by saying that today or any and every day is a Sabbath as God’s people find their rest in the Lord, not a specific day of the week. 

 

Under the new covenant, spiritual rest has no connection to a particular day of the week but instead to the idea of one having rest in the assurance of eternal life due to the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross (Galatians 2:8-9; John 3:16; Romans 5:8).  However, this does not negate the need to have regular times of physical rest to promote physical and mental health, something each person should schedule into their routines.  Under the new Covenant, God’s people have spiritual rest every day in Christ and should schedule times of physical rest to promote physical and mental health.  This is the Christian Sabbath.  May God challenge and bless everyone reading this post. 

We Have a Story to Share

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text: Acts 21:37-22:29

 

Acts 22:22

Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”

(ESV)

 

Stories are powerful things, and something used by Jesus as he taught using parables.  This is good news for most of us for lets us know that it does not take a degree in theology to share Christ but only a story of our conversion.  This is especially true when our story relates to someone’s life situation.  Therefore, the only thing stopping us from sharing Christ with others is our willingness to boldly share our story, not fearing rejection or persecution. 

 

After going to the barracks for his safety, Paul asks for permission to speak to the people who were trying to kill him (Acts 21:37-39).  In light of the commotion that had previously occurred (Acts 21:27-36), this would not have been an easy decision for the crowd was seeking to kill Paul.  However, the tribune is also curious about why the crowd is angry with Paul, mistaking him for an Egyptian that recently stirred up a revolt (Acts 21:38), and grants permission for Paul to speak (Acts 21:40).  The tribune and his men are not far away and swiftly spring into action once the crowd is stirred again (Acts 22:23-24). 

 

Instead of doing what was customary, debating with fellow Jews when entering a city (Acts 17:2-3), Paul chooses to share the story of his conversion.  Some possible reasons for this change in tactic may be,

 

1)      The Audience – These Jews may be from the group of zealous Jewish believers James warned Paul about when Paul first entered Jerusalem (Acts 21:20-21).  Since these Jews were already believers, there was no need to debate whether Jesus was the Messiah but instead a need for Paul to share how he was once a Jew zealous for the Law who has now experienced God’s grace and forgiveness.  These zealous Jewish believers falsely believe Paul teaches Gentiles to forsake the law when the truth is Paul teaches that the law is our schoolmaster, pointing out our sin with God’s grace providing salvation (Galatians 2:8; Romans 5:13).  Paul might be hopeful that sharing his story will clear up the false report that Paul tells Gentiles to forsake the law for which he was once zealous. 

2)      Location:  Paul is not in a synagogue – While Paul is engaging with a group of Jewish believers, he is not in the safety of a synagogue and is trying to quiet an angry mob.  However, any hope sharing his story would quiet the angry mob is dashed as the crowd is stirred up again after hearing the Lord has called Paul to share Christ with the Gentiles (Acts 22:21). 

3)      To point out the real reason for the anger of the crowd – The stirring up of the crowd after Paul mentions his calling to share Christ with the Gentiles indicates the real reason for the crowd's anger is not Paul’s story but his belief he has a calling to share Christ with the Gentiles (Acts 22:22)  This provides an answer for the tribune who takes Paul back into the barracks for protection.  However, the tribune is still not completely satisfied and determines to flog Paul to find answers, only having to stop once he discovers Paul is a Roman citizen (Acts 22:23-29). 

 

Paul’s normal practice when entering a city was to go into the synagogue and debate with the Jews about Jesus (Acts 17:1-3).  However, with this group of Jewish believers zealous for the Law (Acts 21:20-21), Paul chooses to share the story of His conversion.  One possible reason for this change in tactic could be that these men were already believers who had fallen for a false report that Paul had abandoned Jewish customs and the law, and taught the Gentiles to do the same (Acts 21:20-21).  In sharing his story, Paul illustrates that he too was zealous for the law but after his conversion had a calling from God to take the Gospel to the Gentiles (Acts 22:21).  However, even the mention of a calling to minister to the Gentiles angers the mob with the Tribune intervening to save Paul’s life (Acts 22:22-29). 

 

We all have a story of conversion to share that the dark and sinful world needs to hear.  For some, this story may seem boring from living in a Christian home knowing about Jesus and having a moment in our lives where we realized we must do more than know about Jesus and accept Him as our savior.  For others, it may be one raised in a Christian home who wandered away from God and later returned after the issues of life brought them back.  For others it may be never hearing about Jesus as a child and living a life of sin, only to have God send someone our way to share Christ.  No matter what the story is, it is a story someone needs to hear and why we must be bold in sharing our story with others, especially in the chaos of the world today.  May God bless and challenge everyone reading this post. 

Sin and Deliverance

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 17:1-18

 

Jeremiah 17:5-6

Thus says the Lord:
“Cursed is the man who trusts in man
    and makes flesh his strength,^[a]
    whose heart turns away from the Lord.
⁶ He is like a shrub in the desert,
    and shall not see any good come.
He shall dwell in the parched places of the wilderness,
    in an uninhabited salt land.

(ESV)

 

In 2008 when my family and I visited Israel, we visited Masada, located around the Dead Sea.  The ruins of the fortress at Masada are located on the top of a mesa or flat-topped mountain.  To make visiting the site convenient, they have installed a tram so visitors to the site can comfortably ride in a cable car to the top.  However, for the more adventurous, the hiking trail to the top still exists.  When at the top of the mountain, I took pictures of the dead sea and the surrounding desert from Masada, and when I viewed the pictures later noticed the lack of any vegetation in the desert.  There is also a lack of life in the Dead Sea due to the saltiness of the water.  This is the area referred to by the prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 17:6

 

The sin of Judah has gone on for a while and reached a point where it is permanently engraved in their hearts like carvings in a tablet of stone (Jeremiah 17:1).  Their sin has also become generational with the children remembering the pagan altars to Baal and the Asherim beside every green tree (Jeremiah 2:20-23; 17:2-3).  As a consequence of their sin, Judah will suffer the loss of wealth and exile to a foreign land because of the Lord’s anger with their sin (Jeremiah 17:4). 

 

Jeremiah then issues a proclamation from the Lord in which he reprimands their placing their trust in man and gods crafted by man, turning from the Lord (Jeremiah 17:5).  God then uses the image of the barren land of the Dead Sea, providing a visual picture of the emptiness of life in the hearts of the people (Jeremiah 17:6).  In contrast, the Lord then calls those who decide to trust in the Lord as blessed, using the imagery of a tree planted by the water that is full of life and fruitful (Jeremiah 17:7-8).  This is the imagery the people of Judah and Israel would know from the area in northern Israel by the Sea of Galilee where there is plenty of fresh water and vibrant communities full of life. 

 

The Lord then reminds them of the deceitfulness of the hearts of fallen humanity that are full of sin, in need of a savior (Jeremiah 17:9).  Instead of seeking answers from the deceitfulness of fallen hearts seeking after other gods, Judah should have repented, allowing God to search their hearts and test their minds (Jeremiah 17:10).  Judah has become wealthy through the worship of the pagan gods of the land and will soon lose this foolishly acquired wealth (Jeremiah 17:11-13).

 

Jeremiah has not participated in the sin of Judah and now prays for deliverance beginning with stating his position of the Lord as his praise (Jeremiah 17:14).  Jeremiah then presents his case of persecution from those choosing to follow pagan gods, reminding the Lord that while persecuted, he never stopped declaring the Word of the Lord even when the people chose to ignore it (Jeremiah 17:15-16).  Jeremiah then makes his request to the Lord that He not be a terror to him and that those persecuting him who have decided not to follow the Lord to shame, dismay, disaster, and destruction (Jeremiah 17:17-18).    

 

God has been gracious and patient with Judah and Israel but has now reached a point where the sin of Judah has gone on for so long that it is etched on their hearts and become the normal way of life (Jeremiah 17:1).  The sin of rebelling against God by the worship of pagan gods has also gone on for so long that the children remember the numerous altars to the pagan gods with little or no remembrance of the Temple of God in Jerusalem (Jeremiah 17:2-3).  As a consequence, Judah is about to become as barren of life as the desert surrounding the Dead Sea instead of vibrant with life like the area surrounding the Sea of Galilee (Jeremiah 17:5-13).  However, God promises deliverance for Jeremiah who has remained steadfast in his praise of God, refusing to participate in the worship of pagan gods (Jeremiah 17:14-18). 

 

Proverbs 3:5-6 reminds us that we are to place our trust in the Lord and not the deceitfulness of our hearts and understanding.  In this time of rebellion and sin against God, we must be like Jeremiah making God the object of our praise and worship despite the persecution of those following the deceitfulness of their hearts.  Like Jeremiah, we can also rest assured that God will take care of those promising to follow Him for when we follow Jesus, we are following the overcomer who overcame sin and death (John 16:33).  I pray this post will bless and challenge those reading it to remain steadfast in their praise and worship of God who sent his Son to die for our sins, overcoming sin and death on the cross (John 3:16; 16:33; Romans 5:8; 8:11). 

Paul’s Arrest in Jerusalem

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text Acts 21:27-36

 

John 16:33

 ^“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

(ESV)

 

It is a privilege to live in a country like the United States where one can worship God wherever and in whatever manner one desires.  My prayer is that citizens of countries with freedom of religion do not take their freedom for granted for freedom of religion is not the norm in many parts of the world where governments imprison Christians and execute them for their faith.  We must also remember that freedom is a fragile thing that people must protect and defend.  Recent cultural trends in the United States like abortion on demand, homosexuality, and transgenderism are contrary to the Word of God and Christian values.  However, people vilify those speaking out against these cultural trends with attempts to silence them, taking away their freedom of speech and religion. 

 

Paul is no stranger to imprisonment for his faith and probably not surprised that he is going to suffer persecution and imprisonment for his faith.  The text of Acts 21:27-36 begins with Paul in the Temple fulfilling his vow and a group of Jews from Asia seeing him in the temple and seizing him before the completion of his vow (Acts 21:27).  These Jews then cry out to the crowd accusing Paul of teaching everyone everywhere against the Jews, the law, the Temple, and bringing Greeks into the Temple (Acts 21:28). 

 

The passage is unclear whether these Jews from Asia are the same group of Jews zealous for the law mentioned by James (Acts 21:20-21), but their accusations against Paul do indicate a zealousness for the law.  However, their zealousness for the law is questionable for these Jews have taken Paul, a Jew, from the temple before he completed his vow.  This means there may be more to their coming after Paul than a theological question and the fact that Paul is a threat to their religious power over people.  So violent is the reaction of the mob that the tribune of the cohort is alerted and after attempting to determine the cause and basis of the accusations against Paul, orders him brought into the barracks for his safety (Acts 21:30-36). 

 

Similar to Jesus entering Jerusalem with a triumphal entry on Palm Sunday (John 12:12-19), Paul, who was received gladly upon entering Jerusalem (Acts 21:17), now encounters resistance (Acts 21:27-36).  While resistance from Jews is nothing new to Paul, in this instance the resistance is not a result of Paul's reasoning with the Jews about Jesus as the Messiah but comes because of false accusations.  James had warned Paul about a group of zealous Jewish believers who were trying to place legalistic burdens on Gentile converts to Christianity.  Paul decides to take a vow, indicating he has not forsaken Jewish law or tradition but is seized from the Temple before the completion of his vow (Acts 21:27).  If these Jews were genuinely interested in following the law, they would not have stormed into the Temple to seize a fellow Jew fulfilling a vow.  The truth is that these Jews are not interested in Gentile adherence to the law but instead see the religious power they hold over people threatened by the teaching of God’s grace by Paul.

 

 While there is theological resistance present within the Church and between Christianity and other religions, the main resistance involves spiritual warfare between a world dominated by sin and the righteousness of God.  This war began in the Garden with Jesus, the promised deliverer of Genesis 3:15, declaring victory over sin through His death on the cross.  However, each individual must decide which side of this war to be on.  To do nothing is to select the default side of continuing in sin since we are all born into sin (Romans 3:23).  While the side of the righteousness of God through Jesus comes with resistance, Jesus did overcome the world through his death, burial, and resurrection and promises those choosing to believe in Him eternal life (John 3:16; 16:33).  Looking at the big picture, the benefit of eternal life outweighs the temporary struggles and tribulations.  If you have not decided to accept Jesus as your savior, I invite you to do so now by praying with me, 

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

Please join me in praying for persecuted Christians around the world and the preservation of freedom of religion in countries like the United States.  The challenge for believers is to grow strong in their relationship with God through the study of the Word and the empowerment of the Holy Spirit so that our relationship is strong whether in tribulation or not.  May God both bless and challenge everyone reading this post. 

God’s Correction and Grace

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Jeremiah 16

 

Proverbs 3:11-12

My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline
    or be weary of his reproof,
¹² for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,
    as a father the son in whom he delights.

(ESV)

 

As a child, I can remember times when I would do something wrong, and my mom would tell me that my dad would talk to me when he got home from work.  My dad was not abusive, so I did not fear physical harm, but that did not mean I looked forward to receiving my dad’s correction.  Usually, my dad would be gracious in his correction, using it as a teaching moment to ensure I learned a lesson and did not repeat the offense.  As I have grown older and have kids of my own, I am beginning to understand that parents correct their children because they love them and want them to grow up to be disciplined adults that love and serve God. 

 

In the English Standard Version of the Bible, Jeremiah 16 has two topic headings; famine, sword, and death, and the Lord will restore Israel.  Israel has sinned by forsaking God and turning to other gods.  These headings indicate that the passage deals with the discipline and correction of Israel and Judah by a loving heavenly Father who after a time of correction and discipline, intends to restore His people.  God’s plans for His people are not for their destruction but their good (Jeremiah 29:11).  Jeremiah 16 illustrates the balance of the judgment and grace of God,

 

1)      Judgment (Jeremiah 16:1-13) – Israel and Judah are about to experience the judgment of God by famine, sword, and death.  While this may seem severe as a punishment, it is in accordance with the Word of God (Deuteronomy 28:15-68).  In Deuteronomy 8:11-20, God cautions the people of Israel to also guard their hearts against becoming complacent as God blesses them leading to their forsaking of God and the worship of other gods.  Deuteronomy 8:11-20 provides a prophetic view of what has occurred in Israel with the result, famine, sword, and death but not the complete destruction of Israel. 

2)      Restoration (Jeremiah 16:14) – God is a good father and does not intend to completely destroy his people but to correct them.  After pronouncing a sentence of famine sword, and death, God promises restoration for Israel after a period of correction for polluting the Promised Land with their idols and false gods (Jeremiah 16:18).  This illustrates the mercy and grace aspect of God.  Most of us are familiar with John 3:16 but when we place it in the context of John 3:16-18, we see that Jesus did not come to condemn the world with anyone believing in Jesus as their savior escaping condemnation.  Instead, God reserves condemnation for those choosing to reject Jesus.  With historical hindsight, we know that Israel and Judah will repent and return to the Promised Land and never forsake God again. 

 

God is the perfect balance of righteousness and grace.  God illustrates His righteous side by his abandonment of Israel and Judah, subjecting them to sword and famine for their forsaking of God and worship of other gods (Jeremiah 16:10-13).  God illustrates His merciful side by his promise to restore Israel after a time of payment for their iniquities (Jeremiah 16:14-18).  This aligns with Jeremiah 29:11, the thesis verse of the book of Jeremiah.  The subjection of Israel and Judah to sword, famine, and death serves to prune them of their rebellion against God by turning to other gods, something Israel has not done again.  However, as a nation Israel has rejected their Messiah and will need to endure a time of great tribulation, once again suffering from famine, sword, and death (Revelation 6:8), causing them to accept Jesus as their Messiah. 

 

After his creation, God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden with the duty of tending the garden, but after disobeying the command not to eat of the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil, God evicts Adam and Eve from the Garden (Genesis 2:8).  However, the merciful side of God is even present in the Garden with his promise of a Messiah to restore humanity back to a relationship with God (Genesis 3:15).  God is like a good gardener and tends to our lives by engaging in righteous pruning of conformity to the world in our lives, pruning it with the two-edged sword of the Spirit, the Word of God (Ephesians 6:17; Romans 12:1-2).  God’s Word can both bring blessing to our lives but also serves to challenge us by exposing areas in our lives that conform to the world and need pruning by the Word of God.  The beginning of this process involves one making a profession of faith in God as his or her savior.  If you are reading this and have never done so, I invite you to do so now by praying with me,

 

Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans 3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans 6:23).  I ask you to forgive me of my sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1 John 1:9).  I believe you died, spent three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord of my life.

 

In Psalm 103:12, God reminds us that our sins are separated as far as the east is from the west.  To give us an idea of how far that is, imagine your sins are in the east and you start heading west.  If you continue west, you will do laps around the globe and never head east and find your sins.  May God both bless and challenge everyone reading this post. 

Salvation by whose works.

 By:  Dale Weckbacher

 

Text:  Acts 21:17-26

 

Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

(ESV)

 

In the United States this past Monday, the country observed Memorial Day, a day set aside to honor those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to preserve the freedoms of citizens of the United States.  To the displeasure of his followers, the Apostle Paul is going to Jerusalem with words of prophecy saying he will be bound and imprisoned by the Gentiles there (Acts 21:10-11).  Eventually, Paul would be martyred for his faith due to his desire to share salvation from sin through Christ with the religious leaders in Jerusalem and the Roman occupiers of the land.  Paul, like those memorialized on Memorial Day, did not consider his life more valuable than the opportunity to share the life-transforming message of God’s grace with those needing to hear it. 

 

When Paul arrives in Jerusalem, the brothers gladly receive him and on the following day, he visits James, and all the elders present at the time (Acts 21:17-18).  Paul shares with James and the elders the work God has done among the Gentiles through his ministry to which they rejoice and give glory to God (Acts 21:19-20).  However, they also inform Paul of a group of Jewish believers who are zealous for the law (Acts 21:20).  James and the elders continue and inform Paul that these Jewish believers have heard that Paul teaches the Gentiles to forsake Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children or walk according to Jewish customs (Acts 19:21). 

 

Perhaps this refers to the teaching of Paul in 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 where he says that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything with what counts keeping the commandments of God.  While one could interpret this teaching to mean Paul telling the Gentiles not to be circumcised (1 Corinthians 7:18), Paul is not telling the Gentiles to forsake Moses.  Instead, we must view the text of 1 Corinthians 7:17-24 in the context of Paul teaching the Gentiles to serve God in whatever condition they were in when called and to remain with God (1 Corinthians 7:24). 

 

There could also be lingering disputes between some men from Judea teaching gentile believers that they cannot be saved unless they are circumcised and follow the customs of Moses when Paul and Barnabas were in Antioch (Acts 15:1).  During the dispute in Antioch, Paul and Barnabas went to Jerusalem and secured a letter for the Gentile believers, letting them know that no further burdens would be placed upon them other than to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, blood, what has been strangled, and sexual immorality (Acts 15:29).  James as an Apostle was present at the Jerusalem council and reminds Paul of the letter (Acts 21:25).

 

James is concerned for Paul’s safety and fears the believing Jewish zealots will hear Paul is now in Jerusalem and cause trouble (Acts 21:22).  His recommendation is for Paul to join four men presently under a vow and purify himself and pay for the other four men’s expenses as a way of showing the zealot Jewish believers that he observes the law and that there is no truth in what they were told (Acts 21:23-24).  James then reassures Paul by reminding him that James and the elders intend to abide by the letter of the Jerusalem council to the Gentile believers (Acts 21:25).  Paul agrees and goes into the Temple, giving notice as to when the days of purification will end, and pays the offering for himself and the other four men (Acts 21:26). 

 

Paul has encountered opposition to his teaching before with it usually coming from Jews in the communities he visited opposing his belief in Jesus Christ (Acts 9:22-23; Acts 13:44-45; Acts 14:2; Acts 17:5; Acts 18:6).  The difference in the opposition in Jerusalem is it is coming from Jewish believers in Christ who have fallen for a false report that Paul teaches the Gentiles not to observe the law or Jewish customs.  However, Paul has had encounters with legalistic Jewish believers before, resulting in him coming to Jerusalem for guidance in the matter from the Apostles and elders.   At that time, the elders sent a letter advising Gentiles to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.  While Paul has taught that salvation is due to the grace of God and the work of Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9; Romans 5:8), he never condemned those that observe Jewish customs out of love for the Lord, only believing they are not necessary for salvation for that is the work of Christ, not men.   

 

Opposition to one’s belief in Jesus Christ is something expected from non-believers.  However, opposition to one’s belief from other believers is surprising and unexpected but can occur due to fake news about one’s theology.  Christianity has two theological extremes, legalism, or a belief one must follow a set of rules based on scripture to achieve salvation or works-based salvation.  The other theological extreme involves liberal Christians who believe one receives salvation by grace and after that need not concern themselves with continuing to live in sin.  The middle ground is one accepting God’s gift of salvation by grace and working out their salvation through becoming less conformed to the world through the transformation of their minds by the Word of God (Romans 12:2).  Paul sought this middle ground and took a vow to illustrate he was not liberal in his beliefs.  The challenge for Christians is knowing they have salvation by the grace of God but also working out their salvation by losing conformity to the world through transformation by the Word of God.  I challenge everyone reading this to be students of the Word and allow it to transform their minds, so they lose conformity to the world.