proclaiming under trial

Good morning friends,
Peter and John have been arrested by the religious leaders for healing and teaching in Jesus name. Instead of backing down in fear, they continue to confess their faith boldly, which makes an impression even on their opponents. Notice too that they don't get nasty or rude in their defense, they simply tell the truth boldly and clearly. I pray God would give us the same spirit in our life and witness today.

God bless,
Sam

Acts 4:11-20

 

¹¹This Jesus is ‘the stone that was rejected by you, the builders; it has become the cornerstone.’ ¹²There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.” ¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized them as companions of Jesus. ¹⁴When they saw the man who had been cured standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition.

¹⁵So they ordered them to leave the council while they discussed the matter with one another. ¹⁶They said, “What will we do with them? For it is obvious to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable sign has been done through them; we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But to keep it from spreading further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸So they called them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge; ²⁰for we cannot keep from speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Stephen's death

Good morning sisters and brothers,
Today we come to the end of Stephen's defense. As we've seen, the case he is building isn't to show that he is innocent but rather to show that Jesus is the Messiah. He's taken us through the history of Israel from Abraham to Moses. In yesterday's reading we saw that he started to highlight Israel's resistance to God's leadership through Moses. Today he mentions the tent of meeting in the desert and Solomon's temple, arguing that God doesn't live in the temple because all creation is God's. Of course Stephen in right when it comes to what the Bible says about the temple. Even Solomon says that God doesn't live in temples. But Stephen is on shaky ground because the accusation against him is that he said Jesus would destroy the temple and change the traditions handed down to Israel.

Then Stephen moves right into calling the leaders a stiff-necked people and repeating the accusation that for generations the leadership has persecuted and killed the prophets God sent to them. Not surprisingly, this gets the leaders upset; but the icing on the cake is when Stephen tells them he sees God's glory with Jesus standing beside the throne. So they drag him out and stone him to death. Notice the parallel to Christ's death in his prayer that God not hold this sin against the people. Also notice that the witnesses lay their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul; we'll hear much more about him later as you know. Stephen is the first martyr of the church and the story of his faith and courage still inspires us today.

Blessings on your week,
Sam

Acts 7:44-60
44“Our ancestors had the tent of testimony in the wilderness, as God directed when he spoke to Moses, ordering him to make it according to the pattern he had seen. 45Our ancestors in turn brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors. And it was there until the time of David, 46who found favor with God and asked that he might find a dwelling place for the house of Jacob. 47But it was Solomon who built a house for him. 48Yet the Most High does not dwell in houses made with human hands; as the prophet says, 49‘Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? 50Did not my hand make all these things?’

51”You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you are forever opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do. 52Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers. 53You are the ones that received the law as ordained by angels, and yet you have not kept it.”

54When they heard these things, they became enraged and ground their teeth at Stephen. 55But filled with the Holy Spirit, he gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56“Look,” he said, “I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 57But they covered their ears, and with a loud shout all rushed together against him. 58Then they dragged him out of the city and began to stone him; and the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60Then he knelt down and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

resurrection faith in action

Good morning friends,
I hope your weekend is starting out well. A few of us had a wonderful discussion last night about some new possibilities in our church life, spurred by a presentation we went to in January by a pastor in Chicago. We'll be opening up that discussion on Sunday after worship for anyone who is interested; please join the conversation.

Today Paul continues his argument that Christ's resurrection means we will be raised, and he argues this point is essential to our life as Christians. Here he mentions the practice of receiving baptism on behalf of the dead, something we don't do in the Presbyterian Church, but which is important to some of our Mormon brothers and sisters. The idea is that a living person receives baptism in the place of someone who has died without being baptized so that the deceased can be raised as a believer. Paul also talks about fighting with wild animals in Ephesus. I'm pretty sure this is the only mention of this episode in the Bible, but we do know that Christians were put in arenas or other closed spaces with wild animals as a spectacle for others to watch and as a way to discourage Christianity. In both cases, Paul's point is the same: our Christian faith gives us hope beyond our human lives because the dead will be raised.

It's important here that Paul puts proper belief along with doing the right thing. We all know people who live a good life without Christian faith, and we know or see others who profess faith in Christ while living in a moral questionable way. Paul calls us to trust in God's love even beyond death and to show that powerful hope in courageous and righteous living.
Blessings in your walk with God today,
Sam

1 Corinthians 15:29-34

29Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? 31I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. 32If with merely human hopes I fought with wild animals at Ephesus, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34Come to a sober and right mind, and sin no more; for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.