First Missionary Journey, part 7

¹³ You know that because of physical infirmity I preached the gospel to you at the first. ¹⁴ And my trial which was in my flesh you did not despise or reject, but you received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ What then was the blessing you enjoyed? For I bear you witness that, if possible, you would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me. ¹⁶ Have I therefore become your enemy because I tell you the truth?

Galatians 4:13-16

      Following up on the previous devotional (#6) from Acts 14, Paul and Barnabas spent about three years on their first missionary journey. They spent a “long time” (Acts 14:3) in the Galatia area, despite Paul’s being stoned almost to death. While there, Paul was likely sick with some affliction, as indicated in the above passage from Galatians chapter 4. 

  Look at the Google maps of the first missionary journey to Lystra, once they reached modern-day Turkey. The missionary duo ascended up to nearly 6,000 feet elevation in the mountainous region (see left chart, showing the altitude, created from Google Earth). The grueling 350 miles travel by foot was only exasperated by Paul’s sickness, yet he remained faithful and bold.

     It was also during this stay that another incident occurred which is not recorded in Acts. Peter (called “Cephas” in Galatians 2) along with men associated with the Lord’s half-brother James came from Jerusalem and demonstrated some legalism by their not sitting with non-Jewish believers.

¹¹ Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; ¹² for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. ¹³ And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.

¹⁴ But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Galatians 2:11-14

     Paul’s courageous stand in support of the Gentiles of Galatia, his tenacity despite physical sickness, and his being stoned by the people of Lystra, all of these things endeared Paul to the believers in this area.

     It will be helpful to brush up on your Greek Mythology before we head over to Greece and Turkey. The Apostle Paul breathed and moved among the Greek god atmosphere, and while we think we live in increasingly pagan surroundings, imagine the boldness of Paul bringing Christianity to the Roman empire. He not only faced down historic and embedded Greek and Roman mythology, he also contended with the contemporary cult of forced worship of the Roman emperor. And still battled his own Jewish adversaries to boot.

     Acts 14 is an excellent case in point of knowing Greek history. Indulge yourself to recall a lesser known mythological story, (taken verbatim from greekmythology.com)

Philemon and his wife Baucis were an old couple that appeared in a myth that is lesser known among those of Greek and Roman mythology. They lived in the region of Tyana, which may have been in Phrygia. The gods Zeus and Hermes (or Jupiter and Mercury in Roman mythology) had been disguised as peasants and asked for a place to spend the night; all the inhabitants of Tyana rejected them. They finally reached the poor cottage of the old couple, who unlike their rich neighbors accepted them graciously and offered them the best hospitality they could with their simple means.

While eating, Baucis saw that the wine pitcher was still full despite having served their guests numerous times, and realized that the two guests must have been gods. She mentioned it to her husband and the two of them started apologizing for not having anything better to serve them.

They then decided to kill the goose that they had as a guardian pet, but when Philemon tried to catch it, the goose ran in Zeus' lap. The god said that there was no need to slay the goose; instead they should pack up their few belongings and leave their cottage, because they would destroy the whole town for the lack of hospitality of its residents.

The couple followed the gods to the nearby mountain, from where they saw that the town had been destroyed by a flood; where their cottage once stood, now lay a glorious temple. The couple asked that they serve as guardians of the temple and Zeus accepted; they also asked that when it was time for one of them to die, that the other would die as well.

So, when their time was due, Zeus gave them their wish and transformed them into an intertwining pair of trees, an oak and a linden.       .

    The area of Tyana in Phrygia (the setting of the Greek Myth of Zeus and Hermes coming down) is only 150 miles from Lystra. What I find fascinating is not only did Paul and Barnabas become the objects of worship from the people, but how quickly it turned to a "lack of hospitality" of its residents. That was the very point of judgment according to the pagan myth!!

        If there was a theme from today’s devotional, it would be stand strong despite physical affliction (Paul’s illness), Christian legalism (Cephas and those from James in Jerusalem), and pagan opposition (Greek mythology).

First Missionary Journey, Part 6

⁸ And in Lystra a certain man without strength in his feet was sitting, a cripple from his mother’s womb, who had never walked. ⁹ This man heard Paul speaking. Paul, observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed, ¹⁰ said with a loud voice, “Stand up straight on your feet!” And he leaped and walked. ¹¹ Now when the people saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men!” ¹² And Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. ¹³ Then the priest of Zeus, whose temple was in front of their city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, intending to sacrifice with the multitudes.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this, they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude, crying out ¹⁵ and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men with the same nature as you, and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all things that are in them, ¹⁶ who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways. ¹⁷ Nevertheless He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good, gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.” ¹⁸ And with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there; and having persuaded the multitudes, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead. ²⁰ However, when the disciples gathered around him, he rose up and went into the city. And the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe.

Acts 14:8-20

As we prepare for our journey, I am sending out devotionals about the first missionary journey, in which Paul visits places we won’t go to but I hope this prepares us in visiting Athens, Greece and Turkey.

If these devotionals are helpful to you, reply back to me if you don’t mind, because a little bit of affirmation every once in a while never hurts anyone … but as we will see in today’s reading with Paul and Barnabus getting mistaken as being the gods Zeus and Hermes, too much affirmation can hurt  … a lot!

     In our previous devotional we saw the boldness of Paul and Barnabas. N.T. Wright says in his 2018 book Paul—A Biography that the controversial apostle was high maintenance as a friend, but also high value.

“He will say boo to every goose within earshot and all the swans as well … He tells the ship owner where he should and shouldn’t spend the winter and then says ‘I told you so” when it all goes horribly wrong … As a companion, he must have been exhilarating when things were going well and exasperating when they weren’t.”

     Not only did he and Barnabas continue in boldness, he for the first but not the last time suffers physical harm for the gospel. But with persecution, they find success. God allowed the two missionaries to find a grandmother in Derbe named Lois who came to Christ, along with her daughter, Eunice. Oh, yes, Lois also had a grandson, likely just a teenager then, and she made sure that they all grew strong in their faith. That teenaged grandson’s name was Timothy.

     I believe Paul found Eunice and Lois and Timothy the first time because decades later, Paul reminds Timothy what he went through.

¹⁰ But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance, ¹¹ persecutions, afflictions, which happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium, at Lystra—what persecutions I endured. And out of them all the Lord delivered me. ¹² Yes, and all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.... ¹⁴ But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

 (2 Timothy 3)

     What I find so amazing and powerful about the opposition that the missionary duo faced is that they were able to shake the dust off their feet and go on FILLED with joy and FILLED with the Holy Spirit. Hardships and struggles are not signs we are outside of God’s will, they are His signals that we are in good company, right along with Christ.

--If we face opposition, rejoice because you are about to find a Timothy.--

     Jesus is recorded as commanding four times in three synoptic gospels to shake the dust off the feet (see Luke 10:10-11 and Matthew 10:14, Mark 6:11, Luke 9:5). Clement of Alexandria (who lived from 150 to 215 A.D.) said that Barnabas could have been part of the 70 who were “sent out” (in Greek “apostle”) in Luke 10:1. Paul and Barnabas are called apostles in Acts 14:4. An apostle was one who was “sent out” as a witness of Christ and, according to Acts 1:22, “a witness with us of His resurrection.”

     In Acts 4:36, we see that Barnabas’ real name is Joses and while that was a common name, one of the several Marys who were at the tomb was called “Mary, mother of Joses” (Mark 15:40). If Barnabas is the same as Joses whose mother was at Christ’s burial, Clement of Alexandria could very well be correct that Barnabas was part of the original 70 “sent out ones” of Christ and indeed be an “apostle” who was commissioned by Jesus Himself. No wonder Barnabas and Paul were so bold.

     When we spend time reading of the Old and New Testament saints, we too will grow bold despite opposition.

First Missionary Journey, part 4

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said, “It was necessary that the word of God should be spoken to you first; but since you reject it, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, behold, we turn to the Gentiles. ⁴⁷ For so the Lord has commanded us: ​‘​I have set you as a light to the Gentiles, ​​That you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth.’ ” ⁴⁸ Now when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed. ⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region. ⁵¹ But they shook off the dust from their feet against them, and came to Iconium. ⁵² And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

 ¹ Now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews, and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed^{. 2} But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brethren. ³ Therefore they stayed there a long time, speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace, granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

⁴ But the multitude of the city was divided: part sided with the Jews, and part with the apostles. ⁵ And when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to abuse and stone them, ⁶ they became aware of it and fled to Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and to the surrounding region. ⁷ And they were preaching the gospel there.

^{Acts 13:46-14:7}

There is so much in Paul’s sermon that we won’t go into, but overall, the Old Testament is relevant to us today. It is amazing that the events in the Bible really happened. The Old and New Testaments are not just stories, but real events, and they have an influence on us today.

Paul and Barnabas spoke boldly (see 13:46 and 14:3). Knowing that the Bible, Old and New Testament, is filled with real stories of realpeople makes us grow bold in our speaking, in our actions, and in our faith. When Barnabas spoke to the fearful church about receiving the newly converted Saul, Barnabas told about “how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27). Then in Jerusalem, Saul “spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 9:29).

And boldness comes not in the absence of opposition but in the very presence of opposition. There was violence in Antioch that caused Paul and Barnabas to go to Lystra and Derbe. Yet there Paul continued to speak boldly to the point where he would be stoned and left for dead. But that did not stop Paul.

The Apostle would later describe his motivation to speak so bold despite opposition, “But even after we had suffered before and were spitefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we were bold in our God to speak to you the gospel of God in much conflict. For our exhortation did not come from error or uncleanness, nor was it in deceit.” (1 Thessalonians 2:2-3)

Notice that last line, and rephrase it in the positive: “Our boldness comes from TRUTH, HOLINESS, and HONESTY.”

I teach “Is Genesis History?” on Sunday nights and Diana Howell asked just last night after the class “What is the purpose of apologetics, is it to convince unbelievers or assure believers?”

I immediately told her, “The Bible says faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. The more we know and trust that God’s Word is true, the stronger our faith becomes.” And as Paul might would say, the bolder we become. The truth and sincerity of Paul’s belief emboldened him and whether we learn apologetics or learn more from this trip to Greece and Turkey about the historicity of the Bible, our faith will grow.

And as our faith grows, so will our boldness in speaking with others, but also in our prayer. Hebrews 4:16 says “Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

Paul was bold in his speaking to others because he KNEW what he was saying was TRUE. And TRUTH, HOLINESS, and HONESTY will also give us boldness in our prayer. Have you thought that because you are going on this trip, the truth and faithfulness of Paul’s journeys and John’s exile to Patmos will strengthen your PRAYER LIFE? Truth emboldens us!

There was another source of Paul’s boldness. Look at Ephesians 6:19, where Paul pleads that the readers pray “for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, 20 for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”

Pray for our pastor, and staff, and for us as we go on this journey, that as a result of the TRUTH and our PRAYERS we will return bolder in our proclamation and in our prayers. 

I know I ran long today, but one more thing: CS Lewis said "Prayer is not so much about changing God, but changing us." May I say that learning about why we believe is not so much about changing others but changing us. And this journey, as we learn more, will also be about changing us and our relationship with Christ.

Pray boldly before the throne of grace that God changes us.

First missionary Journey, part 3

6 Now when they had gone through the island to Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew whose name was Bar-Jesus, 7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who also is called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11 And now, indeed, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you shall be blind, not seeing the sun for a time.”

And immediately a dark mist fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had been done, being astonished at the teaching of the Lord.

13 Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem. 14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent to them, saying, “Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on.”

Acts 13:6-15

    Before Paul and Barnabas left on their first missionary journey, there are several instances of the praying church in Jerusalem and in Antioch. So strong was the power of the Holy Spirit, the people were actually begging for the Word to be preached to them. Look at their reception in Cyprus Acts 13:7, “the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man, called for Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.” And then when they left the island, they went from Paphos to Perga in what is now southeast Turkey.

    They then headed for the mountains of another city named “Antioch” but this one is in Pisidia near the area of Galatia. And even there, the word of God was eagerly anticipated and wanted. Read Acts 13:15, “If you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it!”

   In our preparation for our trip in the footsteps of the Apostle Paul, we may not be on a missionary journey, per se. But then again, we are always on a missionary journey. Ask God that we ourselves will be hungry for a word from God. We can see the sights and enjoy the time away, but if we do not hear from God, what is the purpose? And if we do not share the word of God, especially words of encouragement and exhortation, what is the point?

    Ask God that we might have such a reception in our hearts to hear from Him in this trip. Write out your own definition of exhortation:     

     Whether on a missionary journey or in the Christian walk, we need to resist the urge to be critical of everything that doesn’t suit us. We should always seek to speak words of exhortation and encouragement. Edification means to build people up. We should look for ways to give compliments to our fellow sojourners on this trip.

    Just like down home on the range, if a discouraging word doesn’t have to be said, then don’t say it. 

First Missionary Journey part 2

Be “set free” in your journey

³ Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away. ⁴ So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant. ⁶ And when they had gone through the isle unto Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a false prophet, a Jew, whose name was Barjesus:

Acts 13:3-6

    Cyprus is an island in the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, some 60 miles off of the coast of Syria and Turkey. Being a distant yet reachable island was a target for Barnabas and Paul for another reason other than its close proximity: Barnabas was from there (see Acts 4:36). The trio, along with John Mark, went from the port of Seleucia near Antioch to Salamis, on the northeast side of the island. While not much information was given in Acts about the first stop of the first missionary journey and to what extent they traversed the island. Acts 13:6 says they went through the “whole island” (NIV, CSB, “town to town”, NLT) ending their journey on the southwest side, the exact opposite of where they landed. As a result of the stoning of Stephen, Jewish believers were dispersed to the island from Jerusalem but only shared the gospel to their fellow Jews.

   Acts 13:3 describes the departure of Barnabas, Paul and John Mark as being released or “set them free for this work” (Phillips translation) to spread the gospel. The same word was used when Paul was released from the Philippian jail in Acts 16:35. The Holy Spirit set them apart; the church commissioned them by laying on of hands; but in their going, they were released and “set free”.

    It was as though they were bound up, much like Jeremiah said in Jeremiah 20:9 “But His word was in my heart like a burning fire shut up in my bones; I was weary of holding it back, and I could not.” Or again the early apostles said in Acts 4:20, “We cannot stop speaking that which we have seen and heard.” Paul would later write to the Corinthians, “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me; yes, woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!” (See 1 Corinthians 9:16).

    Your calling may not be to go to the ends of the earth, but you do have a reason for living and being saved. All believers have at least one spiritual gift that when they walk in it, they are liberated. We may not be feet to go or voices to proclaim to audiences, but we all can be used by God for a purpose. When you find that purpose and fulfill it, it is like being freed.

    For Barnabas, he went back home to Cypress where he was raised, and where he would later die. Like Christ, he went to his own people, but they did not receive him. Four hundred years after his death, his bones were found, buried under a tree by his beloved cousin, John Mark, with a gospel of Matthew on his chest. Your missionary journey does not have to be to some foreign land; it may be like Barnabas, back to your home. Search the Holy Spirit for Him to set you apart, then walk in freedom as you serve the Lord.

     What is your journey? What is your purpose that God “sets you free” to do, your very essence that God created you to be? Read Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” Find that your passion that was given to you by God. Seek out your desires which were placed in your heart “beforehand” and you will experience true freedom when you walk in your purpose.

Becoming an "Antioch" Christian

The  following are some devotionals I prepared in preparation of going to Greece. As we prepared to travel the Footsteps of the Apostle Paul's Second Missionary Journey, I wanted to recall also where he went on his FIRST journey. 

We will study all three journeys as well as his journey to Rome on Sunday afternoons at 4:30 p.m., beginning June 30 in Room 147. Please come and see more things we could ever possibly see in an actual journey as we drive through History and the Holy Land with David Stotts video, "Drive Thru History, Acts to Revelation"

Also, there is a video I recommend you watch before we study the missionary journeys. It is a part of the Visual Bible series. You can preview that series at the following link. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xqxm9oJpgBs&list=PL0ACB6D2B735F48B2&index=9

Antioch – The Journey Hub for Missions

Acts 12:24-13:4  (NKJV)

24 But the word of God grew and multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their ministry, and they also took with them John whose surname was Mark.    

13:1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then, having fasted and prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 And when they arrived in Salamis, they preached the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. They also had John as their assistant.

    In Waco, there is a church called Antioch which is famous for sending out missionaries. It has developed a nondenominational movement across the country and around the world. Of the Antioch Movement, best-selling author and pastor Max Lucado said, “To visit the Antioch Church is to visit the Book of Acts. To hear their passion, is to hear the heart of God. To listen to their stories of their global impact is to realize: it can happen today!”

    All three of Paul’s missionary journeys started out in Antioch of Syria. The city is the literal birthplace of the name of “Christians” for believers (see Acts 11:26). Located about 300 miles north of Jerusalem, the city was only about 16 miles from Mediterranean. It was the hub of Syria and the capital of the Roman province in Asia. This “first city of the East” ranked third most important city of the Roman empire, after of course Rome and then Alexandria.

   Known now as Antakya in Turkey, this city was open to diversities of beliefs and was a welcomed harbor for the Christians when they were dispersed from the persecution in Jerusalem. The Gentiles were receptive to the gospel here and it was likely the beginning for Barnabas to seek out the assistance of Saul of Tarsus, who was likely converted around 37 AD.

    The city is crucial as it is the origin and final destination of the first two of the three journeys of Paul. Paul likely would have returned to Antioch of Syria at the end of his third journey, had he not been arrested in Jerusalem.

    Why did Paul go on his missionary journeys? He went because of Acts 1:8, “You will be my witnesses…to the ends of the earth,” Jesus said in Acts 1:8. Do you have the heart of Antioch to send off missionaries to spread the gospel throughout the world? 

    I hope this series on Sunday afternoons inspire you you to study Paul, Barnabas, Silas, Timothy and Titus more. I hope we become educated of the area and the culture of the day.

    But more than anything else, I hope we too can grow in our appreciation of missionaries like those early saints and support those who are continuing their journeys, 2,000 years later. Paul’s first journey began around 45 AD, less than a decade from his conversion. His journeys continued and concluded at the end of his life. If we can go and commemorate his journeys, we too should work to continue them as well. Let us pledge to be Antioch Christians.

quotes on love

Spread love everywhere you go: first of all
in your own house. Give love to your children,
to your wife or husband, to a next door neighbor…
Let no one ever come to you without leaving better
and happier. Be the living expression of God’s kindness;
kindness in your face, kindness in your eyes, kindness in
your smile, kindness in your warm greeting….Mother Teresa.

The Hope of Peace leads to Excellence

    I prayed Wednesday night with someone facing possible cancer and called upon the God of Peace. 

    I posted about a PTSD friend who has attempted suicide and prayed to the God of Peace. 

    On Tuesday, I expressed a disappointment I am experiencing and was reminded that to focus on God and not our disappointments. Essentially, he said to look at God’s peace, not my performance nor the lack thereof.

   The Advent of Christ’s coming again should remind us always that everything we see is temporary.

   God of Peace. There is a recurring theme when the Bible uses the phrase “God of Peace”. That theme is seeking excellence in our lives, but not for performance in order to earn peace. Rather excellence in our lives is a product as a result of the residence of the God of Peace in our lives.

   We first see the phrase “God of Peace” in Thessalonians (one of the first letters written). Paul said that the God of Peace sets us apart (that’s what sanctifies means) and our bodies, our souls and our spirits will be preserved blameless at the coming (advent) of Christ (1 Thess. 5:23).

   I love the “3:16 passages” of the Bible, and in 2 Thess 3:16, Paul says that the “Lord of Peace” will give us peace at all times and in all ways.

   Paul spoke about the God of Peace twice in Romans, once praying for the presence of the God of Peace in our lives right now (see Romans 15:33). He again invokes the “God of Peace” to crush Satan under our feet in the future.

   In Philippians 4:9, Paul encourages us that the “God of Peace” will always be with us when we seek His excellence in our lives and practice things we have “learned and received and heard and saw” in Paul’s life. And we know that it was in Philippi that Paul and Silas sang out in the dungeon after being beaten for preaching the gospel.

   Gospel of Peace. Maybe that’s why the Bible not only talks about the “God of Peace” but also the “Gospel of Peace”. Gospel means good news. Romans 10:15 (in the KJV and NKJV) says that Gospel of Peace is brought on beautiful feet because it glad tidings of good things. Paul was referring back to Isa. 52:7 as well as Nahum 1:15, both passages talk about how the proclamation of peace makes even our feet beautiful.

    Part of the armor of God is preparing our feet with the gospel of peace (Eph. 6:15). Maybe the connection of the gospel of peace and our feet is that the good news about peace is that it follows us every step of the way.

    Grace and Peace. The God of Peace reminds us of His second Coming. The Gospel of Peace reminds us of our current goings. But there is a third connection of Peace and that is with our past. Have you ever noticed that every letter Paul wrote in the Bible and both letters that Peter wrote begins with Grace and Peace. Look it up. Even John’s second epistle and the book of Revelation begins with grace and peace.

    Grace and Peace are linked with our past. The “if only’s” of our past dissolve into oblivion with God’s grace and peace. Grace literally means “gift” and peace is a gift that God gives to us at salvation. He graces us with peace in our past that we do not have to linger over our sins. Grace is from the giving, peace is from the forgiving.

    If you need peace, look to the prince of peace, the Lord of peace, the God of peace and the gospel of peace. In those, we find the gift or grace of peace.

The Hope of Power is Encouragement in the Word.

    Can you imagine what it must have been like to travel with Christ up the Mountain of Metamorphosis, or as it is commonly called the Mount of Transfiguration? 
    Peter, James and John journeyed with Jesus for three days and there was changed in appearance and also appearing with Christ was Moses and Elijah.

    While all three synoptic gospels tell of this incident by introducing it with a prophecy that some would see Christ coming in His Kingdom of God, only Mark, basing his gospel on the preachings of Peter, stated that they would see the Kingdom of God present with power! (See Mark 9:1)

    The Hope of Power’s Encouragement is linked specifically with the Latin word adventu in 2 Peter 1:16. Peter is incarcerated in a Roman dungeon, locked up for preaching the gospel by Nero. Soon the famed apostle and founding disciple of the Jerusalem church would be crucified upside down, deeming himself unworthy to die in the manner of his Lord, Jesus Christ.

      What is his emotional thermometer? What is his spiritual temperature? Does he feel powerless and discouraged in his final days? Had he given up all hope? Hardly.

      The once shifting and stumbling Simon is now rock-solid Peter. He knows his jig is up, his days are numbered and yet he waxes poetic, almost lyrical in his description of his soon departure into eternity.

      “I know that shortly I must put off my tent, just as our Lord Jesus Christ showed me,” Peter wrote. “Why would I want to stay in this tent when I have an eternal 7 star accommodations waiting for me?” His earthly tabernacle would soon be upsized for a heavenly mansion.

      It is not almost comical, it is absolutely gut-checking hilarious that this once swaggering, overly self-assured fisherman even suggested to build three earthly tabernacles for Moses, Elijah and Jesus just so they could “sit for a spell” on that mountain so many years earlier.

      Trade God’s Heavenly Temple for an earthly thatched-together tent. Not even Chip and Joanna Gaines could convince that trio into a such a Fixer Downer!

      Do you see old Peter wink his eye right here in his final epistle. “As long as I am here in this feeble tent, I want to shake you until I wake you to see where Jesus went and where I am going.”

    Jesus told Peter in his earlier years that when he was old, he would be led by the hand and forced to go where he didn’t want to go. “I know I’m going to take off this tent, just like Jesus showed me,” the imprisoned Peter wrote.

    The readers of the letter knew what Peter was talking about. He and the Apostle John had preached it for years. After the Resurrection, Peter had gone back to fishing and then saw the Risen Lord.

    During a fish breakfast, Jesus restored his fallen disciple by asking him a question thrice, the same number of times he had denied his Lord before the cock crowed twice.

     Now only the rooster was cocky and Simon had eaten the crow. 
     With every probing question, Peter humbly pledged his love for his Master. He heard the charge to feed his sheep and tend the lambs.

     You see, Peter had to learn: 
Power wasn’t in the bragging.

     Courage wasn’t in the boasting.

           Hoping wasn’t in the seeing.

     The power of the Kingdom was not what He saw on the mountain of transfiguration.

     The encouragement for courage was not found in the appearing of Moses and Elijah. 
     They were not going to exchange their heavenly habitation for the thatched tent, but now Peter was soon going to leave his earthly tabernacle for an eternal temple.

     From a darkened prison cell, Peter saw a light up above. 
     “You would do well to heed the prophetic word,” Peter wrote, “like a light that shines in a dark place.”

      Hope 
          Power
              Encouragement 
are all found in the Word of God.

     “This is my Beloved Son, Listen to Him.”

     Whether booming on a holy mountain from a heavenly glory, or humbly written on a tear-stained papyrus, smuggled out and copied and translated for 2,000 years now, the Word of God is not a cleverly devised fable.

    The Hope of Power is in the Encouragement of the Word of God.

Promise Made, Promise Kept

The Hope of the Promise. That is not a redundancy of words. Hope is an unseen expected assurance, not wishful thinking. And a promise from God is something that can be counted on. As Max Lucado said in his book Unshakable Hope, God is not just a Promise Maker, He is a Promise Keeper.

            When we think of promises, perhaps what we most often think of is not promises kept, but promises broken. Perhaps from our parents, or from what should have been a trusted friend. Or from a spouse.

            Worse yet, you might be reminded of promises you have made and did not keep. Guilt. Fear. Disappointment. Anger. Cynical bitterness. Sarcasm...

            Stop!

            That is not God.

            Read this from His Holy Word.

            “God is not a man, that He should lie.

            Nor a son of man that He should repent

            Has He not said, and will He not do?

            Has He not spoke and will He not make it good?”

Numbers 23:19

            First Promise Kept at the First Coming. 

            Christ’s first advent was the greatest to date “promise made, promised kept” that God fulfilled.

John the Baptist, in his moments of despair, asked Jesus, “Are You the Expected One, or should we look for another?” When imprisoned, the baptizer’s hopes were discouraged but not entirely dashed. He knew that if Jesus was not the promised one, that He could expect another because God is and was and forever will be faithful and true.

            As far back as Genesis 3:15, the Bible teaches that a seed of a woman (literally “sperm” in both Greek and Hebrew) would crush the head of Satan. That curse against Satan was literally fulfilled in the virgin birth of Christ, the only literal seed of a woman ever recorded.

Another 3:15 passage, Galatians 3:15, also teaches about the seed (singular) of man being the promise made long ago being fulfilled. “Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made… the covenant was confirmed before by God in Christ, and it does not nullify the promise. If the inheritance is of the law, it is no longer of promise, but God gave it to Abraham by promise.”

The promise was also made to Sarah, “The word of promise…Sarah will have a son.” (see Rom. 9:9). Paul preached in Acts 13:23 that Jesus was the promised Son of God and Seed of David who would become the Savior of Israel and of the world. “From this man’s seed, according to the promise, raised up for Israel a Savior, Jesus.”

Isaiah’s promise in Isaiah 1:9 was reiterated in Romans 9:29 that the Seed of the Lord of Sabaoth would come to save the world.

A Second Promise Kept: The Holy Spirit.

Another Promise Kept. Perhaps the second greatest Promise that God has made and Kept came 50 days after the Resurrection. When the Holy Spirit came down, it was the down payment of the Promise of a future Advent.

“Wait for the Promise of the Father” Jesus said in Acts 1:4. “I will send the Promise,” He had previously stated in Luke 24:49.

Simon Peter and those in the upper room experienced the fulfillment of that Second Promise kept. The Holy Spirit which Jesus Himself received was poured out on them all in Acts chapter 2. “The Promise of the Holy Spirit is being poured out today and this is what you now see and hear,” Peter preached in Acts 2:33, “the Promise is for you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

Peter never stopped being in awe of those two promises kept. From a dank and dungy Roman prison cell, the aged fisherman was not bitter. Not disillusioned. No fist shook toward heaven, despite the scars on his back, seeing the cruel death of his best friend James, and perhaps having survivor’s guilt when his own life was spared.

No, from the prison cell Simon wrote these words of encouragement.

The Third Promise Will Be Kept: Jesus is Coming Again!

“God has given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature, and also escape the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

Promise made, Peter Proclaimed, and Promise Kept. Four more times the imprisoned apostle used the word promise, finishing up with this defiantly faithful and unquenchable fiery man of God preached through his pen which echoes in our Scripture readings to this day.

“In keeping with His Promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, without spot and blameless.”

And then as a nod to fellow prisoner in Rome, the Apostle Paul, Peter wrote “and consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation which also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you.”

Christian Home Week -- The Beauty of the Beatitudes Introduction

The downloadable pdf is available at http://fbckilleen.com/wp-content/uploads/beatitudes.pdf

Introduction of Matthew

   Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples, a tax collector when called by Christ. This gospel was written primarily to the Jews, emphasizing the supremacy of Christ to Moses.

Introduction of the Sermon on the Mount

   The Sermon on the Mount was delivered to the disciples, but heard also by the crowd, similar but different from “Sermon on the Plain” in Luke.

   A simple outline of the Sermon on the Mount is as follows:

1. The Kingdom and Blessings (Matt. 5:1-16)

2. The Kingdom and the Law (Matt. 5:17-48)

3. The Kingdom and God (Matthew 6)

4. The Kingdom and Others (Matthew 7:1-20)

5. The Kingdom’s Foundation (Matthew 7:21-27)

Introduction of the Beatitudes

As a kid, my favorite cartoon was Peanuts and good ole Charlie Brown. I had a book called “Happiness is a Warm Puppy.” If we were to put a Charles M. Schulz title to the beatitudes, it might be “Happiness is …”

The word “Beatitude” comes from the Latin word beatus which means blessed but the word is elsewhere translated as “happy,” “how fortunate,” “God blesses” (NLT), “You’re blessed” (the Message), and the amplified Bible expounds to “to be envied and spiritually prosperous…with life-joy and satisfaction in God’s favor and salvation, regardless of their outward conditions.”

We could call these beatitudes the “Be Happy Attitudes.” Someone has said that they are not the “Do” Attitudes, but the “Be” Attitudes, meaning it is not what we do in the sense of legalism, but rather who we are in Christ. We should concentrate on “being,” not “doing.”

   Each beatitude builds upon the previous one, like a staircase. The first and last beatitude promise that “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” From the moment of our salvation, the Holy Spirit within us provides for us a portion of the qualities found in each beatitude, but we must nourish and encourage each aspect to grow in our lives.

Other Beatitudes in Scripture

   Four other times in Matthew, there are pronouncements of “blessedness.” Chapter 11, verse six speaks about not being offended in Christ; Matt. 13:16 speaks on those who were able to see and hear Jesus at work, 16:17 pronounces a blessing up Peter for his proclamation of Christ as the Son of the living God, and 24:46 proclaims a blessing on those who are faithful when Christ returns.

   Luke records similar uses of “blessed” in chapter 6 and uses the word a total of 15 times in his gospel. John’s two beatitudes include the famous rebuke of Thomas’ doubting when Jesus says “blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe.”

   Romans and James also have some beatitudes, and Peter echoes Jesus’ beatitudes in respect to suffering and facing reproach in 1 Peter 3:14 and 4:14. King James there translates makarios or makarios as “Happy” rather than “blessed.” And in typical numerical fashion, the Apostle John records precisely seven beatitudes in Revelation.

   The practice of issuing blessed promises goes back as far as the Old Testament, most notably Psalm 1:  “Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night”

    A beatitude can be traced back to the first occurrence in Scripture, found in Deut. 33:29, “Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and you will trample down their high places.”

   As you study these blessed promises this week, look for blessings and sources of happiness in keeping God’s word and these “Be Happy Attitudes”. As Pharrell Williams might sing, clap along if you feel a beatitude is for you.