Week 5 tuesday Lent Gospel challenge

Acts 21-24
Pauls friends plead with him not to go to Jeusalem, they fear he will be killed by the authorities. But his reply is that "if my life will be taken because I stand up for what I believe then I am ready for that" ( my interpretetation). In my opinion I dont see many people saying that they will stand up for what they believe. In fact most people go to church wanting to hear that the Bible vindicates their way of life so that they can go on their way and continue to live as they see fit. Whereas God calls us to do as he sees fit wether that is something we want to do or not. Not many of us( in the West ) will be asked to give up our physical life for faith, however we are definately called to give up our authority over our own life and give that to God!

I am reading a lot of Bonhoeffer at the moment. One of the many things that stand out to me about him, was that he had an oppourtunity to stay in America and fight Hitler from there in safety but he chose to return to Germany in the full knowledge that he may die in his quest to lead the confessing church. But he said he could not in all good conscience be part of the rebuilding of his beloved Germany if he did not suffer with his people during their time of need.

How often do we choose suffering ahead of security?

Week five monday gospel reading challenge acts 17-20

The seven sons of Sceva!

Acts 19:14-16
Seven sons of Sceva, a leading priest, were doing this. 15 But one time when they tried it, the evil spirit replied, “I know Jesus, and I know Paul, but who are you?” 16 Then the man with the evil spirit leaped on them, overpowered them, and attacked them with such violence that they fled from the house, naked and battered.

I always find this funny it is almost cartoonish that these 7 men think they can use the name of Jesus and Paul to subdue this spirit with out the benefit of the Holy Spirit!

Week 4 friday lent gospel challenge Acts 13-16

Ahhh Paul what a character! I wish i was a s zealous as he is some times.

It is difficult to make Hard and fast rules based on what paul does and says, for instance he goes to jerusalem to advocate on behalf of gentiles so the need not be circumcised. Then he makes sure Timothy is circumcised before he comes with him on his journey. So do we get circumcised or not? I believe Paul was an expert at "not causing his weaker brother to sin" if timothys uncircumcision was a problem for those around he needed to be circumcised. If it was a problem for people to support his mininsty he worked as a tentmaker , but he believed that a leader deserved his wages. "to the jew i became a jew to the greeks a greek etc". Do we put too many blocks in front of our brothers/sisters? You must do this or that or act this way?



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Lent gospel reading challenge week 4 thursday

Acts 8-12

I am constantly amazed at what God can do when his will is required. Gentiles are included as his people, the worst critics are converted, even roman soldiers believe and the laws of physics are suspended as peter just walks out of gaol.

Why do we not see the same things happening today. I believe we do we just dont take the time to recognise them for what they are.

Ps. Really loving reading Acts , inspiring stuff!



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Week 4 wednesday Acts5-7

Acts 5:40-42
The others accepted his advice. They called in the apostles and had them flogged. Then they ordered them never again to speak in the name of Jesus, and they let them go.
41 The apostles left the high council rejoicing that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. 42 And every day, in the Temple and from house to house, they continued to teach and preach this message: “Jesus is the Messiah.”

This passage always makes me laugh because the response from the disciples after they are beaten is not to get angry with God for what happened and to stop preaching, it was continue to preach Jesus was the messiah. They could have taken the beating as a sign that they were doing the wrong thing, but they didnt they took it as asign that they were doing the right thing.

We easily get discouraged when trouble hits our lives we seem to think that our lives will be trouble free if we live for Jesus Kingdom. All of the prophets faced opoosition and most of them were killed for it. As modern day prophets what makes us think that we wont follow the same fate?

Week 4 tueday acts 1-4

I love Peter the apostle I love the fact that he speaks before he engages his brain , I love the fact that when he makes mistakes he makes massive ones and when he gets things wrong he gets them coloosally wrong. Not the kind of person you would make a leader in your church.

But in Acts we see a different person he stands up as the(or a) leader of the early church, he preaches the first sermon after Jesus ressurection a sermon with power and authority, he stands up to the cheif priests and when they tell him to stop (unlike Pilate) he says NO. What happened to change this man?

He was a witness to the death and ressurection of Jesus the King! He knows that the kingdom of God has truly come and he knows that he can do nothing elses.

How much do we GET the kingdom of God?

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Week 4 monday luke 22-24

I have always wondered about Pilate why was he the bad guy? This passage shows that several times he refused to put jesus to death. In jesus christ superstar the musical one of my favorite songs is "Pilates dream" in it he sings about a dream he has:

"Then I saw thousands of millions
Crying for this man
And then I heard them mentioning my name
And leaving me the blame".

Pilate had a chance to do the right thing and he tried but he listened to the voices of the people instead.

Do we ever go against what we know is right because a crowd of voices tells us to? How about our politicians their job is to listen to the people? Sometimes doing the right thing is unpopular and it may cost us much ( our jobs , promotions, ministry, peace in our families) but Jesus didnt say "I have come to make you as comfortable as possible". Peter realises the danger of trying to make peace with the crowd and he denies Jesus 3 times, ( I bet he never did again). Pilate could have said NO and stuck to his guns then the death of Jesus could have been the responsibility of others. But he chose to please the crowd.


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