Red Alert
Despite these basic principles, I could cheerfully shoot my loudly ringing phone every morning. It would be so easy to hit my snooze or turn the whole thing off, turn over, and let myself stay in bed for another three or four hours.
But there's too much to do. There's a sense of urgency. I need to wake up. I need to open my eyes. I need to be alert. I've got things to accomplish before the sun sets again. I need to be alert.
I got to start the missionary journey with Paul and Barnabus today, which - to a person who has always had a heart for missions - was an exciting step. So I read in Acts 13 how Paul, Barnabus, and John Mark left Antioch and sailed to Crete, converted the Roman proconsul in Paphos on the west side of the island, and while they were at it, struck blind one of the proconsul's advisers who was trying to dissuade his boss from the gospel message (here, I'm picturing Wormtongue from Lord of the Rings in that role. I see my fellow nerds out there perking up your ears). The proconsul believed in Jesus, and the missionaries traveled on, taking a boat to Perga, and then up into Pisidian Antioch (there were TWO Antiochs; I never realized this before), where they walked into the Sanhedrin, their Sabbath morning service, and sat down.
It was normal for visiting rabbis, like Paul, to be asked to speak, so Paul stood up and gave the rundown, connecting first with the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles by talking about Israelite history: Samuel, King Saul, King David, and in David's lineage, Jesus. He told about how Jesus was the one John the Baptist had talked about, and then he explained about Jesus' death and resurrection, and eternal life for all who believe.
I wonder how long that Sabbath-morning service went? After the service, the description in the chapter reminded me of Sunday mornings growing up, and how my parents and the people in my church would talk and talk and talk and talk and talk, and we'd never get to go home because my parents wouldn't stop talking!
I thought about how the message of salvation has been so ingrained in me from childhood up, that while I am excited about it and it means everything to me... what would it be like to hear about it for the first time?! How many chill-bumps would rise up as I recognize the fulfillment of Isaiah's and other prophets' prophecies? I'd probably stay after church until the whole night had passed and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk, too.
It was such a hopeful start to the missionary journeys, and then... enter the IJ's. The Inevitable Jews. The Inevitable Jews would crop up everywhere the gospel was preached: they plagued Jesus' ministry, and here, they started in on Paul and Barnabus' ministry, too. They cast doubt on what Paul and Barnabus were preaching (Mark had turned around and gone home as soon as they'd landed at Perga in Pamphylia). They stirred up the "God-fearing women of high standing" (I pictured people on their phones, talking, talking, talking - if they're from the 80's, they're wrapped up in their spiral phone cords - hanging up, calling another bestie, talking some more)... and the leading men of the city.
And I thought about how the British historian, Lord Acton, said: "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." People in high places, people with wealth, people with power, people with influence... are often the ones who stumble and fall, and when they fall, they fall hard. This isn't always the case: there are many who still toe the line, walking faithfully, but... how true it is that if you are given the gift of wealth, privilege, fame, influence, it is that much more difficult to remain faithful. The weight of expectation and the heaviness of attention is a tremendous burden to carry.
In this setting at Pisidian Antioch, the wealth and fame was on a far lesser scale than, say, in Hollywood today, but it seems that the same rules applied. People who claimed to be "God-fearing" were persuaded by the Inevitable Jews to persecute Paul and Barnabus. It doesn't say what kind of persecution other than "they expelled them." I wonder if they forcefully and physically pushed them out of their region. Maybe.
I wonder what the converts did, or if they could do anything against the influential people of their city?
Anyway, Paul and Barnabus "shook the dust" from their sandals of that town before they moved on at the end of chapter 13. Since Luke was the author of this story, I went back over to his account in Luke 10 of Jesus' words to the seventy-two he sent out. In verse four, Jesus says: "Do not take a purse or a bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road." Travel light. Don't even take extra shoes. Don't stop and shoot the breeze with people you might meet. The footnote in my Bible says: "The message was urgent!" (Italicized and bolded for emphasis.) Do we have an urgent message? An urgent call to prayer? Yes, I absolutely believe we do!
In verse ten, Jesus said: "But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet, we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'"
I was so excited to see that Jesus tagged that last little phrase on: "Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'" So... in spite of persecution, in spite of rejection, in spite of our own defensiveness when we are rejected, in spite of figuratively severing connections with those to whom we've just given the message... we get the last word. "Y'all... the kingdom of God is near!" And we ride off into the sunset.
Who else has the last word? Who else has already won the final battle? Who else has defeated sin and death? Who else has the last word?! Hallelujah!
I prayed this morning for the church as we brace ourselves for the shaking up that many seekers have sensed is coming. One thing that came strongly to mind: We can't be defensive in our efforts to protect ourselves. Our struggle isn't against flesh and blood. In other words - what I see possibly happening is that in people's fear of harm to themselves or to their loved ones, we may attack the wrong thing - we may attack other people, lost ones... rather than the spiritual forces of evil that are causing the upheaval. Where is our focus? On the physical world? Or the spiritual realm where the real battle is fought? I pray that when the time comes to face down evil attacks, no matter what those attacks look like, that we do not attack the messenger, but rather the spirit behind the messenger.
Let's not be afraid to bind the powers of darkness in the name of Jesus, who has already defeated them. That's where the real battle is.
I'm praying for all believers, that we can stay faithful in prayer, encouraged and built-up, so that we can bless others. I'm praying for strength in the face of evil, resilience against spiritual attacks. Let's keep that belt of Truth in place, our breastplate of righteousness strapped on, our ready feet shod with the gospel of peace, our faith before us like a shield, our salvation securely wrapped around our heads, and our hands gripping the sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, which is living and active and sharper than any double-edged sword. Let's pray in the Spirit, on all occasions, with all kinds of prayers and requests. Let's get off our seats, standing firm, unclog our ears, listen to the clarion call, the bugle that takes us into battle, and let's be alert!
I thought about how the message of salvation has been so ingrained in me from childhood up, that while I am excited about it and it means everything to me... what would it be like to hear about it for the first time?! How many chill-bumps would rise up as I recognize the fulfillment of Isaiah's and other prophets' prophecies? I'd probably stay after church until the whole night had passed and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk, too.
It was such a hopeful start to the missionary journeys, and then... enter the IJ's. The Inevitable Jews. The Inevitable Jews would crop up everywhere the gospel was preached: they plagued Jesus' ministry, and here, they started in on Paul and Barnabus' ministry, too. They cast doubt on what Paul and Barnabus were preaching (Mark had turned around and gone home as soon as they'd landed at Perga in Pamphylia). They stirred up the "God-fearing women of high standing" (I pictured people on their phones, talking, talking, talking - if they're from the 80's, they're wrapped up in their spiral phone cords - hanging up, calling another bestie, talking some more)... and the leading men of the city.
And I thought about how the British historian, Lord Acton, said: "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." People in high places, people with wealth, people with power, people with influence... are often the ones who stumble and fall, and when they fall, they fall hard. This isn't always the case: there are many who still toe the line, walking faithfully, but... how true it is that if you are given the gift of wealth, privilege, fame, influence, it is that much more difficult to remain faithful. The weight of expectation and the heaviness of attention is a tremendous burden to carry.
I wonder what the converts did, or if they could do anything against the influential people of their city?
Anyway, Paul and Barnabus "shook the dust" from their sandals of that town before they moved on at the end of chapter 13. Since Luke was the author of this story, I went back over to his account in Luke 10 of Jesus' words to the seventy-two he sent out. In verse four, Jesus says: "Do not take a purse or a bag or sandals; and do not greet anyone on the road." Travel light. Don't even take extra shoes. Don't stop and shoot the breeze with people you might meet. The footnote in my Bible says: "The message was urgent!" (Italicized and bolded for emphasis.) Do we have an urgent message? An urgent call to prayer? Yes, I absolutely believe we do!
In verse ten, Jesus said: "But when you enter a town and are not welcomed, go into its streets and say, 'Even the dust of your town that sticks to our feet, we wipe off against you. Yet be sure of this: The kingdom of God is near.'"
Who else has the last word? Who else has already won the final battle? Who else has defeated sin and death? Who else has the last word?! Hallelujah!
I prayed this morning for the church as we brace ourselves for the shaking up that many seekers have sensed is coming. One thing that came strongly to mind: We can't be defensive in our efforts to protect ourselves. Our struggle isn't against flesh and blood. In other words - what I see possibly happening is that in people's fear of harm to themselves or to their loved ones, we may attack the wrong thing - we may attack other people, lost ones... rather than the spiritual forces of evil that are causing the upheaval. Where is our focus? On the physical world? Or the spiritual realm where the real battle is fought? I pray that when the time comes to face down evil attacks, no matter what those attacks look like, that we do not attack the messenger, but rather the spirit behind the messenger.
Let's not be afraid to bind the powers of darkness in the name of Jesus, who has already defeated them. That's where the real battle is.
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