Happy Father's Day (week) to all of you who qualify!! Grandfathers (or greater) younger fathers, step-dads, uncle's who help with the kids, mentors, cat/dog daddies, I see you and give you due credit to whatever degree it's deserved. To those dad's who may have lost kids too soon* or kids who lost a father too soon for whatever reason, I see you, too and pray that God grant you peace. May His love as your Heavenly Father surround you this week, and every week.
I had a nice time with my own father on Sunday, although not as much as I had originally planned. Sadly, something I had eaten on Saturday night left it's mark on my stomach Sunday morning, and my system just needed to rest for a few more hours. By 12:30 or so, I was walking the 10 blocks to their house, and it was all good. Lunch, a short walk in the nearby Park, dessert and pleasant conversation. "All's well that ends well", as the saying goes. (I'll update my "Days in the Life" blog page soon, I promise!!)
My friend Andrea got a belated birthday trip to the beach yesterday with her and Matt's son, Tavis. Matt was still at the hospital in Manchester last I heard, which was on the beach post this morning. Continued prayers for all in the house. (They live in her parents' basement)
I had a nice surprise happen this afternoon, resulting from an FB post this morning. I found my boyfriend, Mike's friend Kevin a new dog!! He is a 1 yr old black lab and behaved very well in the car on the way back to my place. His name is Ryin.* The owner lives about 15 minutes' drive north of here, so it was handy for him and Mike to pick me up for the location/navigation to "said pupper". So Kevin got a new dog and I got to see Mike for an hour or so, it was a win-win situation all around. Especially seeing that the dog was available for free and that because the trip was principally for Kevin, he didn't charge Mike and I for the trip, so more winning!! Praise God!!
How many of you have ever tried to pay your way into a private club, restaurant, or party?? I never have, personally, but I've seen it plenty of times in movies/TV. If it works, the person taking the bribe is breaking the rules. We all realize this, right?? Otherwise everyone would just be allowed in and Fire Codes would be broken and who knows what other trouble may ensue. There are restrictions for important reasons. In this week's message, (which I watched the livestream from my couch) we will find that the Kingdom of God works in similar fashion. You can't pay your way in with money*, only with prayer and repentance. Not even being a "good person" is going to work. John 14:6 reads, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes unto the Father but by me." Jesus is the "doorkeeper", Maitre'd, "bouncer", whatever you want to call it, you're not getting in without His authority.
In the book of Acts, we see how we Christians of today fit into God's story. I actually have a pastor friend with whom I attended school years back up the street here. His father was close with the pastor who helped in the founding of Concord Christian School*. Anyway, he belongs to, and is very active in a Church Planting organization called, "Acts 29". They understand that today's Church is continuing the Work of the Apostles, so their name reflects that.
Today, we find ourselves in Chapter 8 --
Acts 8
New International Version
8 And Saul approved of their killing him.
The Church Persecuted and Scattered
On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison.
Philip in Samaria
4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.
Simon the Sorcerer
9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is rightly called the Great Power of God.” 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his sorcery. 12 But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.
14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to Samaria. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money 19 and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.”
24 Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”
25 After they had further proclaimed the word of the Lord and testified about Jesus, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.
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Once again, Pastor Matt requested feedback after reading the Scripture. Joy, Holy Spirit, Simon couldn't pay his way in, all Believers scattered except Apostles -- were some of the observations made.
In all the chaos of the days, for the Early Church, everyone wondered if this scattering of so many Believers meant that the Work was over. The Movement ended. It wasn't. Not by a long shot!! Their lives, and our own bear witness to the Cause of Christ in the World in our turns.
One interesting point that will come out more in Chapter 9, but more immedately noticed here, is the fact that Saul/Paul is noted as having been an ardent student of Gamiliel, who, if you recall, is a member of the Sanhedrin. Now he's holding coats for those who are stoning Christians and later wreaking havoc of his own on them. The Bible tells us that Early Christians were considered members of "The Way".*
The major point of this passage is to bring out the fact that what may look like disaster/chaos is sometimes God's way of advancing His Kingdom. What the Devil intends for evil is used for good. In thinking about it, this actually makes a lot of sense here. I mean, what other reason would the Believers have had to travel so far afield, right?? What Satan intended for stopping them, actually helped to spread the Gospel farther!!
How many times have we experienced a major change in the plans for our lives by God's leading in a direction we didn't expect?? Pastor Matt and Heidi are from Michigan. They came to New England for college, and felt that this was where God wanted them to settle down. You've heard the expresssion, "Man makes plans and God laughs."?? Yep, off they went to Buffalo, NY (close, but no cookie), then to Chicago, Ill.!! What!!?? They evenutally got back here around 7 or 8 yrs ago*. Just another example of God moving amidst even presumed chaos.
We sometimes question if we are working God's plans or our own. Sometimes it may not be His plans, but He eventually brings us around as we seek Him. So ultimately, He's working it out either way. The important thing to realize here is that God's plans are not linear. There are peaks and dips, just like in any other journey or process. When it really comes down to it, God is not working IN SPITE of our messes, but THROUGH them. That is the tension we experience with the World as Believers in Him.
Verses 4-8 of our passage above show that the Apostle Phillip was traveling the regions of Samaria doing great works and that there was, "great joy" because of it. As I mentioned above, what was intended or thought to have stopped God, actually advanced His Kingdom. This proves that God's Kingdom cannot be thwarted by opposition. It literally "blows through" any boundaries set by man. Ethnic, Economic, Gender, Social, you name it, God ignores it!!
Verses 14-17 see Peter and John sent to Samaria in order to oversee the baptism of the Holy Ghost on the new Believers. The Holy Ghost was already "in" them because they believed. Now He would be "on" them to achieve the current Missions God assigned to them. An intriguing question comes to mind here, as Pastor Matt brought out. Being that this was Samaria, one has to wonder if the Woman Jesus spoke to at the Well may have been present?? Granted, we don't know if they were in her town, but as it is indicated that the Word was spread "throughout the region", it seems likely that they would have run into her at some point.
We realize through the story of Jesus' conversation with the Woman, as well as that of "The Good Samaritan", that there were serious issues between Jews and Samaritans. This is just another place in which God "blows through" barriers set by man. (not unlike the Kool-Aid Man) LOL Where man works so hard at causing division, God is always working to bring people together.
This is bourne out in the act of Peter and John laying their hands on the people. This was something traditionally reserved for new Kings and Prophets. The Laying on of Hands meant someone was being anointed of God. Jesus is known as "Messiah" or "Christ", the Anointed One. Now something new was happening. There was a New People emerging on the scene. These were "Messiah People", they were "Christ People", they were Christians.
It is absolutely crucial that we don't ever make the mistake of putting God, or by proxy, His People, in a box. God cannot be bound, contained, or controlled. The second we judge groups or individuals as being someone, "God cannot work in", for whatever lame reason we chose to come up with; we're wrong*. We see Simon, a well-known magician in the region, trying to buy his way into Heaven by wanting "a piece of the action" Peter and John were "in on". He was making up his own rules for how things were "supposed to be". The problem was, he was approaching the wrong people. If there were such a thing as Private Clubs back then, or there would definitely have been Private Parties, he might have been able to convince someone to let him in, "for a price". Not with Peter and John. You don't mess with Kingdom Rules like that!! God sends the Holy Spirit where He wants because He wants to be with us, we can only "get in" on that through Salvation in Christ.
We see Peter and John going so far as to rebuke Simon for this egregious disrespect in verses 23-24. Simon then humbles himself to the point of asking them to pray for him because he doesn't feel worthy to do it himself.
The bottom line is that God's Mission actually thrives in the face of opposition because of the power of the Holy Spirit in us as Believers. So how do we respond to this?? Pastor Matt brought out 3 key elements --
Be Courageous to humble yourself when faced with the consequences of your own poor choices.
Be Present where God has placed you. Don't wait until you "feel God telling you to do something". God is there working in and through you NOW!! Get with the Program and act accordingly!!
Be Open, understanding that God cannot be contained or controlled. Have curiosity for what He will do.
Now grab a snack, get your heart right, and Commune with Him.
-- God Bless!!
Music -- Never any rights, I promise!!
Bonus for Father's Day - Church members sent in their pics, but here's the original --
I also thought of this one and came back in to add it... may seem a bit "off kilter", but I still think it works here
Footnotes:
My father, and Kevin are among those who lost kids, specifically sons, too soon. My brother was 2 1/2 months, and Kevin's son died in a car accident at the age of 12 several years ago.
Mike video called me after he got home and told me that Kevin has chosen to call the dog, "Orion". Close enough for the pupper... :D
Not even giving a generous donation to the Church will get you into Heaven. (in case anyone was wondering) ;)
These days they're calling it "Concord Christian Academy". I think the change came with the splitting of the Church and School when the School moved in 2007.
It is thought that the name, "Way" probably stemmed from Isaiah 40:1-5.
I'm not sure how many years there were between school and settlement. I just know that when I arrived back in the building in August of 2017, they had only been there for a year or two at that time.
I actually have two examples of this locally, where Christians have come against others in protest. One happens across the street from my apartment building on a fairly regular basis. My building is on the corner of Main St and another side street. Across this side street from me is a place called "The Equality Clinic". On any given Friday, there may be a man on the sidewalk out front shouting about how wrong people are to go in there and have abortions and "preaching" the Word of God to them. Other times, I've seen a Catholic couple who do nothing but march silently back and forth praying. The second example is one I just read on FB yesterday. Apparently some of the "Good Ol' Boys" are in town harrasing LGBTQ businesses. A new cafe just opened on Main St. recently. It's called "Teatottaler's". It's painted pink, and people just "know" who the prime clientele is. While I respect the First Amendment, it's a sad commentary on Christianity that we have these hypocrites forcing their views on others (or even presuming false motives in others) while not wanting these groups forcing thier agendas on them.