Winston Churchill once said, “You have enemies? Good. That means you’ve stood up for something, sometime in your life.”
Another famous person once said these things.
“Everyone will hate you because you are committed to me.” (Matthew 10:22, Mark 13:13, Luke 21:17)
“Blessed are you when people hate you, avoid you, insult you, and slander you because you are committed to the Son of Man.” (Luke 6:22)
But the teaching didn’t stop there.
“The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I say that what everyone does is evil.” (John 7:7)
“But I tell everyone who is listening: Love your enemies. Be kind to those who hate you.” (Luke 6:27)
“But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matthew 5:44)
“Bless those who curse you. Pray for those who insult you.” (Luke 6:28)
Have you prayed for someone in your life who is unlovable?
What is your calling? Can you honestly say that you know what it is, do you have a vague idea of what it might be or are you completely clueless? What do you mean by “calling” anyway? Do you mean full-time ministry or situational leadings of the Holy Spirit? Those are tough questions! In fact, those kinds of questions plague Christians so much that many doubt they are even saved because they don’t know what God really wants them to do.
It is because of this that many books have been written on the topic. Some books are truly excellent and life changing but others are just plain heresy. Are there really blessings in disguise that we need to look for or are all the blessings to be found in the love that flows from Jesus Christ? How we need to read Proverbs 3 again and see that when we devote everything that we are and have to God we are blessed indeed!
I believe we are all called to minister in some capacity. Some are called to be pastors and teachers and with these positions come great responsibility and accountability while others are called to encourage and serve at a more intimate level. Paul knew what his calling was all about and in Acts 20:24 describes it this way: “to testify to the Gospel of the Grace of God.” (ESV) I like the way The Message paraphrases it: “the job the Master Jesus gave me of letting everyone I meet know all about this incredibly extravagant generosity of God.”
I try to see my bi-weekly Bible study notes as a form of calling. Sometimes I make it a burden, however, and really struggle to get the words on paper but I am never short-changed by God. Whenever I read a chapter knowing that I’m going to be writing notes on it I try to recognize obvious and not so obvious teaching points. Sometimes they are blatantly obvious and other times it seems like I’m reading blank paper where the meaning is hidden from me. This happens to all of us who have had to compose a paper for school or work when some level of creativity is involved. But He always blesses me in some way for being obedient either through just reading His word or by blessing a friend.
The point I’m trying to get across is that wherever you find yourself in life use it to glorify Jesus. Tell others with your mouth, actions and attitudes about the “extravagant generosity of God.” “[I]n all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:6 (NIV). Not just a cliche. Those are truly words to live by.
Oftentimes, I will put myself in Paul’s shoes and try to experience the personal struggles that he faces throughout his ministry. I consider the situation that he’s in and wonder what I would do or how I would react if I were in the same situation. Sometimes I’m the hero that Paul was but sometimes I get so caught up in my past failures that I see myself doing the opposite of Paul.
In this chapter we find Paul in Ephesus. I don’t know what he said or how he did it but verse 1 tells us “he found several believers.” (Acts 19:1) I doubt these people were holding up signs proclaiming the end was near or standing in the market place screaming the Good News of Christ. No, I’m sure these people were either Jews or Jewish converts who were members of the local synagogue. Paul usually went to the Jews first whenever he entered a new town.
Where he found these particular Jews we’ll never know but his encounter with them changed their lives. They were believers in Jesus but didn’t have the whole picture because they only knew about John’s baptism. When Paul told them about the Holy Spirit they were puzzled. “We don’t know what you mean. We haven’t heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” (Acts 19:2) Boy, were they in for a surprise! After their Baptism in the name of Jesus, “when Paul laid his hands them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in other tongues and prophesied.” (Acts 19:6)
This was only the start of change for the people of Ephesus. After Paul’s encounter with the men earlier he went to the synagogue to preach the Good News. Many believed Paul but there were some that did not. There must have been some lines drawn in the sand because Paul left the synagogue, along with the believers, and began preaching daily in the lecture halls of Tyrannus. Paul did this for 2 years. That’s a long time to lecture on a daily basis but when you’re fueled by the love of God for a lost world anything is possible.
It’s also noteworthy to mention that God gave Paul unusual miraculous abilities. The scripture says that “even when handkerchiefs or cloths that had touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and any evil spirits within them came out.” (Acts 19:12) As far as I can tell this particular kind of miracle is unique in scripture.
Much can be said about this chapter with its legal challenge of Christianity and violence in the courtroom but there’s a small detail that I have always overlooked in this passage. I’m referring to the last sentence in verse 18: “Before [Paul] sailed, he had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because of a vow he had taken.”
While growing up, I always had this weird thought in the back of my mind that Paul had lost a bet or something but I just knew that was too silly to be right. After all, everyone knew gambling was wrong, right? In my mind that was true. Later, having entertained that thought off and on for a while I concluded that Paul was shaving his head because he felt guilty about sinning against God. Either way, I was wrong.
It is suggested that Paul’s vow was a temporary Nazirite vow as detailed in Numbers chapter 6. This vow was special because a person would separate themselves from the population and consecrate himself or herself to God. There was always a time limit placed on this vow. It could be as little as 30 days or for a lifetime. Sometimes children were dedicated to God from birth in such a way as in the case of Samson (Judges 13:2-7), Samuel (1 Samuel 1:10-11) and possibly even John the Baptist (Luke 1:15).
There were three main conditions or regulations that the Nazirite had to follow. First, he or she must not drink any wine (or any other product of the vine) or fermented drink. Second, the person’s hair could not be cut nor could the beard be shaved. And third, he or she must not touch a dead person. Numbers 6 explains the situations under which a person would have to “reset” the vow clock.
This whole thing was a very public act. It was obvious who took the Nazirite vow because of the hair but it was equally obvious who had just completed their vow because at the end of the separation period, the Nazirite would shave his head and place the hair “in the fire that is under the sacrifice of the fellowship offering.” (Numbers 6:18). After this, the hair would slowly grow back to its normal length making it possible for the person to easily transition back into society.
Legalism and church splits. Those are touchy subjects. But how many times to we burden someone with requirements that only hinder someone’s Christian walk instead of offering them our help so they are more confident in their walk? Or what about knit-picking over non-issues that only lead to divisions? I’ve contributed my fair share to both of these problems.
It’s not a good feeling to realize one day that you were the cause of someone leaving the faith or the cause of a riff in one’s local church or Bible study. At the time you feel so confident that your way is right. It just has to be. I suppose the issue could be about anything such as religion, politics, money, process, etc. After all, everyone is human and humans make mistakes. Some are bigger than others but they are still mistakes nonetheless.
Many years ago, there was a large Southern Baptist church in my home town (later to become my church). Some issues came about that caused people to start taking sides. I used to know what the issue was but time has taken it’s toll on my feeble brain and the information has been replaced with very useful information like knowing that the power cable going to my hard drive has only four wires. Anyway, people started to second guess the motives of others and a general uneasiness filled the air on Sunday mornings.
In the end, a good portion of the church decided to leave and start their own church about a mile down the road. And, as with most things, the people who were in the wrong stayed in the wrong and went elsewhere leaving behind a congregation that had become thirsty for God. This new church eventually became the sister church to the first and the combined ministries multiplied beyond anyone’s expectations. It is quite amazing how God turned something devastating into something nobody ever thought was possible.
My story is a lot like that of Paul and Barnabas (Acts 15:36-41). Paul didn’t trust John Mark because of his past actions but Barnabas wanted to give him a second chance. Barnabas had a knack for trusting the untrusted. If you remember, Barnabas was the one who gave Paul a chance when no one else would and presented him to the Apostles in Jerusalem. (Acts 9:26-28) That was quite a risk!
Paul and Barnabas went separate ways but I’m sure this split only served to further the Word of God faster. I couldn’t find any mention of Barnabas’ missionary journeys but I’m sure someone has a reference or two. I guess what I’m trying to get at is this: God will allow us to behave badly and cause problems in the lives of other believers that may cause division. But it doesn’t have to end there. I think that after Paul and Barnabas thought about what happened they realized that they were both in the wrong and that they needed to resolve the issue. Ephesians 4:26 hits the nail on the head. “Be angry without doing wrong; let not the sun go down on your wrath.”
