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He Is In the Song

February 12, 2016 / Allan Babcock

P.Allan Wait! Before you listen to the video, please listen to this. I’m taking a musical interlude from Acts, because my soul is dry.

As you may know, almost two years ago now illness drove me to retire from pastoring. With our worship team, I had often led the church to sing in the presence of the Lord. Those are carefully chosen words. I viewed the music part of our worship as entering into the Lord’s presence with singing.

“Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise”
(Psalm 95:2).

God the Holy Spirit, the Spirit of the risen Son, was actually among us as we sang. And many times we felt him there.

“For where two or three are gathered in my name,
there am I among them”
(Jesus, Matthew 18:20).

We tried never to sing as if we were having a spiritual sing-along. Nor as if we were only making a doctrinal proclamation together. We always knew, of course, that our Lord was in heaven; but we believed that by the Spirit he was also in the sanctuary of our gathering. So we sang songs of worship and praise about him and to him, but always with the sense that we were coming before him.

Often, after our last song, a “holy hush” settled over us, and we became still, awed by his presence. We waited. Sometimes one or more of us would spontaneously pray. Other times we simply remained silent “on holy ground.” How often I felt like the disciples with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration! It was good; I wanted to stay!

My illness has mostly kept me from corporate worship the last several months. I miss it. Not just Christians singing together, but singing together entering into the Lord’s presence, aware of his nearness, awed by his closeness. Without it, my soul has been shriveling. I hasten to add that God is in the preached Word, of course. Nothing can replace that. But he is also in the song.

I love most hymns for their theological richness. This old guy can even get into many contemporary Christian songs. (I just can’t bounce up and down!) But with both, I need those simple worship choruses that free me from many words to focus more on Jesus. I miss that. My soul needs that.

So late yesterday I came across the video above, a beautiful hymn we used to sing in corporate worship. I didn’t sing along with it yesterday. Just sat with tears streaming down my face. And was caught up in the holy, refreshing, beautiful, encouraging presence of the Lord. He was in the song. I invite you to find him there too.

So Why the Shaky Start?

February 11, 2016 / Allan Babcock

P.Allan After Jesus gave Saul a knee-buckling, jaw-dropping, eye-blinding conversion, I’d expect his preaching start would be another Pentecost (Acts 2:41). Not exactly. In fact, Saul’s start was downright shaky . . .

Saul Preaches in Damascus (9:19b-22).

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. All those who heard him were astonished and asked, “Isn’t he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?” Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

After his dramatic conversion (9:1-19a), Saul stayed with the Jesus’ followers in Damascus . Immediately he preached in the Jewish synagogues: “[Jesus] is the Son of God!” The Jews (who’d heard of Saul’s mission to arrest Christian Jews) were astounded. But as far as we know from the text, none believed his message. Instead, the more powerful Saul became in proving Jesus the Messiah, the more befuddled the Jews became.

Their unbelief baffles me. Saul, trained by Rabbi Gamaliel, knew the Old Testament like the back of his hand. Furthermore (not noted by author Luke), sometime during this period, Saul went to Arabia for three years, presumably to re-study the Jewish Scriptures knowing now the prophesied Messiah was Jesus (Galatians 1:17). Finally, I’d expect his “conversion power” to kind of “rub off” on his preaching. Not in Damascus. In fact, the Jews not only disbelieved, they plotted murder . . .

Saul Escapes Damascus in a Basket (9:23-25).

After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

Thankfully those who did follow him heard of the plan. So one night, after the city walls were closed, they went to a house built into the city wall (or found an opening in the wall), stuffed him inside a basket (probably made of ropes like an old-fashioned hammock) and lowered him to the ground. Not exactly a triumphant exit! I wonder if on the way down Saul remembered God’s word through Ananias: ” . . . I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (9:16)? On the other hand, he may just have been licking his rejection wounds. All he could do now, as he scrambled out of his basket, was to head for Jerusalem.

Saul Suffers in Jerusalem (9:26-30).

When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

Since these were pre-social media days, the last the disciples knew of Saul was his leaving Jerusalem years earlier breathing fire toward the Christian Jews in Damascus. Being Christian Jews themselves, they weren’t ready to offer Saul a room for the night. But Barnabas (“the son of encouragement”) confirmed Saul’s story, though we’re not told how he knew it. As far as Barnabas was concerned Saul was the real thing, especially after courageously preaching to blood-thirsty Jews.

So Saul openly preached and talked and debated the Grecian Jews (Jews born outside Israel). But the response in Jerusalem was no better than that in Damascus. ” . . . they tried to kill him.” Again he had to be spirited out of town. “The brothers” secretly took him north to Caesarea, bought him a boat ticket for his Tarsus hometown and sent him off. At least a boat was better than a basket! However, author Luke’s summary statement that follows isn’t exactly complimentary . . .

Saul Sent Off, So Peace (9:31).

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

To be fair “Then” (Greek oon) may simply be used chronologically. Or it may refer to the result of a particular action. (The Greek word can be used either way.) If the latter, it means the church enjoyed peace now that chaos-provoking Saul was gone. The Holy Spirit encouraged and strengthened the believing community. And as the church lived in reverential fear of the Lord, numbers swelled. Now that Saul had gone . . .

So Why the Shaky Start?

Obviously Saul (eventually known by his Roman name Paul) became the greatest apostle the church has ever known. But why this shaky start? I think from the get-go the Lord was teaching Saul to humbly rely on him. I have no chapter-and-verse proof. I just have my speculation about Saul’s personality. Definitely type A. Definitely self-confident, if not a little cocky. Before conversion, he was going to personally “cleanse” the Damascus synagogues of apostate Jews. He’d drag them 135 miles back to Jerusalem if necessary.

I’m guessing (it’s just speculation) that post-conversion Saul still carried some of that cockiness. So from the gate maybe the Lord determined to cut Saul down a bit—because he, not Saul, was to be glorified. Only by suffering weakness, would Saul learn the Lord’s power (2 Corinthians 12:10).

It’s a lesson we all have to learn. And I’m thinking it’s life-long, at least for me. Oh, I’ve learned to humbly rely on the Lord. But not enough to graduate. How about you?

Lightning Strike

February 9, 2016 / Allan Babcock

“I used to believe that I ought to do everything I could to oppose the followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Authorized by the leading priests, I caused many of the believers in Jerusalem to be sent to prison. And I cast my vote against them when they were condemned to death. Many times I had them whipped in the synagogues to try to get them to curse Christ. I was so violently opposed to them that I even hounded them in distant cities of foreign lands” (Acts 26:9-11).

That’s Paul’s confession about his opposition to Christian Jews. He was known then as Saul (“Paul” his Roman name). He was perhaps the fiercest zealot in the great persecution that erupted against the church in Jerusalem (Acts 8:2)—“Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison” (Acts 8:3). Like a rampaging wild beast, he roamed the city hunting Jews who believed in Jesus as Messiah. How many suffered and died at his hand no one knows. He believed he was defending the sanctity of Israel’s God.

How ironic, then, today’s text!

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” “Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. “Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord– Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here– has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus (Acts 9:1-19).

Saul was born about 5 A.D. in Tarsus (a city in today’s Turkey) to Jewish parents who possessed coveted Roman citizenship. Apparently about 10 A.D. the family moved to Jerusalem where 10 to 15 years later Saul began his Hebrew Scriptures and Law study under the famous Rabbi Gamaliel.

Now, perhaps in his mid-30’s, the zealous rabbi-to-be, is not content to “purify” Judaism in Jerusalem. He seeks authorization from the high priest Caiaphas to arrest any wayward Jews in Damascus synagogues. Midday he and his fellow-travelers (perhaps a few Jewish guards and others making the 140-mile trip from Jerusalem to Damascus, Syria—travelers journeyed together for safety) are nearing the city. Descending Mount Hermon to the plain on which Damascus lay (an area known for lightning storms), a blinding bolt struck. Whether it was God-timed lightning or a phenomenon directly from God matters little.

Saul falls to the ground, hears a voice identifying himself as Jesus, who orders him to enter the city. There he’ll be given his next command. Saul, unseeing, stumbles to his feet. The feared persecutor has to be led by the hand like a child.

In another, calmer vision, the Lord appears to Ananias and sends him to Judas’ house on Straight street to a man called Saul. Ananias is told Saul himself has seen a vision of Ananias praying that he might see again. Saul’s reputation worries Ananias. But the Lord explains: “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel. For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” Ananias obeys. Subsequently, Saul is healed, filled with the Holy Spirit and baptized.

What can we take away from this spectacular conversion?

First, God has a sense of humor. Whom does he choose to take the Gospel to the Gentiles? Jesus’ raging enemy! And he starts the training process by plunging Saul into physical darkness with the glory of his Son, a physical darkness akin to the spiritual darkness in which Saul lived.

Second, God revealed himself in visions. He primarily reveals himself to us today in his written Word. But have you read missionary reports? One can hardly read any without seeing how the Lord revealed himself to someone in a vision. God’s “hands” aren’t tied by “closed countries” or our failed efforts to reach a people for himself.

There are other take-aways, but I think this is the weightiest: No one is beyond the Lord’s saving mercy. The last person anyone thought would be converted was Saul. That’s why the Christians had trouble trusting him (Acts 9:21). The disciples especially didn’t believe it (Acts 9:26).

I shouldn’t assume that, because you’re reading this, you’re a believer in Jesus. And, if you’re not, maybe you’re sure your past is too messed up for him to welcome you. It’s not. If he could save the murderer Saul, he can give you a new, eternal life. Just admit your sin and ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior.

Finally, since no one is beyond the Lord’s saving mercy, that person you’re praying for isn’t either. We can be encouraged by the Lord converting Saul, that he can convert the most disinterested, hardened disbeliever.

“The voice of the LORD (still) strikes with flashes of lightning” (Psalm 29:7).

Think It Not Strange

February 6, 2016 / Allan Babcock

Here is a free e-book provided by John Piper and Desiring God Ministries: http://document.desiringgod.org/think-it-not-strange-en.pdf?1452547327.

It is based on the view that Christian persecution will intensify . . .

“The days of gospel persecution in the United States no longer just hang on the distant horizon; they are already here, at least for some. It’s beginning with the bakers,florists, and photographers. Before long, the consensus maybe that faithful biblical exposition is ‘hate speech.’ Many are left wondering what trials may come in the wake of the Supreme Count’s monumental decision in Obergefell vs.Hodges ” landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the Court held in a 5–4 decision that the fundamental right to marry is guaranteed to same-sex couples by both the Due Process Clause and the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution).

But it’s more than a prediction based on current events. It’s a prediction based on the scriptural truth that suffering pervades the lives of those who will follow Christ.

I found the book biblical, convicting, challenging and filled with hope. It does, as the authors aim, “help American Christians get ready for the insults, trials, opposition, and even persecution that may lie ahead.”

I pray you’ll read it and be full of faith, hope and joy for whatever suffering we may be called to endure before Jesus comes in glory!

Full think it not strange

Miracle Atmosphere

February 6, 2016 / Allan Babcock

C.S. Lewis once defined a miracle as “something unique that breaks a pattern so expected and established we hardly consider the possibility that it could be broken” (Miracles, Eric Metaxas).

Open Acts and you step into a miracle atmosphere! Though Acts’ early chapters span at least many months (if not a few years). the extent of miracles is still breathtaking: the outpouring of the Holy Spirit (2:1-4) . . . the conversion of 3000 at Peter’s preaching (2:41) . . . the healing of the lame beggar (3:1-10) . . . the prayer-meeting-place shaken as Holy Spirit again fills the believers (4:31) . . . the church’s sacrificial unity selling possessions to give to their poor (4:32-37) . . . the God-judgment deaths of Ananias and Sapphira (5:1-11) . . . the many signs and wonders done by the apostles’ hands (5:12) . . . the prison rescue (5:17-21) . . . and the signs worked through Philip (8:6,7).

Today we come to Acts 8:26-40 and find the air again breathing with miracles . . .

Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Go south to the road– the desert road– that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. The Spirit told Philip, “Go to that chariot and stay near it.” Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked. “How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth.” The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?” Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea (Acts 8:26-40).

Miracle #1–An Angel Giving Directions

The way author Luke writes, “Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, ‘Go south to the road– the desert road–that goes
down from Jerusalem to Gaza'” , you’d think a direction-giving angel was as common as a cop on the corner. The established pattern would be an apostle plotting the spread of the Gospel sending a courier to Philip in Samaria with his next assignment. Instead, a God-sent ministering spirit (Hebrews 1:14) is dispatched from God. By faith, Philip went.

Miracle #2–A Perfectly-Timed Meeting

The road from Jerusalem to Gaza was about 50 miles long. Philip was walking; the Ethiopian was riding. Yet the timing of Philip leaving Samaria, reaching Jerusalem and then apparently coming up behind the Ethiopian in his chariot after he had left Jerusalem was perfect. An observer, not knowing the angel direction-giver, would have called their meeting “chance”. But God who exists outside time, works precisely within it. So much so that Philip appears at the very time when the Ethiopian may have been wishing for an Old Testament teacher on that wilderness road!

Miracle #3–The Ethiopian Prophet-Reader

Why wasn’t the Ethiopian reading Exodus? Or any one of the other 65 chapters of Isaiah? Instead, he was reading the most powerful, descriptive prophecy of the Messiah’s death! When Philip asked if he understood the words and the Ethiopian said, “I need help” and invited him to sit with him, Philip “told him the good news about Jesus.” When the Ethiopian spotted water, he wanted to know why he couldn’t be baptized right then and there! Doesn’t that all sound suspiciously as God-at-work?

Miracle #4–Spirit Transportation Service

Gotta admit this next one is pretty peculiar: When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

Twenty to thirty miles north to Azotus. Reasonable walking distance in those days. But maybe the Lord had mercy on Philip’s tired feet. Maybe the Lord wanted Philip in Azotus faster than Philip’s feet could take him. Or maybe the Lord just wanted to give Philip a thrill-ride for the joy of it. Whatever the reason, “the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away” and he “appeared at Azotus.”

Miracle #5–The Gospel to Afric

You have to ask, “Why did the Lord work so miraculously to get that Ethiopian the Gospel?”

First, I think to show that the Gospel is to include “the ends of the earth.” The Ethiopian was (obviously) from far-off Ethiopia in northern Africa (bottom right, green). He was dark-skinned. In Christ there is no Jew or Gentile, slave or free, black or white! In the end worshipers will come “from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9).

Second, I think the Lord wanted the Gospel planted in Africa. And look who he chose to do the planting! This man was powerful, the chief treasurer of a kingdom wealthy from iron smelting, gold mining and trading. “It was a conduit for goods from the rest of the continent” (A Commentary on the Book of Acts, William J. Larkin, Jr.). Can we doubt that this Ethiopian joyfully took the Gospel back home?

Miracle #6–?

Theologians of a particular bent relegate that miracle atmosphere to a unique non-repeatable dispensation. Preachers of a particular mind-set peddle miracles for a profit. Most the rest of us pray for a miracle, but never see one—at least not the kind Acts shows us. So how shall we respond to this “miracle atmosphere” in Act?

One, give in to the deep (and maybe hidden) desire in our hearts for a life more full-of-wonder than we can even imagine. Certainly one more wonderful than just “the normal” and “the natural.” We do that by admitting our sin against this miracle God and trusting our lives to the crucified, risen and reigning Lord Jesus Christ. A simple prayer like that straight from the heart will set us on the way.

Two, keep praying for a miracle. Some of us have given up, because of some God-limiting theology or because years of praying have produced nothing. I have questions about why often God seems silent in the face of great need, but I don’t want to limit him with boxing-God-in theology or my own hopelessness. It’s time for us to go to God like little children who trust that

he is a God of surprising wonders.

Crossing the Border

February 3, 2016 / Allan Babcock

In the U.S., “crossing the border” brings to mind illegal immigrants. Here in Acts 8:4-25, author Luke writes, not about the U.S. border with Mexico or the borders between Europe and the Middle East, but the border between Judea and Samaria. He tells us what happened the first time the Gospel spread beyond Jerusalem and Judea. We’ll see, not only its triumphant advance, but a contemporary concern that confronts us all.

God Uses Persecution-Scattering to Spread the Gospel

Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went (Acts 8:4).

Persecution was severe. It started with Stephen’s martyrdom (Acts 7:54-60). It stayed as “Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, [dragging] off men and women and [committing] them to prison” (Acts 8:3). But God used it to “kick” the believers out of Jerusalem and Judea into Samaria, just as Jesus said (Acts 1:8).

I’m reminded what Joseph told his brothers who had sold him to slave-traders. ” . . . you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20). And I think of refugees fleeing terrorized countries for Europe. Is God using that suffering to bring people to lands where they can hear the Gospel?

Samaria Rejoices at the Miracle-Working Gospel of Christ

Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many; paralytics and cripples were healed. So there was great joy in that city (Acts 8:5-8).

Samaria lay just north of Judea, but was culturally and religiously sharply different. Samaritans were unwanted Jews left behind when Assyria conquered Jerusalem and repopulated it with foreigners in 722 B.C. Thus culturally and religiously Samaritans became a mix of Judaism and pagan idolaters.

Philip, one of the seven chosen to distribute food to the needy Grecian Jewish widows (Acts 6:5), was one of those scattered to Samaria. Based on Deuteronomy 18:18 (I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers; I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him”), Samaritans looked forward to one they called “the restorer”. When Philip preached Christ, they rightly believed “the restorer” was Christ. Signs and wonders confirmed the Gospel and the city celebrated with great joy.

Two lessons emerge. One, it may help our witness to use what unbelievers think or want to direct them to Jesus. Example: “I hear you saying you want a better world. Could I tell you how Jesus promised that?”

Two, perhaps we should pray desperately for signs and wonders to gain us a hearing with unbelievers. Maybe we don’t see them because we don’t pray for them or because we’ve replaced his power with our church productions.

Philip and a Man Who Wants the Spirit without Repentance

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, and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, “This man is the divine power known as the Great Power.” They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money and said, “Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” Peter answered: “May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin.” Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.” When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages (Acts 8:9-25).

Simon is an interesting character. Justin Martyr, a second century defender of the faith, held that Simon (called Simon Magnus) continued to use his magic to attract followers in Rome as well as Samaria and was a long-time opponent of Peter. Whether true or not, Luke tells us Simon “believed and was baptized” when he heard the good news of God’s kingdom. But when he tries to buy the power to give others the Holy Spirit, Peter rebukes him and claims Simon’s “heart is not right before God” and that he is “full of bitterness and captive to sin”. Was Simon’s initial faith genuine? Or did he only want the power he saw evidenced before him? Perhaps the latter. We’re never told Simon did repent, only that he asked that he might escape God’s wrath.

What’s important for us is the reminder that repentance is required in coming to Christ. The Gospel doesn’t offer us power to add Jesus onto our lives so we can accomplish our agenda. The Gospel offers us power to surrender to and follow Jesus as our King and Lord.

Whether “the Simon legend” is true matters little. What matters is that we not repeat “the Simon sin” and assume we’re okay. By (fallen) nature we believe we should have power to determine our destiny and satisfy our desires. Jesus demands we turn away from that belief and bow to his power in our lives. Repentance is the border we must cross. For his glory and our good.

Lord, keep me from being a 21st century Simon.
Holy Spirit, come and work your saving, sanctifying power in me
for the sake of the Lord Jesus and for the sake of my soul.
Amen.

No One Escapes Suffering

February 2, 2016 / Allan Babcock

Hear that? No one escapes suffering. In my early years I hardly thought about it. I was suffering-free, except for some emotional pains of pastoring. But in my late 6th decade, suffering came. Back trouble hit— from genes and aging. Then came irritating digestive issues. Finally, after several surgeries and multiple tests, doctors decided their diagnosis: primary lateral sclerosis, a chronic and incurable disease that weakens parts of the body, makes walking without assistance impossible and produces other troublesome symptoms

This morning while exercising I listened to a sermon from 1 Peter (a letter all about suffering), which included this text . . .

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade– kept in heaven for you, 5 who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. 7 These have come so that your faith– of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire– may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed (1 Peter 1:3-7).

I preached this several times. But, this morning it awakened me like a jump in a cold swimming pool. I pulled out my Bible and preached it to myself. (If you want to listen to my self-addressed little sermon, you may continue.)

In 1:3-5, Peter praises God for mercifully giving us new birth into a hope that lives through Christ’s resurrection. And he praises God for the imperishable, unspoiling, never-fading inheritance that is ours through faith. This inheritance, Peter writes, is kept in heaven for us and will come through the consummation of Christ’s salvation.

Then in 1:6 he reminds us that this hope/inheritance is a source of great joy. That convicts me, because too often I allow my disability to dampen my joy and it blinds the eyes of my heart to the great good that’s coming.

In the second half of 1:6 Peter has a despite-the-present-reality moment. You greatly rejoice in what is coming (future), “though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials.” This is the present reality. This is where I live, because no one escapes suffering—not even Christians.

Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery trial
when it comes upon you to test you,
as though something strange were happening to you.
(1 Peter 4:12)

Suffering is normal in this sinful, dying world. Suffering is normal for the Christian, because Jesus suffered.

But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings
that you may also rejoice and be glad
when his glory is revealed.
(1 Peter 4:13)

But why do I suffer? We all ask that question, right? Why me? Why now? Why this? Is it fate? Bad karma? I look again at 1:6 and 1:7 . . .

In this (your hope/inheritance) you rejoice,
though now for a little while, if necessary (that means God has designed it),
you have been grieved by various trials
so that the tested genuineness of your faith
—more precious than gold that perishes though refined by fire—
may be found to result in praise and glory and honor
at the revelation of Jesus Christ.
(1 Peter 1:6,7)

Why do I suffer with this disability? So that my faith may be tested and proved genuine and result in my being praised and glorified and honored at Jesus Christ’s appearing! This is a faith-test. My faith must be proven genuine. And when it is, it will bring me praise, glory and honor when Jesus comes.

Allan (I’m preaching to myself, remember), don’t be discouraged and depressed. Think of the living hope that is yours through Christ’s resurrection. Think of the glorious inheritance he is keeping in heaven for you. Think of how he is guarding you for it through your faith. Rejoice in that!

Yes, you are enduring a trial now. No one, not even you, escapes suffering. But remember God is testing your faith—not because he doesn’t know its quality, but so through testing it may be strengthened and purified. Whether you agree or not, whether you would choose this process or not, your God has sent this into your life. It’s not senseless suffering. It’s refining fire for your faith. And it has extraordinary consequences. As you limp through the fire, persevering in faith, the result will be this: You will receive praise, glory and honor when Christ is revealed to this world in his glory.

So quit moaning and rejoice! Quit grumbling and praise him! Quit pulling the covers over your head and get up for the fight of faith! Because he is keeping you. And in the end, he will reward you with a crown of glory.

Against Trump

January 30, 2016 / Allan Babcock

The conservative magazine National Review caused quite a stir recently when it published an edition with this cover . . .

It contains 22 brief essays written by well-known conservatives. Each essay explains (and in some cases warns) why Donald Trump should not be the Republican nominee for president. Below I’ve presented the essay written by Russell Moore, president of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention and the author of Onward: Engaging the Culture without Losing the Gospel.

I am not implying one cannot be a good Christian and favor Mr. Trump. I am saying, however, that any Christian favoring Trump should read and give serious consideration to Moore’s thoughts before voting in the primary . . .

In 2009, the Manhattan Declaration, led by Chuck Colson and Robert P. George, reaffirmed the three primary goals of religious conservatives: to protect all human life, including that of the unborn; to reinforce the sanctity of marriage and the family; and to conserve the religious freedom of all persons. All three goals would be in jeopardy under a Trump presidency.

Yes, Trump says that he is pro-life now, despite having supported partial-birth abortion in the past. The problem is not whether he can check a box. Pro-life voters expect leaders to have a coherent vision of human dignity and to be able to defend against assaults on human life in the future — some of which may be unimaginable today and will present themselves only as new technologies develop. Trump’s supposed pro-life conversion is rooted in Nietzschean, social-Darwinist terms. He knew a child who was to be aborted who grew up to be a “superstar.” Beyond that, Trump’s vitriolic — and often racist and sexist — language about immigrants, women, the disabled, and others ought to concern anyone who believes that all persons, not just the “winners” of the moment, are created in God’s image.

One also cannot help but look at the personal life of the billionaire. It is not just that he has abandoned one wife after another for a younger woman, or that he has boasted about having sex with some of the “top women of the world.” It’s that he says, after all that, that he has no need to seek forgiveness. At the same time, Trump has made millions off a casino industry that, as social conservatives have rightly argued, not only exploits personal vice but destroys families. One may say that Trump’s personal life and business dealings are irrelevant to his candidacy, but conservatives have argued for generations that virtue matters, in the citizenry and in the nation’s leaders.

Can conservatives really believe that, if elected, Trump would care about protecting the family’s place in society when his own life is — unapologetically — what conservatives used to recognize as decadent? Under withering assault in the Obama years, social conservatives have maintained, consistent with the beliefs of the Founders, that religious freedom is a natural right, not a matter of special pleading to be submitted to majority vote. Most Americans do not agree with the Little Sisters of the Poor on contraception, and the sisters do not have a powerful lobby in Washington. This shouldn’t matter. Trump’s willingness to ban Muslims, even temporarily, from entering the country simply because of their religious affiliation would make Jefferson spin in his grave.

Trump can win only in the sort of celebrity-focused mobocracy that Neil Postman warned us about years ago, in which sound moral judgments are displaced by a narcissistic pursuit of power combined with promises of “winning” for the masses. Social and religious conservatives have always seen this tendency as decadent and deviant. For them to view it any other way now would be for them to lose their soul.

Whose Son Died?

January 30, 2016 / Allan Babcock

Just saw this powerful illustration from Don Carson at the Bethlehem College and Seminary Pastor’s Conference. Carson is research professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is a founding member and currently president of The Gospel Coalition.

In this video Carson corrects misconceptions about “the intensity of faith” and redirects us to the object of our faith. You can listen to the whole sermon here. Special thanks to Bethlehem for making this available.

Blood of the Martyr, Seed of the Church

January 29, 2016 / Allan Babcock

Each month 322 Christians are killed for their faith, according to Open Doors (https://www.opendoorsusa.org/christian-persecution/). This is the story of the first one.

Stephen Martyred.

When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at (Stephen). But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep (Acts 7:54-60).

The Sanhedrin violently reacted to Stephen’s “sermon”/defense/prosecution (theoldpreacher.com/stephen-and-the-stiff-necked/). They were “furious” (Literal Greek, “cut to the heart”) and so enraged they actually gnashed their teeth at him.

In sharp contrast, Stephen gazed into heaven and saw God’s glory and Jesus, the messianic Son of Man, standing (ready to welcome him?) at the place of authority over all. When Stephen made his confession of who Jesus truly is and acknowledged him as worthy of worship and devotion to the death, the Court members covered their ears and, like a pack of hungry wild animals rushed him yelling for the kill. According to law (“Take the blasphemer outside the camp. All those who heard him are to lay their hands on his head, and the entire assembly is to stone him,” Leviticus 24:14) they dragged him outside the city, threw him down a small hill and stoned him.

Stephen, bludgeoned by the bashing, prayed for the Lord Jesus to welcome his spirit. Then, falling to his knees under the relentless rain of rocks, cried out as his Lord had done, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” With those words, he passed from this life to Jesus.

Was his prayer ever answered? It was for at least one. Young Saul, at whose feet the Sanhedrin members laid their clothes to execute Stephen, himself met Jesus not long after and became the apostle to the Gentiles. In fact, Augustine (4th century Christian theologian) said, “The Church owes Paul to the prayer of Stephen.”

Great Persecution Breaks Out & Scattered Believers Spread the Word.

And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went (Acts 8:1-4).

With Stephen’s death, the dam burst. The church became the persecutors’ target—perhaps the Hellenist Christians, since Stephen had been leader of that contingent. If so, the Hebraic Jewish Christians remained and the apostles with them. But the persecution scattered all the Hellenist believers from Jerusalem into Judea and Samaria. And they ” . . . preached the word wherever they went.” Thus the Lord used persecution to fulfill the next stage of Acts 1:8 (“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”, Jesus.) The blood of the martyrs became the seed of the church.

The Church Suffers Persecution Today.

According to Open Doors, “Beatings, physical torture, confinement, isolation, rape, severe punishment, imprisonment, slavery, discrimination in education and employment, and even death are just a few examples of the persecution (Christians) experience on a daily basis.” The Pew Research Center found that over 75% of the world’s population “lives in areas with severe religious restrictions (and many of these people are Christians).” The U.S. State Department says “Christians in more than 60 countries face persecution from their governments or surrounding neighbors simply because of their belief in Jesus Christ.” Open Doors’ “Worldwide Watch List” names the top 20 countries where Christian persecution is the worst: North Korea, Iraq, Eritrea, Afghanistan, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, Sudan, Iran, Libya, Yemen, Nigeria, Maldives, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Kenya, India, Ethiopia, Turkemistan and Vietnam.

Is it coming here? If Vegas was making odds, I think they’d be good. Ask Christian bakers and florists and at least one county clerk. We won’t go from today’s “tolerance” to ISIS-like beheadings. But the heat is slowly getting hotter. Are we committed to Christ like Stephen was?

Meanwhile we can remember our persecuted brothers and sisters around the world. We can be informed from organizations like Open Doors https://www.opendoorsusa.org/home/ and Voice of the Martyrs http://www.persecution.com/. Both sites also have projects we might take part in.

Reigning Lord Jesus, Son of Man, Messiah,
toughen us up in America,
so we’re ready to pay whatever price we must
to faithfully serve you.
Move our hearts now with our brothers’ and sisters’ suffering,
so we will do what we can to stand with them and encourage them.
Protect them, Lord,
convict and convert their accusers,
and keep them faithful even to death.
And have mercy, Lord.
May it not take the blood of our martyrs
to awaken the church in America
to the eternal life/eternal death struggle we’re caught up in.
But whether it’s mockery, or job loss, or harassment, or beatings, even death,
may our suffering result in more seed sown for your church.
For the sake of your great name in all the earth we pray, Jesus.Amen.