Rid the Earth of Him

November 10

(Acts 22:14-22 NIV) ""The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. {15} You will be his witness to all men of what you have seen and heard. {16} And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.' {17} "When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance {18} and saw the Lord speaking. 'Quick!' he said to me. 'Leave Jerusalem immediately, because they will not accept your testimony about me.' {19} "'Lord,' I replied, 'these men know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. {20} And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.' {21} "Then the Lord said to me, 'Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles. {22} The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, "Rid the earth of him! He's not fit to live!""

(Luke 4:24-30 NIV)  ""I tell you the truth," he continued, "no prophet is accepted in his hometown. {25} I assure you that there were many widows in Israel in Elijah's time, when the sky was shut for three and a half years and there was a severe famine throughout the land. {26} Yet Elijah was not sent to any of them, but to a widow in Zarephath in the region of Sidon. {27} And there were many in Israel with leprosy in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed--only Naaman the Syrian." {28} All the people in the synagogue were furious when they heard this. {29} They got up, drove him out of the town, and took him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw him down the cliff. {30} But he walked right through the crowd and went on his way.""

Like Paul, we who believe have been chosen to know God’s will, and to speak the truth of Jesus. Our life’s purpose has changed. We have been chosen to have our sins washed away and to hear the words of God. We’ve been called to go to those in need of God’s grace. We’ve been commanded to love them and to share the story of God’s mercy. We will not always be well received or popular with the crowds. Many do not want to hear that God has mercy on the lost, the unclean, the hookers, the homeless, and the hated. Many do not want to hear that God has called us to repent and turn from sin. Some may turn on you and try to shout you down. Enemies of Christ’s name will judge you unfit to live and try to rid the Earth of you. But we have this calling, so tell the truth anyway. Be honest about your past, but also speak of the changes that have come through Jesus. Be His witness! -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

Helping Hands

November 9

(Acts 22:11-14 NIV) ““My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. {12} "A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. {13} He stood beside me and said, 'Brother Saul, receive your sight!' And at that very moment I was able to see him. {14} "Then he said: 'The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth.””

(Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV) ““For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. {12} Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. {13} You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.””

In our faith journey, many of us have had companions who led us when we couldn’t see well. We’ve had those special people that God sent at just the right time to speak truth, hope, and sometimes conviction into our lives. Ananias came to Paul at just the right time and provided God’s hand of healing and voice of calling. He gave Paul a hope and a future. There were others who showed Jesus to Paul, and who helped him grow and mature. He mentions some of them by name in his letters. When you share your story, tell about what Jesus has done for you through others since he lifted you up. You can share it without being proud or boastful. Thank those people who have helped you. Build them up. This cruel and harsh world will take care of tearing them down and humbling them. Let others know what they’ve meant to you, as you give glory to God for your growth. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

I Am Jesus

November 8

(Acts 22:6-10 NIV) ““About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. {7} I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, 'Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?' {8} "'Who are you, Lord?' I asked. "'I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,' he replied. {9} My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. {10} "'What shall I do, Lord?' I asked. "'Get up,' the Lord said, 'and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.””

(Exodus 3:13-16 NIV) ““Moses said to God, "Suppose I go to the Israelites and say to them, 'The God of your fathers has sent me to you,' and they ask me, 'What is his name?' Then what shall I tell them?" {14} God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: 'I AM has sent me to you.'" {15} God also said to Moses, "Say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your fathers--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob--has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation.””

Paul never forgot the misdeeds of his past. Most of us can identify. But he also never forgot the day he met Jesus. It was the defining moment in his life. You don’t come face to face with the great I Am and not remember it. It wasn’t a pleasant moment, but it was a blessed moment. Paul was knocked to the ground and blinded by one who said, “I Am Jesus.”, and then lifted up and given eyes to see by the mercy and grace of our Lord. How we met Jesus is a crucial part of every Christian’s story. Think about it… when you think of Paul, what comes to your mind? Do you think persecutor/murderer? No! You think Damascus Road. Culture even uses the term “Damascus Road Experience” to describe a dramatic turn-around in a person’s life. We would do well to spend less time remembering how bad we were, and more time testifying to the life change that came when we met Jesus. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day

A Powerful Testimony

November 7

(Acts 21:37-40 NIV) ““As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, "May I say something to you?" "Do you speak Greek?" he replied. {38} "Aren't you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the desert some time ago?" {39} Paul answered, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people." {40} Having received the commander's permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic:””

(Acts 22:1-5 NIV) ““Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense." {2} When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: {3} "I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. Under Gamaliel, I was thoroughly trained in the law of our fathers and was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. {4} I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, {5} as also the high priest and all the Council can testify. I even obtained letters from them to their brothers in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished.””

Once again, under difficult circumstances, Paul shares his personal testimony. Paul’s testimony serves as a model for us. A powerful testimony speaks in a language people can understand -- a language that quiets people and causes them to listen. It’s ironic, but the longer we are in the church, the greater is the danger that we will begin to speak a language which is foreign to the lost. We can begin to speak “Church-ese”, a language laced with big words that the unsaved ear cannot comprehend. Work at keeping it simple. A powerful testimony also deals honestly with our past. Paul didn’t whitewash his past, but neither did he come across as the worst sinner ever to live. He didn’t boast of his badness. He shared the truth, without all the dirty details. People don’t need to hear every page in your diary to know that you were a sinner. Be honest, but get to the good news as soon as possible. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day