7 Pentecost - Sunday

Zechariah 9:9-12 -- Our Coming King;
Psalm 145:1-2 (3-13) 14-21 -- God's Character;
Romans 7:15-25a -- Inner Conflict;

Matthew 11:25-30 -- Jesus' Authority;

Zechariah:

The children of Zion (the temple mount; Israel; the Church), children of Jerusalem (the city of God), rejoice greatly with loud shouts. "Lo, your king comes to you; triumphant and victorious is he, humble and riding on an ass, on a colt the foal of an ass" (Zechariah 9:9). In that day the Lord will end warfare and will destroy the weapons of war. He will command peace to all nations, and he will reign in sovereign authority over all lands  and people of earth, from the River (Euphrates; the river flowing from the Garden of Eden; the cradle of civilization), to the most distant corners of the earth.

By the blood of the (New) Covenant, the Lord will free us from captivity (to sin and death) in the waterless pit (Hell). Return to the Lord who is our stronghold, and become captives of hope. The Lord has promised to restore us doubly.

Psalm:

I will lift up and bless the name of the Lord, my God and King. I will bless and praise the Lord every day throughout eternity. The Lord is great and worthy of all our praise. His greatness is vastly more than we can comprehend.

Let each generation praise and declare God's works to the next. Let us meditate on the glorious splendor of God's grandeur and his wondrous works. People will proclaim God's awesome power and works. They will proclaim and build up God's fame  for his abundant goodness, and praise his righteousness.  I will declare God's greatness.

"The Lord is gracious and merciful, and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made" (Psalm 145:8-9).

All God's creatures will give thanks to God; all who are godly (all who obey God's Word; "believers") will bless his name. They will testify to the glory and splendor of his kingdom, and of his power and mighty deeds. His kingdom is eternal, and his sovereign authority is  throughout all generations.

God's Word and his every deed is faithful and gracious. He lifts up the fallen and restores the oppressed. All creatures depend upon the Lord to supply their food as needed. When the Lord gives, he satisfies the need of every living thing. All of his ways are just, and all his deeds are kind. He is near to all who call upon him in truth. He fulfills the desires of those who fear (have the appropriate awe and respect for the power and authority of) God. He hears their cries and saves them. He will preserve all who love him, but he will destroy the wicked.

May I praise the Lord in all I say. May I bless his name throughout eternity.

Romans:

It is hard to understand how we can desire to do what we know is right, but still not do it. If we recognize that we do what we know is not right, we affirm that God's Law is good. The fact that we do what we know is not right shows us that our physical nature is sinful. We cannot overcome sin by our own will.

The fact is, that whenever we want to do what is right, temptation to evil is close by. In my spirit I delight in God's Law, but my physical body is at war with God's Law, and I am enslaved by my physical body. Only God, through our faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ, can deliver me from slavery to sin which otherwise results in eternal death. Thanks be to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. (Romans 6:23).

Matthew:

The mystery of God's plan for creation is hidden from those who consider themselves wise and understanding by worldly standards (see 1 Corinthians 1:17-25; 2:1-8), but by his gracious will he reveals it to those who are humble, trusting and obedient like children. God has given all authority over all things to Jesus. Only Jesus knows God as fully as God knows Jesus, and Jesus reveals God the Father to whomever he chooses.

Jesus invites those who are burdened and tired and he will give them rest. The yoke of discipleship to Jesus is not too difficult or burdensome, compared to our bondage to sin and death. We can learn humility and gentleness and receive spiritual rest from Jesus.

Commentary:

We have all been born into slavery to sin (disobedience of God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10) and (eternal) death (the penalty for sin; Romans 6:23). Jesus came into the world to become the only sacrifice, once for all time and all people, acceptable to God, for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus' blood, shed on the Cross, seals the New Covenant of Salvation (see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar top right). Under the New Covenant, which Jesus instituted on the night of his betrayal and arrest (Matthew 26:26-29), we are saved from eternal condemnation and eternal death by grace (unmerited favor; a free gift) to all who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2:8-9)

Jesus is the Savior God promised, to free us from captivity to sin and eternal death in Hell (Zechariah 9:11). Jesus fulfilled the prophecy of Zechariah 9:9, entering Jerusalem  on a young donkey the week before his crucifixion (Matthew 21:1-11), which the Church celebrates as Palm Sunday.

God has designed Creation so that we can learn to trust and obey him, by "trial and error," and be "reborn" to eternal life in his heavenly kingdom. Jesus Christ had been God's plan from the very beginning and has been "built into" Creation (John 1:1-5, 14). God sent Jesus into the world in flesh and blood, to show us how to live in obedience to God's Word and to make it possible for us to be spiritually "reborn" to eternal life (John 3:3, 5-8).

It is impossible for us in our own human flesh to overcome sin by our own will. We are slaves of sin and death. Jesus came in human flesh to destroy the power of Satan and eternal death (Hebrews 2:14-15). We are all enslaved by our physical bodies and only through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus can we be delivered from the power of sin and death.

We will all serve Jesus or we will serve Satan. Those who sin are in slavery to sin and death (John 8:34-36). Only Jesus can set us free.

In order to be disciples of Jesus we must be willing to sacrifice our self-will in order to do his will. Self-will leads to eternal destruction, but God's will leads to eternal life. God's will for us is far better than we could imagine or design for ourselves. We will have to serve someone or something; serving Jesus is eternally rewarding.

The (nominal) Church is failing to pass on the praise of the Lord to the next generation. The Church has failed to make "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) disciples of Jesus Christ, who have a personal relationship with Jesus and God the Father through the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Without born-again disciples who have a personal knowledge and experience of the Lord there can be no personal  testimony to the the character and works of God. 

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

7 Pentecost  - Monday

June 30, 2008

Psalm 65 -- Lord of the Harvest;

The Lord God in Zion (the temple mount; the Holy City; the Church) deserves our praise. Our Lord hears our prayers; all people shall come to him because of sin. When we succumb to sins the Lord forgives them. Those who the Lord chooses and draws near to dwell in his household are blessed. We will find true satisfaction with the goodness of the Lord's house, his holy temple.

The God of our salvation answers us with deliverance by awesome deeds. Hope in the Lord extends to those who are at the farthest ends of the earth. The Lord is the Creator of the highest mountains by his great power.  The Lord controls the roaring of the sea and its waves, and he reigns over the tumult of the people.  The people in the most remote places on earth fear the manifestation of the Lord's power. The Lord gives joy in the sunrise and sunset.

The Lord waters the earth and makes it fertile. "The river of God is full of water" (Psalm 65:9 c). The Lord provides food in the harvest in due season, according to his design of Creation. The Lord waters the field, smooths the ridges, softening the soil with  showers and blessing its fertility. The Lord glorifies the year with abundant goodness. "the tracks of thy (the Lord's) chariot drip with fatness" (Psalm 65:11 b). The meadows are covered with flocks, the valleys are carpeted with grain. Together they sing for joy.

Commentary:
 
The Lord reigns in Zion (his heavenly city) over Creation. He is worthy of our great praise. He is our Lord who hears and answers our prayers. He is the only cure for the consequence of sin (disobedience of God's Word) which is eternal death (Romans 6:23).

The Lord chooses all of us and draws us near to him (John 12:32), so that we can dwell in his eternal household, but we must choose to accept his calling. Those who enter his house will be abundantly blessed and find true satisfaction now, and eternally.

When we cry out in faith (obedient trust) to God to save us he answers us with deliverance by awesome deeds and supernatural power. Even at the farthest ends and remotest corners of the earth we are not beyond hope in his salvation.

The Lord of Creation reigns over it. He can calm the roaring of the seas and waves and quiet the tumults of people. In him the beginning and end of each day is blessed and joyous.

The design of God's Creation is very good (Genesis 1:31); in fact, perfect. He has designed the earth to be fertile and produce food abundantly for all his creatures. He brings forth a bountiful harvest. As we follow in his way, we will be blessed with the fulfillment of every need.

This Creation is the (physical) garden of the Lord. He has designed it to provide every good thing we need. If we trust and obey him and follow in his way (the "track of his chariot;" Psalm 65:11 b) we will be blessed and find true satisfaction and goodness in this lifetime and eternally.

This Creation is also God's spiritual garden, and we are his planting and his crop. We are all chosen by God to dwell in his eternal household, but he gives us the choice of whether to accept his invitation. We are free to accept or decline his spiritual nurture which will produce a fruitful spiritual harvest in and through us.

The Holy Spirit is the spiritual river of God (Psalm 46:4). Ezekiel foresaw the spiritual river of God as a spring of flowing from the altar in the temple in Zion and out into the world, getting larger as it flowed (Ezekiel 47:1-12; Zechariah 14:8; Revelation 22:1-2). The  Holy Spirit is the spring of "living water" within Jesus' disciples that flows out from them into the world and wells up to eternal life (John 7:37-39).

Jesus is the only source of "living water" (John 4:10-15). Only Jesus "baptizes" with the Holy Spirit (John 1:31-34), only his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit is the only source of spiritual "rebirth" and eternal life (John 3:3, 5-8). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

We have all sinned and have fallen short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23). Jesus is God's only provision for our salvation from eternal condemnation for sin (Acts 4:12; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

God is the Lord who hears and answers prayer, through Jesus Christ, for those who trust and obey Jesus (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right). Jesus is the only way to forgiveness of sin, restoration to fellowship with God and to eternal life in God's eternal household and kingdom in heaven  (John 14:6).

Jesus is God's answer to our need for deliverance from sin and eternal death. Jesus demonstrated by great supernatural deeds that he is our deliverer who alone can heal our spiritual sickness and raise us from spiritual death to eternal life. Jesus' resurrection from the dead is the ultimate supernatural act of God demonstrating that there is existence after physical death and that God has the power to raise us from the dead through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?  

7 Pentecost  - Tuesday

Isaiah 55:10-11 -- God's Word;
Romans 8:18-25 -- Futility in this World;

Isaiah:

Rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return without accomplishing their purpose to water the earth and bring forth seed to be sown and grain for bread to be eaten. So likewise, God's Word goes forth and does not return to God empty, but it accomplishes what God intended and the purpose for which he sent it.

Romans:

Compared to the glory of eternal life in heaven, the sufferings of this present world are well worth it. Creation awaits the revealing of the children of God with eager longing. This Creation has been subjected to futility by God who subjected it in hope, because Creation will be set free from the bondage to decay and death and obtain liberty with the Children of God. Until now, the entire Creation has been suffering travail like birth pangs, as we ourselves, "who have the firstfruits of the Holy Spirit groan inwardly as we wait for  adoption as sons (and daughters) of God, the redemption of our bodies" (Romans 8:23). That is the hope in which we were saved. There is no need to hope for what one sees, but if one hopes for what is not seen, one waits for it patiently.

Commentary:

The hallmark of God's Word is its fulfillment (Deuteronomy 18:21-22). God's Word is always fulfilled, over and over, as the conditions for its fulfillment are met. God created this world for a specific purpose: to establish an eternal kingdom of his people who willingly trust and obey God. God designed this Creation to be a physical garden and also a spiritual garden. God provides physical seed for sowing and physical bread for eating by providing physical rain and snow for watering, and he blesses and causes the earth to be fertile and produce a physical harvest.

But earth is also a spiritual garden, and we are God's planting. He has given us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey him or not, and the opportunity to learn by "trial and error."

God has given us his spiritual Word in the Bible and in the "living Word," Jesus Christ, the fulfillment, embodiment, and example of God's Word, lived out in this world in human flesh (John 1:1-5, 14). God's Word has gone forth and will not return to him without accomplishing his purpose.

Those who trust and obey God's Word through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ will be spiritually "reborn" (John 3:3, 5-8), by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31.34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

We are the spiritual planting of the Lord, intended to grow to spiritual maturity and to produce a spiritual harvest. We are to learn how to be guided by the Holy Spirit and to fulfill the mission of Christ to bring forgiveness and salvation from eternal condemnation to a spiritually lost and dying world.

The Holy Spirit is the spring of "living water" within us (John 7:37-39) which makes it possible for us to know and do God's will and produce spiritual "fruit" which God intends for us to produce (Ephesians 2:10). The Lord intends for the "living water" of the Holy Spirit within us to flow from us out into the world. But we must first be filled with the indwelling Holy Spirit (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8).

In order to provide us the freedom to choose whether to trust and obey God, God has designed Creation to allow for the possibility of sin (disobedience of God's Word), but God is not going to tolerate sin forever, and not in his eternal kingdom, so we and all Creation are limited by time which leads to decay and death. God created a perfect world (Genesis 1:31); the things we see that are wrong with this world are the result of human sin.

All of us have sinned and have fallen short of God's righteousness (doing what is right and good and true according to God's Word; Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is (eternal) death (Romans 6:23). God doesn't want us to perish eternally but to live eternally in paradise in his heavenly kingdom (Romans 5:8; John 3:16). Jesus is God's only provision for the forgiveness of our sin and salvation from eternal death (Acts 4:12; John 14:6; see God's Plan of Salvation, sidebar, top right).

There is a Day of Judgment coming when this temporal Creation will end and everyone who has ever lived will be accountable to the Lord for what they have done in this lifetime. This won't be generations away; each of us will face it within our lifetime, and no one can be certain how long that will be. When we die our eternal destiny will be fixed and unchangeable. Those who have learned to trust and obey God's Word through faith  (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ will receive eternal life in God's new Creation, restored to paradise in his kingdom in heaven. Those who have rejected Jesus and have refused to trust and obey Jesus will be condemned to eternal destruction in hell with all evil (Matthew 25:31-46; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10).

Those who have trusted and obeyed Jesus will have been spiritually "reborn" during this lifetime. The indwelling Holy Spirit is the firstfruit of eternal life, which begins now in this lifetime in this temporal world. We begin now to experience the presence and fellowship of the Lord Jesus Christ and God the Father now. We can expect abuse and persecution from the world for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but we experience a mere taste of the joy of the presence and the fellowship with the Lord which is coming in his eternal kingdom. The indwelling Holy Spirit is our comforter and consoler (John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7 KJV);  which makes suffering for the Gospel bearable.

God subjected this Creation to bondage to decay and death with hope. God hopes that we will learn to trust and obey him and realize that his Word is our best interest; it is the way that leads to truth and to eternal joy, satisfaction and true life (John 14:6).

We do not yet see Creation restored to perfection. We do not yet see the presence and fellowship unbroken that we will experience in eternal life, but we have the foretaste and assurance now. We can learn from experience that God's Word is absolutely dependable and true. We can know with certainty that we have been spiritually reborn, and that that we will spend eternity in heaven with the Lord.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

7 Pentecost  - Wednesday

Matthew 13:1-9 (18-23) -- The Parable of the Sower;

Jesus was sitting on the shore of the Sea of Galilee and a large crowd gathered around him, so he got into a boat and the crowd stood on the shore, and he taught them many things in parables (stories of everyday experiences used to convey spiritual truth).

In the parable of the sower, a sower went out to sow, and some seed fell along the path and birds came and ate it. Other seed fell on rocky ground. Because there was no depth of soil, the seed sprouted quickly but soon withered because the roots had no depth. Some seed fell among thorns and as they grew the thorns choked them out. Some seed fell on good soil and yielded a harvest of thirty, sixty or a hundred times what had been sown.

Jesus explained his parables privately to his disciples. The seed is the Gospel, the Word of God.  The path represents  those who hear the Gospel without understanding. Satan comes and snatches it from their hearts before it has a chance to sprout. The rocky soil represents those who hear the Word and receive it enthusiastically but do not allow the Word to become deeply rooted in them. When trouble or persecution arises they wither and fall away. Thorny ground represents those who hear the Word, but the cares and pleasures of this world choke it and it becomes unfruitful. The good soil represents those who receive the soil and allow it to grow to maturity and produce fruit.

Commentary:

The parable of the sower describes our spiritual situation. In America and even within the Church today there are many people who haven't heard the Gospel with understanding. There are those who think they know; they've heard about Jesus, but they haven't allowed the Gospel to take root in their hearts and lives. Or they have allowed the Gospel to sprout but not put down deep roots, so that when trouble happens they fall away. Or they have allowed worldly possessions and pleasures to crowd out the Gospel.

A Christian is a disciple of Jesus Christ (Acts 11:26 c) who has been "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). Seekers and believers are to be "discipled" within the Church by mature, "born-again" disciples, until they are "reborn"  (Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8) and then they are to be guided and empowered by the indwelling Holy Spirit to be fruitful (Ephesians 2:10) and help in the spiritual harvest of many times their own souls. Born-again Christian disciples are then to go into the world and make "born-again" disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).

Unfortunately in many "nominal" Churches this is not happening! Many "Churches" are settling for making "members" and building buildings, instead of making disciples and teaching them to trust and obey all that Jesus teaches. Many Church "people" think that discipleship is a optional category of "super-Christian."

Discipleship is a process of spiritual growth toward spiritual maturity. Jesus showed us how the Church is supposed to do it. The first disciples were with Jesus twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week for about three years, and still were not ready to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel until they had been "born-again" on the first Christian Day of Pentecost (Acts 2:1-13), the “birthday” of the Church.

The Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus) was intended by God to be the replacement for Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, (instead of Matthias, whom the disciples elected when they were supposed to be waiting for the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit; Acts 1:15-26). Paul was intended by God to be the prototype and example  of all modern, "post-resurrection," "born-again" disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ, as we all can and should become. His conversion (Acts 9:1-22) is unique because it happened in days instead of years, but that is because he already loved God and had been formally educated in the Biblical Scriptures. He just needed to realize that Jesus was the Messiah (Christ; God's promised "anointed" Savior and eternal king).

Paul's conversion is intended by God to be the model for the Church. Paul was confronted by the Spirit of the risen and ascended Jesus on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:4-5). Paul accepted Jesus' rebuke and Lordship (Acts 9:5a), and became obedient to Jesus' command (Acts 9:6). Paul's loss of physical vision was intended to make Paul aware of his spiritual blindness. He went into Damascus and repented with prayer and fasting for three days, waiting for the fulfillment of Jesus' word, telling him what to do. A "born-again" disciple, Ananias, was led by the Holy Spirit to go to Paul (Acts 9:10-16) and disciple him until Paul was "born-again" by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit (Acts 9:17-18), and then Paul was guided and empowered to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 9:20-22).

Jesus attracted large crowds, but not every one allowed the Gospel to take root and produce fruit. Jesus preached in parables, so that people were free to not understand if they chose, but Jesus explained his parables to those who were willing to be his disciples.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14).

7 Pentecost - Thursday

Jeremiah 31:23-25 -- The Lord will Restore;

Jeremiah was a prophet in Judah, the remnant of Israel, who warned Judah of the judgment of God coming upon them as the result of their idolatry and disobedience of God's Word. Judah had time and opportunity to repent and avoid exile to Babylon, but did not, up to the moment that Jerusalem was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon.

God allowed Judah to be conquered and carried off into exile, but he promised in advance that he would bring them back after 70 years (a virtual life sentence for adults at the time of exile; Jeremiah 25:12). The seventy years are calculated from the destruction of the temple in 587 B. C., to its restoration in 517 B.C.. God's Word was fulfilled.

Today's text from Jeremiah was written sometime after 587 B.C.* God promised that he would restore the fortunes of Judah. Once more Judah would be blessed by the Lord as the habitation of righteousness and God's holy hill (Zion; the temple mount in Jerusalem).

The Lord promised that Judah would be restored to their homes in the Promised Land. They would again farm and herd flocks of animals. "For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish" (Jeremiah 31:25).

Commentary:

God disciplines his children for their good, like a good father. They refused to trust and obey God's Word through Jeremiah, so God allowed them to suffer the consequences, in exile in Babylon. In exile they learned to trust and obey God, and the remnant of Israel who returned to their Promised Land were a transformed and renewed people.

The Exile in Babylon was also intended by God to be a metaphor, a parable, of life in this world. In one sense we are all in exile in "Babylon," learning to trust and obey God's Word, and hoping in God's promise of satisfying and restoring the weary and the languishing souls (our eternal being within each of us).

In another sense, "Babylon" is a metaphor for Hell, the eternal consequence of idolatry and disobedience of God's Word. God has given us his Word in the Bible and through his prophets. Now is the time to hear and obey his call for repentance and return to obedient trust in God's Word, fulfilled, embodied and exemplified in Jesus Christ (John 1:1-5, 14). Satan is at the very gate where we live. If we are carried off to that "Babylon," we will die eternally there; there is no hope of return to the "Promised Land" of God's eternal kingdom in heaven.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

7 Pentecost - Friday

Acts 14: 8-23 -- Mistaken for "gods;"

On Paul's first missionary journey, at Lystra, in what is present-day Turkey, he encountered a man whose feet were crippled and who had never walked. Paul looked intently at the man, and seeing that  he had the faith to be healed, told him to stand up on his feet. The man rose and walked. When the crowd saw what had happened, they hailed Paul and his companion, Barnabas, as gods, Hermes and Zeus, respectively. The priest of Zeus, whose temple was at the entrance to the city came with garlands and with oxen to offer as a sacrificial feast to them.  

Paul and Barnabas spoke to the crowd, telling them that Paul and Barnabas were mere mortals, like themselves. Paul and Barnabas had brought them "good news" (“Gospel” means “good news;” specifically the Gospel of Jesus Christ) so that they should turn from futile idolatry to the one true, living God, the creator of heaven and earth and everything in them. Until this time, God had allowed the nations to pursue their own ways, although God had provided testimony to his existence and nature through Creation. He gave them  rain and harvest, providing them with food and gladness. So Paul and Barnabas barely restrained the people from offering sacrifices to them.

Paul had been persecuted by Jews in the previous villages of Iconium and Antioch, and Jews followed him to Lystra and incited the people to stone Paul and leave him for dead outside the city. But when the disciples gathered around Paul, he got up and went back into the city. The next day Barnabas and Paul went on to Derbe. After preaching the Gospel and making many disciples they returned through Lystra, Iconium and Antioch, encouraging the new disciples and exhorting them to be strong in faith, knowing that they would experience trials on the way to God's eternal kingdom. After prayer and fasting, the missionaries appointed elders in each Church, and then left, having commended them to the Lord in whom they believed.

Commentary:

Notice that when the people of Lystra mistook Paul and Barnabas for "gods," the missionaries refused to accept their “worship.” But Jesus, when his disciples equated Jesus with God, did not "correct" or rebuke them (Matthew 16:16-18; John 20:28)  because Jesus is God in human flesh; the Son of God (Colossians 2:8-9).

God is the one and only true, living, God, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. God hears and has the power to answer prayer (see Conditions for Answered Prayer, sidebar, top right). Loving and serving any one or any thing as much as or more than God is idolatry. All other "gods" are idols, the creation of the hands and minds of humans. Idols can't even do anything for themselves, but become a burden to their human creators. Some modern idols are wealth, power, success, pleasure, career, family, and home.

Creation testifies to the goodness and wisdom of the Creator. God allowed the people of earth to pursue their own ways until the coming of the Messiah (Christ). At the perfect moment in history Jesus came into the world to fulfill God's purpose; to become the one and only sacrifice, for all time and all people who are willing to receive it by faith (obedient trust), acceptable to God, for the forgiveness of our sin (disobedience of God's Word), and our restoration to fellowship and eternal life with God in his eternal kingdom.

Now that God's character and plan for Creation have been revealed in Jesus Christ, we are accountable to him for what we do with the "good news" of the Gospel. God overlooked our former spiritual ignorance, but from now on, our response to the Gospel has personal and eternal consequences for each of us.

Those who cannot recognize spiritual truth in the Bible and in Jesus Christ will be eternally condemned by their unbelief (John 3:18-20). People will either love, trust and obey Jesus, or they will hate and refuse to trust and obey him, and will seek to destroy him.

If people hate and try to destroy Jesus, they will treat his disciples no better. The people of Lystra were pleased to welcome Paul and Barnabas because of their power of physical healing; free health care. But when Paul began to rebuke their "religion," their idolatry, they became angry enough to attempt to kill him. The only reason they didn't succeed is because God did not allow it.

Paul was carrying out the "Great Commission" (Matthew 28:19-20; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-5, 8) which Jesus gave to his disciples, to make (born-again) disciples of Jesus Christ only after they had been "born-again" (John 3:3, 5-8). Paul is the prototype and illustration of a modern, "post-resurrection," "born-again" disciple and apostle (messenger; of the Gospel) of Jesus Christ, as we all can and should be.

Paul was making "disciples." Paul had been "discipled" by a "born-again" disciple, Ananias (Acts 9:10-15), until Paul was spiritually "reborn" (Acts 9:17-18). And then immediately Paul began to proclaim the Gospel (Acts 9:20-22). God's Word prophesied that Paul would suffer greatly for the Gospel (Acts 9:16) and that prophecy was being fulfilled. Paul told the new believers that they would also have to withstand trials in their spiritual walk.

Paul chose congregation leaders by the direction and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. He chose leaders God knew would be "born-again" disciples. Everyone who believes (trusts and obeys) Jesus will be "reborn" by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit, which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17). The Holy Spirit is the seal and guarantee that one is in Christ and has eternal life (2 Corinthians 1:22; Ephesians 1:13-14; Romans 8:9b, 11, 15-16).

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?

7 Pentecost - Saturday

Matthew 10:24-31 -- The  Cost of Discipleship;

A disciple is not greater than his teacher nor a servant above his master. If the worldly have called the master of the house Beelzebul (the Prince of demons, Satan), won't they say even worse things about his household?

So disciples should not fear the worldly;  that which has been covered up will be revealed, and what is hidden will be made known. What Jesus makes known to his disciples in private they are to declare in public; and what they hear whispered they should shout from rooftops. Disciples should have no fear of those who can kill them physically but who have no power over their souls; instead, they should fear him who can throw both body and soul into hell. Small birds (for sacrificial offerings) were sold two for a penny, yet not a single bird dies without God's notice and will. God even knows the number of hairs on our heads, so don't worry, we are more precious than many sparrows.

Commentary:

The worldly people hated Jesus and tried to destroy him by crucifixion. God allowed it because it was part of God's eternal plan for Creation. Those who are living in their "flesh" are hostile to God and cannot and will not submit to God  or please him (Romans 8:7-8).

We are all born physically alive but spiritually dead because of sin (disobedience of God's Word). We have all sinned and fall short of God's righteousness (Romans 3:23; 1 John 1:8-10). The penalty for sin is eternal death (Romans 6:23).  This lifetime is our opportunity to seek and come to know and have fellowship with God our Creator and this is only possible through faith (obedient trust) in Jesus Christ  Acts 4:12; john 14:6). This lifetime is our opportunity to be spiritually "born-again," (John 3:3, 5-8) by the gift of the indwelling Holy Spirit which only Jesus gives (John 1:31-34), only to his disciples who trust and obey Jesus (John 14:15-17).

Satan is the present ruler of this world, but he has already been defeated at the Cross of Jesus Christ. He wants to destroy us, but only the Lord has the authority to judge "the living and dead" (1 Peter 4:5), in both the physical and spiritual senses. Worldly people can kill Jesus' disciples physically, but they cannot kill them spiritually and eternally. "The fear (respect for the power and authority) of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10).

Who we believe Jesus to be is a matter of eternal consequences for each of us individually and personally, and it reveals our spiritual condition. Those who  misperceive Jesus as Beelzebul, the Prince of demons, demonstrate that they are children of Satan and spiritually dead (John 8:37-47).

Jesus' disciples cannot expect to be better treated by  worldly people than Jesus was. The truth of the Gospel and God's eternal plan cannot be suppressed or hidden by the enemies of the Gospel. The Gospel is not a secret; God has revealed it to Jesus' disciples in his Word, the Bible, and in Jesus Christ.

We must not be intimidated by worldly people. We must try to serve and please the Lord, and not be concerned by what the world thinks of us, or may try to do to silence us. God is able to protect us unto eternal life.

Is Jesus your Lord? Are you Jesus’ disciple? Are you trusting and obeying Jesus? Have you received the indwelling Holy Spirit since you first truly believed (Acts 19:2)? Are you making disciples of Jesus Christ and teaching them to obey all that Jesus commands (Matthew 28:18-20)? Do you know with certainty where you will spend eternity (1 John 5:11-13; Ephesians 1:13-14)?