July 2, 2010

Joshua 4

“Heap of Birds,” now there is an unusual name. That was the last name of a guest lecturer that the OSU art department had on campus. I wonder, “What is the significance of that name?” “What is the glory behind it?” Here at the crossing at Gilgal Israel created a heap of stones. There intentionally was glory behind it. It was to be a reminder to generations to come of how the Lord caused them to cross the Jordan on dry ground. It was a memorial not only for Israel’s generations but also for all the peoples of the earth. It has significance even for me for I am one of those who in the flesh are not part of the descendants of Israel. It speaks to me of the miraculous provision of the Lord. It speaks for all ethnic groups for here is a heap of stones that speaks to an event transcends the cultural biases of all ethnic groups. It is simple and clear, “The Lord delivers His people.” Indeed we serve a glorious King. Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor john


Acts 11:1-30

Well ministry to the Gentiles isn't secure yet. There are still tens of thousands back in Jerusalem, who did not see the vision of either Peter or Paul. Yes they had probably heard about Paul's conversion and commission by now. But, they probably chalked it up to the ravings of a madman, especially since Paul had left the area and had been gone for over three years now. They hadn't heard about Peter's vision or Cornelius' vision, or about the evidence of the Baptism of the Holy Spirit at Cornelius' conversion. All they knew was that Peter had entered the house of a Gentile! And, gasp, he ate with them. This goes against 1400 years of tradition on how God had worked with the Children of Israel!

It’s a good thing Peter was backed against the wall (see yesterday's comments). He would have caved otherwise. But it is the glory of our Lord to demonstrate His desire so that for all times it might be demonstrated that it is not about tradition. It is about His glory. It is His glory to bring people of all culture and subcultures to make them one, to bring people of one generation and another generation to make them one. It is His glory to change them so that they cease complaining about their brothers and sisters who are different. The church today has much to learn from this. Anyway, as I was saying, Peter was backed against the wall. He was being called on the carpet for breaking tradition. All that He could do was recount what the Lord had done. None of what had happened had been of his initiative. Having heard the story, most of the cooler heads in the group saw the Lord was in it. The church approved the ministry to the Gentiles. The glory of Jesus has prevailed. 1400 years of tradition is broken. Now that indeed is amazing.

But publicly announcing the possibility of breaking tradition and actually doing it are two different things. Almost everyone is still afraid to do it. But there were some men (funny, they're un-named) who grew up in Cyprus and Phoenicia (they grew up playing with Gentiles) who took bold steps. Horror of horrors they spoke the glory of Christ to Gentiles in Antioch (a long way away from Jerusalem). And the glory of God fell upon them, the hand of the Lord was with them. Barnabas, ever the son of encouragement, put 2+2 together. He traveled all the way to Tarsus, found Paul who had been commissioned to go to the Gentiles and brought him to Antioch to begin teaching the Gentiles about Jesus. Somebody finally got it right.

After a year of ministry, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ was so great among the Gentiles of Antioch that the non-believing Gentiles began to call the believers, "Christians," which means little Christ or of Christ. The glory of Christ was so great upon them that others recognized Christ in them. O that Jesus would do that in us!

God has a sense of irony. He warned and sent a famine to Judea. Apparently many of the Jewish believers in Judea were in dire straights. And the Jerusalem church was too impoverished to help each other. How did God provide for them? He used the Gentile believers of Antioch to send relief. Those people, with whom the Jews would not eat because their tradition said it would make them unclean, God sent by their hands food for the Jewish believers to eat. And He used Saul/Paul of all people to deliver it. That is ironic. That is also glorious. Our Lord breaks down barriers that divide people! In the words of Randy Matthews, who was rejected by the church for his contemporary music, "It took a carpenter to tear down my walls, it took a stronger hand than mine." Jesus is glorious in the way He tears down walls. Indeed we serve a glorious king! Speak His glory to someone today!

--Pastor John