Dead Flies

Listening to all the fall flies buzzing around me while busy sorting out books in the church library yesterday afternoon, I heard someone come in the side door. I thought maybe it was Joe or Bill coming to contemplate what to do with all the flies. There were not too many dead ones laying around after worship; but, by 3 p.m., the carpeting as beginning to turn a bit black with them. No, it was not Joe or Bill. The visitors were tourists who wanted to check out the church and get directions back to the highway. When asked, I explained that all the buzzing that they heard was the sound of flies fighting to survive even as they prepared to breath their last breaths.

There seems to be nothing that we can do to avoid the invasion of flies each fall. Most homes, particularly the older homes, in the township have them. It can be slightly embarrassing to have such a mess when one receives unexpected company. But, it's really not worth getting too excited about. It's an inevitable reality. All one can do is clean up the mess.

Our lives can get pretty messy at times, as well. There are some messes that are just not worth getting too excited about. There is nothing that one can do about them. They are just a part of life's daily routines and wasting energy on trying to fix something that will work itself out with time really does seem like folly. Creating drama or getting too excited about something we can do nothing about sometimes will create even more messes and destroy any joy we have in living. Sometimes all we can or should do is nothing; but, to be still and know that whatever comes our way, God is with us in the messiness of life.

God's Peace - Pr. J

Acts 5:17-42 Fighting With God

Acts 5:17-42 NIV
The apostles were elated because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. That sounds reasonable. But, I'm not so sure if I would be elated. They were persecuted for the Name. They were ordered not to be talking about this Jesus any longer and thrown into jail for the Name. Angels came and released them. They were then flogged for continuing to spread the Good News in the Name of Jesus Christ. They suffered much and came through it all still thanking and praising God for and in the Name of Jesus.

Yet, this morning I find myself feeling very sorry for those who persecuted the apostles. To have witnessed the Christ working through them and still denying Christ is a very sad thing. Such a waste of time and energy it is to try to deny the truth.

The Pharisee, Gamaliel, finally persuaded the Sanhedrin to let the apostle's go by saying to them: "Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." (vs 38-39) So what do you think? The apostles were not stopped. Two thousand years later the Good News is still being shared around the world. For those who persist in trying to stop the Name: give it up. It is from God and you will not be able to stop it.

God's Peace - Pr. J