Acts 21:17-36 Saved By Grace Through Faith

Acts 21:17-36 NIV
They all claim to serve the same God, the one true God. Yet, there is an uprising against Paul in the city. The Jews are pretty excited about what Paul has been doing among the gentiles. The words that come through him have turned the gentiles to the worship of God. Yet, the Jews are zealous for the law. They are so zealous that they are not at all happy in their perception that Paul undermines the law.

Christians, beware that you do not follow in the footsteps of those Jews who persecuted Paul. The law does not save. It is only by God's grace through faith that we are saved. Be careful not to become a stumbling block to others by insisting that they do or don't follow certain rituals or traditions attributed to the law. There is only one God. May God open our eyes and hearts to His great love for us so that we might in unity love and serve Him as well as all of His children.

God's Peace - Pr. J 

Isaiah 20 - By Word and Deed

Those of you who have heard my sermons have heard this exhortation quite often: "Go and proclaim the Good News by both word and deed."  The Gospel needs to be proclaimed so that other might hear and believe. But, in proclaiming it with our lips our actions need to fit what we preach. Our lifestyles are reflections of what we say. Others hear not only what we say, but what we do.

Prophets often took this "doing what you speak" to the extreme. According to God's word to Isaiah, the prophecy against Egypt and Cush was to be lived or acted out by Isaiah. He was to strip himself of the sackcloth and sandals that he wore as the prophecy that "the king of Assyria will lead away stripped and barefoot the Egyptian captives and Cushite exiles, young and old, with buttocks bared—to Egypt’s shame." (Isa 20:4 NIV)

I'm thinking that none of us quite measure up to being the dedicated and faithful servant of God as Isaiah was; none of us will probably be asked to strip as a sign that our enemies will be overthrown and shamed. I'm not sure how Isaiah managed it. But, I'm quite sure we'd be arrested long before three years was up and locked away someplace for some time to come.

While we may not be as zealous as some of the prophets called by God, that does not negate the fact that we have been called by God and are to share the good news of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ to people near and far. We do this with word and deed. We do this by sharing the story with those who would hear and by living our new life in Christ for all to see.

And, we are zealous about it. Maybe, not as zealous as Isaiah; but we zealously share this good news because it is Good News, indeed!

God's Peace - Pr. J