Reflections on Acts 9:10-19

Reflections on Acts 9:10-19

Someone’s past does not disqualify one from salvation or service.  Do you agree with that statement?  Well, we probably all agree with that in theory, but in practice we are quick to think or even say, “I have heard about him/her.  I doubt he/she will ever come to the Lord.”  Or, we may think something like, “Sure, you can join the church, but you will never be allowed to do this/that.” 

Many of us think we have it all figured out.  Maybe we have served the Lord for years and have forgotten how immature or sinful we were in our early years as Christians.  Maybe we were raised in the church and have not committed the “major” or open sins that get so much negative attention.  Let me remind you that none of us are perfect.  Even those of us who have been raised in church and have not committed publicly shameful deeds, do we think that we are better than others?  What if the sins of your heart were exposed?  What if the sins under your roof, behind closed doors were exposed?  Would you be so innocent anymore?  I think not.

The truth is, we all have a past.  We all have had struggles with sin and continue to fight the “flesh,” that is, the old, sinful nature.  We all are in need of a savior, the Savior, Jesus Christ.  Let me encourage you to not only affirm that first sentence in theory but also in practice: Someone’s past does not disqualify one from salvation or service.  How can we believe this?  The Father made Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  Our past is done away with when we commit to God by faith in Jesus Christ.  He forgives us our sins and removes them from our account.

So then, when we consider this passage of Scripture in Acts 9.  Many of us think of others in the same way that Ananias’ first reacted to an urging to minister to Saul of Tarsus, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.”  What Ananias said was true.  His fear was legitimate.  But that did not stop the Lord from saving Saul and using Ananias as an evangelistic tool to minister to him.  The Lord told Ananias to “Go.”  Saul’s horrific sins of his past would not haunt him in the future; they would not keep the Lord from saving him or calling him into His service.  The Lord said “Go,” and Ananias “Went.”  When we sense the urging of the Lord to minister to someone, we, too, should not reject them based on their appearance or their past.  Instead, we should minister to them and make them disciples.  The Lord will extend the offer of salvation to them in the Gospel message, and, if they respond with faith, the Lord will call them into His service.  He did the same for you and for me, why not any other person?

What Should Christians Do with the Santa Claus Fantasy?

What should Christians do with the Santa Claus fantasy?

Dec 14, 2016 by Dr. Wesley C. McCarter

As a pastor, I would simply want Christian parents to carefully think through this subject, biblically and christocentrically, like every other aspect of life. My wife and I did so years ago as a married couple planning to have kids, and we consulted our closest Christian friends and mentors. To my surprise, all of the Christian friends we consulted (and it must have been at least four different couples) had come to the same conclusion when raising their own children: They chose not to reinforce the Santa Claus fantasy. Now, the application of their conclusion was varied from family to family, but they all had come to the same decision. And this confirmed our own conclusion.

Two points, among several others, seem most glaring to us when it comes to the Santa Claus fantasy: (1) The American culture (and yes, influenced by Satan himself) has sought to "steal" Christmas away from Christ; so, this is our small act of rebellion against "the machine," and (2) While we obviously want our little ones to have fun, imagine, and pretend, we also want them to know the difference between fantasy and reality. While we are not constantly saying, "Don't believe in Santa," neither are we constantly reinforcing a lie for the sake of childhood creativity. Our daughters’ creativity has certainly not been stunted by our decision to not play along on this one. Our celebration of Christmas is just as lively, fun, and exciting as any other, if not more so, and all without the big man.

I am not on the offensive here, trying to "convert Santa activists." This is just for clarification on our position, if anyone is interested. By the way, I should add that I was raised to "believe" in Santa and the Easter Bunny just like millions of others. This was not some weird, religious thing passed on to us. This was a thoughtful decision we made as Christian parents. Everyone should think it through for their own families and move on with a clear conscience.

Here is another article on the subject from a well-known Christian scholar: 

https://www.reasonablefaith.org/writings/question-answer/should-parents-let-their-children-believe-in-santa-claus/

—Peace in the Name of the One Born in Bethlehem, Wesley

Created for Work

Created for Work
 
Did you know that you were created for work? I'm serious. As much as you may dislike a certain job or aspect of a job, you were created to work. Remember all the way back to the beginning of Genesis. When God created everything, including humanity, and all of creation was said to be perfect. God said, "It is very good." Part of what was very good was the fact that Adam and Eve were placed in that Garden paradise and expected to have dominion over it. They had tasks such as naming the animals and surely things like tending to the trees and vegetation as well as maintaining the rivers and streams. Work was a part of the original and wonderful creation. So, we can say that mankind was created to work hard and to be productive.

It is a good thing to be productive during the day, and it is a good thing to be tired when you go to bed, especially if you are doing this hard work for the glory of God. And, no; you do not have to be a vocational minister of a local church in order to work for the Lord. The Bible has a lot to say about the Christian's work ethic, and these things apply to all believers.

The Proverbs remind us of the practicality of work. We have to work to eat, and there is always a profit from hard work. A strong work ethic is also satisfying for the laborer, and there is great blessing in it. We are also exhorted in the Proverbs to "commit our work to the Lord."

In the New Testament there are important passages that give an even more solid theological underpinning for our work ethic. Whatever we do, we are to "do all to the glory of God." We are to "work heartily as to the Lord and not people." Hard work allows us to take care of our own needs as well as the needs of others because we are reminded that "It is more blessed to give than to receive."

So, when you punch in at work today, or you go out to tend to your garden, or you volunteer at a local ministry, remember to do everything as to the Lord and not to simply please people. Paychecks are important, but our motivation and heart is that much more important. Think of ways to use your job to glorify the Lord!