Missions Paul

Sex, meat and black pudding

Acts 15:20

“Instead we should write to them, telling them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals and from blood.”

James has been supporting Peter and Paul saying that the Gentiles do not need to be circumcised in order to prove their salvation. It is never Jesus plus.
But now James clearly shows that for everyone who comes to salvation it is most definitely Jesus less. Jesus less their sin.
You cannot bring all your baggage with you. There is a weight allowance.
This is not a compromise for circumcision. This is not about working for salvation or some performance.

1.Idol-polluted food: this is not just food, that is not the focus. It is ‘idol-polluted.’
Throughout the Bible we are told not to associate with idols. Much of the Gentile food was linked to worship of gods. We are prohibited within the 10 Commandments to worship other gods in anyway.

2. Idol-polluted immorality: we are living in days of deep debate over sexual practice within the Church. But James here is referring to the common and well known sexual activity that was associated with idolatry.

3. Idol-polluted animal meat and blood: Nothing is mentioned about the strangulation of animals. However, we do know that Paul believed that the demonic spirits were involved in idolatry (1 Cor 10:20). Early Christian writers wrote that if we ate strangulated animals the blood will still be in them and we may well partake with the demonic (Origen).

So the whole point is this: come to Jesus but let go of idolatry.
It is not about food, sex, meat from strangled animals or black pudding (thankfully!)
It is about idols.
Idols are things we look to in order to find God.
Idols are found in the world but are in the church.
We idolise people, places, programmes and we become in danger of worshipping those things, they move from idols to gods.
Jesus only.
It is not Jesus plus circumcision.
But it is Jesus less idolatry.
Don’t idolise food. Consume food don’t let food consume you.
Don’t idolise sex. Sex doesn’t define you nor should it saturate your life.
Don’t idolise the demonic. The demons are here in every culture, look around, find them, some reading this will point to the witch-doctor and others will point to the horoscope. Find them then unfollow them.

Jesus less.

 

Let them come.

Acts 15:19 “It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.”

Let’s make it easy for people to find God.

Let them see our love in the Church and our love for the world

Let them see a surrendered Church, that we have been to the cross.

Let them see our acts of kindness.

Let them see our acceptance of all people.

Let them see our grace and forgiveness.

Let them see our hands reached out towards them.

Let them see an alive Church.

Let them see a Church that has come out from the grave.

Let them see a Church not stuck in death and religion but moving in life and relationship with Jesus.

Let them see their experience of God is as valuable as the other person.

Let them see there is no class, no distinction, God’s children are equal.

Let them see that their identity is not defined in anyway by this world but by Christ. Let them see a powerful Church.

Let them see the river flowing with many streams of water.

Let them see a Church that believes the best is yet to come.

Let’s not make it difficult for people. Let them see Christ, His body, the Church.

 

 

He has known

Acts 15:18

“…things known from long ago.”

James is quoting Amos in the defence of the gospel being given to the Gentiles. In 5 words he reminds us that God has known about the Gentiles and what He would do a long time ago.

We serve and worship a God who has known from long ago.

What has He known?

Everything!

All His works! James sees that Amos proves that all the things God does were planned by Him a long time ago. The conversion of the Gentiles wasn’t some new thing. It had been thought of and then spoken of by God throughout the prophetic periods of time.

The new thing that is taking place in your life, which you may enjoy or maybe stretching you, God knew.

As I embark on what seems to be the greatest challenge of my life I rest assured in His unfailing grace and His predetermined plan for my life. This challenge He ordained before I was born. The same is true for you.

If there is any comfort I can bring to you today it is this, He has known. If He has known then He also knows how it will turn out. If He knows how it will turn out it means He will be there on results day, on the judgment day, on assessment day or whatever day you face ahead of you.

For me it is enough He has known what is happening now and what will happen tomorrow and that Him being there for me is all that I need, whatever the outcome.

 

God changes us not man

Acts 15:17 “that the rest of mankind may seek the Lord, even all the Gentiles who bear my name, says the Lord, who does these things”

James is quoting Amos to defend his position that circumcision is not needed for salvation.

Amos generations ago said this new work of God would happen, the work of salvation for the Gentiles. More importantly there is no mention that the Gentiles have to change to become Jews, they remain Gentiles bearing the name of God.

Isn’t that amazing?! No man will change people who belong to me says God. God does the changing not man.

An eternal lesson that is still appropriate even for us Gentiles in our generation. Demanding people who are saved by God to change in order to be accepted into the church or into our clique is the same problem that James was having. So put the list of rules away and let us all follow the Spirit and let God bring about the change not anyone else. Amen?

He rebuilds

 

Acts 15:16 “‘After this I will return and rebuild David’s fallen tent. Its ruins I will rebuild, and I will restore it”

 

So James uses Amos 9:11-12 and he sees very simply that the Judaism in his generation had rejected the Messiah and in doing so had fallen down. But the new work of God was that he would begin to build the church made up of Jew and Gentile.

 

Whatever has fallen down God can rebuild. It may because of our doing or just simply the circumstance of life. But God is the lifter of my life, is He yours?

 

He rebuilds me and He restores me. And I come forward again.

 

Do you know what I am saying? Do you know this God today?

 

 

Keep reading and referring.

 Acts 15:15 “The words of the prophets are in agreement with this”

James is now supporting Simon Peter’s objection against circumcision as the need for the proof of salvation. How does he support it? Through Scripture.

This is a new work of God, so is there anything in the Scripture that suggests that this is indeed a work of God? That is James’ stance. He knew there was. Everyone knew the Scriptures he would quote. He doesn’t need to say who the prophets were, they knew, they had memorised the verses.

Is there anything in the prophets regarding the move of God amongst the Gentiles? Absolutely!

In the same way todays Church/Christians need to weigh up things that are attributed to God with a Bible in hand.

Over a decade ago during years of renewal in the western Church I heard a teaching from a well-known preacher which asked the question: who is higher the Bible or God? He went on to explain that not everything has to be found in the Bible because God is eternal and the Bible will pass away. It all seemed to make sense as we were caught up in a new move of the Spirit. On reflection is was a rubbish defence of what the Spirit was doing because it suggested that new moves of God would mean we would have to put our Bibles down and not pick them up. He didn’t need to use this defence and it wasn’t helpful.

For over 10 years I have written this devotional blog though in different forms simply because I want people to keep holding their Bibles and not put them down. Thank you for being one of those who are Bible readers.

The Bible is described as:

A lamp: “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path”. Psalm 110:105.

Milk: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation”. 1 Peter 2:2

A sword: “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.” Ephesians 6:17

A seed: “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God.” Luke 8:11

Over the years I have learnt the following about Bible reading:

It is a discipline. There are times when I do not want to read the Bible or I may be really busy and think I have not enough time. But I have to re-adjust my life to make sure I have the time.

I read the Bible in a language that makes sense to me. I read the Bible with three translations before me. The NIV, the Message and the Amplified. It enables me to more fully understand the text.

I read it with imagination. I put myself in the place of the characters and try to understand what is taking place for them. I keep asking questions throughout the passage and let the questions be challenging ones to yourself.

I always ask myself “how does this apply to me?” Is it helping me with the truths of my faith?

Is it teaching me? Is it asking for my obedience? Is it calling for a worshipful response? If it is symbolic language, is there an obvious meaning behind the words?

Church synods will continually meet throughout the generations till the return of Christ and hopefully they will continue to refer to the Bible and never say the Bible needs updating to fit modern times.

More importantly Christians need to continue to hold their Bibles every day of their life and let it guide and guard their lives.

The first thing

Acts 15:14
“Simon has described to us how God at first showed his concern by taking from the Gentiles a people for himself.”

The first thing is not the only thing.

At first God created the heavens and the earth but there was more to come.

God asks for consecration of the firstborn, the giving of first fruits and the first tithe, the resting of the first day, but God demands our whole life, our all.

Jesus called his first disciples, they were Simon and Andrew, but there were more to come.

James is showing in what he says that though God started with the Jews He wasn’t ending there.

We need to learn that the first thing is not the only thing.

It shows there is more to come.

What is now may and will develop. The idea may be great but it is the initial concept of a whole plan. What is now may be miraculous but it is a seed for miracles to come.

Look back on your life and see where God started and now look at what has come from that beginning. Look at you now! God at first did this … but then this happened!

If God has plans to do something new even now in your life then be ready for a whole adventure to begin.

The first thing is not the only thing.

 

Friends, I am in Uganda but about to go off line for a few days I think, as I am heading into internet dodgy zone! So I have pre-loaded some devotions to carry us over the next few days. However I am not trusting this internet access and you may get some out of sync. If you get a devotional blog ahead of the day it should have been sent please accept my apology and work it out yourself !!

James the back-up friend

Acts 15:13 ‘When they finished, James spoke up: “Brothers, listen to me.”
James was that friend we all need when fighting our corner.
He was not James of the Twelve, he had been killed by Herod. This was another James, a leader who was well known to the church in Jerusalem. He was the half- brother of Jesus, the brother of Jude and he wrote the book of James.

We need this kind of friend.
Not the first one to speak up necessarily.
But the one who listens.
The one who waits until you have finished
The one who knows this is their time, their moment.
The one who will then support what you have said from their understanding of the situation.
A back-up friend.

 

CLIFF, AAVA AND DAVE.

Acts 15: 12 “The whole assembly became silent as they listened to Barnabas and Paul telling about the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.”

Last Sunday in Church I met Cliff. He used to be part of a skinhead gang, homeless, and a violent drunkard. He had all the hallmarks to back that up. His forehead has an array of tattoos which I couldn’t work out whether they carried a message or were abstract. But he had met Jesus and now carries the hallmark of Christ. He is a follower of Jesus and has become a sign to others of what God can do in a broken man. He brings people to Church and is telling others of Jesus.

Last Sunday in the same church I met Aava, she is only 12 years of age. She comes from Finland and from a broken home. I had noticed her worshipping earlier. She was kneeling in worship with her head facing the floor. I thought how beautiful it was to see a young person worshipping in this way. Aava told me how she had a vision of Christ when she was younger. How Jesus came to her in her room and brought strength and peace to her life. She is a wonder.

Last Sunday in the same church I met Dave. He had been a missionary in The Gambia. He had been impacted by the stories I had told. He shared his own story of how the enemy broke his body when he had been captured in that nation and the pain he carries for his friends who died because of torture. But as he told his story I saw Jesus in him.

You see my friends, in your church there are stories of signs and wonders that continually need to be told.

Silence the congregation with the stories of the Church.