One secret to perseverance

Illustration from Lyman Abbot Commentary on Acts

Oriental Prayer Meeting

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13-14; Psalm 125

TO CHEW ON: "So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus." Acts 13:4

What strikes me about the disciples here is their lack of personal agendas. They have no five-year plan to evangelize the world. There seem to be only two items on their to-do list: hear and follow God's instructions.

When those instructions come via the Holy Spirit saying "Separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them" there is immediate obedience. No hanging back with—'Well, we had planned to visit our families, take a vacation, write a book…'

Their sense of being appointed and sent by God Himself on this mission was, I think, key to how they would handle what was ahead on this, Paul's first missionary journey (called Saul here, but his name was later changed to Paul). They didn't know it yet, but they would face opposition from a sorcerer, city-to-city hassling by the Jews, the desertion of a team member,  the threat of stoning in one place and actual stoning in another (Acts 13 & 14).

The lesson I take from this is  that I too need to listen to God's voice when I see opportunities to be sure that what I take on is by His leading and not my own idea. I need to be open to new tasks in areas I hadn't even considered. And when I don't hear anything specific, I need to be content to carry on faithfully with what I'm doing, knowing He is perfectly able to let me know when it's time to change course.

This sense of God's call is important because it is sure that I, that you, will face opposition, discouragement, misunderstanding, maybe even threats and physical danger while on Kingdom assignments. The knowledge that God has called us to any specific task will help us to persevere.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for this clear picture of how You worked in Bible times. Help me to be as available as Paul and Barnabas were, and to follow Your direction, knowing that if You call me to a job, You will see me through it no matter what comes my way. Amen.

PSALM TO PRAY: Psalm 125

The Bible Project VIDEO: Acts - Part 2 of 2 (Ch. 13-28) Read Scripture Series 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Hope for quitters

Image: Pixabay

TODAY’S SPECIAL: Acts 15:36-41

TO CHEW ON: “Now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called Mark. But Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work.” Acts 15:37,38

A disagreement over taking John Mark with them (Paul and Barnabas) on Paul’s second trip resulted in a split. Paul went with Silas to Syria and Cilicia while Barnabas and his cousin John Mark sailed to Cyprus.

We might view this as a blot on the church’s history. It’s what so easily happens when leaders have different styles and they clash. Barnabas’s style was encouragement. He had launched Paul himself into ministry. Paul seems to have been more idealistic (You never quit) and practical (We don’t want quitters on this trip!).

But it seems that it all worked out for the good. Though Barnabas is never again mentioned in Acts, Paul’s letters speak of John Mark as a co-worker, testimony to the wisdom of giving him this second chance (Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24). In addition, John Mark went on to write the Gospel of Mark (scholars date its writing sometime after the deaths of Peter and Paul—65-70 A.D.).

My Bible’s introductory notes to Mark’s Gospel make this observation about the book:

“Mark’s Gospel teaches that the life of discipleship means following Jesus along the same path of misunderstanding and rejection that He encountered. For followers of Jesus in all ages the warning and promise are sure: ‘Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it’ - Mark 8:34,35)” - J. Lyle Story, Introduction to Mark, New Spirit-Filled Life Bible, p. 1347 (emphasis added).

Perhaps Mark’s emphasis on Jesus’ self-denial message was birthed by his disappointment in himself when he refused to deny himself and quit. Sometimes our most positive life lessons begin with a negative experience.

PRAYER: Dear Jesus, thank You for using even the bad things on our resumés by redeeming them for good (Romans 8:28). Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Are you a quitter?

Barnabas & Paul disagree - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13:13-26

TO CHEW ON: "Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John departing from them, returned to Jerusalem." Acts 13:13

Have you ever been a quitter? I have. It's not a good feeling when you're in the middle of it, and the fact that you've quit can come back to bite you.

Here Luke slips into his story, almost like an aside, the fact that John (John Mark - Acts 15:37) leaves their ministry party at this time—no reason given. Later, how significant a fact it becomes when, on the next missionary jaunt Barnabas wants to take John Mark with them again but Paul refuses (Acts 15:37-38).

Both dig in their heels, a rift develops, and one missionary team becomes two as Barnabas takes Mark and they sail to Cypress while Paul finds Silas to accompany him through Syria and Cilicia.

The Bible isn't kind to quitters. Some things it says to those with such an attitude:

• Jesus says the person "…having put his hand to the plow, and looking back…") is not fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).

• In another place He talks about how impossible it is to serve two masters (Matthew 6:24).

• Paul describes those driven by doubt as "tossed to and fro and carried about…" (Ephesians 4:14).

• James uses the same sea metaphor and calls doubters "double-minded" (James 1:6,8).

So what if we've quit. Have we blown our whole lives?

Not necessarily. There was another chance for John Mark. In the end, the fallout between Paul and Barnabas resulted in two missionary parties going out. And this was the Mark who later wrote Gospel of Mark.

We may not be able to undo our giving up but we can learn from it:

- The importance of perseverance.

- The importance of relying on God and not ourselves when we're tempted to give up (James 4:8).

- The fact that with God in the equation, nothing is too hard: "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Philippians 4:13).

PRAYER: Dear God, please alert me to attitudes that precede quitting, like self-pity, comparing myself to others, laziness… Help me to remember that with You I can do anything You ask. Amen. 

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

The impression of a life

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13:1-12


TO CHEW ON: "As they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul to the work to which I have called them.'" Acts 13:2

Some Bible characters are depicted in more glowing terms than others. Barnabas is one of those about which it's hard to find anything bad.

He first appeared early in Acts as one of the believers who sold his property and gave the money to the apostles. Perhaps it was this lightness of possessions that made it possible for him to play the prominent role he did in the early church. Here are some other things we discover about him as we follow him through the New Testament:

• His brand was encouragement.

Right from the outset he was known as an encourager with his real name Joses replaced by the nickname Barnabas - "Son of Encouragement" - Acts 4:36-37.

• He championed the cause of the outsider.

He brought Saul/Paul into the fellowship in Jerusalem when everyone else was afraid of him (Acts 9:27). Then he encouraged a Gentile church plant (Acts 11:22-24).

• He was trustworthy.

He was chosen by the Antioch church to courier an offering to famine-stricken believers in Judea (Acts 11:30).

• He was useful for the spread of the gospel.

In our reading today, we see that the Holy Spirit singled him out, with Paul, for a special assignment - Acts 13:1-2.

• He was tough.

He endured persecution, and gladly - Acts 13:50-52. In fact he had a reputation for risking his life for Jesus and the Gospel - Acts 15:25-26.

• He wasn't a free-loader.

He labored, along with Paul, at a day-job to cover his expenses - 1 Corinthians 9:6.

• He was content to let his student shine.

He went out of his way to get Paul involved in the church, but once Paul came into his own, Barnabas let him take the limelight as the chief speaker - Acts 14:12.

But even Barnabas wasn't perfect.

• He was stubborn determined

Because he was fixed on his plan to take his cousin John Mark with them on a second missionary journey (JM had proved himself a quitter by leaving them on a previous trip), the Paul-and-Barnabas-duo split up - Acts 15:36-39.

• He could be influenced by the wrong crowd.

He let himself be swayed by those Christian leaders who counseled that they separate themselves from uncircumcised Gentiles — a move that Paul labeled hypocritical - Galatians 2:13.

All in all, though, this overview of Barnabas leaves us with the impression of a life well lived. It brings me to the question what would the various snippets of my life add up to if someone gathered them into a list of characteristics, as I have done with Barnbas's? What about yours?

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Bible characters like Barnabas, whose human failings assure me that You use even the imperfect. May the final impression of my life be as positive as Barnabas's is. Amen.

MORE: The Feast of St. Barnabas

Today is the Feast of St. Barnabas. The liturgy for today begins with this collect:

"Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well-­being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Barnabas—extraordinarily ordinary

Paul and Barnabas sent - Artist unknown

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 11:19-12:5

TO CHEW ON: "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith." Acts 11:24

In the New Testament we have many major characters like Peter, John, and Paul on whom we often focus. But there are also minor ones like Barnabas—a man Luke describes as "a good man full of the Holy Spirit and faith." What qualities of character and action did he have to merit such a description? In our reading today Barnabas lives out five.

Barnabas was:

Perceptive.
We can conclude this because the disciples chose him to check out what was happening in Antioch with the new Greek converts. And when he got to Antioch, he recognized that God was at work there (Acts 11:22,23).

Positive and encouraging.
What he saw when he arrived in Antioch made him glad and he encouraged them all (Acts 11:23).

A worker who served the crowd.
He rolled up his sleeves and pitched in, working beside the original evangelists. His faith and Holy Spirit-empowered life accounted for many more conversions (Acts 11:24).

A worker who focused on one.
He remembered that new convert Saul, the one everyone had earlier feared because of his reputation for persecuting believers. But Barnabas had trusted him and introduced Saul to the fellowship in Jerusalem sometime back (Acts 9:26-30). Now he went to Tarsus to fetch Saul and add him to the Antioch ministry team (Acts 11:25,26).

Honest with money.
When Agabus prophesied a famine for Judea the believers (now called Christians) took up an offering and sent Barnabas and Saul to Judea with it.

I don't know what you picture when you hear that someone is full of the Holy Spirit and faith. A person who performs miracles? A powerful orator? Someone who lives a notch above us everyday plodders?

I love this picture of Barnabas whose life is a demonstration of how ordinary are the qualities the Spirit uses: discernment, a positive encouraging attitude, a work ethic, an awareness of others' strengths and where they could be of use in the church, and reliability and honesty.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for the example of Barnabas. Help me not to spurn the lowly character qualities that, when empowered by Your Spirit and faith, can enable us to accomplish much in Your kingdom. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Barnabas

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 11:19-25

TO CHEW ON: "When he (Barnabas) came and he had seen the grace of God, he was glad, and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord." Acts 11:23-24

A while ago I read a book called How You Leave Them Feeling.* In it, author Jesse Ferrell puts forth the thesis that you will succeed in business, indeed in life, to the extent that you leave people feeling good about themselves. I think Mr. Ferrell would have approved of Barnabas.

Barnabas was from a Jewish Cypriot priestly family. John Mark was his cousin (Acts 4:36) He is mentioned often in Acts. Here are some of the qualities that endeared him to his fellow Christians and continue to make him a model for us today.

1. He was generous. He was one of the early Christians who sold his property and gave the proceeds to the church (Acts 4:34-36) while at the same time remaining self-supporting (1 Corinthians 9:5,6).

2. He was a welcoming person and an encourager. When some in the Jerusalem church suspected that the newly converted Saul was actually a spy, Barnabas accepted his story at face-value and introduced him to the top leadership (Acts 9:27)

3. He was an astute judge of talents and gifts. When he saw the way the Gentiles were flocking to the Lord in Antioch, he set out to find Saul (later Paul) as just the right person to get involved (our reading today).

4. He was a team player. When Agabus prophesied a famine and the Antioch Christians took up an offering for fellow-believers in Judea, Barnabas and Saul delivered the "relief"(Acts 11:28-30). Later, Barnabas accompanied Saul/Paul on what we now call Paul's first missionary journey. (Acts 13:2,3)

5. He let others shine. It looks like during that first missionary journey, Barnabas relinquished the leadership role he had in his relationship with Paul. Note how Luke at first refers to them as Barnabas and Saul, then later it's always Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:2,3 vs. Acts 13:43,46)

6. He championed the underdog.  He spoke on behalf of the Gentiles (Acts 15:12).

7. He believed in second chances. When Paul didn't want to take John Mark with them on another trip because he had deserted them earlier, Barnabas stood up for the young man, insisting that he should come. Their disagreement led to Paul and Barnabas splitting from each other and forming two outreach teams (Acts 15:36-41).

I love the picture our reading in Acts 11 paints of him. The first thing we see is a smile: "he was glad" (vs 23). He encouraged them - was an optimist and positive, not negative; someone who looked for a way something could be done instead of reasons why it couldn't. He is described as a "good man" (vs. 24). That could mean lots of things. I take it to mean he was honest, fair and kind. Finally, Luke also describes him as "full of the Holy Spirit and faith" (vs. 24).  I wish I could have met him.

PRAYER: Dear God, please help me to learn about living the Christian life from people like Barnabas. Amen.

MORE: Feast of St. Barnabas

Today is the celebration of the Feast of St. Barnabas on the church calendar. Here is the Collect that begins the liturgy for this day.

Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well­being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

*My review of How You Leave Them Feeling.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

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The Elymas spirit

Elymas the Sorcerer Struck With Blindness - Raphael

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 13:1-12

TO CHEW ON: "But Elymas the sorcerer (for so his name is translated) withstood them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith." Acts 13:8

Elymas the sorcerer "withstood" Paul. Withstood - anthestemi means to oppose vigorously, bravely resist, stand face-to-face resisting. This word is where we get our word antihistamine—something that stands against and opposes the histamine in our bodies that cause allergic reactions. It is used in Ephesians 6:13 to describe how the Christian puts on the armour of God to be able "to withstand in the evil day and having done all to stand."

Here Elymas is offering such opposition to Paul—probably arguing against, making objections to, belittling, making fun of, mocking what Paul and Barnabas are attempting to explain of the gospel to Sergius Paulus.

Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, sees into this ploy of Satan himself. In a moment of intense spiritual confrontation Paul exposes what's going on when he says to Elymas, " 'O full of all deceit and all fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease perverting the straight ways of the Lord?' " And then he pronounces temporary physical blindness on the man.

This story reminds me of people in public life, but also some I know personally, who withstand the gospel in this way. A couple of things.

• The intellectual questions that they bring up are not usually the real barriers to faith. Satisfy one and they'll pose another. That's because the root issue is moral and one of the will, one of not wanting to surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

• Openly naming the demonic root behind such withstanding—like Paul does with Elymas—I'm not sure that's always a good idea especially if the arguer is someone close to us. But we can certainly pray about this kind of spiritual resistance with insight and wait on the Holy Spirit to nudge us about when to say more and what and how to say it.

PRAYER: Dear God, help me to recognize the Elymas spirit, not only in others but in myself. Help me to resist and expose it with the help of Your Holy Spirit. Amen.

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Unless otherwise noted all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Big cheese or Barnabas leadership?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 11:19-30

TO CHEW ON: "When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord." Acts 11:23

In a guest blog post on Michael Hyatt's blog, Jeremie Kubicek (author of Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It) says, "To be a true influencer in the lives of those you lead, you must understand a simple but powerful question. It is one your followers are asking. It goes like this: 'Are you for me, against me, or for yourself?'"

The early Christians who started a church in Antioch with Gentile members (Hellenists) would have said Barnabas was for them. For when the Jerusalem elders found out about this unheard-of thing (Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus in great numbers) and sent Barnabas to check it out he "was glad" and "encouraged them."

In fact after spending some time with this vital and growing body, he had an idea.  He fetched the relatively new Christian Saul (Paul) to help, and in this way encouraged the launch of another apostolic career.

The writer of Acts — Luke — was so impressed with Barnabas, he interjected his own author aside: "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith" - Acts 11:24. His short description of Barnabas is a good standard for other-centered Christian leadership of all kinds. This noteworthy leader was:

- a good man.
I read this and think — man with a clear conscience, without obvious personality flaws, someone who, after you spent time with, you would feel better, cleaner, nobler than before. His goodness ruled out jealousy, envy, personal ambition allowing him to embody the quality of love that prefers others above oneself.

- full of the Holy Spirit.
The observable difference the Holy Spirit brought to the lives of the early Christians included authority, power, and a certain nonchalance when it came to being intimidated by lesser authorities. Barnabas's life must have had that sense of moving to the beat of a different drummer.

- full of faith.
Barnabas was a "yes" man. He believed in God and others. Full-of-faith people are positive, optimistic, aware that with God things are possible that could never happen without Him.

I ask myself, how would my followers respond to Mr. Kubicek's question about my leadership. What would your followers say about yours? If they would say that we are first and foremost for ourselves or worse, against them, perhaps Barnabas and his leadership model have something to teach us.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Barnabas's example of good leadership. Please give me insights into the way I lead others. Help me to be for them. Amen.

MORE: Feast of St. Barnabas
Today the church celebrates the Feast of St. Barnabas. The liturgy for today begins with this collect:

"Grant, O God, that we may follow the example of your faithful servant Barnabas, who, seeking not his own renown but the well­being of your Church, gave generously of his life and substance for the relief of the poor and the spread of the Gospel; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen."

(From the archives)

Big cheese or Barnabas leadership?

TODAY'S SPECIAL: Acts 11:19-30

TO CHEW ON: "When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord." Acts 11:23

In a recent guest blog post on Michael Hyatt's blog, Jeremie Kubicek (author of Leadership is Dead: How Influence is Reviving It) says, "To be a true influencer in the lives of those you lead, you must understand a simple but powerful question. It is one your followers are asking. It goes like this: 'Are you for me, against me, or for yourself?'"

The early Christians who started a church in Antioch with Gentile members (Hellenists) would have said Barnabas was for them. For when the Jerusalem elders found out about this unheard-of thing (Gentiles coming to faith in Jesus in great numbers) and sent Barnabas to check it out he "was glad" and "encouraged them."

In fact after spending some time with this vital and growing body, he had an idea.  He fetched the relatively new Christian Saul (Paul) to help, and in this way encouraged the launch of another apostolic career.

The writer of Acts — Luke — was so impressed with Barnabas, he interjected his own author aside: "For he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith" - Acts 11:24. His short description of Barnabas is a good standard for other-centered Christian leadership of all kinds. This noteworthy leader was:

- a good man.
I read this and think — man with a clear conscience, without obvious personality flaws, someone who, after you spent time with, you would feel better, cleaner, nobler than before. His goodness ruled out jealousy, envy, personal ambition allowing him to embody the quality of love that prefers others above oneself.

- full of the Holy Spirit.
The observable difference the Holy Spirit brought to the lives of the early Christians included authority, power, and a certain nonchalance when it came to being intimidated by lesser authorities. Barnabas's life must have had that sense of moving to the beat of a different drummer.

- full of faith.
Barnabas was a "yes" man. He believed in God and others. Full-of-faith people are positive, optimistic, aware that with God things are possible that could never happen without Him.

I ask myself, how would my followers respond to Mr. Kubicek's question about my leadership. What would your followers say about yours? If they would say that we are first and foremost for ourselves or worse, against them, perhaps Barnabas and his leadership model have something to teach us.

PRAYER: Dear God, thank You for Barnabas's example of good leadership. Please give me insights into the way I lead others. Help me to be for them. Amen.

MORE: More on the focus of leadership

Kubicek goes on to say:

"I have had dozens of leaders that I have appreciated who have been deeply focused on themselves first and foremost. The problem is that they are not memorable. Therefore, they are not significant in my life.

Oh, but I do remember those who were for me. Not only do I remember them, I revere them and value them as leaders and friends. These leaders believed in me, listened to me and appreciated my gifts. Not only that, but they intently invested in my life in significant and valuable ways."

Read all of "The most important question you will ever be asked as a leader"