July 20, 2022 – Words of Wisdom, Laura Bailey (Christian Author)

Anything other than an intimate relationship with our heavenly Father leaves us dissatisfied, discontent and disappointed. – Laura Bailey

^“The hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number became believers and turned to the Lord. News of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.When he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast devotion,for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were brought to the Lord. Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,and when he had found him he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for an entire year they met with the church and taught a great many people, and it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called “Christians.” Acts 11:21-26

Companionship

St. Barnabas was a companion of St. Paul in the early ministry of the Church. He was highly regarded for his preaching and the effectiveness of his witness. It appears that Barnabas lived with the earliest Christians in Jerusalem. He was one of the first to welcome St. Paul, the former persecutor of the early Church as an Apostle. Paul and Barnabas were missionaries to the Gentiles. Traveling with them was John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas. At one point, John Mark left Barnabas and Paul but returned once some of the heaviest persecutions they encountered had subsided. Once they were together again, Barnabas wanted Paul and John Mark to continue their travels with him, but Paul fell out with John Mark–perhaps because John Mark had abandoned them at Perga. Although little is known of the subsequent career of Barnabas it appears he was still living and laboring as an Apostle in 56 or 57, when Paul wrote I Corinthians. He was believed to be martyred sometime in 61 AD.  

I tell people often that one of the most important words in this life is not “plastics” (aka “The Graduate), instead it is “relationships”. In all aspects of our lives we have opportunities to form important if not meaningful relationships – with your family, with your work-mates, with your pharmacist, your bank teller, your funeral director, the guy or gal who collects your grocery carts. In the case of Paul, Barnabas and John Mark, their individual relationships helped to spark the amazing growth of the early Christian Church. And even if their relationships did sour over time, they continued separately what they had started together – making disciples of Jesus Christ.

Always be mindful of your relationships. Cultivate and nurture them in the manner of Christ and the early Apostles. When we strive together to be in relationship with Jesus, and strive together to be in relationship with one another, our lives will truly be richer for our relationship with G-d and our companionship with each other.

Let us pray

Lord Jesus, your relationship with the Father is the relationship we are to model. Help me to find unity with all people in the same manner you and the Father were one. Amen.

Pastor Dave

July 19, 2022 – Words of Wisdom, Lynn Cowell (Author)

With the power of the Holy Spirit, we can step out even if we don’t know how it will turn out. -Lynn Cowell

“Now the apostles and the brothers and sisters who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners, and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’ This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter; he will give you a message by which you and your entire household will be saved.’And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as it had upon us at the beginning.And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’If then God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could hinder God?” When they heard this, they were silenced. And they praised God, saying, “Then God has given even to the gentiles the repentance that leads to life.” Acts 11:1-18

Visioning

Peter has a vision, and it takes him some time to figure out what it means – what G-d is possibly trying to say to him. Visions are not always clear and understandable. Often the person who has the vision needs someone else to help them interpret the message. But isn’t it nice to know that even for the disciples, those closest to Jesus, even they did not always understand what was happening? 

I would suggest to you today that our understanding of G-d’s will and interpreting what G-d might be saying to us takes the same kind of discernment. The discernment process often includes a series of revelations and periods of contemplation which may take place over a few weeks of months or even over the vast majority of our lives. But it is through the “Aha” experiences of our lives that G-d’s will becomes ever more clear and evident.  

No, our experiences may not be as startling as Peter’s vision, but they can be just as life changing.

Let us pray,

Lord Jesus, you speak to us in so many different ways. Speak to me today, whether through visions or experiences or words – help me to remain open.

Amen

Pastor Dave