Every day provides a golden opportunity to meet, interact with and make an impact on strangers. Unfortunately, less and less people view life in this manner. Thus, as many are simply trying to survive, most stay in their little comfort zone, coasting through life.
Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked, Acts 8:30.
The apostle Philip was called to extend the gospel beyond the Jewish community, into Samaria, Judea and into the ends of the earth. Fueled by an angelic encounter, Philip is steered toward a man from Ethiopia. However, Philip recognized he needed to find some sort of common ground before trust could be formed. When the opportunity arose, Philip earned his way on board.
“How can I,” he said, “unless someone explains it to me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him, Acts 8:31.
Seizing the moment, Philip fulfilled the great commission left behind by Jesus for his disciples. According to this event, the Ethiopian Eunuch returns home as a new believer. Although its unclear whether this man founded churches in Africa, Philip earned his way on board a chariot, planting a seed of faith which transformed this man’s life. While this isn’t easy, God is waiting for his children to earn their way on board to revive dying souls.
If you have ever taught, then you’ve heard some pretty shocking things come out of children. During my first day of teaching 7th Grade, I was surprised by the conversation within my homeroom. Apparently, several of my students had a television in their own room, able to watch a plethora of cable movies. Thus, as a new teacher in a Christian school, I couldn’t believe what was coming out of the mouths of these youth.
Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord in the hope that he may forgive you for having such a thought in your heart, Acts 8:22.
Peter had a similar encounter with an adult during the first century. Perhaps Simon was a spoiled child growing up, getting whatever he wanted. Thus, this privileged mindset led Simon to request something he would later regret. Jealous of the apostle’s healing power, Simon’s thought process led him to attempt to bribe Peter for access to the Holy Spirit. Floored by this gesture, Peter went off, demanding an immediate apology from Simon.
Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me,” Acts 8:24.
Sometimes a lack of discipline causes individuals to think out loud. Subsequently, when a careless word is spoken, repentance is necessary. Since no one is perfect, its essential to admit when you’re wrong. Thus, whether you are Simon or a participant of a verbal blunder, don’t forget to ask forgiveness for such a thought as this. The sooner you confess your wrong doings, the quicker you can experience the fullness of God’s grace.
There is a saying, like father like son. While children do inherit certain traits from their parents, this doesn’t guarantee success. According to the prophet Samuel, David possessed a special heart which craved to do the things of God. Thus, to follow the Lord requires the ability to listen to a heart which is in tune with the Holy Spirit, Galatians 5:25.
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart,” 1 Samuel 16:7.
While this sounds good in concept, David was a horrible father, setting a bad example and unable to control his own children according to 2 Samuel. Perhaps, this might explain the actions of his son Solomon. Early on, Solomon walked in the ways of the Lord, seeking wisdom rather than fame. The Hebrew word found in 1 Kings 3:9 refers to a listening heart. Thus, Solomon was blessed beyond measure, positioned for greatness.
So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 1 Kings 3:9
Unfortunately, seeing isn’t always believing. Subsequently, even if you know the right thing to do in God’s eye’s doesn’t mean you will follow through to honor God. Some where along the way, Solomon was sidetracked, succumbing to the peer pressure of ungodly wives. Essentially, Solomon began to co-worship the Lord along with the gods of the Middle East. In view of this disappointing witness, may God draw you closer to Him so that you will receive a heart that listens, trusts and obeys.
There are a couple of ways to view the term unconscious. The most obvious refers to those who are knocked out, in a comatose state. Another relates to those who appear to be senseless without a conscience. The latter can seem to be heartless, unmoved by life altering events.
And Saul approved of their killing Stephen. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria, Acts 8:1.
A well known Pharisee of the first century could be described as unconscious. After overseeing the execution of the apostle Stephen, Saul goes on a mission to snuff out Christianity within the Jewish community. During this pursuit, Saul doesn’t seem phased by the death of Christians, like he get’s his jollies out of persecuting the faith community.
But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison, Acts 8:3.
Sometimes the events of every day life can harden hearts. While some may turn to depression, others can be filled by hatred. In fact, this may explain Saul’s words in his letter to the church of Ephesus. “In your anger do not sin”: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold, Ephesians 4:26-27. If you want to avoid causing anger to poison your heart, soul and mind, take Saul’s advice. Just let it go or you too may become unconscious.
The term tapped out refers to reaching a point of emptiness, unable to go any farther. A mother breast feeding her child may hit a wall, unable to produce any more milk. Despite an infant’s cries, mom is done. A keg on a college campus is bound to dry up, tapped out from over use. However, one of the most common examples today relates to a parent or student, burning the candle at both ends until they crash and burn from sheer exhaustion.
1. Acknowledge your condition – Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray, James 5:13a.
In the prime of my life, I worked 90 hours a week as a youth pastor. On my only day off, I led a Bible Study at McDonald’s in the morning, drove to Cincinnati to meet a friend (a 90 minute drive one way) and came back by dinner time to attend an adult Bible Study which required extensive reading. Sure, this sounds like a lot, but I was young. After my wealthy church rejected a plea for a homeless guy, I let him stay on my couch at my apartment for six months. To justify my raise after one year, my responsibilities tripled to include Confirmation, Coaching High School Basketball and Helping out with Young Life.
2. Find someone to confide in – If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up, Ecclesiastes 4:10.
Sometime after the first six months, I became comfortably numb, running on fumes. Since I didn’t have anyone to intervene, I reached an emotional breaking point, unable to give anymore. Thus, 14 months after starting my dream job, what I was born to do, I was forced to take a step back. So… what do you do when you’re all tapped out? Well, I went hiking on the Appalachian Trail with a mentor from high school, a former coach and Fellowship of Christian’s Athletes director. Looking back now, most of this weekend was a blur, yet I needed to retreat before I could go any further.
3. Find a quiet place to meet with God – Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed, Mark 1:35.
Before he became king of Israel, David had his own issues. The king, who just happened to be his best friend’s dad was trying to kill him, jealous of his fame from defeating Goliath. A man without a country, David fled for a cave, encouraged by 400 men, soldiers who had became friends. Despite being anointed as king by Samuel, David had to wait and wait and wait some more. Just as the mountains served as a retreat for me, this cave was like an oasis, able to shoot the breeze, wondering where to go and what to do next. Fellowship in these close quarters likely developed friendships for a lifetime.
4. Publicly confess your sins – Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed, James 5:16a.
To provide a woman’s perspective, I can’t help but mention the woman described in Matthew 9. If you think you’ve had a tough life, just listen to her sob story. Suffering from a bleeding disorder, she saw every specialist possible until she ran out of money. Broke and still unhealed, she was probably forced to beg like the homeless. Yet, fearful of contracting what she had, this woman was forced beyond the cities gates to live among the outcasts in society. Financially tapped, healing appeared unattainable until a man named Jesus worked the earth.
5. Find rest for your soul – “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest, ” Matthew 11:28.
An old camp fire song suggests it only takes a spark to get a fire going. Yet, what happens if your heart is like damp and wet fire wood? Or how can you rekindle hope if you feel so cold and distant from God? These are the moments in life where I pray for God to reveal His love to me.
A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another,” John 13:34-35.
In their song Reveal Your Love, Esterlyn addresses this issue on their album entitled Lamps. The lyrics of this soft rock ballad implies that you can’t be the person God wants you to be until this prayer is answered. Subsequently, as you begin to sense and experience God’s love, the spiritual fire within you begins to rub off on others in the form of subtle acts of kindness.
Let all that you do be done in love, 1 Corinthians 16:14.
However, for those of you still on the outside looking in, the fire inside is growing dim. This is where we find Elijah, petrified from the death threat he receives from King Ahab’s wife, Jezebel. Depression caused this prophet to lose his will to live. With suicidal thoughts entering his mind, God appeared to Elijah in a still small voice. May this encouraging encounter with God motivate you to press on, waiting for God to reveal His love to you as well.
In sports, it doesn’t take much to decipher contenders from pretenders. As a season lingers on, the cream usually rises to the top. Sure, there will always be cinderellas or underdogs, but momentum only takes you so far. Thus, when push comes to shove, the heat of competition distinguishes champions from losers.
Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ, Romans 10:17.
Faith is not as easy to measure. Some denominations encourage a quiet faith, allowing your actions to speak for themselves. Meanwhile, other churches are vocal, focusing on evangelism, preaching and salvation. The methods used by these ministries can be offensive, rubbing outsiders the wrong way. This is when God places people in rough times so that real faith can blossom.
Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep, Acts 7:60.
One of the apostles named Stephen found himself in a life and death situation. Based upon the events of Acts 7, keeping his faith private would have saved Stephen’s life. Yet, something inside of him felt keeping quiet would be a form of compromise. Therefore, between a rock and a hard place, Stephen became one of the first Christian martyrs, stoned to death for his faith. His response to this persecution demonstrated real faith in a rough time.
One of the most dangerous jellyfish is known as a Portuguese man-of-war. Although only twelve inches long and five inches wide, tentacles can extend to up to thirty feet. Contact with any of these strands will inflict poison and pain to those who get pushed into its path by ocean currents. Since a synonym for captive is prisoner of war, anyone who wanders out into unknown waters is at risk to becoming captive to sin.
But each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed, James 1:14.
One popular idiom refers to curiosity killing the cat. This old saying suggests that following human nature can place you into harmful situations. Experimenting, flirting or indulging in sin can have lasting effects. While individuals may think, I can handle this or that, lust can intensify resulting in addiction, bad habits or poor choices. A weak spirit just might cause you to become captured by sin.
Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death, James 4:15.
In this high tech high touch culture, temptation is only a click away. Cell phone, computers and electronic devices provide unlimited access to the misguided. The byproduct of this oppression to sin has breed war zones in some communities. Meanwhile, others hide their problems until the next explosive story exposes and uncovers secret sins. For anyone still fighting a losing battle, may God show you the way out of your dire situation, 1 Corinthians 10:13.
If you want to get a pulse on how people are doing today, just listen to a group of unhappy teenagers. Although being around a losing team, the down trodden and less fortunate may paint an inaccurate picture, spirits of optimism seem to be disappearing. Whether its listening to the rants of co-workers, observing body language or viewing a news telecast, negativity is taking over.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals,” 1 Corinthians 15:33.
When I was younger, during my junior high years, I battled depression. Maybe this is normal, a phase of adolescence, yet positivity was lacking from my life. I guess you could say I was a Debbie downer, able to suck the life out of any room that I entered. Until one of my classmates committed suicide in eighth grade, life didn’t seem worth living.
Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man, Proverbs 22:24.
However, sometime between eighth and tenth grade, a series of events led me out of this negative mentality. A teacher, youth group and spirit of emptiness set the stage for rebirth. While I resisted change for two years, my heart wasn’t ready to accept Christ until the world dealt me a hand of disappointment. Perhaps, optimism remains invisible today until the Holy Spirit breathes new life into dead and dying souls. God willing, this trend of pessimism will be reversed to spawn a revival of optimism.
In the 1990 classic Pretty Woman, Richard Gere plays a powerful man who buys failing businesses, sells off their assets and makes money on the demise of others. Starting off as a heartless human being, a rendezvous with Julia Roberts begins a subtle transformation. During his next business deal, Gere realizes that money can’t buy happiness or love, something his business partners could not fathom.
Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, Acts 8:9.
During the first century, there was a famous sorcerer named Simon. Citizens of Samaria were in awe of Simon’s powers. Yet, when Simon began to witness Philip’s ability to heal and perform miracles, jealousy consumed his soul. Desperate to obtain more power, Simon thought he could persuade the apostles to purchase the Holy Spirit. Unfortunately, this too can’t be bought, only available by God’s grace through faith.
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, Acts 8:18.
While money may curry favor with friends initially, maintaining friendships requires dedication, effort and hard work. Money is simply a vehicle to access resources most individuals don’t have. Yet, temporary treasures often fade away leaving a distant memory of the glory days. In view of this reality, may you spend your remaining days of earth investing in family, faith and relationships that will continue in eternity.
