The Joy of Glory

Acts 9:1-22 (click here)
But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven shone around him. And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?” And he said, “Who are you, Lord?” And he said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” (Acts 9:1-5)

Reflection
My children fight on occasion. I know that is shocking. I mean… siblings fighting is such a strange thing, right? Well, they do fight and sometimes things may even get physical. I have a “zero tolerance” policy for such violence between my children. They are not allowed to push, pull, hit, smack, shove, bite, or touch one another in any other way that expresses anger.

If they do, then the offending party always gets the same speech which I emphatically conclude with the words, “No one hurts my child and gets away with it… no one!”

My bond with my children is so close that any attack against their well-being might as well be an attack against me! I think we all know this feeling whether we have children or not. Perhaps you have felt this kind of bond with a sibling and no one was allowed to pick on your brother or sister (except you of course). Or perhaps you have felt such a bond with a significant other, or even a really close friend.

We all know what it is like to be bonded with another so that their hurt is our hurt. Their pain is our pain.

In an even greater, deeper way this is true of the bond between Christ and his church! In Acts 9, Saul sets out to continue persecuting the disciples of Jesus, but when Jesus himself appears to Saul on the road to Damascus he asks, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting ME?… I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.”

In persecuting the church, Saul was persecuting Christ! When people come after you, insult you, and harm you… Jesus says they are doing it to him and God will bring that to an end for no one hurts his child and gets away with it… no one!

Yes, we will experience persecution and suffering now, but the day is coming when Christ will right all wrongs and justice will be done! Persecutors like Saul will not get away with what they have done! Their sin will either be judged through the cross of Christ because they repent and trust in him (such was the case with Saul) or they will bear the weight of their own sin and its judgment will fall on them. Either way, justice will be done when Christ’s kingdom comes!

Oh Christian, take heart when the world comes against you for Christ has overcome the world! When they come against you, they are coming against him… and he has already overcome them! That will be proven true, and it will be proven true for you! Take heart… no one hurts his child and gets away with it… no one!

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Acts 2:1-41 (click here)
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter aid to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:37-38 and 41)

Reflection
Cut after cut after cut… through whips and thorns, hammers and nails… cut after cut after cut was applied to the flesh of Christ.

…cut in order to kill…

Then, just over a month later many of those people hear the news from the lips of Peter that they may have cut Christ in order to kill him, but he rose from the dead!

And now… cut after cut after cut… through the gospel good news… cut after cut after cut was applied to the hearts of the crowd.

But these were cuts in order to heal…

The people were cut to the heart, but like a surgeon, healing was the aim of this incision! The Gospel cuts… but it cuts in order to heal!

They repented when convicted. They were baptized… immersed into a new relationship with God through Christ by the Spirit. Immersed into a new identity as a child of God. The good news cut away an old life as they received new life in the Spirit!

This is what the Gospel does in us! And this is what the Gospel does when we speak it boldly in the power of the Holy Spirit. Yes… it cuts… but it cuts in order to heal. Often we fear to speak the Gospel because we know it will bring offense, it will hurt for many to hear it, it will cut them to the heart. But, we must remember the aim of Gospel incisions… healing and wholeness in Christ!

Do not fear to take up the surgeon’s knife of the Gospel of Jesus Christ! Remember that it once cut you to your core but are you not eternally grateful that your heart was pierced! The Gospel makes cut after cut after cut… but not to kill… no… the Gospel cuts to heal.

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.

Acts 1:1-11 (click here)
In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen.

[Jesus] said to them… “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” (Acts 1:1-2 and 8)

Reflection
The book of Acts was written by Luke. It is the second volume to his previous work you might have heard of… the Gospel of Luke.

Both books were addressed to a man named Theophilus… but honestly, that is not the most interesting thing we learn in the first verse of Acts 1. No… Luke says something striking with the words, “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach.”

All that Jesus BEGAN to do and teach? Like… Jesus is still doing and teaching? How?

Hasn’t Jesus already ascended to be victoriously seated at the right hand of the Father? So how is the book of Acts supposed to be about his continued “doing and teaching.” Luke’s answer could not be clearer… Jesus will continue to do and teach by the power of the Holy Spirit at work through his followers… through us.

That’s right. Jesus works and speaks through you!

Don’t believe me? That’s fine… but do you believe him? Do you believe Jesus when he speaks these powerful words of promise, “you WILL receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you WILL be my witnesses…” do you believe that?

That is what the rest of the book of Acts is about… and every page confirms that Christ’s promise is true… and it is true for you.

Step out in faith!

Speak in faith!

Jesus didn’t promise that you would “feel” like the Holy Spirit is empowering you… he promised that he would! I know that in my own life, I have often felt like a failure only to found out later different ways in which the Spirit was at work. He actually loves to work through our weaknesses in order that it may be all the more obvious that things are happening by his power, not ours!

Do you feel weak, like you cannot speak for Christ? That doesn’t disqualify you! It qualifies you all the more… for the Spirit loves to work through weakness!

Christ has chosen weak vessels such as you and me to work his all-surpassing power through! What a treasure that is! 2 Corinthians 4:7, “But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.”

Jesus is still doing and teaching… and he does it powerfully through our weakness. Treasure that by living it in faith!

 
*All previous devotionals may be found at www.thejoyofglory.com
*The complete SVCC Lenten reading guide is available here.