Sunday 15th December
Read Psalm 87
If you don’t have a bible at home you can find the readings on a website such as www.biblegateway.com or an app such as YouVersion
This Psalm sings of the city of God, Jerusalem in the Old Testament, but behind that lies the eternal Church of God and the Psalmist says God founded this city and loves its gates. Verse 3 (Glorious things are said of you, city of God) is expanded in John Newton’s great Hymn “Glorious things of Thee are spoken” (https://hymnary.org/text/glorious_things_of_thee_are_spoken). The Psalm speaks of the end of things when peoples from all over the world will come to belong in God’s City and where God will say of them “this one and that one was “born in Zion” (v6). Let us remember this even when the nations rage against His ancient city at the present time.
Read the Psalm and Newton’s great hymn along with it and give thanks to God.
READINGS FOR THE WEEK AHEAD
As you read the Bible Stop; Read; Ponder; and Pray.
Monday Acts 24:1-24
At Caesarea Paul was brought before the Roman Governor Felix and five days later some of the Jerusalem leaders with a lawyer named Tertullus appeared to argue their case against him. Felix was the younger brother of the secretary of the Treasury under Emperor Claudius and received his Governorship much to the influence of his brother. He did not do his job well and was susceptible to bribes as well as know for his cruelty. He arranged for the murder of the High Priest, Jonathan, who had threatened to report him to Caesar over his poor job.
The Jerusalem Jews brought their case that Paul was a troublemaker. Paul answered their accusations truthfully saying they ought to have a appeared with witnesses to prove their case. What he acknowledged was that he was a follower of the Way and believed in the resurrection of the dead both of the righteous and the wicked. It was a message which could cause a little anxiety amongst the latter.
The gospel is a message of peace and hope to those who receive it but to those who resist it is also a message of judgement. Felix delayed coming to a decision basically because he was looking for a bribe which would not be forthcoming. It is a situation not unknown to present day missionaries and Christian Churches where “greasing the palms” of those in authority can make things a little easier. We need to pray for such.
It is of interest that Luke tells us in v22 that Felix was ‘well acquainted with the Way’;, he wasn’t ignorant and, as theses next verses tell us, he spoke often with Paul. His wife Drusilla was Jewish and he had her join him as they listened to Paul who had no qualms about laying things on the line when speaking to them, Luke says he spoke of “righteousness, self-control and the judgement to come” which made Felix feel decidedly uneasy closing the discussion and saying that when he had a convenient season he would call Paul again. He did summon Paul frequently but not to hear of righteousness, self-control and judgement to come, but just seeking a bribe to release the apostle. As many preachers down the years have noted about him, the season of acceptance of God’s word never came, warning hearers of the gospel not to put off repentance and obedience to God. That challenge remains and Felix remains as a warning.
Wednesday Acts 25:1-22
Felix was succeeded in office by Porcius Festus who faced the same difficulties with the Jews as he predecessors. Being the governor of Judea was no easy task. Going up to Jerusalem from Caesarea he found the Chief priests and leaders still itching to have done with Paul probably because the Churches were growing much to their annoyance. They wanted Paul brought back to Jerusalem for trial because it would be easier to have him assassinated there. Festus didn’t agree and said that as he was going to Caesarea they should come there and lay their charges before a court that he would convene.
Eight or ten days later Festus went down and the following day convened the court. The many charges that the Jewish leaders brought about Paul were without evidence and although Festus would have had Paul go with him to Jerusalem Paul refused saying that he was innocent of any charges and he appealed to Caesar which was his right as a Roman citizen.
If passing the phrase “passing the buck” was known then it could certainly be applied to the men of authority at the time as Festus, like Felix, didn’t want to make a decision and he would seek the opinion of Herod Agrippa who he would be meeting soon.
The management of the Jews was an ongoing problem for the Romans and one way of trying to mange things was having a client ruler with connections with the people. Herod Agrippa carried a dual Jewish and Roman identity (He was the grandson of Herod the Great) spending his childhood in Rome and becoming friends with Roman Emperors, playing a role in the accession of Claudius to the head of the Empire. Berenice, his sister and co-ruler, entered the audience room with Agrippa in great pomp and show. Festus laid out the issue he wanted to hear their thoughts on because although he was a stranger to Jewish matters, he had to write something about the charges against Paul if he was sending him to Rome.
Paul began his defence as he has done before although saying that he is thankful to be making his defence before someone who knew a bit about Jewish matters. One of the difficulties for Christians today is that present day culture is not au-fait with what we believe and where we take our authority from which means we need to do a lot of work to open out the basics. Sadly, there are also many in Churches too, who, if asked to explain the gospel and the faith we have, would be hard pressed to do it.
Friday Acts 26:16-32
After giving a resume of his position to date and why it was that there was such anger against him saying, “Why should any of you consider it incredible that God raises the dead?”. He told again of his original fierce opposition to his now fellow Christians leading up to his Damascus Road experience when, with the light casting him to the ground, he heard the voice asking him about his persecution and telling him who his persecution was against.
What he says next is a greater expansion of what we have heard before for Jesus tells him that he is appointed to be a witness of what he has seen and will see of Jesus. Jesus tells of his witness being to both Jews and Gentiles to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God such that they would receive forgiveness and have a place among those sanctified by faith.
He tells Agrippa that he was not disobedient to the vision from heaven but preached this message to all and sundry that they should repent and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds. It is always important to note that Christian conversion is not just a mere matter of words of faith but also of deeds that show the truth of the repentance. To profess the Christian faith whilst still living in secular ways that deny it is hypocritical and shows a lack of true repentance.
He says that he is saying nothing that hasn’t been in the scriptures before, that the Messiah would suffer and, as the first to rise from the dead, would bring the message of light to both Gentile and Jew. At this point Festus bursts out that Paul is out of his mind – a thing that many people will think of Christians and what we believe. Paul refutes this and says that King Herod will know about what he has said and challenges Agrippa to agree with him though Agrippa steps away saying, “do you expect to make me a Christian in such a short time?”. Whether short or long Paul says that he prays any would become like him apart from his chains.
Like Felix, all postpone a response to the message but Agrippa says to Festus that he could have been released apart from the fact that he had appealed to Caesar.
Saturday Acts 27:1-12
The journey to Rome begins whith Paul being handed over to a centurion, Julius, to take him there. The ship was from Adramyttium, on the Turkish coast opposite the Island of Lesbos, and the plan was to sail from Caesarea along the coast presumably to Adramyttium, the ships home port. With Paul was Aristarchus who was a Macedonian mentioned elsewhere as being in Thessalonica and it is strongly probable that he was one of those who accompanied Paul on his way back to give support to the poor Jews with collections made in the Macedonian churches. The relationship with Julius was obviously good in that he allowed Paul off at Sidon to stay with friends briefly while the ship was being seen to. After landing at Myra in Cilicia, the centurion found another ship which was bound for Italy and decided to change ships and boarded that one.
The next days were difficult due to the weather hampering their onward journey and while stopping at a place called Fair Havens Paul warned the centurion, the pilot and owner of the baoat that as winter was coming on they ought to stay put but they did not want to hoping to make Phoenix on Crete and harbour there. It was to prove a wrong decision. Sometimes when we need to make decisions in our lives it can be wise to listen to the spiritual voices and not just the earthly, practical ones. Anyway, the journey continued.
