Acts 23-24 Trial Before Felix

God demonstrated His protection of Paul by using 470 soldiers, horsemen, and spearmen to escort him to Caesarea for his third of six defenses as a prisoner.   Even the Roman commander's letter to Felix essentially said that he could not find Paul guilty of anything regarding Roman law.

In the trial before Felix, the lawyer for the chief priest and elders used false flattery, false accusations, and false witnesses to bring their charges against Paul.   But, in his defense, Paul stated facts and also gave a defense of the faith; along with once again making the bold and amazing statement that his conscience is clear before God and man.   He pointed out that there were no eyewitnesses to bring charges against him and there were no substantiated accusations even from those who were present.

Though the passage indicates that Felix knew there was no evidence to convict Paul, he still kept Paul under guard because he was hoping to collect a bribe from Paul and was also trying to gain political favor from the Jews.   Though Felix had two years of direct one-on-one access to ask Paul any questions he wanted to and would've had solid Scriptural answers, he put off listening to his conscience which convicted him of the sin in his life and thus squandered this amazing opportunity.    We do not know whether he and his wife Drusilla ever turned to the Way; but, we do know that in the two years Paul was under guard in Caesarea, they did not yet.

Sunday Worship (Blessings and Futility of Anxiety)

It really was a blessing to be in worship yesterday.  I thank God for my church home and freedom to worship.

During worship, Sara sang "Blessings" by Laura Story.   I might even have written about it before; but, every time I hear it, I am moved by the simplicity of the melody but the power of the beautiful lyrics:


We pray for blessings
We pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
All the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love is way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

We pray for wisdom
Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough
All the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we'd have faith to believe

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
And what if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It's not our home

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near
What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy
And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise

And, the song fit well with the message on the futility of anxiety from Matthew 6:25-34, the Sermon on the Mount passage where Jesus asks: "Why are you Anxious?"; reminding us that the Father loves us unconditionally and knows our needs.

Jesus knows what it is like to have the "weight of the world" on His shoulders.   At times like that, we need to remember that God often has something bigger in mind than the immediate circumstance and that we can trust Him to be in control.  When we are weak, He is strong; and "Worry" and "Faith" do not go together.

Verses 33-34 give the strategy against worry:

• Seeking God FIRST and living righteously
• Living one day at a time (worry usually focuses on the past or future, not the now)
• Remembering that God doesn't let us go through more than we can handle (1 Corinth 10:13 says "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.")

Acts 23 - Paul before the Sanhedrin

As Paul stood before the Sanhedrin, he was able to make the amazing and bold statement "I have fulfilled my duty to God in all good conscience to this day."   Wow!   How many of us would be able to say that?

However, for  the rest of the assembly Paul was struck in the mouth, had a confrontation regarding the high priest, and had to be rescued when a violent uproar arose after he said that he was on trial for the "hope of the resurrection of the dead." (mainly because the Pharisees and Sadduccees were divided on this doctrine)

Paul was likely discouraged at the outcome, when God showed up and stood near him.   Paul might have been thinking that he didn't do such a good job being a witness in Jerusalem; and that he might get killed and never make it to Rome.   But, God encouraged and reassured Paul by saying, "Take courage! As you have testified about me in Jerusalem, so you must also testify in Rome."   
God has done that in my life - "shown up" exactly when I needed encouragement.


We then see God at work through Paul's nephew and the Roman commander, to protect Paul from conspiring Jews and their plans to kill him.   The Jews hypocritically make an oath to God; and yet proceed to break the Law - plotting murder and having the chief priests and elders lie.

More Cooking

Somewhat unexpectedly, I ended up hosted a family dinner last night.  We had previously scheduled a gathering over the weekend; but, it had been cancelled; and then, at about 5pm it was decided that we should go ahead an have it anyways.   It turned out to almost be like a "pantry challenge".  Fortunately, I had gone grocery shopping the previous day and had some ingredients; but, I had to quickly formulate a menu that would fit the occasion and my family's tastes and dietary restrictions.    It was actually kind of fun, which shows me how much I really do enjoy cooking.

I was pleased that in about two hours; I had prepared a meal; and served it in nice place settings.   Following is what I served:

• Grilled zucchini - the zucchini was sliced lengthwise; coated with olive oil, italian herbs, salt, and pepper; and then cooked on my cast iron grill.   It actually turned our fairly well, with the grilled and smoke flavor (even with grill lines).   The only thing was that cooking it created so much smoke that my smoke alarm went off  (not sure how to avoid that - though, it appeared that adding more oil made it even smokier)
• Shrimp and mushroom vermicelli noodles - the dried mushrooms didn't get to soak long enough so the stems were still hard; but, the noodles turned out okay.    I first sauteed the shrimp with garlic and then set aside.   Then, the sauce was made with the mushroom, green onion, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, fish sauce, and chicken stock.    After adding the noodles and shrimp, it was seasoned to taste with soy sauce and sesame oil.
• Mediterranean Chicken pasta - following the package instructions, I browned the chicken which was coated with the seasoned flour; and the sauce was created with the creamy sauce and milk.   It was okay; but, fresh ingredients are definitely better.
• Hawaiian Chicken - Baked chicken with a hawaiian marinade and pineapple chunks added.  My dad liked it; though my brother said it was a little "tangy"
• Asian soup - Using the bone portions of the chicken leg quarters; I made the soup based and added napa cabbage, carrots, and tofu with green onion.

For dessert, I was able to serve an assorted cheesecake platter.  As I was in the store picking out desserts for my planned get-together with a couple of friends this coming Friday; I was drawn to the cheesecake platter, even though it was much larger than I needed.    And, it turned out, I was able to use it for last night also.  I feel that it was God's leading, knowing what would be needed.   I also still have the food that I planned for my Friday dinner (marinated BBQ chicken, mixed vegetables, and rice) and enough cheesecake left for dessert.   

How Many Loaves Do You Have?

In the familiar story of Jesus feeding the 5,000, is recorded in all four Gospels.  When Jesus asked the question "How many loaves do you have?", the deeper question was whether we are willing to give to God what little we have in order for Him to use it for His miraculous work?   My pastor made an interesting statement, that if we don't see anything in our lives that cannot be explained by practical means, then it may show that we are not letting God do the extraordinary in our lives.

It was also really interesting to realize that there are only two miracles in which Jesus "created" something that was not there - turning water to wine and feeding the 5,000 with the bread (and fish).   The wine and bread in the Lord's supper represent His Blood and Body shed and broken for our sins; and in these miracles, He was display part of Who He Is.

It was a neat Lord's Day, for learning.   Before church, there was an quote I heard on a Christian radio station - happiness is a choice; but joy is a fruit of the Spirit.   To me, that was a reminder that happiness may depend on our circumstances; but, through the Spirit, we can always have joy.

Then, during the devotional to the Worship Team, our assistant pastor shared what he learned from Oswald Chambers, that there is a difference between salvation and discipleship.    Salvation is God's Work, Christ dying on the cross for us; Discipleship is our dying to ourself and following Him.   He hoped that we would live the radical Christian life; and that was a reminder, along with his example of sharing what he learned during devotions; that in order to most effectively serve, we need to be continually walking with Him that He may always be working in us and teaching us.

"What is That to You?"

The question in today's message in the current sermon series, is interestingly "What is That to You?"   John 21 is the passage in which Jesus re-instates Peter and asks him three times "Do you Love Me?"   But, it is the later question that my Pastor chose to focus on, which is the question that Jesus asks after Peter wondered what would happen to John.   Essentially, Jesus was saying, we should follow Him without comparing ourselves to anyone else. 

Other lessons from the passage, is that to follow Him, we must:

• Wait on God's Timing
• Give up old empty ways (evaluate whether what we are doing produces fruit)
• Obey God expecting a miracle (do we expect God to do great things through us?)
• Be enthusiastic about Jesus (reminds me that enthusiasm is based on the root words "en-Theos" or "in God")
• Seek closer fellowship with Jesus (what a beautiful picture that the disciples had breakfast with Christ)
• Serve Jesus motivated by love (no matter what level we are at, we can still serve him.   For example, even with "phileo" love, Jesus said Peter could feed his lambs (young believers).   Our love for God is the foundation and motivation for our serving Him.   So, does our life reflect our love for Christ?

 After Church today, we had a community group leader meeting.  We are reminded that community groups are intended to provide an environment for Bible Study, Prayer, Fellowship, and Caring for one another and the community.  We currently 350 church members in community groups; 450 individuals; and 500 attendees; which is equivalent to 59% of those in our church.

Pastor Terry challenged us to have a leadership goal - and mine was to do what Moses was advised to do - delegate.  So, my goal is to involve more people in the leadership of the class.   The three goals he gave for us are:

1. Do everything and anything I can do to keep my relationship with Christ FIRST in my life
2. Guard what has been entrusted to my care
3. Help people to see the goodness of God in their lives

What I really appreciated was when he said that seldom do we feel equipped to help a person's issues; but, we can all help them to see God's goodness.   In Psalm 116, the "cup of salvation" was a reminder of God's deliverance throughout our lives.    I appreciated that, because I often do feel inadequate in helping when I hear of peoples' struggles; and it is good to know that I'm not unique in that; and when we do help them to see God's goodness, that is one way we can help.

9/11 Ten Years Later

There were so many poignant and emotional ceremonies today in memory of 9/11.   I pray for comfort and healing for those who lost loved ones; and I pray that our nation will re-awaken to our spiritual need for God in our lives.

As I watched and listened to the speeches and ceremonies, there is a reason why, despite all the continual efforts of some to remove God from the public arena, yet in times of tragedy or memorials, we turn to prayer and to singing hymns and songs of faith like "Amazing Grace" or "God Bless America".  This is because, when faced with terrible tragedy, true hope can only be found in God.  In a memorial speech President Obama gave today, he even quoted from Psalm 46 "God is our refuge and strength, and ever-present help in trouble.   Therefore we will not fear.."

Throughout today, I felt a sense of peace and calm; and I believe it is because there are so many people praying for our nation this day, in memory of 9/11.     I don't think it was a coincidence that the 10th anniversary of 9/11 fell on a Sunday, when Christians all over could gather together and pray for our nation in our churches.     May we as a nation humble ourselves and turn back to God; and may God continue to bless this country.   Amen.

Acts 21-22 Paul Arrested

Even though Paul demonstrated his obedience to Jewish laws and customs by following the suggestion from James and the Jerusalem Church elders; when the time of purification was nearly over, Jews, likely from Ephesus, still continued to falsely accuse him.  They even incited the crowd to start beating and trying to kill Paul, until a Roman commander and soldiers arrested and bound (as prophesied) him, and brought him to the barracks.

Despite being falsely accused, beaten, nearly killed, arrested, and bound; Paul's heart of compassion is demonstrated in his desire to still speak to the crowd.  In showing that he was polite, educated, and not the criminal rebel he was mistaken for, Paul was granted permission to give his message.

The elements of the defense of his faith (apologetics), which we can also use as examples, were:

• Identifying with the audience 
• Finding common ground
• Establishing credibility
• Giving evidence to counteract the false charges
• Giving his personal testimony of his conversion and encounter with Christ

The example elements of personal testimony shared were:

• God's Work
• Encounter with Christ
• New Life and Purpose
• Conversion and Salvation

 As Paul had often wrote about, here he demonstrated that he was willing to suffer for Christ and to share in his affliction.  Much of the persecution he faced was similar to what Christ had faced.  And, no matter the circumstance, he continued to be committed to his calling to share the gospel message.  He was able to turn this terrible situation into an opportunity to testify to his faith.

However, as soon as he mentioned that God had sent him to the Gentiles, the crowd once again wanted to kill him.    And, Paul was only able to avoid flogging by revealing his Roman citizenship.

Chp 22 was the first defense of six that Paul was to give from now to the end of the Book of Acts.  Verse 30 sets up the second, which will be to the Sanhedrin.

Peach Salad

I tried making a carmelized peach salad similar to the one I had at CPK the other week.   The peaches didn't carmelize so well - next time, I will make sure to drain out the syrup first and use more butter initially with just the peaches.    The rest of it turned out fairly well - I mixed the greens with dried cranberry, red onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.   Then, added the warm peaches and poured in the syrup to taste.

What Is It You Want?

"What is it you want?" - Yet another open-ended question that Jesus asked, and this time of the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee.  When she replied that she wanted them to be able to sit at the right and left of Jesus in His Kingdom, Jesus asked another question “Can you drink the cup I am going to drink?”    Essentially, the lesson is summarized in Matthew 20:26b-27:   "Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant (diakonos), and whoever wants to be first must be your slave (doulos)."    And, Jesus was the greatest example of this.

As followers of Christ, we will face trials and must make sacrifices; and we are to have an attitude of humility, being servants and slaves of the Most High God. In following His example, we seek to enter the Kingdom not by flying in with "fire on our behinds"; but, the picture is of a runner leaning in towards the finish line!