Writing My Part of the Story

Recently, I had coffee with a dear friend who lives in another state. We took time to catch up on each other’s families. Then the topic turned toward faith and ministry opportunities. She and her husband just finished writing an online course on the Book of Acts. And what a coincidence – I was finishing a graduate course on the same New Testament book!

During the course of the conversation, she said something I thought I knew. After all, I had read through Acts several times over the past few months as I studied and wrote about the first-century church. But that day sitting in a local coffee house in my city, there was something fresh in her words. Since that day, I have thought about them almost continually, as I fear I almost missed an important message.

In essence, she said, “The Book of Acts has no ending. That’s because we’re all still writing the story.”

As I said, this is not breaking news. The story seems to pick up where Luke left off his gospel. Where the Gospel of Luke focuses on Jesus, the book of Acts follows several apostles: Peter, John, Philip, James, and Paul. Yet no one of these could be considered the main person in the story. The one constant figure in Acts is the Holy Spirit. From beginning to ending, He is the One who fills believers with power from on high, who gives them words to witness for Jesus Christ, the risen Savior.

Acts is the story of the Holy Spirit and His power. Under His anointing people are healed of sickness and disease and delivered from demon possession. The Holy Spirit gives discernment to Peter when Ananias and Sapphira try to deceive their brothers and sisters; He provides wisdom when the apostles make decisions about church leadership.

God’s Spirit is mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Then when Jesus came, He told the disciples when He went away, He would “send you what my Father has promised; but stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” (Luke 24:49).

At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit seems to take on a new role from what believers knew before Christ came. He is the one Jesus described in Luke 24:49 who would give “power from on high.” That power was not limited to the disciples or the 120 gathered in the upper room. On several occasions throughout Acts, many people confessed their sins and were filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues and prophesying.

Peter and Paul and the other apostles were filled with the Holy Spirit and ministered in ways that affected entire cities. In Ephesus, “A number who had practiced sorcery brought their scrolls together and burned them publicly” (Acts 19). When Paul and Silas were in prison, they ministered to the prison guard, and his whole family was saved (Acts 16). When Peter preached at Pentecost, approximately 3,000 accepted the message of salvation and were baptized (Acts 2). Those numbers represented individuals with names and faces and families; they were men and women, youth, and children set free from the bondage of sin.

Like John, who wrote there was much more he could have written about the miracles of Jesus (John 20:30), we might wonder if there was much more to this story of the Holy Spirit’s work in Acts that could have been told. When we reach the last chapter of Acts, we might feel as though we are left hanging, waiting for the next installment of this exciting, story.

In Acts 28 Luke ends this narrative writing of Paul’s arrival in Rome where he was placed under house arrest, welcoming people to his home, continually teaching about Jesus, and proclaiming the Kingdom of God.

Period. The end. Turn the page to find Paul’s letter to the Romans.

The reader may be left with many questions…

What happened to Peter after he spoke at the Council in Jerusalem? What about James and Philip and the rest of the apostles? Did Paul stand trial before Caesar as he requested?

Which brings me back to my friend’s statement: “The Book of Acts has no ending. That’s because we’re still writing the story.”

If that’s true, that means the Holy Spirit is still at work…and being filled with the Holy Spirit and speaking in tongues was not just something experienced by first century Christians. It’s available for us today. (Remember Jesus’ words in Luke 11:13: “If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!”)

If this story continues in our generation, we can look to those accounts Luke recorded in Acts and know the miracles and the power, the boldness and the conviction with which the apostles shared about Christ can be for us and those to whom we minister. Supernatural occurrences are not impossible. But they are not only for the sake of the sign or wonder – they point people to God Almighty, the Creator and His great love for humanity.

Just as the early church needed the Holy Spirit to prepare the way and convict people of their sins…

Just as the early church needed the Holy Spirit to fill believers who were once timid and afraid, who were said to be “unschooled” and “ordinary,” who were persecutors of Christ, and turned them into powerhouses for the cause of Christ…

Just as those first-century believers lived wholly devoted to their Savior, even “rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name” (Acts 5:41)…

So the promise is true for believers in the second century and the fifth century, and fourteenth century and the twenty-first century: “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you,” and we will be His witnesses wherever we are – in our “Jerusalem” (or Boston or Springfield or Seattle or Clovis), “in Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

What an opportunity is ours. What a tragedy if we miss it!

Lately I have been asking myself – so, what are you writing on the pages of your part of the story?

Lord, I’m so distracted by things in this life. Even some good things can take away time with You, time in Your Word and in prayer. Fill me again, Lord, with Your Holy Spirit, with power and boldness and conviction, that I may serve my generation as the apostles served theirs. 

What is That I Hear?

It’s very early in the morning – perhaps a little too early. The house seems still and unusually quiet. The only sound is the ticking of a clock on the wall. No other noises are heard…conversation between family members, television newscast, the spinning of the washing machine or roar of the vacuum cleaner, water running or coffee brewing. Even outside there are no sounds of barks or meows, chirping or cooing, no garbage trucks hoisting trash cans into the air to dump the contents, no diesel trucks driving by on the way to the jobsite, no power tools or lawn equipment at work, no children playing…

All of these sounds will soon be part of the day. It’s normal. We’ve grown accustomed to hearing them, come to expect them.

What seems unusual is the quiet. Sometimes we want to fill the void with a favorite podcast or musical selection, the binging of our phones as we text or search the web to locate a nearby eatery or answer a burning question. If there is no one physically nearby with whom to converse, we may pick up the cell phone or even walk outside to search for a neighbor, anyone who will provide company and some chatter, even if the topic of conversation is as mundane as the weather or what we ate for lunch.

Why is it we want to avoid the silence? What seems to be frightening about the peaceful sounds of nothing? I confess sometimes when I’m alone at home, I may turn on the television or music just for the noise. But why is that? Could it be silence forces us to think, to ponder, to contemplate, to engage in mental activity, or to face something we’ve been trying to avoid?

I thought about this the other day as I quoted to someone the familiar words of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God…” (NKJV). Sounds so simple, doesn’t it? But I have found it to be one of the most challenging things to do.

Everything in me wants to do anything but “be still.” I feel I must be doing and going and working and performing. To be still sounds senseless, even wasting time and energy. What’s the point?

Oh, but that’s just it. It is when I am still I can stop with all the busyness and responsibility and projects and duties…stop and be still and know all the things I think are so important and all the things that are vying for my attention are brought into a different light because I think about God, know that He is God.

All my worries and concerns, my desires, my confusion, my plans and preparation, my goals and dreams – everything is a little clearer because God is God. He has not changed. He is still sovereign. Nothing escapes His notice; nothing is impossible for Him. In a moment He can turn a situation from dire to desirable. He can restore, redeem, relieve, rebuild; He can help, and He can heal.

I wonder if so much of the noise can at times serve as a distraction. Not always – after all, the gospel of Jesus Christ is conveyed through words of testimony, sermons, dramatic interpretations, and songs. Conversation between family members, friends, co-workers, neighbors, and business associates is essential. Sounds represent progress – building and growing and changing. And there is nothing that makes me smile like the laughter of children, the loving words of my family, the warm chatter of close friends.

But sometimes (truthfully, many times during the course of a day), I long for the sound of silence, the blaring quiet that speaks peace to my soul when I remember no matter what is going on, in spite of heartache and pain and losses, disaster and confusion and grief, even though all around me seems to be crumbling and changing, out of my control, HE is still God. That reality comes when I am still before Him.

Did Someone Say Retirement?

Many young people look forward to their first jobs, being able to earn a fair wage and experience independence. Even as unpleasant as it may seem, the ability to pay bills and the opportunity to pay taxes often give us the sense of accomplishment; we’re part of the process, working and contributing to some greater good.

Then, it seems with equal excitement, there comes a time when we look ahead to retirement, the day when all the hard work and effort, all the sacrifice of saving and planning will pay off. When Social Security and investments begin to fund long-awaited trips and projects; when we no   longer live by the calendar and the clock. When my parents retired, they said every day felt like Saturday!

Another friend who contemplated retirement said she was entering a phase of “redirection,” planning extended time with children and grandchildren, looking forward to new opportunities for volunteering and ministry in her local church.

I confess in the past I’ve had the mindset once I reached retirement I could take a long, extended break from responsibilities and schedules. I’ll have reached the age to sit back and let the younger ones do all the work. After all, I’ll be past my prime. It will be time to take it easy.

Travel and hobbies, relaxation and a simpler routine aren’t necessarily to be avoided. But as many pastors remind their congregations, the word “retirement” is nowhere in the Bible. While we may retire from a job or profession, we can still make a valued contribution, especially as believers to the Kingdom of God.

And there’s probably no better example of this in God’s Word than in the story of Abraham.

Genesis 12 records the well-known account of God’s calling Abram (before his name is changed to Abraham) to “Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you” (verse 1, NKJV). The call was specific and was followed by a list of promises (verses 2-3): “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

Though God’s instructions are specific, He omits some important details: exactly where is Abraham going? He doesn’t show him a map with the route highlighted in yellow. God Almighty will provide the GPS for this journey.

He doesn’t tell Abraham exactly how or when He will bless Abraham or make his name great or make him a blessing. But the good fortune won’t stop with Abraham and his clan (who, at this point, consisted only of his wife Sarah and his nephew Lot). God said in him all the families of the earth shall be blessed (verse 3, italics mine).

It’s not just Abraham’s family who will benefit from Abraham’s obedience. We know now that God’s blessing extended to Abraham’s descendants (the Jewish nation) and eventually to his spiritual children – to the Gentiles. That includes me!

And then, the most surprising detail (at least to me): “So Abram departed as the Lord had spoken to him, and Lot went with him. And Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran” (verse 4).

Seventy-five years old!

I’m so intrigued about the timing of all this. Why didn’t God’s call come in Abraham’s youth? The story might seem more reasonable if Abraham heard God’s voice when he was 25 or even 50; but 75 years old? Today at that age he would have been ten years into drawing his pension. We may have passed him traveling down the highway in his RV with Sarah in the passenger seat. He could have left the flocks and herds to Lot and developed a routine of relaxing and reaping the benefits of all the hard work of the past. But that’s not the way it happened.

This couldn’t have been an easy task. Along with Sarah and Lot, they took “all their possessions that they had gathered, and the people whom they had acquired in Haran” (verse 5). This was no small undertaking. Lots of possessions and people to move, to leave the familiar and go somewhere they’ve never been. And remember…they weren’t even sure where they were going!

One of my favorite authors Calvin Miller said, “In so simple a way Judaism was born. An old man and woman obeyed God in a manner that went unnoticed in its day. It went unmarked, for few believed it remarkable at the time. Yet this is the way God works. He often begins great things through events that seem of no historical importance.”¹

Just because Abraham answered God’s call didn’t mean it would be smooth sailing for the rest of the journey. There would be trials and temptations; Abraham would make some mistakes along the way and some of his choices would have immediate consequences and affect future generations. He would have to wait 25 years – until he was 100 years old – before Isaac was born, the one through whom would come the fulfillment of the promise. But God did what He said He would do. He was faithful to His promises.

Do you ever wonder what would have happened if Abraham had said, “Aw, thanks, God! That’s so nice of You to think of me, but I think I’ll pass. I’m really not interested in any new assignments. It’s comfortable here; I have everything going for me, and I don’t want to leave”?

But because he listened and obeyed God, Abraham and his family were blessed, and so are we. “The one who was blessed was now to be the conduit of blessing of universal proportions to the whole world.” ²

In our estimation Abraham might have been an unusual choice, but God’s ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8). God’s call to Abraham would prove important not only for his immediate family but for generations to come. The blessing promised to Abraham in Genesis 12 is foundational to a biblical theology of missions. He’s even been called “a pioneer of missions!” ³

The missionary endeavor that began thousands of years ago continues to be carried on by Abraham’s spiritual descendants who have been saved by faith (Eph. 2:8) and through whom “all peoples of the world will be blessed” (Gen 12:3).

I’m not old enough yet to retire from my job, but in a way I can have an attitude of retirement as a follower of Jesus Christ. It’s all too easy to sit back in the comfort of my Christian life, with my church family gathered around, and live content with the way things are.

When God calls me to step out and fulfill His will of making disciples, spreading the Good News of Christ, it’s tempting to sit back and watch someone else do all the work. After all, I’ve been in the faith since I was a child. It’s someone else’s turn to go on outreaches, to be a witness to God’s amazing love and His saving grace that rescues the lost from spiritual death. 

I’ve been richly blessed with the knowledge of the grace of God extended to us through His Son, Jesus our Savior. But the blessing isn’t only for me. It’s not to stop here.

Because of Abraham’s obedience, he was promised “all families of the earth will be blessed.” As Abraham’s spiritual granddaughter, I must wonder…who does the Lord want to bless through me? He has redeemed my life, rescued me from my sins, hears and answers my prayers. He continues to be faithful, regardless of the situations I encounter. Yet this is more than for my personal benefit. God’s working in my life can be a testimony to one who’s looking for answers to their problems, freedom from sin and peace in the midst of the hurt and pain brought about as we live in this fallen world.

As I am in relationship with people who do not know Him, will they see God at work in my life?

Lord, may I look at the example of the life of my forefather in the faith and see how he was willing to go, to obey, to be used by You. And You were able to work through him and use his life as a blessing to so many – including me! May I have that same faith, that same willingness to trust in You, to follow where You lead, to be free to give as I’ve been given (Matt. 10:8).

¹ Miller, Calvin. The Fruit of the Spirit Bible, A One Year Study for Cultivating a Fruitful Life. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2000. 

² Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. The Promise-Plan of God: A Biblical Theology of the Old and New Testaments. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2008.

³ Pomerville, Paul A. Introduction to Missions. Springfield, MO: Global University, 2005, Lesson 4.