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  Ray Steadman was a famous preacher and author from California.   He passed away in 1992 and at his request on his tombstone in Grants Pass, Oregon, are engraved these words: "He was a faithful steward." As a noted author Ray had received many accolades during his lifetime, but he wanted to be remembered as simply a servant who faithfully dispensed God's glorious truth to God's people.   That seems to be the same sentiment of Paul in 1 Corinthians 4:1: "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God".   A “steward” is defined as an “overseer” who has been given a responsibility to oversee the distribution of funds, or some other items.   As Paul uses it here specifically, it is being an “overseer” of the “mysteries of God”.   Although Paul was speaking of himself and Apollos as they had been inspired by God with the miraculous gifts from the Holy Spirit, we can also infer this to apply to us today as Chris...

                 Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together. – Vesta Kelly                  There can be union without unity: tie two cats together by their tails and throw them over a clothesline.  – Unknown                  Unity is a common theme throughout the Bible.  It is something that can be seen as extremely important to God.  As Paul opens his letter to the church at Corinth, this is the first topic that Paul proceeds to bring their attention to.  You can imagine that the church at Corinth would face a lot of problems.  The city itself, was located on an isthmus, a narrow stretch of land that connected two landmasses, and was also a port city.  So, l...

                 Remember the board game Memory?  It had a bunch of tiles all with the same artwork on the back and a different picture on the front.  There were always two of each picture.  To play, all the tiles were laid face down in any order, and on your turn, you had to turn over two tiles.  If they matched, you got to keep the tiles and go again.  If they didn’t, it was the next person’s turn.  You had to pay attention to all the little details of what every player’s turn was.  What was the picture?  Where was it located?  Because when it was your turn, you had to remember every little detail so you could find a matching pair.                 I used to be good at that game.  As I get older, I’m not so sure I am anymore.  I have a hard time remembering things, especially peop...

                 There seems to be a lot of discussion (or controversy) in our country about social class “privilege”.  A lot of people voice their opinions nowadays that it is unfair that some people are born into situations that are very beneficial materially, where some are not.  While it may be true that we are all born into different situations (a debate can be had as to if that is unfair), we are all on common ground with the fact that we all have a life to live.  We can all make choices each and every day to shape that life, and what it becomes.                The Jewish section of the people that Paul is addressing in Romans 9 had a lot of problems with this.  They felt that they were entitled to the grace of God.  First, realize that Paul would do anything he could to save his Jewish brethren.  In the ...

                                             “Baptism”, a word that derives from the Greek word, baptizo, means so much.  Baptizo, in Greek, means “to immerse,” yet Romans 6 brings baptizo to life so much more.  For instance, in verse 3, where Paul asks the question: “Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?”  The sin of all mankind (my sin, your sin, our sin) was upon Jesus, the only person to live a perfect and pure life, while on that cross.  The imagery of this is realized in the ugliness, brutality, harshness of the crucifixion.  Paul states that to be a Christian, or Christ-like, we need to be “buried with Him.”  We couldn’t do this physically because there would be no one left to teach the Gospel, so God, in His infinite wisdom, established baptizo, ...

                                 I have been watching some of the old Twilight Zone episodes on Netflix, so I’m writing this paragraph in my best Rod Serling (the narrator of The Twilight Zone) voice:                “Imagine if you will…” an auditorium, much like the one at Woodlawn.  There are two sides and a central aisle to walk down.  On one side of the auditorium, sit the Jews of the 1st century, a people who have attempted to abide by every single law that God has ever passed down to them … down to the smallest “jot” or “tittle”.  On the other side, the Gentiles of the 1st century, a people who have attempted to find God in every way imaginable, including worshipping creatures and items that God, Himself had made.  As you look to the front of the auditorium, you see the apost...

                 It’s interesting to see Paul’s relationship with Julius in Acts 27.  As a Roman centurion, Julius was charged with delivering Paul and his fellow prisoners to Rome and helping them to have safe passage.  At the beginning of the chapter, when the Adramyttium boat lands at Sidon, Julius has such a strong relationship with Paul that he allows Paul (even though he is a prisoner) to go visit his friends that were there and receive care from them.  Julius trusted and had so much respect for Paul that he knew Paul would come back.  I’m sure this was because Paul showed Julius the same respect.                As the chapter and the difficult trials continue, Paul tries in verses 9 and 10 to warn all the men that they needed to stay where they were at the Fair Havens port because traveling was going to be awful t...

                  Secular Roman historians tell us that during the Julio-Claudian period, Roman law protected Roman citizens who invoked this special right called  ad caesarem provoco  (I appeal to Caesar). This right was ordinarily invoked only as a resource against an unfair sentence so Roman citizens who were guilty of murder or pirates caught in the act, were barred from making this legal appeal. And it was reserved that for full-fledged Roman citizens, common Roman subjects, would never try to invoke it. Paul’s words must have exploded in the courtroom like a hand grenade. The Roman governor had misjudged this respectful man. Beneath Paul’s polite exterior was stainless-steel resolution along with his God-given wisdom. By granting this appeal, Festus, the governor, seemed relieved to remove himself from the case, transferring it to the Emperor. He was gladly washing his hands of the situat...

    “And looking intently at the council, Paul said, "Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day." (Acts 23:1).   I am not sure we fully understand the gravity of the situation that Paul was in as he stood before the Council.   As he is being accused of being an apostle, anti-Jewish and a man that associates with the unclean Gentiles, he boldly stands before them to defend himself.   First of all, he looks “intently at the council”, that just means he looked them in the eyes.   He wanted to make sure that they all understood what he was about to say.   Then he called them “Brothers”, which was not the proper way to address the Sanhedrin.   When Peter stands before them earlier in Acts 4.8, he addresses them in this way, “Rulers of the people and elders”.   Peter does this as a sign of respect for their office, even though they are not showing proper respect to God’s work.   Yet now we have Paul, wh...

                  Once we develop a routine of studying the Scriptures daily to ensure that what we are hearing in our churches is in fact, from the Word of God, it is possible that we might have a situation where someone is teaching something in error; if that is the case, how are we to approach it?   Again, the Bible is such a wonderful tool from God, that it gives us an example of such a situation in the very next chapter.   Apollos was a Jew from Alexandria, who the Bible calls “an eloquent man”, who was “competent in the Scriptures”.   As he taught, he was passionate about his message concerning Jesus and was accurate as he “boldly” preached in the synagogue.   Although he had been teaching the truth about Jesus, he had only been acquainted with the baptism of John.   Of those that were listening to his preaching were Pricilla and Aquila.   Pricilla and Aquila were tent m...

                  As someone who often speaks in public, I have been guilty of combining two words to create a new one. One time I could not decide between the words “dramatically” and “drastically”, so it came out “dramastically”.   That was over 20 years ago, and my wife still remembers the time I created my own word.   In doing some research on this passage, I came across another example of someone trying to take two words to create a new one.   The word is “Faithpreneur”, and it was used to refer to someone who was a “faith-based entrepreneur who runs their business models with their belief in God as their primary priority.   The example of someone who was a “faithpreneur” was Lydia in Acts 16.   The Bible said that she supported herself by selling purple (which was really clothing dyed purple).   Lydia was also a woman who was very much involved in her faith.   She i...

                    Several years ago, the band Chumbawamba (Yes…that is the band’s actual name), released a song that had some very catchy lyrics.   The song was entitled, “Tubthumping” (Yes…that is the song’s actual title).   Now, I cannot endorse the language of the song, nor can I endorse what the song is encouraging, however, there is one phase that just keeps getting repeated over and over and over, “I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never gonna keep me down.   I get knocked down, but I get up again. You are never gonna keep me down.”   Although that song has absolutely nothing to do with Paul, I can’t help but think of it when I read Acts 14.   A mob of people had followed Paul and Barnabas from Antioch and Iconium to Lystra.   These men and women had not liked what Paul had to say, so they wanted to do something about it.   They dragged Paul out...

                  Although it may not seem like it on the surface, a careful examination of ACTS 12, reveals to us a very interesting crossroads for the early Christians.   Up until this point, the church has just exploded in size and popularity with the only casualty being Stephen.   However, now it seems like the tables have turned on the disciples.   Herod had begun to exercise some of his power and might in being violent towards the early Christians and had killed James with the sword.   This was a huge hit to the Apostles.   James was part of the inner circle with Peter and John and had been a part of the Jesus movement from the beginning.   Not only was the death of James disturbing news, but that the news of his death had pleased the Jews.   If that isn’t enough bad news for the early church, Peter has also been arrested and Herod had planned to have him executed a...

                  As we continue the idea of having an “AHA Moment”, these moments also serve a purpose of conviction.   I wonder how proud Saul was of himself.   Afterall, he had done everything he could to stop a movement that he felt was detrimental to his culture, religion and way of life.   He had been driven by his studies in the Scriptures and his training to make sure he did all that was in his power to further their view of God.   In his estimation, Jesus was a threat!   His message, His death and His “supposed resurrection” were all viewed as damaging to all he had ever known.   His passion and zeal were so strong that he was willing to do whatever was necessary to prevent this message of Jesus being furthered.   His resume included things like approving Stephen’s execution, killing those who rebelled against the Law and arresting anyone who supported the cause ...

                  We all have those “Aha Moments” in our lives.   You know…that moment when you uncover a small tidbit of information that leads you to be enlightened to a concept that you had been previously unaware.   Once that moment happens, your brain begins to move at light speed making connections, firing synapses, allowing you to understand things on a different level.   I believe it to be possible that we can have hundreds of the moments as we look back on our lives. Every time I read Acts 8, I am reminded of a specific “Aha Moment” that happened in my life.   It happened when I was a student at International Bible College, listening to Jerry Davidson teach in a Personal Evangelism class.   I had always been drawn by the conversion of the Ethiopian Eunuch.   The faith that he displayed in such a short amount of time of having his own “Aha Moment” from reading the bo...

                  As a child, I Corinthians 15.33 was drilled into my brain by my parents and Sunday School teachers.   Being adults, they were fully aware of the power and influence they had in the life of a teen.   They had known and experienced the reality of this passage on countless occasions.   As I grew up and went into ministry, this passage served as a foundation principle of my youth ministry.   Not only did I believe that this verse was true, I thought that there was much more to this passage than first perceived.   If bad people could corrupt my good morals, wouldn’t it also be true that good people could enhance and support my morals.   Maybe that is what has happened in Acts 4; Peter and John had been arrested for teaching concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ.   As they stood before their accusers, in the midst of the Council, we noticed that the Coun...

              The book of Acts really serves as a sequel to the Gospel of Luke.   His purpose in writing the Gospel is to provide an accurate description of all that Jesus did and taught, while also doing so in an orderly fashion.   In the book of Acts, he continues with the same type of preface concerning the church; it’s establishment and growth, as well as a clear description of the opening of the Gospel to the Gentiles.   As we begin our study into this book, it is easy for us to get caught up in how quickly the message of the cross spread throughout the world.   It is easy for us to get lost in the narrative of the story as the next phase of main characters are introduced into God’s Plan.   However, we must not forget that this is more than just a story.   These are actual events, that include actual people whose lives were changed by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.   We also can have ...

              Can you blame Thomas?   I mean just consider for a moment what the disciples are saying, “We have seen the Lord.” Three days before, Jesus was dead and now they are saying that they have seen Him.   He must have thought, “Come on fellas, this is one horrible joke…don’t do this to me.”   He also must have seemed very adamant about his next statement to his friends, “ Unless I see in His hands the mark of the nails and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into His side, I will never believe.”   I can just imagine watching Thomas gesturing to his own hands and his own side. Listening to his voice get louder and faster as he is stating his case to his peers.   This going back and forth between the ten and himself went on for eight more days, but then as they were all locked in that room again, he hears the words “Peace be with you.”.   As I use my imagination t...

                                                                                                                    Talk about being between a rock and a hard place; Pilate was stuck right in the middle of T-R-O-U-B-L-E. On one side, he has an uprising of the Jews in the making, just waiting on Him to decide concerning Jesus.  On the other side, he has his wife. Matthew 27.19 tells us that she is highly encouraging him to do nothing with Jesus because He is innocen...

              As Jesus prepares to leave the upper room with His disciples, He leaves them with some very challenging, yet comforting news.   “I have said these things to you that in Me you shall have peace. In the world, you will have tribulation. But take heart: I have overcome the word” (John 16.33).   Jesus was correct; every one of these Disciples will face a great deal of tribulation in their lives as they live for the sake of the cross.   According to tradition, ten men in that room will die a cruel death for the sake of Jesus.   The only one that is with them that does not die under persecution is John, however, He does endure tribulation.   Jesus knows that all this world holds for them is pain, suffering and tribulation.   However, if they remain in His love, it doesn’t matter what this world can do to them because in Him, they will have peace.   Furthermore, Jesus reminds them tha...

              Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist who was best known for creating  a chart  that defined a hierarchy of human needs.   At his foundational level were those physiological needs that must be met for survival, such as food, water and shelter.   However, as you progressed on his charts, you found other basic needs that human beings must have to survive, like comfort, safety and stability.   These levels progress until we reach the final level he calls, “Self Actualization”.    It is at this point of Self -actualization that we realize our personal potential, our self-fulfillment, and as Maslow said, to desire “to become everything one is capable of becoming.”   In the middle of this hierarchy is our need to love and be loved, which doesn’t come as a surprise to any of us, nor is it a surprise to Jesus.   Jesus was well aware of the unknown that His disciples are...

                  The Word of God is so rich in the lessons, it can teach us even when we are not expecting it.   In the reading for today, Jesus heals a man that has been blind since birth.   This man had never been able to experience the gift of sight that we so often take for granted.   The miracle gets the attention of the Jews as they notice the man who had formerly been a blind beggar, now walking around being able to experience sight. This miracle also faced a great deal of criticism because Jesus had healed this man on the Sabbath day, which according to the religious leaders was a blatant disregard for the Law of Moses.   As the Council sought to understand how this man had received his sight, they had decided that if anyone had attributed this miracle to Jesus, they would be kicked out of the synagogue.   After much deliberation, they label the former blind man a sinner a...

              No one likes to be accused of doing something that they didn’t do.   In the case of Jesus, He is no different.   From the moment He began His ministry till the moment He ascended back into heaven, all He had done was good.    He had never defrauded anyone, never taking advantage of anyone, He had not even committed one sin.   Yet, the people that should have recognized who He was, are the very people that are accusing Him of breaking the Law.     If Jesus did anything, it was upset the religious leaders of the day.   Because of all the attention He was getting, there were some that were accusing Him of leading the people astray.   Can you believe that, accusing Jesus of leading people away from God?   Not only did He not lead them astray, it would have been impossible for Him to do so since He Himself was God.   Of all the people to be accusing Jesus,...

            In John 5 we find a man that had been an invalid for thirty-eight years.   In hopes of receiving some type of relief or healing, this man had been lying at the pool that was in Bethesda by the Sheep Gate for a long time.    The reason he was there is because in this pool some believed that an angel would come and stir up the waters offering some type of healing.   This healing however would only come to the first one who jumped in.   Whether or not an angel of the Lord stirred the waters has been the subject of debate for centuries.   In fact, many Bibles do not even include verse four in the text, but rather adds it as a footnote.   The validity of the pool’s power is not the subject of this devotional, but it is necessary for us to mention.   What is interesting about the story is the question Jesus asks the lame man, “Do you want to be healed?” (John 5.6).   It has often perplexed ...