The Day Ephesus Lost Its Cool

 

You see and hear that not only in Ephesus, but in almost all of Asia, this man Paul has persuaded and misled a considerable number of people by saying that gods made by hand are not gods.

Acts 19:26 (CSB)

The man who spoke these words was Demetrius, a silversmith whose shrine-making business for the goddess Artemis (or Diana, in Latin) kept many craftsmen in ancient Ephesus employed. Paul’s preaching was disrupting their commerce, and Demetrius wasn’t happy about it.

So he gathered the silversmiths and every craftsperson connected to their line of work into the local amphitheater — the ruins of which still stand today. There, he held a rally and whipped the crowd into a chaotic frenzy against “this man Paul.”

It's interesting to note how he starts with their wallets, warning that Paul’s message is wrecking their livelihood. Only afterward does he tack on a religious concern: that “the temple of the great goddess Artemis may be despised and her magnificence come to the verge of ruin — the very one all of Asia and the world worship.”

The result was an hours-long, life-threatening riot.

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Truth is...people have been using religion for personal gain for a very long time. That doesn’t make faith the problem, but it does mean we should stay alert whenever someone tries to blend profit and piety.

The Dumbest Charge Ever Thrown at Jesus

 

If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand?

Matthew 12:26

This statement by Jesus comes in the middle of his response to some hecklers. They didn't like the fact that Jesus had freed some people from demonic possession. They said that he was only able to do that because he was working with the chief demon himself, Beelzebub.

Jesus replies with an appeal to reason: "Wait a minute, guys. Think about what you're saying. It doesn't make sense. Why would Satan empower me to defeat himself? That would be like our government selling the ultimate weapon to its primary enemy. If you're going to speak against me, at least have a little intellectual integrity."

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Truth is...Jesus never requires us to put our brains on mute to follow him. On the contrary, he says the greatest commandment is to "love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." (Matthew 22:37 CSB)

 

Is Loving Yourself Too Much Even a Thing?

 

Let us not become conceited,
provoking and envying each other.

Galatians 5:26 (NIV)

It starts innocently enough.

We are all encouraged to have a positive self-image, right? I mean, you can't "love your neighbor as you love yourself" if you don't first love yourself.

The problem is that some of us get to loving ourselves a bit much, as if we could do no wrong.

Then we want to make sure other people recognize how lovable we are, prompting them to appreciate our personal greatness. (A synonym for prompting is provoking.)

And what happens as we encounter people who have no need to compare or contrast themselves to others to feel good about themselves? We wish we could be like them, and that's called envy.

Most people quote the tenth commandment as "Thou shalt not covet." What most people don't do is translate that churchy word covet into something that normal people understand. You know ... something like envy.

Don't misunderstand. We have good reason to carry around a positive self-image. After all, Jesus thinks we're to die for! But before we get over-impressed with ourselves, let's remember the reason he died. And those sins of yours that put Jesus on the cross are "just as bad" as mine. And mine are just as bad as my neighbor's. 

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Truth is...The ground at the foot of the cross is perfectly level.

News Flash: Our Hope Does Not Reside in Washington DC

 

Many desire a ruler’s favor,

but a person receives justice from the Lord.

Proverbs 29:26 (CSB)

You see it every time political power changes hands: a new leader is suddenly surrounded by eager voices, each insisting they’re the truest supporter, each angling for a favor, a position, or a slice of the budget.

It makes total sense ... if your hopes for personal advancement, success, and security are pinned to a politician.

But if you long for real truth and justice, it would be good to heed the words of Charles Colson:

Where is the hope? I meet millions who tell me that they feel demoralized by the decay around us. Where is the hope? The hope that each of us has is not in who governs us or what laws are passed or what great things we do as a nation. Our hope is in the power of God working through the hearts of people. And that’s where our hope is in this country. That’s where our hope is in life.

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Truth is...Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.  -  Psalm 20:7 (NIV)

The One Verse that Shatters Most Leadership Books

 

Whoever is greatest among you should become like the youngest, and whoever leads, like the one serving.

Luke 22:26

To provide some context, Luke tells us the twelve disciples were arguing among themselves about who was the greatest. I can imagine Peter pointed out his natural leadership abilities and how he helped run the family's fishing business. James and John probably thundered out their own reasoning why they should be respected just a bit more than the others.

Then Jesus butts in with the bombshell that a true leader is a servant to the ones he leads. And he backs it up by pointing out that's what he's been doing all along.

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Truth is...I am reminded of the following illustration demonstrating the difference between a boss and a leader.

Five Solid Facts about the Holy Spirit

 

When the Counselor comes, the one I will send to you from the Father — the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father — he will testify about me.

John 15:26 (CSB)

There are plenty of people who freely admit to not fully understanding the role of the Holy Spirit within the Trinity or within our lives.

And that's okay.

I mean, the Holy Spirit is God, and as I've said on more than one occasion, if God is completely understandable, he's not much of a god, is he?

But there are some things about the Holy Spirit that we can know for certain because Jesus told us. Just in this one verse, he tells us five things about the Holy Spirit.

   1. He is the Counselor, providing guidance and comfort.
   2. Jesus has sent him, so his presence is a kept promise and a positive thing for us.
   3. He is "of truth." No falsehood can be connected with him.
   4. He is "sent from the Father" and "proceeds from the Father." He is just as much "part of diety" as Jesus, who was also sent from the Father. (John 8:42, et al)
   5. He testifies about Jesus. If something that seems spiritual is drawing attention to anyone or anything other than Jesus, we had best be careful.

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Truth is...Historically, opinions and arguments about the Holy Spirit have been responsible for division and disruption. My prayer is that, instead, he will be allowed to do his work, guiding us into all truth and uniting our hearts in Jesus.

The Most Honest Prayer You’ll Ever Pray Might Be Wordless

 

In certain ways we are weak, but the Spirit is here to help us. For example, when we don't know what to pray for, the Spirit prays for us in ways that cannot be put into words.

Romans 8:26 (CEV)

Have you ever been dumbfounded? Perhaps speechless? How about taciturn, tight-lipped, or tongue-tied?

I admit there have been many times when I've looked at the chaos surrounding me and have been utterly gobsmacked. It's hard to know how to even begin praying in the face of a world gone crazy.

But the Apostle Paul brings us good news, friends. Our prayers do not need to be peppered with perfect prose. The Holy Spirit, being God, knows exactly how we feel and is able to bring our burdens to Yahweh in a way that is beyond words.

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Truth is...sometimes the most effective prayer is a sigh ... or a sob.