The Gathering Place Where Family Matters

Yesterday I shared a little tongue twister with you about Barnabas and Saul who became Paul. I’d like to stay in the same text for just a moment with you today. Think of these things from Acts 9.
1. Saul of Tarsus hated Christians (9:1).
2. Saul had legal documents with him to arrest any believer and drag that person back to Jerusalem (9:2).
3. As he traveled to Damascus, the Lord apprehended him and totally changed his life from being a Christ-hater to a Christ-lover and follower (9:3-6).
4. One of the most dramatic changes that Saul (or we call him Paul) had was that instantly instead of hating Christians, now he was one and had a love for the family of the Lord. Earlier he wanted to arrest them. Now he wanted to fellowship and be with them (9:26). Barnabas helped to make this possible (9:27).

What a beautiful verse for me to share with you today. “And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem” (Acts 9:28). It would be expected that genuine believers would desire to be with other believers for worship, fellowship, prayer, and enjoyment. This is only Wednesday, but Sunday is coming! I hope that you are looking forward to gathering with other believers!

I have a bit of a tongue twister for you today. But first, as always, let me bring you to a wonderful verse of Scripture. Probably you know of this dear brother in the Lord. But if you are new to reading the Bible, may I please introduce Barnabas to you. This man had such a wonderful gift of reaching out and being a blessing in hurting or awkward situations.

He is called the son of consolation in Acts 4:36. But it’s in Acts 9 that I want you to see how Barnabas lived up to his name. Saul of Tarsus has been wonderfully converted. No longer persecuting Christians, he himself has become one and wants to join the other believers in Jerusalem. They are afraid of him and want nothing to do with him. Here’s the verse, Acts. 9:27, “But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that He had spoken to him, and how he preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.”

Here’s something to think about. This thought struck me this morning. With my words and actions, I will either be a “fender bender” leaving behind a trail of hurt feelings, needless offenses, and damaged relationships, or I will be a “fender-bender mender” in which I will encourage those around me, bring healing to wounded people, and restoration to those broken relationships. Barnabas (Acts 4:36; 9:26-27) was just such an encourager. He indeed was a “fender-bender mender”! That’s what I want to be. How about you?

“And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom you will serve; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD” (Joshua 24:15).

There is an interesting phrase that I want you to capture today. It is the phrase “as for me.” I want God to give me the courage to continue to be willing to go against the crowd. Don’t misunderstand me. I want to be gracious, and certainly I desire to have the fruit of the Spirit manifested in my life. But I want to be different. I want to live differently than the world. I want to be willing to stand uncompromisingly in this darkened world. I want to be an “as for me” kind of Christian.

Joshua put it point blank. It’s just as if he said, “Folks, listen to me. It is time to choose. If you don’t want to serve the Lord, then go your way, serve whatever false god you wish. But I am not going to live that way. As for me and my household, we choose to serve the Lord. Such a choice will be evidenced by the way we choose to live.” That’s a “Dr. Mike’s Translation”; however, that is exactly what Joshua was saying. He went against the flow! You and I need to be gracious but just as determined to be an “as for me” kind of person.

Here’s the question for this tenth day of February: How will this phrase “as for me” play out in your life today?

The Lord Jesus on the night before He died for our sin was speaking to His Father about the Father sent Him, and loved Him. He then specifically continues “Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father! The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me. And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You love Me may be in them, and I in them” (John 17:23-26).

It is my personal conviction that I don’t use the word “awesome” very often. However! When it comes to the Lord, everything is awesome. Think of this.

The Father loved the Son in eternity past (17:24b).
Our Savior, on the night before He went to the cross, revealed to us that the Father also loved us in eternity past (17:23).
If this is not great enough, the Lord Jesus also revealed to us that He desires that we not only will be with Him but that we would see, actually behold and gaze upon, His glory (17:24a).
Such majesty and beauty of which the world knows nothing will be revealed, and we will see Him face to face. It is hard to put into words, isn’t it?

Simply stated, It is awesome!

Whatever you are facing today, just remember this blessed thought: your problems may be many right now, but you are glory-bound if you know the Lord Jesus as your Savior. You are loved in eternity past, now and for all eternity future. You are prayed for by the Savior. You are bound for glory that is indescribable. What a glorious promise. It is awesome.

“Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world” (John 17:24)

The incredible love of the Father for the Son is actually indescribable.

Think of this. The Lord Jesus, on the night before He went to the cross to take the punishment for our sins, prayed, “You loved Me before the foundations of the world.” We humans stretch on the tip-toes of our faith when we begin trying to take in eternity. We are so programmed to beginnings and endings. Here the Lord Jesus slightly pulls the curtains of time apart, and we are allowed to peer into eternity past. The Son was loved by the Father long before creation. He was loved in eternity past. As a believer, I absolutely love the fact that my blessed Savior is the beloved One from all eternity past. I cannot wait until tomorrow to show you how this affects you and me! It is incredible.

Just for today: How wonderful it is to know the One Whom the Father has loved from eternity past. Wonderful indeed! I can’t wait for tomorrow to get here!!!!!