TOP

Paul and Barnabas Can’t Get Along

Feb 07
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Acts 15:36–41

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Come, let us return and visit the believers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. 38 But Paul decided not to take with them one who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work. 39 The disagreement became so sharp that they parted company; Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and set out, the believers commending him to the grace of the Lord. 41 He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

It is hard to know what was really going on in this episode in the early church.  What is clear is that the resolution of the dispute between Paul and Barnabas was for them to separate themselves from each other.  In fact, the book of Acts never mentions again their working together.  That is sad, but it is not uncommon. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Being Kind Even in Criticism

Jan 12
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

2 Corinthians 10:1

I myself, Paul, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ — I who am humble when face to face with you, but bold toward you when I am away!

Didn’t St. Paul express a truth about many of us?  It is hard to be bold when confronting a person face to face.  It is so much easier to sound bold when we are away from them.  It might be nice if we never had to say anything that was challenging or confrontational to another person, but that is not the reality of human life.  Sometimes we need to confront our children, our spouse, a co-worker, or a friend.  Sometimes it is one of those people who needs to confront us.  At some time it might be our supervisor at work who is confronting us. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Paul Was a Changed Man

Jan 10
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Acts 22:2–5

2 When they heard him addressing them in Hebrew, they became even more quiet. Then he said:  3 I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel, educated strictly according to our ancestral law, being zealous for God, just as all of you are today. 4 I persecuted this Way up to the point of death by binding both men and women and putting them in prison, 5 as the high priest and the whole council of elders can testify about me. From them I also received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there in order to bind those who were there and to bring them back to Jerusalem for punishment.

Paul had his own “religious experience,” and it changed his life.  This passage from Acts depicts his addressing the Jews in Jerusalem, years after that experience.  Paul had stirred up the crowds in Jerusalem with his preaching.  Some wanted to imprison him, or do even worse to him.  They considered this early group of Christians to be a threat to them.  Acts 22 is his testimony to the crowds.  It begins with his description of how he treated those early Christians prior to his spiritual experience of the risen Christ.  That experience had changed him. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Life, Values, and Things

Dec 08
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Philippians 3:7–11

7 Yet whatever gains I had, these I have come to regard as loss because of Christ. 8 More than that, I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ 9 and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. 10 I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.

I will admit that I don’t like everything that St. Paul writes here.  I am sure that I do not want to become like Jesus in his death with all the pain and suffering that he experienced.  I want to die peacefully, and not for many years to come.  I am also sure that I do not wish to suffer the loss of everything I have gained in this life.  Despite my wishes and likes, there is wisdom in what St. Paul is inspired to write. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Paul’s First Letter

Dec 01
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

1 Thessalonians 1:2–9

2 We always give thanks to God for all of you and mention you in our prayers, constantly 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ. 4 For we know, brothers and sisters beloved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our message of the gospel came to you not in word only, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction; just as you know what kind of persons we proved to be among you for your sake. 6 And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for in spite of persecution you received the word with joy inspired by the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For the word of the Lord has sounded forth from you not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but in every place your faith in God has become known, so that we have no need to speak about it. 9 For the people of those regions report about us what kind of welcome we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God.

All of my New Testament teachers would have agreed that this was probably Paul’s first letter to one of his churches.  A suggested date is around 50 AD.  It is also likely the first book of the New Testament that was written, even earlier than any of the Gospels.  Notice how Paul begins this letter, with thanksgiving.  The people to whom he is writing are well-known for their faith in God.  Paul will use the letter to correct some of their errors and to encourage them in their life of faith.

What is the first thing we write in our letters?  I am usually trying to get right to the point.  It seems to be “all business” with me.  My email correspondence is even more that way.  I am trying to correct that.  I am now trying to begin with some positive expressions to the person who will receive my email or my letter.  The Christmas letter that my wife is writing for us begins with introductory sentences expressing our connection with the people to whom we are writing. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Paul is Attacked

Aug 12
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Acts 14:19–20

19 But Jews came there from Antioch and Iconium and won over the crowds. Then they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing that he was dead. 20 But when the disciples surrounded him, he got up and went into the city. The next day he went on with Barnabas to Derbe.

As a person reads this text from Acts, it is important to remember that Paul was a Jew, too.  It is Jews stoning a Jew.  It causes me to think about Shiite Muslims attacking Sunni Muslims, or vice versa.  I don’t understand the hate and the violence that grows out of religious faith.  But, I will admit to wishing that I saw passion for the faith being expressed more often by people I know.  I hope for passion without the hostility, and certainly without the violence. (more…)

Read More
Tags: ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Hope and a Prayer

Aug 09
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 12:12

12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer.

I had to look for a text for today.  The “assigned” texts were about judgment, including God’s judgment and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah.  That was all too depressing for me.  The modern news is bad enough, most especially the deaths of 30 Americans in Afghanistan.  I did a word search for “rejoice,” and Romans 12:12 is one of the verses that came up. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

Leadership

Jul 21
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

1 Corinthians 4:18–21

18 But some of you, thinking that I am not coming to you, have become arrogant. 19 But I will come to you soon, if the Lord wills, and I will find out not the talk of these arrogant people but their power. 20 For the kingdom of God depends not on talk but on power. 21 What would you prefer? Am I to come to you with a stick, or with love in a spirit of gentleness?

St. Paul seems to have had a very special relationship with the churches, including the church at Corinth.  He was an authority figure and exercised his authority over them.  When an authority figure is absent from almost any organization, new people usually seek to rise up in the role.  Sometimes they are good leaders, and sometimes they are not. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

It is Hard to be Good

Jul 01
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 7:20–21

20 Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I that do it, but sin that dwells within me. 21 So I find it to be a law that when I want to do what is good, evil lies close at hand.

Have you ever been in a tense conversation because of a conflict or a dispute with another person?  In the midst of that conversation you think of something you could say, but you know you should not say it because it would hurt the other person too much.  You think to yourself, “I will not say it,” but then you do, and you immediately regret having said what you said.  If you have ever been in that situation, you understand what St. Paul was writing to the Romans. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)
TOP

God’s Spirit and Our Spirits

Jun 10
Posted by Pastor Howard White in Devotionals

Romans 8:14–17

14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. 15 For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received a spirit of adoption. When we cry, “Abba! Father!” 16 it is that very Spirit bearing witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs, heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ — if, in fact, we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

The book of Romans is regarded as Paul’s final letter and as a summation of his thoughts.  Paul was a very religious man even before his conversion experience.  Before his conversion he could claim credit for his religious works.  After his conversion experience he understood that it was God at work in him.  It is through God’s Spirit’s presence that we are what we are.  It is God who has adopted us and called us to be God’s children. (more…)

Read More
Tags: , ,
Comments (0)