Lenten Readings

10 As soon as it was night, the believers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12 As a result, many of them believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was preaching the word of God at Berea, some of them went there too, agitating the crowds and stirring them up. 14 The believers immediately sent Paul to the coast, but Silas and Timothy stayed at Berea. 15 Those who escorted Paul brought him to Athens and then left with instructions for Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Preparation – Permanent Relationships

Doug Stevens
Ministry of Encouragement – Austin TX

Observation: The Jews in the Greek city of Berea were very receptive to the Gospel brought by Paul and Silas to their synagogue. Many of them put their trust in Jesus, as did a number of Greek men and women who were apparently attached to that community. This is remarkable in at least two ways: 1) Paul and Silas had just escaped mob action in Thessalonica. They could have been licking their wounds, in retreat and reluctant about connecting with Jews. Since they were proven adversaries, it probably wouldn’t be safe, they could have decided. Instead, the apostles were immediately re-engaged, out looking for receptivity to the life-saving message of Jesus the Messiah. 2) The Jews in Berea were not locked into disbelief even though the Gospel challenged their assumptions and threatened their traditions (and fulfilled their deepest longings!). Their integrity, demonstrated by their open-minded Scripture-search, and their sincere interest in following the truth wherever it might lead, is shocking, heartening, and re-energizes the mission.

Action: I can be very enthusiastic in my approach to people, but then I sometimes give up too easily. I have a friend and neighbor who is a Muslim. I invited him over for tea one evening. We spent two hours in cordial conversation. It went well. But as I listened to his recitation of Islamic doctrine, I felt discouraged. I felt like we had reached an impasse, in terms of any possible spiritual breakthrough. Jesus is honored yet diminished in the Quran. But then later he told me he would very much like to continue our discussion. This may be “a long drive” in terms of relationship but it is very likely that a man who is highly educated and quite successful, yet displaced and lonely, is more open than I can recognize to the love of Jesus … whose love is nearly irresistible!

25 Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. 26 Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! 27 The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. 28 But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights and ran to the dungeon and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 Then he brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”
31 They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” 32 And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. 33 Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. 34 He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God.

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Power – Proclamation

Leila Ojala
Elements Church – Summit County CO

Observation: What an amazing demonstration of God’s Power! God’s rescue of Paul & Silas and their subsequent selflessness opened up the jailer and his entire household to the Proclamation of the Gospel.

Action: This week I will step out in faith-filled prayer for God’s Power to heal someone who doesn’t know the Lord, in the hope that a supernatural experience will open them up the Gospel in the same way it did the jailer.

28 After she had said this, she went back and called her sister Mary aside. “The Teacher is here,” she said, “and is asking for you.” 29 When Mary heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. 30 Now Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 31 When the Jews who had been with Mary in the house, comforting her, noticed how quickly she got up and went out, they followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn there.
32 When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked.
“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.
35 Jesus wept.
36 Then the Jews said, “See how he loved him!”
37 But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”
38 Jesus, once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance. 39 “Take away the stone,” he said.
“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time there is a bad odor, for he has been there four days.”
40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
41 So they took away the stone. Then Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here, that they may believe that you sent me.”
43 When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” 44 The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Preparation – Presence

Pat Dirske
City Church of Compton – Compton CA

Observation: I see that when Jesus sees the grief that Mary is going through, he too is moved to tears (vs35). Often times when I read this passage I’m struck with not only what Jesus does (raises Lazarus from the dead) but how he also mourns with Mary. What this shows me is that how we do something is just as important as what we do.

Action: I want to be mindful on how I’m doing things today. Too often I’m just concerned about getting as much done as possible. Jesus shows me the value of being with and experiencing the same hurt and pain as my neighbors. Lord, help me to experience the world the same way you do!

11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, and the next day we went on to Neapolis. 12 From there we traveled to Philippi, a Roman colony and the leading city of that district of Macedonia. And we stayed there several days.
13 On the Sabbath we went outside the city gate to the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and began to speak to the women who had gathered there. 14 One of those listening was a woman from the city of Thyatira named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth. She was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message. 15 When she and the members of her household were baptized, she invited us to her home. “If you consider me a believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Observation – Passing Relationships – Permanent Relationships

Perry Sakai
Mien Covenant Church – New Gen Ministries – Sacramento CA

Observation: Entering a new ministry, a new region, a new city, and a new culture, Paul took time. Arriving at Philippi, Paul and his companions took time to stay there for several days. They took time to identify existing networks where God was already at work. They took time to sit down and talk with women outside the gate. This was no short term mission on a tight schedule. With eyes, ears, and hearts wide open they took time to observe where God had prepared their way, and they took time to go there.

Action: Today, I choose to step away from the tyranny of the urgent. Instead, I choose to take time to stay present, to sit, to talk, and to step into those divine encounters that God prepared for me.

6 Paul and his companions traveled throughout the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been kept by the Holy Spirit from preaching the word in the province of Asia. 7 When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. 8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. 9 During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” 10 After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Passing Relationships – Permanent Relationships

Gina Mueller
3DM – Wyoming MN

Observation: Paul and Silas’ perception game was strong! They were constantly listening for God’s voice and direction in their going. The Holy Spirit gave clear direction: go here, don’t go there. Following God’s voice and promptings gave them insight into who was ready to hear the Good News.

Action: In the next week, I’ll be going to the grocery store, meeting a friend for coffee, my kids will be having friends come over to play, I’ll be taking them to activities, going to the dentist, and crossing paths with my neighbors. I am going to ask God to help me to be consciously aware of his voice in my going as I interact with these everyday people. Lord, who are you sending me to? Who is ready to hear the Good News?

26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.’

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Passing Relationships

Eric Paul
Church of the Nazarene – Holualoa HI

Observation: I sit on the board of the local non-profit Comunidad Latina de Hawaii. We seek to build a welcoming community and create opportunities for immigrant communities to connect, integrate, and contribute to the wider community. The other day, I attended a meeting with an individual trying to connect the various social issues together. He described himself as a left wing Bernie delegate and an agnostic fatalist. He began to blame “those” Christians for the rise of Trumpism and the spread of fear. He then asked me what I do.

“I’m a pastor,” I replied.

He was clearly taken aback. “I’ve never met a Christian interested in more progressive issues before. How have you come to care about immigrant rights?”

And here, like Paul in Antioch, I had an opportunity to share the Gospel message of God’s reconciling love. I confessed that the church often has been blind to the plight of the poor and oppressed, but that the life of Jesus sought justice for the world.

After those very short sentences, I was interrupted and the conversation never flowed back. But I recognized an opening with an agnostic who is not afraid to ask questions, who engages freely, and was open to my presence.

Action: Sometimes, prayer is the best action. I will not see this person regularly. But I do know the Spirit goes before me, with me, and after me to tender the lives of our neighbors. May it be so with this man.