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"Cassian Andor: “I couldn't face myself if I gave up now... None of us could.”
Thursday, 20 July 2017
Acts 5:17 But the cohen hagadol and his associates, who were members of the party of the Tz’dukim, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the emissaries and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night, an angel of Adonai opened the doors of the prison, led them out and said, 20 “Go, stand in the Temple court and keep telling the people all about this new life!” 21 After hearing that, they entered the Temple area about dawn and began to teach.
Now the cohen hagadol and his associates came and called a meeting of the Sanhedrin (that is, of Isra’el’s whole assembly of elders) and sent to the jail to have them brought. 22 But the officers who went did not find them in the prison. So they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened it, we found no one inside!” 24 When the captain of the Temple police and the head cohanim heard these things, they were puzzled and wondered what would happen next.
25 Then someone came and reported to them, “Listen! The men you ordered put in prison are standing in the Temple court, teaching the people!” 26 The captain and his officers went and brought them, but not with force; because they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 They conducted them to the Sanhedrin, where the cohen hagadol demanded of them, 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name! Look here! you have filled Yerushalayim with your teaching; moreover, you are determined to make us responsible for this man’s death!”
29 Kefa and the other emissaries answered, “We must obey God, not men. 30 The God of our fathers[Acts 5:30 Exodus 3:15] raised up Yeshua, whereas you men killed him by having him hanged on a stake.[Acts 5:30 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] 31 God has exalted this man at his right hand[Acts 5:31 Psalm 110:1] as Ruler and Savior, in order to enable Isra’el to do t’shuvah and have her sins forgiven. 32 We are witnesses to these things; so is the Ruach HaKodesh, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were infuriated and wanted to put the emissaries to death., 40 After summoning the emissaries and flogging them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go. 41 The emissaries left the Sanhedrin overjoyed at having been considered worthy of suffering disgrace on account of him. 42 And not for a single day, either in the Temple court or in private homes, did they stop teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Yeshua is the Messiah.
Now the cohen hagadol and his associates came and called a meeting of the Sanhedrin (that is, of Isra’el’s whole assembly of elders) and sent to the jail to have them brought. 22 But the officers who went did not find them in the prison. So they returned and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked and the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened it, we found no one inside!” 24 When the captain of the Temple police and the head cohanim heard these things, they were puzzled and wondered what would happen next.
25 Then someone came and reported to them, “Listen! The men you ordered put in prison are standing in the Temple court, teaching the people!” 26 The captain and his officers went and brought them, but not with force; because they were afraid of being stoned by the people. 27 They conducted them to the Sanhedrin, where the cohen hagadol demanded of them, 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name! Look here! you have filled Yerushalayim with your teaching; moreover, you are determined to make us responsible for this man’s death!”
29 Kefa and the other emissaries answered, “We must obey God, not men. 30 The God of our fathers[Acts 5:30 Exodus 3:15] raised up Yeshua, whereas you men killed him by having him hanged on a stake.[Acts 5:30 Deuteronomy 21:22–23] 31 God has exalted this man at his right hand[Acts 5:31 Psalm 110:1] as Ruler and Savior, in order to enable Isra’el to do t’shuvah and have her sins forgiven. 32 We are witnesses to these things; so is the Ruach HaKodesh, whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 On hearing this, the members of the Sanhedrin were infuriated and wanted to put the emissaries to death., 40 After summoning the emissaries and flogging them, they commanded them not to speak in the name of Yeshua, and let them go. 41 The emissaries left the Sanhedrin overjoyed at having been considered worthy of suffering disgrace on account of him. 42 And not for a single day, either in the Temple court or in private homes, did they stop teaching and proclaiming the Good News that Yeshua is the Messiah.
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In Rogue One, the rebels with Jyn took great and costly risks as they faced the Empire’s fury and power. When Jesus’ first followers faced a “furious” Sanhedrin, they said, ““We must obey God rather than humans! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead…We are witnesses of such things” (verses 30, 32). When the authorities beat them, we read that instead of complaining, they astoundingly “left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.”
• At the end of Luke’s gospel (of which Acts was “volume 2”), Jesus told his disciples: “A change of heart and life for the forgiveness of sins must be preached in [Christ’s] name to all nations….You are witnesses of these things” (Luke 24:47-48). When the council and the high priest ordered them NOT to preach, they were crystal clear about who they must obey. Have you ever had to decide whether to obey God or some human authority? If so, what did you decide to do?
• It’s worth reading again: The apostles “left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.” Before Jesus' death, the apostles had squabbled about which of them should be greatest. How had they come to see God’s priorities more clearly? How can you clarify God’s view of issues in your life?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, empower me to live a life that, in easy decisions and hard ones, glorifies you through my loyalty and obedience. Help me to never give up on your calling to me. Amen.
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Megan Rogers
Megan is an intern serving in Resurrection's rezlife Student Ministries this summer. In the fall, she will return to Iowa State University as a Junior in Biology and Microbiology.
A good portion of the Bible has to do with persecution and how we are made righteous when we are persecuted for being followers of Christ. I have always struggled to relate to these scriptures, since we Christians no longer have to face the fear of physical persecution for our faith. However, we are still pushing back against society’s standards each time we choose to praise His name.
Every day when we wake up, we have to face the same decision…we must choose whether we will live our day for God, or for the world. If we don’t make the conscious choice to live each day for Christ, we can accidentally get sucked into worldly distractions that make us forget about God’s purpose for our lives.
When we struggle against the idols of our world (wealth, popularity, social norms), we are sometimes isolated from our peers. They think we’re strange for putting our faith in a God we can’t see. The way we live our lives for Christ and not for the world might not make sense to them. As a result, we are often the victims of social shaming and judgement.
The stereotype that Christians are often assigned by our peers can sometimes be offensive. In high school, when I was on fire for God and not afraid to show it, my friends and classmates would jokingly call me a “Bible beater” or a “Jesus freak.” I knew that they didn’t mean to actually offend me--modern friendships are often centered on light-hearted teasing. But I was still discouraged by their words.
I was most easily hurt when my friends would keep secrets from me, just because they assumed by Christian values meant I would judge them or disapprove of their actions. I often felt like an outcast in my friend groups because of this, and some of my friendships were broken by this tension.
It’s in moments like these that we most closely relate to the apostles and the backlash they suffered from their community. The apostles, after being imprisoned and reprimanded by the high priest for teaching Jesus’s ways, “left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.” When I picture this scene, I see the apostles sharing high-fives, saying, “Guys! This must mean we’re doing something right!” The apostles chose to focus on the purpose behind their actions rather than the worldly consequences. Instead of taking insults or criticism poorly, we need to look at the big picture. We’re spreading Christ’s name, and that’s all that counts.
It is ultimately our choice to be bold in our Christianity. God promises to sustain us through any persecution we might face, but it’s really up to us and how we choose to react to bad feedback. Will we crack under pressure? Or will we rejoice in our suffering like the apostles? Let’s strive to live our lives for Christ in everything we do and say, every single day.
Megan RogersMegan is an intern serving in Resurrection's rezlife Student Ministries this summer. In the fall, she will return to Iowa State University as a Junior in Biology and Microbiology.
A good portion of the Bible has to do with persecution and how we are made righteous when we are persecuted for being followers of Christ. I have always struggled to relate to these scriptures, since we Christians no longer have to face the fear of physical persecution for our faith. However, we are still pushing back against society’s standards each time we choose to praise His name.
Every day when we wake up, we have to face the same decision…we must choose whether we will live our day for God, or for the world. If we don’t make the conscious choice to live each day for Christ, we can accidentally get sucked into worldly distractions that make us forget about God’s purpose for our lives.
When we struggle against the idols of our world (wealth, popularity, social norms), we are sometimes isolated from our peers. They think we’re strange for putting our faith in a God we can’t see. The way we live our lives for Christ and not for the world might not make sense to them. As a result, we are often the victims of social shaming and judgement.
The stereotype that Christians are often assigned by our peers can sometimes be offensive. In high school, when I was on fire for God and not afraid to show it, my friends and classmates would jokingly call me a “Bible beater” or a “Jesus freak.” I knew that they didn’t mean to actually offend me--modern friendships are often centered on light-hearted teasing. But I was still discouraged by their words.
I was most easily hurt when my friends would keep secrets from me, just because they assumed by Christian values meant I would judge them or disapprove of their actions. I often felt like an outcast in my friend groups because of this, and some of my friendships were broken by this tension.
It’s in moments like these that we most closely relate to the apostles and the backlash they suffered from their community. The apostles, after being imprisoned and reprimanded by the high priest for teaching Jesus’s ways, “left the council rejoicing because they had been regarded as worthy to suffer disgrace for the sake of the name.” When I picture this scene, I see the apostles sharing high-fives, saying, “Guys! This must mean we’re doing something right!” The apostles chose to focus on the purpose behind their actions rather than the worldly consequences. Instead of taking insults or criticism poorly, we need to look at the big picture. We’re spreading Christ’s name, and that’s all that counts.
It is ultimately our choice to be bold in our Christianity. God promises to sustain us through any persecution we might face, but it’s really up to us and how we choose to react to bad feedback. Will we crack under pressure? Or will we rejoice in our suffering like the apostles? Let’s strive to live our lives for Christ in everything we do and say, every single day.
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"Jyn Erso: 'They call it the Death Star. But they have no idea... there's a way to defeat it.'”
Friday, 21 July 2017
Matthew 21:33-45
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Jyn (and because of her, the rebels) knew something the arrogant Empire had overlooked. A small flaw in the Death Star made it vulnerable to defeat. (If you’ve seen the first Star Wars movie, you know how that worked out.) The arrogant religious leaders plotting to kill Jesus looked invincible, too. But Jesus' story said they, like the vicious tenants in the vineyard, had forgotten the vineyard’s owner (God). Killing the son didn’t make them owners—it only meant the true owner would hold them accountable for their violent actions.
• The answer to Jesus' question was too obvious to avoid (verses 40-41). His hearers pronounced sentence—on themselves. To what extent are you willing to submit your life to Jesus? What people and experiences have shaped your willingness to respond to Jesus, either positively or negatively? What steps can you take to ensure that you are not like the wicked tenants in the vineyard?
• Through history, arrogance has been ultimately disastrous for nations, churches and individuals. Read Psalm 2:1-5, originally written to honor an Israelite king’s enthronement, but whose meaning reached far beyond any earthly throne. How can you, in your personal life and in any organizations you help to shape, avoid choosing a course that defies God’s principles, whatever short-term “benefits” it might seem to offer?
Prayer: Lord Jesus, keep growing me into a faithful, responsive servant in your vineyard. Deliver me from the temptations of arrogance, that I may bear a rich harvest, not for my glory but for yours. Amen.
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"Blockade Runner Pilot: 'What is it that they've sent us?' Princess Leia: 'Hope.'”
Saturday, 22 July 2017
Hebrews 6:11-20
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In Rogue One, retrieving the Death Star plans, and transmitting them to rebel headquarters cost Jyn and Cassian their lives. It was a high price indeed, but it gave the rebels hope. Jesus' apparent defeat in fact defeated evil, and gave all of God’s people an eternal hope. The writer of Hebrews knew we don’t become deeply committed followers of God by chance. The letter called its readers (including us) to make sure we grasp that hope and weave it into our way of life. Eugene Peterson rendered v. 11 in The Message as “I want each of you to extend that same intensity toward a fullbodied hope, and keep at it till the finish.”
• The Hebrews understood the Most Holy Place (or Holy of Holies) in their sanctuary, and then the Temple, as the place where God’s presence dwelt. A heavy, ornate curtain covered the entrance, and only the High Priest could enter there, once a year, on the Day of Atonement. The letter to the Hebrews said that Jesus had gone into God’s presence for us, that our hope is the true High Priest who is in God’s presence continually, not just once a year. That is the hope we must make sure until the end, the hope we must grasp and hold fast. What are the things you pursue most intensely right now? How can you translate, and even magnify, that intensity and focus into your spiritual life?
Prayer: Dear Jesus, forgive me for the times when I am apathetic to your presence in my life. Teach me to hear your voice more clearly, and to have a gritty, engaged will to grasp your gift of hope. Amen.
Family Activity: Gather your family into the darkest space of your home. (A closet or a dark bathroom would be good options.) Bring a Bible and a very small reading light with you. When you are all together, ask someone to read Luke 10:17-20. Describe how just as life can be dark at times, so are our hearts, lives and the world without the light of Jesus. In an age-appropriate way, discuss some of the evil in the world and how sad it makes us, and God. Then share how, as we follow Jesus, His light lives within us and gives us hope. He wants us to share it with the world! Open the door of the room, celebrate and be thankful for the light of Jesus together! Commit to sharing the light and hope of Jesus with all people.
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Prayer Requests – cor.org/prayer Prayers for Peace & Comfort for:
• Gail Boyce and family on the death of her husband Dale Boyce, 7/10 • George Melling and family on the death of his uncle Charles Melling, 7/10
• Jeanne Lillig-Patterson and family on the death of her husband Neal Patterson, 7/9
• Jim Mohr and Penny Hardesty Mohr on the death of their son Connor Mohr, 7/8
• Ellie Mohr on the death of her brother Connor Mohr, 7/8
• John Alholm and family on the death of his wife Janet Alholm, 7/7
• Gloria Carolus and family on the death of her husband Paul Carolus, 7/6
• John Jennings and family on the death of his brother Mark Jennings, 7/3
• Ria Howell and family on the death of her grandmother Louise Monaco, 6/24
• Tracy and Ria Howell and family on the death of their close family friend Maddie Moorman, 6/24
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When the world falls apart
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Or download this week's printable GPS.
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Like this post? Share it!
You might also like
When the world falls apart
A God who never ignores us
Focusing on unseen, but enduring, realities
Depression, sadness, suffering, panic—but “wait for the Lord”
Morning light even amid awful destruction
Or download this week's printable GPS.
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The United Methodist Church of the Resurrection
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Leawood, Kansas 66224, United States
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