David Bahn - Reflections

Falling asleep in church isn't the most grave danger. I've done it a couple times in years gone by. Nor is falling out the window - embarrassing as that might be. The greatest danger is being asleep to the word of God, trading the truth of God's word comfort of the pillow, and remaining unaware of God's presence in our lives - in a church service, or a Tuesday afternoon commute.

Luke records that Gaius and Aristarchus accompany Paul as he continues his mission. They are listed in Acts 20:1-6 along with Timothy and others in that journey. He is listed in Romans 16:23 as a gracious host to Paul. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:14 that Gaius was one of the people he baptized. In 3 John 1:1, a man named Gaius is mentioned as a beloved brother in Christ. But the name was apparently common in those days it is not widely believed that these are the same persons. 

According to ChatGPT, Aristarchus is portrayed as a steadfast and loyal associate of Paul, playing a significant role in the early Christian movement. His repeated presence alongside Paul in various challenging situations underscores his commitment to the spread of Christianity and his support for Paul’s ministry. He is mentioned here as well as in Acts 20:4; 27:2; Colossians 4:10 (where he is listed as a fellow prisoner with Paul), and Philemon 1:24.

When the city clerk quieted the crowd it ultimately aided the mission of God. Paul was not caught up in the mob. He would make his way to Jerusalem, and on to Rome eventually. But when the crowd was not silenced, and the people continued to shout, "Crucify," it also aided the mission of God! Jesus' crucifixion was part and parcel of God's plan for our salvation. This is akin to Luther's thought, The devil is always God's devil. God limits the power and reach of Satan. So, we could say, the mob is always God's mob. Sometimes they will be quieted, sometimes not.

The message of Jesus is one of peace. Although people will get up in arms against Jesus' followers, we do not represent him well by mob action, boisterous demonstrations, or chaotic comotion. Our best witness is the powerful soft whisper of grace, mercy, and love. Shown in Christ. Empowered by the Spirit. Honoring the Father.

Faith working in love, empowered by the Holy Spirit, and anchored in God's word and promise is a beautiful and magnificent thing. Jesus has done the work that needs to have been done. He is truly great and worthy of our worship.

Martin Luther is credited to having said that there are three conversions. He is quoted as saying, “People go through three conversions: The conversion of their head, their heart, and their pocketbook. Unfortunately, not all at the same time.” He says that we need to have our purses or pocketbooks baptized. This conversion had decidedly not been the case with Demetrius and the silversmiths of Ephesus. He is no-bones-about-it concerned that the message of Jesus would undercut his profits. It didn't make any difference that these prophets fed on the false notions of idol worship. All that these artisans did was make money in exchange for overpriced pieces of silver. 

Always forward - in the Spirit. There are times when God's Holy Spirit takes us along paths we had never seen coming. There are times when we propose but God disposes in a different direction. We make our plans. But if we wish to be faithful we will say, as James warns us if it is God's will we will go to this or that place..." (cf. James 4:13-15).

Always Forward Ministries: https://www.alwaysforwardministries.com/our-story

This nor the book burning recorded here were acts of censorship. These were acts of repudiation. They were not saying, "You cannot read these books," per se. But they were saying, "We won't read these books any longer. We repudiate our practice of magic arts and divest ourselves of all that was involved in that practice. These people had a profound change of heart. They were dramatically converted. I'm reminded of Saul on the road to Damascus.

Faith finds the grace of God already there. Faith does not cause God's grace. So when I believed for that struggling wife, or the father of the little girl believed for the sake of his daughter, we looked for something that was already there.