I was back in my hometown this week and noticed several changes since I last visited. For a local, change occurs gradually. But an occasional visitor like myself finds new construction surprising. While changes occur at their own pace, the perception of suddenness shifts with the viewer.

Brought from his cell, Paul laid out the case for the Christian faith before King Agrippa. The king found the arguments fascinating, and Paul’s insistence on the claims took Agrippa back. He asked, In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian?

Paul replied, Whether short or long, I would to God that not only you but also all who hear me this day might become such as I am—except for these chains.

I know people who came to faith after years of first ignoring, then wondering, and finally searching for God. Others hear the good news about Jesus and immediately turn to follow him. We don’t always know where a person stands in that continuum.

Regardless, I can confidently speak of his life and death and resurrection, along with my experience concerning Jesus. Some will be as Agrippa and turn away. Others ponder words about Jesus, and still more embrace the faith. Whether short or long, many still choose to follow our amazing Savior.

Acts 26:28-29

Photo by Aron Visuals

For a movement to spread, influence and leadership must flow beyond the original founders. Apollos represents such growth in the Christian church.

Apollos arrived in Ephesus and immediately proved himself an eloquent man, competent in the Scriptures. But even as he spoke about Jesus, he didn’t know all the details. So two disciples who had been with Paul, Priscilla and Aquila, took Apollos aside and explained the ways of Jesus more accurately.

Apollos developed into a powerful preacher. He taught in various cities, including Corinth, spreading the faith and encouraging the churches. Martin Luther even credited him with the authorship of Hebrews. Whether he wrote that letter or not, Apollos exerted a powerful influence within many growing churches.

Which is interesting because Apollos launched into his career without having met Jesus or any of the original disciples. Apollos came to faith after hearing from the next generation of Christ followers. His mentors, Priscilla and Aquila, were in the same camp, also never having been with Jesus. Apollos represents the first generation beyond the original founders.

Every eloquent preacher who helps those who follow Jesus, and shares from the Scriptures that Jesus was the Christ, follows in the footsteps of Apollos. All of us who claim Jesus today owe a debt to Apollos, Priscilla and Aquila. They nurtured and spread the faith through a critical period, intense with persecution, bridging the days of the founders to the centuries of the followers.

Let us continue in the same path. The next generations will follow Jesus and enjoy our amazing God if we point them in the right way. Like Apollos, let’s be fervent in spirit and teach accurately the things concerning Jesus.

Acts 18:24-28

Photo by Sneha Cecil

In the middle of fleeing for his life, David somehow found time to write poetry. While hiding in a cave he wrote:

The steadfast love of God endures all the day.

Which makes me think of things I deal with every day that do not endure.

Food goes bad. Clothes wear out. Plants die. Friends move away. Family members pass on. Health declines. Money takes wings. Memories fade.

But the loyal, firm, deep affection of God remains constant.

David had it bad, but chose to rest in the unchanging nature of God. Lean into the Lord. Gain refreshment from him. The sun is shining somewhere, and God’s love continues to endure.

Psalm 52:1

Photo by Sebastien Gabriel

The armies of Israel, facing defeat by an overwhelming enemy, needed an edge. Hoping for a powerful weapon to employ upon the field, they called for the most holy object imaginable.

So the people sent to Shiloh and brought from there the ark of the covenant of the Lord of hosts, who is enthroned on the cherubim. And the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

The ark of the covenant, built under the leadership of Moses, imbued with holiness, formed the center of the worship of Israel. Surely this powerful object would turn the tide. But the tide failed to turn. The enemy routed the Israelites who lost 30,000 men, and even worse, the ark of the covenant fell into enemy hands.

Why did this unbelievably powerful object of religious focus fail to bring success on the battlefield?

Because God controls the box, not the other way around.

The Israelites aimed God at their enemies. As if the ark were a missile launcher, they expected to hurl the power of God against whomever they wished. This despite the fact that the two priests who brought the ark, Hophni and Phinehas, were known cheats and philanderers, and the entire nation strayed from devotion to the Lord.

When the Spirit of God left, the ark of the covenant reverted to a shiny box. In the same way the cross on my wall is merely a decoration without the faith of a follower of Jesus to underscore its true meaning.

It’s a mistake to attempt to use God’s power for my ends. I might feel smug in my understanding of God and how he works, but the Lord will eventually blow up that box. God doesn’t come when we whistle—it’s actually the other way around.

1 Samuel 4:1-11

Photo by Igor Rodrigues