Pastor's Ponderings: Monday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 8:5-13 (November 10, 2025)

November 10, 2025:  Monday Bible Study on Acts 8:5-13

Good morning my dear friends in Christ.  I was shocked this AM when I saw the news that indicated that Chicago, and the eastern shore of Lake Michigan were receiving some rather large snowfalls today.  Around Chicago maybe as much as 18".  Both Melody and I remember all too well what it was like to have 36 inches of snow with 40 - 50 MPH wind when we lived just a couple of miles off Lake Michigan at our farmhouse.  We were literally buried, with cars stuck in the yard surrounded by 6–8-foot drifts.  Roads were closed for at least a week, and if you were caught driving you got a hefty ticket.  That was if you could even get your car out of the yard.  We have really felt blessed to live now in the warmth of our desert winters, and though we may complain about summers, not having winter and other kinds of stormy weather more than make up for those hot desert summer days.   Yesterday we blessed and prayed for pets at our worship service.  We had hands on blessing for several dogs, and one bearded dragon lizard who was about 18 inches long.  She was dressed for the cool morning in a stocking cap and cape.  Please keep Sue O Kelly's daughter in your prayers as she has now moved to rehab for her badly broken knee after a fall.  We have only two Sundays left in this church year, with the last Sunday being Christ the King Sunday on November 23rd.  Our bell choir has a new anthem to present at that worship service.  The 30th of November is Advent One and we will have coffee and donut fellowship hour at 9AM.  Sign up at church to bring some snacks or donuts.  NOTE: tomorrow is Veteran’s Day.  There will be no Bible Study tomorrow.

Tomorrow, November 11 is the anniversary of my Dad's death at age 90 in 2012.  My brother Rick served in the Navy in the Vietnam War.  He died in December of last year.  Let's all be thankful for the courage and commitment of the soldiers who served and lost their lives, and for those who served and came home to live on.

Today we continue our conversation about the nature and actions of the early Christian believers who were being persecuted and prosecuted for their belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Messiah, Lord, and Savior.  Philip, one of the seven selected to serve with grace and passion in the work of serving in the Jerusalem community, but the Jews were determined to displace any, and all, of the people who were perceived as threatening to the Jewish religious leaders.  Let's look at a little of the history that brings us to an ironic period as the new Christians were leaving Jerusalem into other communities and nations.  Philip was going to go into Samaria, a part of the Middle East long felt to be at odds with the "real" Jews in Jerusalem.

The animosity had its beginnings at the time when the 12 tribes of Israel were finally getting settled in to the promised land.  The older tribes were helped in their settlement of the part of today's Palestine by the younger tribes. but when the younger tribes began their settlement into the northern areas of Palestine, the older tribes refused to help them because they were too settled in their new territory already.  Judah, with Jerusalem as its worship center, and the northern tribes in Samaria with their worship center in Bethel would finally come to odds after the Northern kingdom, which was Israel, was taken into exile some 100 years prior to the Southern kingdom being taken into exile.  In the unfolding of this process, the northerners were dispersed more widely after getting conquered by Assyrians than were the southerners after they were conquered by the Babylonians.  They were taken as a large group to Babylon, where they maintained their Jewish heritage much more closely than the Jews who had been dispersed more widely from the north.  So, when the Persian King, Cyrus, sent the southern Jews back to reestablish the city of Jerusalem, and the Temple, under the oversight of Ezra and Nehemiah, they remained cohesive while the northern Jews wandered back into Samaria slowly, and in the process, had absorbed many people whose religious traditions were very non-Jewish.  Hence, the animosity between Jews and Samaritans that was so prevalent in Jesus’ time, and Samaria seems to have been the sight of greater successes in Jesus' own ministry.  So, then we arrive with Philip who has left Jerusalem and headed into Samaria, where he has had great success preaching, teaching, and healing.  In this passage we see an interesting story about a magician who was well respected for the amazing acts of magic that he performed, but when Philip came along, it didn't take very long for this man to be converted to Christianity because of having witnessed real healings that were not just acts of some magic being performed.  The successes of Christianity in the north happened because:

1. The Christians told and retold the miraculous story of Jesus, His ministry, His death, and His resurrection before many still alive witnesses. 

2. The Christians brought authentic healing to people who were hungry to help with their illnesses and health issues.

3. The consequence of the presence of the stories, and the healings, was that for the first time, the people of Samaria knew JOY in their lives.  That joy should still be filling our lives every time we pray, sing, and gather for worship to receive the Lord's Holy meal.  Christ's promise of eternal life is ours every bit as much as it was for the people of His own time, and the times of the early Christian Church.  The authentic Christian Church will never leave us filled with gloom!

There will be no study tomorrow due to the national holiday, and I will be back with you on Thursday as we cover the second half of Psalm 37.  

With love in Christ, Pastor Kim