Pastor's Ponderings: Tuesday Bible Study on Acts of the Apostles 9:23-25 (December 9, 2025)

December 9, 2025:  Tuesday Bible Study on Acts 9:23-25

Good morning, dear friends in Christ. I pray and hope that this season of Advent finds you filled with wonder at the Bethlehem birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is such a good time to take a few deep breaths, to ponder what God has done, and continues to do, in our lives, and in the lives of all people with the birth of His Only Begotten Son. Yesterday I reminded you about the busy schedule for this Sunday morning at church. An all-ages special animated movie offered in two parts over two Sundays, Third Sunday of Advent worship at 10AM, decorating after worship, and bell choir practice after that. This morning our son Jesse brought the tree down from the balcony, set it up, and of course left it to have its branches adjusted. Thanks for your help, Jess. At home we are gradually preparing for Christ's birthday party a little bit each day. Our lawn inflatables are up, and the Christmas tree is also up in the living room. Now we just need to get the ornaments and many other things out in place so we can get finished. Oh yes, my baking must start this week too. First will be Loretta Olson's oatmeal/butter cookies, and then fruit cake cookies which are delicious, mint chip cookies, and peanut m&m cookies too. We will have some of each kind at the church on the 21st for the cookie exchange.

Today's reading in the Acts of the Apostles is noticeably short, just three verses, but as you know, only a few verses in God's Word can feed our faith in powerful ways. Though the time is not specifically spelled out, it is in all likelihood right after Paul's very potent witnessing for those three years that the Jews have finally reached the point where they now know that arguing with Paul, both a Pharisee and a convert to Christianity, is fruitless.  Next comes the answer of the Jews who have tried to stand in the face of Paul's witness for the Risen Christ. They now know that the only way to stop Paul, and his speaking, is to arrange to have him murdered. They become obsessed with catching him and taking his life, but other converts in the community find a way to get Paul out. Like so many ancient cities, Damascus was surrounded by a defensible wall, but after a while, it began to have houses erected on the tops of the wall, and that meant that there was another way for Paul to exit for his journey to Jerusalem,  Just like the woman in the wall of Jericho who helped to lower Hebrew Spies in a basket at night, Paul too, left Damascus in the cover of darkness, and was lowered in a basket by his friends.  When all the city gates were watched so carefully by Paul's enemies, there was only this way for him to leave. This won't be the only time that Paul is forced to leave a city because of the enemies of the Risen Lord, His own people set out to destroy anyone who taught about conversion and belief in Him.

So, what can we get out of this brief passage?

1. Paul has already been battling those who would destroy him for three years. He has the courage of a person of strong faith, perhaps some of the strongest faith of anyone in the New Testament except for Christ Himself. People who meet Paul know that he is now a man of peace who speaks about the Love of God for all people because of the gift of His Son. This is a tremendous change from his earlier life, and it becomes an unbeatable strength for the ministry of joy and hope that Paul presents through his preaching and living.

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3. All of this is the witness to the strength of Paul's life now that he has come to know Jesus and has become confident and certain about Christ's authority and powerful love in his own life. This Christ authority in his life has shown Paul's world that he is authentic as a Christian. Rarely does anyone attack a weak and impotent person but become confident and brave in how you feel and what you think and understand, and your witness is unapproachable by the faulty thinking of those around you, and you will have enemies to seek your demise.  The Church has faced this reality throughout its history. Today, like so many times in our history as faithful citizens of Christ, there are many who say, "We don't need the church."  "We are only interested in power and wealth and making our way to that place as our goal."  "There is no God!"  "You are a fool for thinking that any of this is real!"  As faithful people of God we have heard our own families, our "friends", our co-workers, and many others spout this kind of faithlessness. Stand firm just as Paul did. It was easy for him, and it won't be easy for us, but the reward of faith in Christ is forgiveness of sin, life with God in His Grace, and Salvation. It has never been the easiest thing to do with integrity and love, but with Christ it is indeed possible and even transformative in our lives, and absolutely the RIGHT THING TO DO!

Thanks for being with me this morning.

With Christ's Love, Pastor Kim