Struck blind

Grant and I will tell a tandem of Acts 13:1-11 in a few weeks and as I study this crazy story, I am struck by something so profound.

Okay, this story is about a false prophet, BarJesus. His name in Hebrew means Son of Jesus. These short 12 verses gives him six descriptors: A Jewish sorcerer, false prophet, named BarJesus, called Elymas (which means wise in Arabic), and magician. Well more if you include what Paul says child of the devil, full of deceit and trickery, who never stops perverting evil.

Why so many?

He sought to stop the faith of Sergius Paulus the governor/procounsel of Paphos in Cypress.

Saul (Paul) whose name will transition to Paul in the middle of this incident. Paul realizes the intent of this man's deceit and realizes that BarJesus has attached himself to the governor Paulus, who was known to be intelligent. So he tells BarJesus, he is to be struck blind for a season because he will not stop going against what is right. 

Paul, the very one struck blind by God so he would believe strikes another man blind, and then Paul professes that BarJesus will remain blind for a season. Such an interesting connection. 

This causes the Governor Paulus to believe as he listens to Paul's teaching. 

We need to catch that it is in this very moment that Paul transitions from to the Jew to the Gentile. 

The Jewish sorcerer is symbolic of what happened to the Jewish nation at this time. They kept distorting what was right, so they are blinded for a season and will not see. The blinders will be removed at some point, but not now.

Holy wozer! My mind in blown as I caught this truth today. 

This chapter is all about transitions.

Transition from Jew to Gentile.

Transition from Saul to Paul (the use of his Hebrew name to Roman name.)

Transition from Barnabas and Saul to Paul and Barnabas.

Oh the irony of the one struck blind for a moment so he could see to strike blind the Jewish sorcerer to set off the movement to the Gentiles! 

Oh my! I am struck with awe!

Multi-cultural...Mutli-racial...Multi-socio-economic...It is all there!

Multi-cultural...

Mutli-racial...

Multi-socio-economic...

It is all there!

Acts 13 caught me this morning.

Barnabas: A Greek man

Simeon: North African (a black Jew)

Lucias: North African (Greek, Jew/ Phoenician culture)

Manean: possibly mixed, Jewish or Edomite/Arab; Idumaean.This isn't stated, but it is implied by what is stated. 

John Mark: Roman/Jew.  

Okay, this is what hit me hard this morning.

"Another was Manean. He grew up with Herod, the ruler of Galilee." (Acts 13:1). 

His race or nation were not mentioned. It was who and how he grew up. He grew up with Herod Antipas! You know, the one who beheaded John the Baptist and executed Jesus. 

Manean was one brave dude! 

Herod knew him well. Manean was raised in the royal court yard with Herod! Now, he was praying with Barnabas and Saul (Paul) as a prophet and teacher. Now Manean was enjoying the movement of the Holy Spirit as He sends out Barnabas and Saul to teach the very things that caused Herod to kill John and Jesus (Acts 13:1).

Truly, when you get it. The good news of Jesus breaks down all the barriers.

Multi... becomes a part of your being. Why?  Because our God is a God of inclusion! 

Your nation or station mean nothing to the Creator of all things. 

I have sat in rooms with tribes that included both the royal and the poor, but what blew my mind the most. They would not have sat together before, but for Christ. Because of Jesus they joined together letting go of their race, station, and tradition. Why?  Because of their common faith that God sent His Son for all of man kind. 

Our God is a God of multi-surprises for sure!

Does my soul know it's worth?

As we sang O'Holy Night at church, I caught the line "Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth," I was caught by the wonder of this verse.

Does my soul feel His worth? 

If my soul does feel His worth then my soul has felt its worth.

Christmas is my favorite time because so many will pause to enjoy the wonder and be in awe of what God has done. I have to smile inside because even the most vile cannot resist a baby. Well, unless they have a heart like Herod. 

Do you get it? 

Knowing His worth brings hope! A weary world rejoices! 

Please pause long enough to just let the lyrics penetrate you so you know His worth and your own. 

May this Christmas awaken hope in you. Much love! Tara

O holy night! the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth.

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till he appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope--the weary world rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!

Fall on your knees! O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

O night divine! O night, O night divine!

Truly he taught us to love one another;

His law is love and his gospel is peace.

Chains shall he break, for the slave is our brother,

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we;

Let all within us praise his holy name.

Christ is the Lord! O praise his name forever!

His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!

His pow'r and glory evermore proclaim!

O night divine! O night, O night divine!

Merry Christmas, y'all!  

By Placide Cappeau in 1847

The Gift of Tears

I have a friend who has chosen the word "tears" for her word for next year. 

I confess "tears" caught me. 

I know tears bring healing.

I know Jesus catches our tears in a bottle. 

I did a deep dive.

There are 3 kinds of tears.

1. Reflex tears to remove irritants to protect the eyes.

2. Continuous tears that provide cleansing hydration that nourishes the eyes.

3. Emotional tears that release stress hormones that provide healing as toxins release through them. Crying actually decreases both the heart and breath rate calming our body. 

Did you know emotional tears are thicker and stickier because of the chemicals in them? 

Wait... tears protect, nourish and heal.

So, Why do we fight crying? 

Well, Greg says I cry all the time. Eeck! Lol!

This made me ask, "What are the types of emotional tears that I cry?"

In order as they came to me...

Angry, sad, frustrated, mad...

Silent, lonely...

Happy, joyful, awe, bliss, laughing...

Surrender, fearful...

Release, relief...

Compassion, hope...

Grief...

Blessing...

Connection, affection, bonding, Identifying...

The word "Identifying" made me think of the shortest verse. 

Jesus wept! (John 11:35). He identified and cried just knowing someone was grieving.

There have been moments in my life when I could not cry. The depth of of the moment was either protected or frozen. Probably, in some circumstances the protection was so I could get through it. And the frozen moments were my own brokenness needing a break through. But what always allowed those tears to eventually flow was identifying with another. It was the incredible gift of empathy. It is was in this holy connection that release would finally come and healing release would flow through my tears.

I would discover...

Comfort

Binding

Release

Balance

Connection

Dancing

Healing

Fellowsip

Love

Love is known through tears!

I love that God keeps track of every single tear. I imagine His unseen bottle gently catching my tears cascading down my cheeks. They fall in His bottle carefully captured. I imagine His bottle being biggger than any ocean because our tears are many for the human race yet small enough to be unseen and not felt. His love is shown by His holy collection of tears. A memory of our story. Precious enough to be His holy keepsake. Go read Psalm 56:8.

God sees every tear and hears every cry (Ps. 34:15).

God will wipe away every tear (Rev 21:4).

God will bless and comfort those who mourn (Matt. 5:4).

Sow in tears and you will shout with joy (Ps. 126:5)

He will turn mourning into dancing (Isaiah 61:3).

I guess praying for "tears" is quite a good word. Go ahead and let them flow! Male and female alike go ahead and cry. Remember, the gift of healing that each tear brings and that God is keeping a record in His book and storing them in His bottle. 

How precious are the tears of His children! Why, because He loves you!