Justus made his way down the street.  The sun had climbed steadily towards its zenith and he was glad to reach the hall of Tyrannus just before it made the day unbearable.  As he entered he saw that all the merchants’ tables had been pushed aside and many had already found a spot to sit and listen to the teacher.  Justus was fascinated by him.  He was both fiery and eloquent.  He talked about something he called “Tor-rah”, an odd sounding name for the Jewish writings.  But Justus found his teachings about a man named “Yeh-shoo-ah” even more interesting.  The teacher, who was known as Paulus, was certainly causing a stir in Ephesus.  He sat down next to his friend Dimitrius.  “Did you hear what happened to those exorcists from the Jews?!” he asked excitedly.  But there was no time to answer.  Paul began to speak.
            The city of Ephesus was one of the most prominent cities in the Roman Empire.  It had long been a center of commerce and industry.  Its architectural centerpiece was the Temple to Artemis, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world.  It had over 100 columns which encased a massive statue of the goddess.  There was gold overlay everywhere and magical incantations had been carved into the glistening marble of her crown, girdle and feet.  These became known as “The Ephesian Scripts” earning Ephesus the reputation as a center for the occult.  The magical gibberish was believed to have great power. 
            Paul’s ministry in Ephesus took place during his second mission trip.  He stayed there for almost three years.  As was his usual practice, Paul began teaching in the synagogue first but when opposition to his teaching arose, he moved into the Hall of Tyrannus (Ac. 19: 8-10).  Little is known about Tyrannus, but “halls” like this would have been vacant during the heat of the day (11 AM to 4 PM) and a convenient location for Paul who continued to run his tent-making business while in Ephesus (the terms used in v. 12 are items that were used by craftsmen to wipe off sweat).  In contrast to the power displayed by those practicing magic, Paul’s ministry was empowered by the Holy Spirit, a fact attested to by miracles.
            These miracles were so impressive that an interesting event occurs when some “Jewish exorcists” invoke the name of Jesus in order to cast out a powerful demon (Ac. 19: 13-16).  This may sound confusing to us because we do not normally associate exorcism with Judaism.  But John B. Polhill noted, “In the Greco-Roman world, Jewish exorcists were held in high esteem for the venerability of their religion and the strangeness of their Hebrew incantations.  Magicians and charlatans were omnipresent in the culture, offering various cures and blessings by their spells and incantations, all for a financial contribution of course.  The more exotic the incantation, the more effective it was deemed to be”.  The exorcists in this case were supposedly of priestly lineage, so they should have been successful, but they failed miserably.  While we don’t see it in the English, the Greek is filled with humor summed up by the demon’s declaration, “I know Jesus.  I know about Paul.  But who are you?” (v.15).
            Although Paul’s ministry had a negative impact on the sons of Sceva, it had a far more positive impact on those who came to believe in Jesus under his teaching.  No one comes to Jesus without some sort of baggage as we might say.  We all come carrying something from our past that we must learn to let go of.  The Ephesian believers were no different.  Since they came from a culture filled with magic it is no surprise that there were still some “magic” leftovers in their lives.  The utter humiliation of the seven exorcists compelled these Christians to make a full and final break from the influences of their past (vv. 17-20).  Perhaps they had held onto these books because they were of great value in the ancient world, but the believers recognized that getting rid of them was worth it (It’s been estimated the cost of what they burned was about $35,000 today.).
            Faith can be viewed as a growing process.  Hanging on to the past only hinders that growth.  Paul told the Ephesians that they were a work in progress (Eph. 2:10).  And so are we!  As one of the Lord’s construction projects we are to lay aside the old self, renew our mind and put on the new self (Eph. 4:22-24).    Instead of living as we used to, we are to now imitate God, walk in love and offer ourselves to Him (Eph. 5:1-2).  Most importantly we are not to take part in our former darkness but to live as children of Light (Eph. 5:7-9).  Be careful how you walk Paul warns because it is easy to slip back into old habits and succumb to your former way of living (Eph. 5:15).  Paul exhorts us to stay strong and stand firm by putting on the armor of God (Eph. 6:10-17).  Take your cue from the Ephesian believers.  You may not need to build a bonfire with your books, but what is the Lord asking you to place before him and to turn away from.  That is your challenge today.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 7/2/2017

            The “Talk Show” is a broadcast genre which is etched forever in radio and TV history.  The subject matter on these programs runs from self-help and psychological issues to celebrity gossip and pop cultural fluff with everything in between.  The first TV talk show aired in 1951 and the genre shows no sign of fading away.  There seems to be no shortage in talk show hosts either.  Their personalities range from “kind and understanding” to “flamboyant and offensive”.  If you mention names such as Howard Stern, Dr. Phil, Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue, Jimmy Fallon, Johnny Carson, Ellen DeGeneres, Rachel Ray, Bill O’Reilly, or Glen Beck, you will get a strong and immediate response and most likely a highly polarized one!  Personally, I can’t stand talk shows!  The way subjects are discussed over and over again reminds me of a long, drawn out soap opera plot.  And the way opposing speakers talk over each other is abrasive to my ears.  But whether I like them or not makes no difference.  The fact still remains- people always have something to say and there’s always someone who is willing to listen.
            Scripture is not unfamiliar with mankind’s penchant for talk.  Many a hero parades across its pages with something to say (1 Sam. 17:43-47), or not to say in some cases (Ex. 4:10-17)!  Perhaps one “hero” that we wish never said anything at all would be Jepthah, the unlikely and unusual deliverer found in Judges 11:1-12:7.  Not only does Jepthah have a tainted background as the illegitimate son of an Israelite and a prostitute (Jud. 11:1-2), he is an opportunist and takes every opportunity to manipulate the situation to his advantage (v. 9).   He was certainly not a candidate for “Father of the Year”!  Although Jepthah had been driven from his home by his half-brothers, he earned a reputation as being a mighty man of war.  When Israel was threatened by the Ammonites, Jepthah’s kin pressed him into service on their behalf with the promise of becoming their leader.  It is ironic that the man who bargained his way into leadership could not find the words to avoid war, but that is the case, even though his reasoning is as solid as God’s own promises and Israel’s history (vv. 11-27).
            Empowered and marked by the Spirit of the Lord (v. 29) Jepthah marches to war.  While on the way to Ammon, he makes a slight detour to Mizpah, where the Tabernacle is temporarily located, and makes a vow.  Some commentators have rightly noted that this was not a necessary thing for Jepthah to do.  After all he had the Spirit of the Lord with him!  But perhaps this is another piece of evidence that demonstrates to us the fallibility of this man in particular and humankind at large.  Whatever the reason may be, Jepthah’s big mouth is about to get him into trouble.  It is interesting to note that the Hebrew is quite clear about his intentions.  Even in English his vow is unmistakable.  Jepthah promises to offer whatever comes through the door when he returns as a burnt offering (v. 31).  Although Jepthah proclaims “whatever” comes through the door, it is hard to deny he had anything else but a human in mind.  And sadly, that human turns out to be his one and only daughter (v. 34).  Scholars debate as to whether or not she was actually sacrificed this way.  Certainly the most compelling argument is that it’s completely against God’s law and the Lord does not tolerate human sacrifice.  But her life was rather bleak after that.  Before her father’s impetuous promise, her future held marriage and a family- something every ancient Israelite woman desired.  These desires will be unfulfilled now thanks to her father’s vow.
            That the Scripture is silent about the details of her end is interesting.  Perhaps it is not revealed to emphasize a point:  watch what you say.  Proverbs is full of warnings concerning what comes out of the mouth (Pr. 10: 11, 13, 18-21; 11:9-11; 12:6, 17-19 et al), James offers instruction on tempering one’s words (Js. 5:9-12), and Jesus taught that all the words we speak have weight in eternity, so to be careful with what comes out of our mouths.  It most certainly reflects what is in the heart (Mt. 12:35-37).  While we could apply this principle to parenting and the impact parents’ words have on their children, the application should not stay there.  This lesson is valuable to all of us.  Jepthah’s rash promise cost him what was most dear to him in life.  What will your words cost you?  Peace of mind?  Your integrity?  The value of your witness?  If you struggle with controlling your tongue you are not alone (Js. 3).  Perhaps memorizing Ps. 19:14 will help you when you are tempted to speak in a manner which does not honor God:  Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.  Remember Jepthah’s example and strive to be like Jesus instead.
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 6/25/2017

            I met a young woman many years ago who was on a journey.  She had grown up in a warm and loving home.  At some point in her childhood her parents shared with her that she had been adopted.  They must have been extraordinary adoptive parents because they encouraged her to try and find her birth parents and even helped when they many roles in Scripture.  He is the Creator (Gen. 1:1), the Deliverer (Ps. 37:40; 40:17; 70:5), the Sanctifier (Ex. 31:13; Lv. 20:8), the Almighty (Gen. 17:1; Ps. 68:14) and the Covenant Maker and Keeper (Dt. 7:7-9).  In those could.  Her love for them and the recognition of their role as her parents never diminished as she set out on the journey to find the people who brought her into this world.  I have often wondered how it must feel to know there are two people somewhere that are a part of your make-up but of whom you know nothing about.  I’m sure there are many questions that come up throughout life concerning them.  Who do I look like; my mother or my father?  Do I have brothers and sisters?  Why did they put me up for adoption?  Where are they now?  Thankfully for my friend the story had a pleasant outcome in which she found both her mother and father; the most interesting outcome was to see how much she resembled her father.
            God has roles He can be powerful (Gen. 18:14; Mt.19:26), mysterious (Is. 55:8-9), righteous (Ps. 11:7), and Infinite (Ps. 90:1-2; Dt. 33:27); simply put, those roles may make Him appear as Someone who is difficult for us to “know”.  But Scripture also makes it clear He fills a more endearing and fully understandable role as “Our Father”.  Like an earthly father, the Heavenly Father provides for His children, nurtures and corrects them (Prov. 3:11-12) and loves them (Hos. 11:1).  This aspect of God’s character is seen throughout the Old Testament in His relationship with Israel (Ps. 103:13; Is. 64:8; Jer. 31:8).  Moses called the Lord a “loving Father” (Dt. 1:31: 32:6) and David acknowledged God in the same way (1 Chron. 29L10).  Isaiah notes that God’s greatest act of His fatherly love was Israel’s redemption (Is. 63:7-9).
In the New Testament that relationship expands to include every believer.  God’s love for His entire creation is demonstrated through the sacrificial death of Jesus (Jn. 3:16-17; Rom. 5:8).  He continues to demonstrate His fatherly love to all believers in the same fashion He demonstrated His love to Israel.  He teaches and guides us by the Holy Spirit (Jn. 16: 7, 12-15).  He provides for our basic needs (Mt. 6:25-33).  He disciplines us when necessary (Heb. 12:6-11).   Most earthly fathers take pleasure in giving good things to their children.  It is no different with our Heavenly Father (Mt. 7:9-12).  We have immediate access to Him at any time (Eph. 2:18).  Our relationship with the Heavenly Father is not one that is removed and distant.  Instead it is endearing and intimate (Rom. 8:15) and it brings peace (Rom. 1:7; 1 Cor. 1:3; Eph. 1:2).
The most outstanding aspect of God’s role as our Father though is His love for us simply because He is love (1 Jn. 4:7-8) and it is that love which enabled Jesus to endure the cross on our behalf (Jn. 13:1; 17:25-26; Heb. 12:1-2).  Through Christ we have entered into an intimate relationship with God as part of His family (Rom. 8:14-16; Eph. 5:1-2; 1 Jn. 3:1-2).  Jesus commanded His disciples to begin their prayer with “Our Father” (Mt. 6:9).  He encourages us to rely completely on our Heavenly Father just as we would an earthly Father and while some earthly fathers may not be that “good”, the Heavenly Father is good (Ps. 25:8; 34:8; 100:5; 135:3; 136:1; Mk. 10:18; Lk. 18:19) and He can be counted on in any and all circumstances (Mt. 6:31-33).
            Many of you, like me, have been blessed with incredible fathers.  We have seen them demonstrate self-sacrifice, patience, steadfastness, and love throughout our lifetime.  I would sometimes ask myself if I was doing enough to let my father know how much I appreciated him.  As my father’s days were drawing to a close, I wanted to tell him just how grateful I was to have had him as my father.  It was not easy to say those words as they truly meant “goodbye”, but I am so glad that I did.  One thing that I wanted to make perfectly clear to him was that much of what I knew about God the Father was because of the way Dad demonstrated Him to me.  Some of you may not have had that kind of Father, but don’t lose heart.  Jesus has told us that if we want to know the Father, all we have to do is look at Him (Jn. 1:18; 14:7-10).   When we see Jesus’ love for us, we are also seeing the Father’s love for us.  So while your earthly father may not have been the best of fathers, your Heavenly Father is!
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.        
Week of 6/18/2017

            Billy Graham was born on November 7, 1918.  He was raised by Scottish Presbyterian parents but finding the denomination’s course of study too restrictive, was later ordained as a Southern Baptist.  He rose to celebrity in 1949 as an evangelist holding large indoor and outdoor crusades which were broadcast on radio and TV.  He continues to be one of America’s most admired people and has been a spiritual advisor to several U.S. presidents.  Reading through the events of Graham’s early childhood would hardly lead a person to conclude he was destined to be the world’s best-known evangelist, but signs of it began to show during his college years and by the time he graduated his commitment to preach and teach the Word of God was a full-fledged mission.  His initial delivery style was everything you’d expect of a crusader evangelist: fiery, passionate, driven and challenging.  Time and age has inevitably softened that, but he has never lost the integrity and intensity of his personal devotion and the proof is in the fruit of his ministry that continues to flourish under the guidance of those he has mentored through the years.
            Billy Graham stands in line with many great leaders in the Bible and in particular one fiery and passionate prophet who hosted a crusade of a different sort on top of Mount Carmel.  I am, of course, speaking of Elijah.  We don’t know much about Elijah’s early life other than the fact that he was a Tishbite (1 Ki. 17:1).  Gilead (the other geographical indicator of his hometown) was in the northern Transjordan area, but Tishbe’s precise location is uncertain.  While we know little of what Elijah’s life was like before he took on the role of God’s prophet, we do know much about his passion to serve God and to speak his word.  His words, “As the Lord, the God of Israel lives, before whom I stand” indicate that Elijah understood himself to be a representative of the Lord much like an ambassador represents a country today.  While the king and the priesthood were supposed to lead Israel in faithful service to Yahweh, there had been no one filling that role.  Enter God’s prophet Elijah.
            Elijah lived during one of the Northern Kingdom’s most critical points in history.  King Ahab had married the Phoenician princess Jezebel and she in turn had drawn the king and the people into Baal worship.  Elijah confronts the king’s apostasy in three powerful stories.  First he proclaims to the king that a three year drought would come upon the land (1 Ki. 17).  This is extremely significant as Baal was considered to be the god of fertility and the lord of the rain clouds.  The second great encounter is the aforementioned showdown on Mount Carmel where Elijah and Yahweh take on the 450 prophets of Baal (1 Ki. 18), and lastly Elijah confronts Ahab concerning a vineyard he has illegally and murderously taken possession of (1 Ki. 21).  Mixed in between these narratives are two very intimate pictures of this larger than life man of God.  After the high of victory on Mount Carmel we see an exhausted and fearful Elijah running for his life from Jezebel (1 Ki. 19).  And lastly, as his ministry and life come to a close, we see Elijah investing in his successor before being taken directly into heaven as Elisha looks on (1 Ki. 19:15-21; 2 Ki. 2:1-25).
            Next to Moses, Elijah is probably the prophet of God who is most spoken about across the pages of Scripture and in countless books, broadcasts, and pulpits today.  Three hundred years after his ministry the prophet Malachi wrote that Elijah would return to once again turn the hearts of the people back to God (Mal. 4:5-6).  Four hundred years after that prophecy, the angel Gabriel affirmed the prophecy to John the Baptist’s father (Lk. 1:13-17) and Jesus claimed that indeed John had fulfilled that role (Mt. 11:11-14; 17:10-12; Mk. 9:11-13).  Elijah is mentioned as an example in other New Testament passages as well (Mt. 16:14; 27:47-49); Mk. 6:15; 8:28; 15:35-36; Lk. 4:25-26; 9:8, 19; Js. 5:16-18) and makes a guest appearance alongside Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration (Mt. 17:1-13; Mk. 9:2-12; Lk. 9:28-45) so it is not surprising that he gets the recognition he does.  This also means there is much we can learn from his life.
            Perhaps one of Elijah’s greatest, but possibly most unrecognized lesson was the impact he had on his successor Elisha.  Without being privy to all the “teachable moments” they must have shared during their time together, we can still see that Elijah’s life took significance by the investment he made in the next generation.  I often hear people say they want to leave a legacy behind when they die.  I wonder if that’s what Elijah thought as he mentored Elisha.  Have you ever considered your legacy is the impact you have on the people who follow after you?  You may not have a platform as large as Elijah’s or Billy Graham’s but I am sure there is at least one Elisha in your life.  What will you have passed on to that person when God calls you to heaven?
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.
Week of 6/11/2017

            A young girl walked along the path away from home.  Her dog walked beside her and her suitcase bounced off her leg with each step.  She’d had enough and was running away from home!  And the traveling “professor” she met next would be the perfect vehicle to do so.  But suddenly the sky turned dark and the wind kicked up.  Everyone in Kansas knew what that meant.  The girl left quickly but missed the opportunity to seek shelter in the storm cellar with her family.  Dorothy made her way back into the house and was lifted into the sky by the twister.  Just as suddenly as the storm began, it ended hurling Dorothy’s home into the magical Land of Oz.  After a moment to take in the magical surroundings Dorothy was greeted by “Glenda, the Good Witch of the North”.  Glenda announced that she had been summoned by the Munchkins to ask Dorothy the well-known question, “Are you a good witch or a bad witch?”
            Although Israel was initially meant to be a “theocracy”, that is a nation with the Lord as their supreme ruler, the people desired a king like those of their neighbors.  The prophet Samuel was disheartened and discouraged by the people’s request, but the Lord reassured him that this change was to take place.  Israel’s first king, Saul, was a disaster.  He had all the “stuff” the people desired, but lacked the spiritual relationship with the Lord needed to adequately guide the people (1 Sam. 8: 4-9, 22; 9:1-2; 10:17-24; 15:1-26).  In addition to his personal shortcomings, Saul did not have a prophetic connection to the kingship either.  He was a descendant of Benjamin (1 Sam. 9:1, 21), not Judah (Gen. 49:10), and therefore in a technical sense did not qualify.  His successor, David the son of Jesse, did.  And from that point on, every king who ruled from Jerusalem was a descendant of Judah and David (Rt. 4:18-22; 1 Sam. 16:1; Mt. 1:1-6).  The role of the king in ancient Israel was an important one.  He was to be a model of what it meant to be faithful to God’s commands by insuring that the people obeyed the Mosaic Covenant stipulations.  Sadly, many failed.
            As you read through the books of Kings and Chronicles it becomes very apparent as to what qualities determine whether a ruler was a good king or a bad king.  Reading the history of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) can be quite depressing!  King after king is noted as “doing what is evil in the eyes of the Lord” and the final result is Israel’s demise at the hands of the Assyrians in 722 B. C (2 Ki. 17:1-18).  The Southern Kingdom (Judah) fared slightly better with 8 kings distinctly following the ways of the Lord.  Asa (1 Ki. 15:9-25; 17:19), Uzziah (2 Chr. 26:1-22), Hezekiah (2 Ki. 16:20; 18:1-20:21), Jehoshaphat (2 Chr.17:1-21:1) and Josiah (2 Ki. 22:1-23:30; 2 Chr. 34:1-35:27) are perhaps the most well-known of those godly kings.  What did they do that made them stand out?  They had a passion for purity.  Each one removed pagan influences and worship from among the people.  They personally adhered to God’s commands and expected the same from the people.  God’s Word was at the center of their decision making and deeds.  They were not perfect, but they reflected the same heart for God as their ancestor David and thus when they died, they were buried with him (1 Ki. 15:5, 11, 24; 2 Ki. 15:34; 22:50; 2 Ki. 8:24; 9:28; 2 Chr. 24:2; 31:20).  However the influence of bad kings also brought about the same end for Judah.  The Southern Kingdom fell in 586 B. C. to the Babylonians (2 Ki. 25:1-27).
            Some scholars take note that the Book of Proverbs is written in such a way that it could be called a leadership manual for kings (Prov. 1:1-7; 31:1-9).  Many of the directives and instructions certainly address issues that would be important to a king: fair weights (Prov. 11:1; 16:11; 20:10), choosing allies wisely (Prov. 18:24), God-honoring conduct (Prov. 20:11), crime (Prov. 6:30-31; 18:5), speech (Prov. 15:1-2, 4, 14, 17, 23, 28), government (Prov. 20:7; 29:2, 4, 12, 14) and the benefits of wisdom (Prov. 8:12-21) to name a few.  But those principles are not meant solely for those in high places.  Anyone can benefit from putting them into practice and using them as a guideline for living is helpful to everyone.  Finances (Prov. 11:18; 15:27), relationships (Prov. 1:10-16), family (Prov. 4:1-4; 12:4; 14:26; 17:25), and foolishness (Prov. 12:11, 15-16, 23; 17:24) are still issues we face throughout our lives, so the principles found in Proverbs are timeless and just as useful for us today as when they were first written.  With 31 chapters Proverbs makes a great devotional to read through in a month- try it!  And then ask yourself the question, “Am I a good king or a bad king?” (Rom. 12:9-21; Eph. 5:16-17; Col. 3:1-10; 1 Tim. 6:11; 1 Pet. 1:13-15; 1 Jn. 2:3-5)
Ann H. LeFevre, M. Div.   
Week of 6/4/2017