Monday, October 29, 2012

Just Listen

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October 29, 2012
"Just Listen"

Scripture Reading:
Acts 11:20-11 (HCSB)
But there were some of them, Cypriot and Cyrenian men, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Hellenists, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord
Devotional Reading:
In his newest book, Deep and Wide, Andy Stanley asks a question that has been haunting me for some days now: Who is church for?  Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it?  Seems like we should be able to answer it without even flinching.  But it is killing me…haunting me.  It is killing me because I know the right answer: church is for the lost and broken world around us…it is God’s one and only plan for reaching, saving and healing that world.  Church, when all the programs and budgets and theological debates are done, is for that world. The world that wants nothing to do with it.  So, when I read Dr. Luke’s account of the early church and its struggles to answer this same haunting question, “Who is church for?”, I am looking for answers for myself.  I am looking for how they got over some of these same biases and prejudices that I feel in my own heart.  I am looking for their way forward through that challenge, and I am hoping it will somehow show me the way forward as well.  After all, THEY were much more prejudiced than I…they had some very real racial issues at play, some very real doctrinal issues at play…I don’t have any issues nearly that severe…do I?  Imagine my disappointment, then, when I read that Peter simply stood up and told them the story of what he had seen and heard at Cornelius’ house, how he had seen the activity of the Holy Spirit in their lives, and how it all seemed to him to line up nicely with what God had been saying to him through his prayer life…and they listened and then said [paraphrasing], “Oh.  O.K., then.  We get it.  We’re good with that.”  What was their magical, mystical, secret and amazing way through the challenge?  They prayerfully listened to pastor Peter’s testimony, and they agreed and they moved forward.  Period.  That was all it took for them.  Aaaauuuggghhhhh!!!!!  haunted.  Listen to the shepherd God has put over you!  Really Simple right!


Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Friday, October 26, 2012

Sinners Hospital

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October 26, 2012
"Sinners Hospital"

Scripture Reading:
1 Corinthians 6:11 (HCSB)
When you eat and are full, you will praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.  “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His command—the ordinances and statutes—I am giving you today.
Devotional Reading:
I always tell folks that if they are looking for a perfect church – and think they’ve found one – not to join it.  They’d only mess it up!  When we’re dressed up and on our best behavior, it’s easy to forget that we are all sinners saved by grace.  The late Ray Stedman was leading his church through a study of I Corinthians.  He read them the list of the kinds of sinners that will not inherit the kingdom of God:  fornicators, idolaters, adulterers, effeminate, homosexuals, thieves, the covetous, drunkards, revilers, or swindlers.  Then he said, quoting Paul, “and such were some of you.” With that, he asked those in his congregation who could identify with one or more of these sins to stand to their feet.  No one moved until one saintly woman stood.  Stedman said that one by one, people began to stand.  Before it was over, two-thirds of those present were on their feet.  They had an invitation that night and a young man came forward and said, “I’ve been coming to this church for a long time, and everyone looked so holy and good.  They sang, they prayed, they listened to the sermon . . . and they all seemed so perfect that I just didn’t think I belonged.  But,” he said, “when you read that list and I saw all those people stand, I said, ‘Hey, I’ve been there.  I’ve done that.  I’m not so different from them after all.  Maybe this is my kind of place.’”  The Body of Christ is not a museum for saints.  It’s a hospital for sinners.  That’s why so many of us feel at home.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Thursday, October 25, 2012

Stewardship

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October 25, 2012
"Stewardship"

Scripture Reading:
Deuteronomy 8:10-11 (HCSB)
When you eat and are full, you will praise the Lord your God for the good land He has given you.  “Be careful that you don’t forget the Lord your God by failing to keep His command—the ordinances and statutes—I am giving you today.
Devotional Reading:
Once you clarify who the author of all things is, it will clarify your attitude about stewardship. Genesis 1:28 defines our attitude when God said mankind should “subdue” and “rule over” the earth. The Hebrew words used here literally mean to trample underfoot and bring under control. God supplied it, and He put it under us to manage. We are to function as managers based on God’s purpose for allowing us to have all that we have.  The attitude of the steward should reflect the belief that God put him where he is to rule what belongs to God. Man’s stewardship is limited and delegated by God, and he must not forget the source of all he has. Job 23:13 tells us that God does what He pleases with what He owns.  The attitude of a steward should reflect thankfulness. One reason we go to church on Sunday is out of gratitude to God for sustaining us and keeping us through the week. We have many earthly blessings from the Lord, and we have eternal spiritual blessings as well. We should never cease to thank Him for all He has given and done for us. It is a privilege to manage His creation, and everything we have goes back to Him. The paper money in our wallets was made from trees He planted. The diamonds on our fingers came out of the earth that He created. It all points back to His provision, for which we should be thankful.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

New Lease on Life

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October 24, 2012
"New Lease on Life"

Scripture Reading:
Romans 6:11 (HCSB)
So, you too consider yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.
Devotional Reading:
No one names his child Judas.  Have you noticed?  The name Judas is associated with betrayal . . . in fact, it is a pejorative term.  But I do not believe Judas was Satan incarnate (as some have suggested), or even that he was a man whose intentions were evil from the start.  He had the potential to become a committed follower of Christ, but he allowed his fleshly nature to sway his thinking – and ultimately, his actions.  Imagine that you live in an apartment house owned by a mean, spiteful landlord.  You’ve been late on the rent, and he has charged you exorbitant interest.  You are so far into debt to him that you could not move out if you wanted to.  This landlord controls your life, and abuses you because you have no recourse.  Then one day, a new landlord comes, announcing that he has bought the building.  The slate is wiped clean.  All debts are cancelled.  But still, the old landlord calls, saying, “You owe me.  You owe me. Pay up.”  Guilt, fear and habit could keep you in bondage to the old landlord . . . but you wouldn’t have to be.  You are under new management.  You could ask your old landlord to take up his claims with the new owner.  When pressure and fear and disappointment began to hammer Judas, when he was stumbling and debating about what the future might hold, he could have talked to Jesus.  He was with Him every day. But he didn’t.  He kept listening to the old landlord.  When Satan tries to get his hooks in you, you are not doomed to fall.  You don’t owe him anything.  Tell him you’re under new management.  Tell him to take it up with the new landlord.  Who has the lease on your life?

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Believe or Refuse

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October 23, 2012
"Believe or Refuse"

Scripture Reading:
John 20:25 (HCSB)
So the other disciples kept telling him, “We have seen the Lord!”But he said to them, “If I don’t see the mark of the nails in His hands, put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will never believe!”
Devotional Reading:
Thomas was the only disciple whose name became a synonym for a certain group of people.  You don’t hear about “walking on water Peter’s” or "beloved John’s.”  But everybody knows what it means to be a “doubting Thomas.” Thomas was the man who said “show me.”  He needed to see for himself that the resurrected Christ was the real deal.  Thomas saw Jesus die.  He saw the blood and the flies.  He smelled the stench of dying flesh and heard the Savior utter His last words.  He was an eyewitness to it all, and then he disappeared.  On that first Easter, the rest of the disciples saw Him, but Thomas did not.  They told him, but the picture of the crucifixion was still too fresh and real for him to believe that his Lord was alive again.  “I’ll have to see it myself,” he said.  “That’s the only way I’ll believe.”  Eight days passed before Thomas saw Jesus for himself.  But he didn’t have to touch His wounds.  He took one look at Jesus, heard His voice, then fell at His feet saying, “My Lord and my God.”  I know plenty of folks who are skeptical about the historicity of the resurrection.  I’m grateful for doubting Thomas when I talk to them.  “There was a guy who felt just like you do,” I say, “but he saw for himself, and believed.” They, like Thomas, face a choice.  When confronted by the person of Jesus Christ, a man can either say “I believe,” or “I refuse to believe.” Jesus said, “Blessed are they who did not see, and yet believed.”

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Monday, October 22, 2012

Looking In

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October 22, 2012
"Looking In"

Scripture Reading:
John 1:46 (HCSB)
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Nathanael asked him.  “Come and see,” Philip answered.
Devotional Reading:
Nathanael must have been a thinking skeptic.  Maybe he was the kind of guy who organized everything – mentally and physically.  You know the type.  A place for everything and everything in its place.  He wasn’t going to be taken in by emotionalism or hype.  He was the sort of guy who hung back and studied the situation before making any kind of decision.  His friend Philip knew better than to give Nathanael the hard sell.  “We’ve found the One the prophets wrote about,” he said. “His name is Jesus, and He’s from Nazareth.”  When Nathanael asked whether any good thing could come out of a place like Nazareth, Philip simply said, “Come and see.”  Where Jesus is concerned, “come and see” is an unbeatable invitation.  Because He draws man to Himself, and His winsomeness is irresistible.  Seeing Jesus – the real Jesus – is the most compelling argument that exists for Christianity. (Or, as some say, “There’s only one good reason for being a Christian . . . and that’s Jesus.”)  I once shared Christ with a man who was a Nathanael-type.  I offered him a book by C. S. Lewis but it seemed all he wanted to do was debate.  Finally, I took him to see a lighthouse on Lake Ontario.  We walked around the outside of the building and looked at all the windows.  “What do you think?” I asked him.  “It's actually not that impressive,” he said.  “I couldn’t agree with you more,” I told him.  “Now, let’s go inside.”  When we arrived inside and went to the top, the lights were not on.  Instead, the sunlight was pouring through the windows, illuminating the absolute beauty of the lights and dishes in the wheelhouse.  “That’s the way it is trying to know God and Christ from the outside looking in,” I told him.  “The step of faith that brings you inside is the one that illumines your darkness.”  Abram heard a statement of faith in Genesis 12:1-3 but actually did not make a step of faith until Genesis 12:4.  A lighthouse does it's job by keeping ships from the shoals and rocks; Let Jesus Christ be your Lighthouse keeping the ship of your life from the shoals and rocks called SIN!

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Thursday, October 18, 2012

What's Your Instrument

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October 19, 2012
"What's Your Instrument"

Scripture Reading:
Matthew 4:18-20 (HCSB)
As He was walking along the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon, who was called Peter, and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the sea, since they were fishermen. “Follow Me,” He told them, “and I will make you fish for people!” Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
Devotional Reading:
Someone once asked a famous conductor what he thought was the most difficult instrument in the orchestra to play.  Without hesitating, he replied "second fiddle."  Have you had that role?  Maybe you were second string quarterback, or first runner up to the scholarship winner.   Or perhaps you were the second or third child in a family of over-achievers.  If so, you know what it means to play second fiddle.  Andrew knew, too.  His brother was Simon Peter - the bold, brash, bigger-than-life fisherman-disciple whose highs and lows pepper the pages of the Gospels.  Andrew was the brother in Peter's shadow, but he was reliable, consistent and humble.  His agenda was simply to do the work of Jesus, and it didn't matter to him who got credit for it.  He brought his brother Peter to Christ.  He brought others as well.  But as far as we know, he never preached a sermon or led a revival meeting.  He was strictly a behind-the-scenes guy.  On one occasion, the great Simon Peter stood and preached, and 3,000 people came to Christ.  Do you know how many Andrew won that day?  Andrew won 3,001 - because it was Andrew who first won Peter.  He went home and told his big brother, "I've met a man I want to follow.  And you should meet him too."  And based on Andrew's recommendation, Peter did go to Jesus.  So every time Peter stood and wooed great throngs of people to the Lord, Andrew had a part in that work.  Second fiddle, you see, is a very, very important instrument in God's orchestra.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Absolute Owner

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October 18, 2012
"Absolute Owner"

Scripture Reading:
Genesis 1:26 (HCSB)
Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.”
Devotional Reading:
The subject of stewardship causes both confusion and consternation among Christians. The issue of money is really only a very small part of the stewardship. When rightly understood, stewardship can bring true joy to the life of a Christian, and it can transform the way we live. The word stewardship refers to an administration or an economy, a way of operating. We can also call it management.  Stewardship is not only misunderstood, it is also abused. In the name of stewardship, false doctrine has arisen and caused people to confine their perception of God to a box. A prosperity heresy has deceived people about what it means to be a good steward for the Lord.  The proper definition of stewardship is given by its author, God Himself. To understand stewardship, we must understand authorship. The Bible opens up with God creating, talking, and doing. He made the earth and mankind, and therefore He is the owner of all things. God created and then He gave responsibility to man to manage His creation. We don’t own anything on earth; it’s all God’s property. The Bible is very clear about who owns the earth and who we are serving. In Exodus 19:5, God says: “All the earth is Mine.” In Psalm 89:11, the psalmist said to God: “The world and all it contains, You have founded them.” We own nothing, and the ultimate proof for this is that when we leave the earth, we won’t take anything with us. God is absolute owner because He is absolute sovereign and King of the universe.  Join us as we talk about money starting Wed October 24th at 6pm.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Living Up To

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October 17, 2012
"Living Up To"

Scripture Reading:
John 1:42 (HCSB)
and he brought Simon to Jesus.
  When Jesus saw him, He said, “You are Simon, son of John.  You will be called Cephas” (which means “Rock”).
Devotional Reading:The apostle Peter was a natural leader.  I believe he would have eventually made it to the front of any parade.  But he was also volatile, emotional, and quickly swayed by circumstance.  When Andrew brought his brother Simon to meet Jesus, there was an immediate affinity between the two of them.  Straight away, Jesus looked at Simon the fisherman and said, "We're not going to call you Simon anymore.  We're going to call you Peter - the rock."  I have a feeling those who knew Simon must have laughed.  "Rock?  You never know which way Simon's going to go.  You're going to call him Rocky?  That would be like calling a 300-pound man 'Tiny'."  Peter was a big, strong man - but you couldn't always count on him.  And Jesus nicknamed him "Old Gibralter."  That sounds like stability - but it didn't sound like Simon Peter.  Peter, for the rest of his life, tried to live up to his nickname.  Most of us try to live down our nicknames.  I had a friend who used to call me "Guido," and I hated it.  A friend of mine was nicknamed "Booger" in our unit, and it's followed him for years.  Most of us try to live down our nicknames because they're derogatory.  But Jesus gave Peter a nickname that was better than he was!  Peter had weaknesses.  He knew them.  Certainly Jesus knew them.  But Jesus also saw what Peter could be.  And that's how God looks at you and me.  Like the children's song says, we are a mixture of promise and possibility.  God has given you and me the most amazing nickname of all.  He has called us "my son" and "my daughter."  He has stamped His very name on our lives.  Let's live up to it!

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Believe

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October 16, 2012
"What Do You Believe"

Scripture Reading:
Mark 10:51 (HCSB)
Then Jesus answered him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
  “Rabbouni,”the blind man told Him, “I want to see!”
Devotional Reading:I once read a list of the world's worst questions - or at least someone's idea of the world's worst questions.  One of them was, "Can I ask you something personal?"  (Not a good opener.) Or, "Do you remember me?" (Usually, when someone asks this, I don't.)  But of all the wild, crazy questions I've ever heard, few could beat Jesus' asking a man who'd been blind almost all his life, "What do you want me to do for you?"  It seemed obvious.  But it wasn't.  Jesus was asking blind Bartimaeus - a man who had asked for alms, bread, and handouts for years - if he was ready to ask for the big thing, the thing he really longed for.  When a true miracle worker came his way, would he believe enough to ask for the one thing he needed most?  As a therapist, I can tell you that very few clients seem ready to address their central problem right off the bat.  They sort of circle around it until they are comfortable enough to dive in.  It takes courage, and a certain level of trust, to say "Here's what I need more than anything.  Can you help?"  Jesus was able and willing to give Bartimaeus that for which he asked.  I believe He still walks among His people today and asks,  "What do you want me to do for you?  What do you really need?  What is the deepest longing and desire of your heart?"  But because of fear or a lack of faith, we ask Him for alms - the small change, the stuff that doesn't matter much - when what we desperately need is healing.  It is almost as if Jesus is asking, "Do you believe enough to ask for the big thing?"  Bartimaeus took the plunge.  "I want to regain my sight," he said.  And immediately, Jesus healed him.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Monday, October 15, 2012

Wet Blankets

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October 15, 2012
"Wet Blankets"

Scripture Reading:
Luke 15:31 (HCSB)
“‘Son, he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours..."
Devotional Reading:
There's an old adage that says, "Every good party is attended by at least one wet blanket." or every spiritual fire has at least one "wet blanket".  In the story of the prodigal son, that "blanket" is the older brother.  He refused to join the party.  He rebuked his father for celebrating the prodigal's return.  And he resented the gifts the father bestowed on his younger son.  Were it not for the older brother, this story of Jesus' would have ended on a "happily ever after" kind of note.  But it would not have the ring of truth to it that it does.  There's just no ignoring the "older brother blues."  What was his beef?  That while little brother had been partying and disgracing the family name and squandering his half of the fortune, the older brother had been checking in for work every day - being a responsible, respectful son.  On the surface, his anger seems legitimate.  If sonship were dependent on good behavior, the party should have been for the older son, while the younger son received punishment.  But in this story, and in God's kingdom, sonship is entirely dependent on the grace of the father.  Older brothers who believe performance - and nothing else - counts, are sure to miss the celebration.  They may be in the Father's house, but they know little of the Father's love and grace.  The idea that we can build ourselves up by pushing another down is a tragic misconception.  There is enough love in the Father's house for all of His children, and all that He has is ours.  Watch out for the "wet-blankets", they always bring you down and are always "party-poopers".  They are the ones that stifle the moving of the Holy Spirit with their comments words and their brand of logic.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Thursday, October 11, 2012

Diligence

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October 12, 2012
"Diligence"

Scripture Reading:
Hebrews 6:11 (HCSB)
Now we want each of you to demonstrate the same diligence for the final realization of your hope,
Devotional Reading:
“The woods are lovely, dark and deep. But I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep; and miles to go before I sleep.” Robert Frost spoke these words years ago in a university setting. Following his address, a young man asked him, “What did you mean, Mr. Frost, by ‘promises to keep’?” Frost said, “I believe we have promises to keep to those who’ve gone before us, to our ancestors. And we have promises to keep to our contemporaries, to those we are living with right now, today. Finally,” he said, “ we have promises to keep to those unborn generations who will follow us. And,” added the great poet, “I have promises to keep to myself, and to God.” I think Frost compiled a list that applies to every one of us. There is no one on this planet who does not have promises to keep. For the heritage that is ours and for the privileges we possess, we have promises to keep to our ancestors. We have commitments to keep and a sense of responsibility to our immediate families, friends and associates. And we have promises to keep to the future generations, whose lives will be shaped by the actions we take, the words we speak and the deeds we do. We have promises to keep. How do we make certain we will keep these promises? We determine to live in obedience to God, claiming His promises, following His commands, seeking His will in all that we do. We become promise keepers by placing our lives under His authority, and by becoming imitators of His Son and our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Created for Glory

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October 11, 2012
"Created for Glory"

Scripture Reading:
2 Corinthians 3:18  (HCSB)
We all, with unveiled faces, are looking as in a mirror at the glory of the Lord and are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory; this is from the Lord who is the Spirit.
Devotional Reading:
God will share His glory with no man. If you are not passionately pursuing the glory of God, He is not hanging out with you because He won’t share His glory. The reason He has saved you, the reason you are a child of God is to make you part of the community of people called the church, which exists for His glory alone.  We are dealing with the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords, the Creator of the universe, and we just give Him the leftovers in our lives. We are reluctant to adjust to what He wants. We won’t redo our schedules or our plans because this is our life. But to ascribe glory to Him is to give Him recognition and authority in our lives. Jesus said in John 17:4: “I glorified You . . . having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” Remember also that Jesus prayed before His death: “For this purpose I came to this hour. Father, glorify Your name” (John 12:27-28). Christ died for the glory of God.  Can you say that in difficult times you will submit to the Lord’s purpose and trust that He will be glorified? God uses all things for His glory. Once we look into the mirror of His glory, we will find that He can transform our hearts, and whatever He wants us to do, He takes responsibility for providing for it to be done.

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20

Wednesday, October 10, 2012

Right Course

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October 10, 2012
"Parting May Be the Right Course"

Scripture Reading:
Acts 15:38-39  (HCSB)
But Paul did not think it appropriate to take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work.
There was such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed off to Cyprus.
Devotional Reading:
I would have loved to be on a mission trip with the apostle Paul.  It seems to me you would be hard-pressed to find a more driven, intense “missionary” in the entire Bible than Paul.  He seems to have worked tirelessly through very long days and he seems to have pushed himself and his fellow laborers to extremes.  Being on mission with Paul would not be for the faint-hearted.  So, just between you and me, I don’t blame young John Mark one bit for bailing on Paul in Pamphylia, especially if he couldn't handle it.  I am sure that young man felt utterly overwhelmed by it all.  But oh what I wouldn’t give to have been a fly on the wall during that later conflict between the two teachers, Paul & Barnabas, over this very incident.  Paul would have argued vehemently that the preaching ministry is no place for quitters and that he had no time to be babysitting when he could be out teaching.  He would have pointed out that John Mark literally left them holding the bag when he quit on them in the middle of that last journey.  Barnabas, ever the encourager, would have argued that everyone deserves a second chance (and he may have even asked Paul if he wasn’t glad that Barnabas himself was the one who gave Paul his second chance at teaching–oh, the irony of this conflict!).  Barnabas would have asked how in the world John Mark would ever grow in his spiritual walk as a leader if someone were not willing to come along side him and mentor him.  Of course, neither Paul nor Barnabas could have known that this young man would eventually write an entire gospel under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit.
While we do not know all the specifics of what Paul said or what Barnabas said through this “sharp disagreement”, we can at least pull some eternal truths out of it for our own application: The results of this split by Paul and Barnabas changed the world.  God brought about some amazing things as a result of it.  New churches were started, many more lives were impacted, and a gospel was written.  I am sure we cannot even begin to fathom all the ways God used this split to accomplish His will.  While I would be very careful about using this example as an easy excuse to run from conflict in your own life, I do believe there is a time and a circumstance when parting and going our separate ways just makes sense and honors God.  I have seen churches completely paralyzed by conflict.  Individuals as well.  It can have that effect on us.  We can try and try and try to reconcile our differences and examine ourselves and each other and work to find common ground, but there is a point where we must look at all the ministry we are foregoing in order to do that…we must count the opportunity costs we are paying in order to try to find some common ground.  At some point we may end up realizing that, for now, there does not seem to be any common ground and there is much ministry out there to accomplish and what we must do is split up and get back to work.
There is evidence to indicate that Paul and Barnabas eventually reconciled and came together on the topic of John Mark.  Very late in his ministry, from prison, Paul wrote to Timothy and said, “Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.2 Timothy 4:11.  It seems that a reconciliation did eventually take place.  Perhaps they just needed time to gain perspective, or time to grow, or time for John Mark to grow, or some other time-based reason.  The point is, when the right time finally came along, so did reconciliation, because reconciliation has much to do with timing.  That is an eternal truth.  So, again, I would be careful about pointing to Paul and Barnabas as an easy excuse for your desire to just run from your conflict.  Nevertheless, there is a right time and right circumstances for parting and going our separate ways.  May God grant you the wisdom to recognize it!

Keep the Son in your eyes,

Pastor Ben J Lahay

Galatians 2:20