In early December we are imaginatively immersing ourselves in the story of ACTS during my morning meetings with The Boss. Here are some of the crazy things we are seeing…

In chapter 14 The Boss says, “In past generations I allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet I did not leave Myself without witness, for I did good for the nations by giving them rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying their hearts with food and gladness.” He allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways!?!? [He ALLOWED that!]. ***What do you allow? What mysteries of God’s mercy are to be savored in this allowance? Or …is it God’s wrath that undergirds this allowance? I don’t get a wrathy flavor from this portion of God’s Word, but certainly I’m mystified! And the BIG sign of God’s existence and extraordinary mercy was… RAIN!!!! ***Next time it rains, check and see how blown away you are by the fact that it’s RAINING!!!

In chapter 13 The Boss says, ‘It was necessary that the Word of God be spoken first to self-justifiers and people who say, “I have really labored over my life decisions, and I have struggled and thought long and hard about the choices I’ve made – and if I had it all over to do again, I wouldn’t do it differently; and I make no apologies.” …Since you thrust aside the mercy of God (which invites you to admit your wrongness and wickedness), you therefore judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life. So, behold, we are turning to people hungry hungry hungry for the freedom and joy of admitting that they are wrong; people who do not have excuses, and explanations, and self-justifications, and clinical diagnostic defenses for avoiding the simple, childlike, fact that they are wretched and wicked – and in desperate (and delightedly joyful) need of God’s mercy!’

In chapter 13 The Boss puts Smalls in a meeting with a governor to talk about the mystifying fact that God forgives and adopts really evil people (like King David …who was charged with sexual assault and murder). And a certain magician, and false prophet, named Bar-Jesus (a.k.a. Elymas) opposed Smalls. But Smalls said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand.

In chapter 11 The Boss has Peter talking to a group of self-justifiers and people who say, “I have really labored over my life decisions, and I have struggled and thought long and hard about the choices I’ve made – and if I had it all over to do again, I wouldn’t do it differently; and I make no apologies.” And this group is upset with Peter because Peter has been hanging out with people hungry hungry hungry for the freedom and joy of admitting that they are wrong; people who do not have excuses, and explanations, and self-justifications, and clinical diagnostic defenses for avoiding the simple, childlike, fact that they are wretched and wicked – and in desperate (and delightedly joyful) need of God’s mercy. And Peter says, “If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” And when they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, ‘Then to the truly wicked and wrong peoples God has granted repentance that leads to life.’

In chapter 8 The Boss has Peter talking to a self-justifier who says, “I have served others. And my chief ambition is to serve others! And all I’m asking for is more opportunities and abilities to serve others. I don’t want to spend much time looking at the fact that I’m wrong and wicked (for I fear that will result in me feeling condemned). And I don’t really want to revel in the radical forgiveness of God and others; and I don’t want to talk to people that I’ve hurt (because I suspect that they will hold my past failures over my head and never let me live them down …and frankly, I’m mad at The Maker for publishing what Judah did in Genesis 38! I think The Maker should’ve just kept that private. I don’t see any reason to keep that story in circulation, because poor Judah will now feel perpetually ashamed and sullied.). I just want to be a person who serves and who has the reputation of serving!” But Peter said to him, “May your alleged generosity and piety perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God by your own efforts and exertions! You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God. Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity.”

In chapter 4 The Boss has Peter talking to a group of self-justifiers and people who say, “I have really labored over my life decisions, and I have struggled and thought long and hard about the choices I’ve made – and if I had it all over to do again, I wouldn’t do it differently; and I make no apologies.” And this group is upset with Peter because Peter has been emphatically exhorting people to embrace the freedom and joy of admitting that they are wrong; and that they really don’t have excuses, and explanations, and self-justifications, and clinical diagnostic defenses for avoiding the simple, childlike, fact that they are wretched and wicked – and in desperate (and delightedly joyful) need of God’s mercy. And this group of self-justifiers charged Peter not to speak or teach like this anymore. But Peter answered, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”