Happy 4th of July! This is a special year celebrating the USA’s 250th celebration.

I remember being in the bicentennial year parade, riding on a specially decorated float for CCI (my dad’s workplace). Those who participated were young, but dressed as though living two hundred years before.

Through an article, for Claremont Review of Books by Christopher Flannery, Ph.D. that is titled, “How to Think about the American Revolution,” I considered the subject in George Washington’s inaugural address re: our inalienable right, “the pursuit of happiness.” And I quote, “that there exists in the economy and course of nature an indisoluble union between virtue and happiness.”

Although the Bible passage below does not necessarily illustrate virtue or happiness it does make a point- that people are fallible.

In order to experience God’s blessing there must be truth (virtue) and joy (not necessarily happiness but something better- a relationship with God).

The Jews felt that Paul (a fellow Jew) should not be allowed to live because he was preaching about the life, death, burial and resurrection of Jesus (whom the religious leaders had rejected as Messiah).

Because of Paul’s testimony, that God was sending him to the Gentiles, they were ready to kill him. In other words, they were not willing to accept the fact that any other people group could be considered “chosen by God.”

The good news of the gospel reveals God’s heart for the whole world. It was prophesied in the Old Testament scripture and made clear through the followers of “the way” in the New Testament churches.

We may consider our man-made “right” to the pursuit of happiness in America but in Christ, all believers have something better. We have God’s truth given to the whole world on how to be made “right” with our Heavenly Father.

It was Paul’s joy and affection, to care for the new Gentile believers/churches throughout Asia Minor in his day (modern day Turkey).

Do we also have a heart for the world, like Paul, to bring God’s truth to others? It’s not easy, because no one is perfect (like Jesus). Even Paul, when corrected about the high priest, was humble enough to admit the truth of Scripture.

When Paul was converted, he was reminded how much he would suffer for Christ (as he caused believers to suffer as a former persecutor of the church.)

What has Christ Jesus delivered you from? Are you willing to be a conduit of blessing to others by living this gospel message day in and day out?

It may not be glamorous (as in a TikTok short), but it would look authentic. Ask Him today how you can be a blessing to others. -Teresa

Acts 22:17-30, 23:1-10 (ESV)

¹⁷ “When I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁸ and saw him saying to me, ‘Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ ¹⁹ And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you. ²⁰ And when the blood of Stephen your witness was being shed, I myself was standing by and approving and watching over the garments of those who killed him.’ ²¹ And he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

²² Up to this word they listened to him. Then they raised their voices and said, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.” ²³ And as they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, ²⁴ the tribune ordered him to be brought into the barracks, saying that he should be examined by flogging, to find out why they were shouting against him like this. ²⁵ But when they had stretched him out for the whips,^[a] Paul said to the centurion who was standing by, “Is it lawful for you to flog a man who is a Roman citizen and uncondemned?” ²⁶ When the centurion heard this, he went to the tribune and said to him, “What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen.” ²⁷ So the tribune came and said to him, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” And he said, “Yes.” ²⁸ The tribune answered, “I bought this citizenship for a large sum.” Paul said, “But I am a citizen by birth.”²⁹ So those who were about to examine him withdrew from him immediately, and the tribune also was afraid, for he realized that Paul was a Roman citizen and that he had bound him.

Paul Before the Council

³⁰ But on the next day, desiring to know the real reason why he was being accused by the Jews, he unbound him and commanded the chief priests and all the council to meet, and he brought Paul down and set him before them.

23 And looking intently at the council, Paul said, “Brothers, I have lived my life before God in all good conscience up to this day.” ² And the high priest Ananias commanded those who stood by him to strike him on the mouth. ³ Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! Are you sitting to judge me according to the law, and yet contrary to the law you order me to be struck?” ⁴ Those who stood by said, “Would you revile God’s high priest?”⁵ And Paul said, “I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You shall not speak evil of a ruler of your people.’”

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial.”⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.⁹ Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees’ party stood up and contended sharply, “We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?” ¹⁰ And when the dissension became violent, the tribune, afraid that Paul would be torn to pieces by them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him away from among them by force and bring him into the barracks.

Footnotes

1. Acts 22:25 Or when they had tied him up with leather strips