Using the Circle of Fifths to Find 1-4-5 Chords
Majors and Relative Minors
Using the Circle of Fifths to Create Compositions
| Major Scale for a Given Key | ||
| The Key | C | D |
| The First Three Chords are Major Chords | F, C, G | G, D, A |
| The Second Three Chords are Minor Chords | D, A, E | Em, Bm, F#m |
| The Last Chord is the Diminished Chord | B | D♭ |
References
Sherrill, Brian. (2021, April 9). Circle of Fifths Explained (for Guitar) [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF3mJzDulJ8
What do you do when godly people are being mistreated for believing in Jesus? What do you do when a men are incarcerated for daring to tell the truth about the fallenness of humanity, the great grace of God toward Man through the Son, and the availability of forgiveness and new life through faith? Our answer to this question is an indicator of whether or not our faith is functional and relevant or dysfunctional and inconsequential. Before you recoil at that statement and set this book aside forever, read this chapter. If, after reading this, you do not agree with what is being presented here, I will personally refund the money you paid for this book.
The Reaction of the Religious (Acts 5:17-18; John 12:42-43)
17 Then the high priest rose up, and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees), and they were filled with indignation, 18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.
This is now the second time the Sadducees, a group of people that do not believe in the resurrection (Matthew 22:23; Luke 20:27; Acts 23:8), have been provoked. Once again they have been incited into action by the preaching and teaching ministries of the apostles. This is the second time the apostles have irked them. In the first instance the marvelous healing and subsequent rejoicing of a well-known temple beggar occasioned an audience (Acts 3:7-10). Peter and John publicly refused to accept credit and attributed the miracle to the power of the risen Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 3:12-16). The crowd is listening to the apostles as they used the platform created by the healing to proclaim the gospel. During the preaching that followed the captain of the temple seized upon Peter and John and put them in custody until the next day (Acts 4:1-3). However, when brought out for a trial, Peter did some seizing of his own; the fisher of men seized the moment for the glory of God. In bold fashion the Galilean’s response to the question of how the man was healed
(i) indicts Israel’s leadership for the murder of the Lord (Acts 4:10),
(ii) declares the resurrection of Jesus and His position of prophesied importance (Acts 4:11) , and
(iii) promotes forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus Himself (Acts 4:12).
In that first case the Sanhedrin did not repent. Instead they commanded the ignorant and untrained cult leaders (Acts 4:13) to stop witnessing for Jesus (Acts 4:17-18). Do you remember how Peter responded? Peter made it clear that he was not going to keep that command (Acts 4:19-20) and so, in the face of the blatant disregard for their directive, they threatened him… and then let he and John go (Acts 4:21).
Acts 5:17 — Here we are again. But it is worse this time. The same group, the high priest… and all those who were with him (which is the sect of the Sadducees) have been watching as the prohibition on preaching Jesus went unheeded. Teaching and preaching keep happening. That is, the apostles continue declaring (1) that Jesus is the Christ promised by God through the prophets and validated by God through miracles signs and wonders, (2) forgiveness is available to everyone who repents and comes to God through faith in Jesus, (3) resurrection from the dead to a reward lies ahead for those who have trusted Jesus, and (4) the Holy Spirit is given to those who will obey God in the command to believe in Jesus (Ephesians 1:13). They were told to stop but did not. And now more people than ever know the truth. What truth?
It was too much for people who were preoccupied with the self-promotion and protection of their own vain glory (John 12:42-43). Upon hearing that the Galileans were still promoting the resurrection, railing against their murder of the Christ, and preaching to get decisions about Jesus, they are filled with indignation (ζήλου – John 2:17; Acts 13:35). They cannot bear the assertions about the ousted Rabbi and are wholly unprepared for the brazen disregard for their authority, the bold disrespect of teaching a forbidden doctrine in their house, and the lambasting declaration that they are murderers.
Here we are again. But this time it is different. How? Notice, friend, that in the company of people coming into Solomon’s colonnade is the high priest himself. This is new; he did not come with the arresting party last time. This time he is not delegating the operation to the temple captain and his law-enforcing cohort. His anger is so hot that he has personally come to help make the arrest and make sure that they get all of the apostles – not just Peter and John.
18 and laid their hands on the apostles and put them in the common prison.
Acts 5:18 — Having apprehended the rebellion leadership they put them in the common prison (τηρήσει δημοσίᾳ). It could be that the prior place of imprisonment was full or not large enough for the twelve. However, I believe that it was likely an attempt to make a public example of the apostle’s defiance. This will prove to be a mistake.
The Relevance in the Rescue (Acts 5:19-20)
19 But at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out, and said, 20 “Go, stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life.”
An angel of the Lord briefly enters the narrative. The but of Acts 5:19 tells the reader that the angel’s actions are to be seen as a response to the imprisonment. Who is he? Is it Gabriel? He does have a history of bringing a message of encouragement to people that are distraught or needing answers (Daniel 8:15-17; 9:21-23; Luke 1:11-13; 18-19; 26-28). We are not given a name. In fact, Luke is especially frugal in describing the apostles’ visitor. There is no mention made of his name, no intimation of a shining face (Matthew 28:3), and no hint of amazing apparel (Mark 16:5; John 20:12; Luke 24:4; Acts 1:10). But what he does say goes beyond the mere relating of historical events to challenge and encourage us today. The angel, a servant of God ministering to those who will inherit salvation (Hebrews 1:14), provides a practical example of what to do for our brothers and sisters in peril.
It is not enough to tell people that we are praying for them. It is not enough to wish that people get well, or to want them to be encouraged during their incarceration (or hospitalization). It is not enough to send money. There comes a time for those who name the name of Christ to get up from the pews and go to the place where their brethren are being held. Why? To speak words of encouragement. To remind them that they are loved on earth as well as in Heaven (Matthew 25:36). And, if it is proper and possible, to set them free.
Figure 1 – What would it look like for you to visit someone in prison and be an encouragement?
Questions for Consideration
The Righteous Rebellion and the Clueless Council (Acts 5:21)
21 And when they heard that, they entered the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest and those with him came and called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought.
The visit was not in vain. The apostles heard the words and heeded them. There would be no retreating to recuperate. Instead there would be a relentless charge against the gates of hell through the spoken word (Acts 5:20). The lesson of Lazarus was with the Lord’s men. They are now living in the fulness of a righteous rebellion. And what about the hard-nosed high priest and his council?
[T]he high priest and those with him are the Sadducees. Again, they are a group that does not believe in angels, spirits, or resurrection (Acts 23:8). All of those with the high priest are an ungodly clique clinging desperately to a weakening grip on the people; they are afraid of losing power (John 11:48). The disturbance that started with Jesus was not quelled with His execution. In has gotten worse. The troublemakers have been arrested and the Sadducees have called the council together, with all the elders of the children of Israel. We can imagine that they are seated in semicircle. Many of them are dressed in ornate and expensive long robes (Mark 12:38; Acts 22:20). This was the supreme court and legislative body in ancient Israel; this council (συνέδριον) is The Great Sanhedrin. It was composed of 71 members and included the high priest, the elders of the people, and a select group of scribes. This is new. Compare this gathering with the last time the high priest was present to judge the apostles. What changed?
Tensions are escalating. The seriousness of the conflict and anger is growing. We have gone from an informal court of the high priest’s family and friends to a formal supreme court hearing. Now that the court membership has convened they are ready to bring the accused to stand trial. And so the Sanhedrin sent to the prison to have the apostles brought before them.
Just like Jesus, the apostles have an adversarial relationship with bad religious leadership. They were commanded to stop. But they have defied that decree. Just like Jesus, the apostles’ defiance and determination to persist in teaching the truth with signs supporting their message (Acts 4:30) is aggravating their adversaries and turning into a trial. And then there is you. Yes, you!
If you are following Jesus, this is where you are headed. But you don’t want conflict? Any attempt to have Christ and not have conflict with the world is futile (John 15:18; 2 Timothy 3:12). You cannot have one without the other. To be led by the Spirit of Christ is to be at odds with a world that is led by another spirit (Ephesians 2:2).
And do not miss that the council does not (1) receive the message or (2) know what God is doing for his messengers. They are like Herod looking for the Christ Child in the wrong places. They sent to have the apostles brought from the prison. But they are not in the prison. And, again, then there is you. Yes, you!
Attempts to control your message, cut off your ministry, and imprison the messenger only work insofar as God wants them to. He is the one in control. And you have one job. Be His witness (Acts 1:8). Be His witness before the people who want and need to hear the gospel. Be his witness before the court when called to give an answer for your ongoing efforts to promote Christ.
Questions for Consideration
Introduction
Logging and auditing are important aspects of web application security and monitoring. The former, when it is done well, makes the latter easy. That is, if our web applications feature good logging, it will be easier for us to audit the activity of users and system components. When we can efficiently (without great programming effort and with computational efficiency) audit when a user opened a screen, when they pressed a button, when they created a record, when they updated a record, when they deleted a record, and when they exited a screen, it is straightforward to answer questions about application usage. The dashboard seen in Figure 1 was created based on usage data captured in the background as users interact with a web application.
This post is a first look at using the Timer facet of Jmix to facilitate the automated capture of application module usage. It is a short read with documented code demonstrating an uncomplicated way to add auditing to your application today. By the end you will know how to do the following:
The Logging Database Tables
We will put our logging events into a relational database. (In this post will will use PostgreSQL. However, you can use in RBDMS you like. Just make sure that you can find JDBC drivers that will work with your Spring Boot web application server.) We have four tables. They are shown in an ERD in the Figure 2.
Figure 2 — Jmix Logging ERD
The SQL script for creating these tables is shown in Listing 1.
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS bifref_application_component (
application_component_id character varying(255) NOT NULL,
application_component_type character varying(255) NOT NULL,
name character varying(255) NOT NULL,
description character varying(1000)
CONSTRAINT pk_bifref_application_component PRIMARY KEY (application_component_id)
);
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS bifref_application_event(
application_event_id uuid NOT NULL,
application_event_type_id character varying(255) NOT NULL,
username character varying(255) NOT NULL,
event_start timestamp without time zone NOT NULL,
event_stop timestamp without time zone NOT NULL,
version integer NOT NULL,
application_component_id character varying(255) NOT NULL,
CONSTRAINT pk_bifref_application_event PRIMARY KEY (application_event_id),
CONSTRAINT fk_bifref_application_component
FOREIGN KEY (application_component_id)
REFERENCES bifref_application_component (application_component_id)
MATCH SIMPLE
ON UPDATE NO ACTION
ON DELETE NO ACTION,
CONSTRAINT fk_bifref_application_event_type
FOREIGN KEY (application_event_type_id)
REFERENCES bifref_application_event_type (application_event_type_id)
MATCH SIMPLE
ON UPDATE NO ACTION
ON DELETE NO ACTION
);
CREATE TABLE IF NOT EXISTS bifref_application_event_type (
application_event_type_id character varying(255) NOT NULL,
name character varying(255) NOT NULL,
description character varying(1000),
CONSTRAINT pk_bifref_application_event_type PRIMARY KEY (application_event_type_id)
);
Listing 1 – SQL script for creating logging tables.
The SQL script in Listing 1 will help you create the tables required for this post. You can rename them to whatever you want but need to remember that the names provided are part of a working solution. Also, the tables were modeled in Jmix’s data model visual designer. (It makes it easier to maintain the design if we leverage the design features of the Jmix plugin.)
The Logging Service in Spring Boot
Logging of application events is handled by a service. In Listing 2 we provide the code for an application event logging service.
package com.bif.azurereference.app;
import com.bif.azurereference.entity.ApplicationComponent;
import com.bif.azurereference.entity.ApplicationEvent;
import com.bif.azurereference.entity.ApplicationEventType;
import com.bif.azurereference.entity.EnumerationApplicationComponentType;
import io.jmix.core.DataManager;
import io.jmix.core.NoResultException;
import org.springframework.beans.factory.annotation.Autowired;
import org.springframework.stereotype.Service;
import java.time.LocalDateTime;
import java.time.OffsetDateTime;
import java.util.UUID;
@Service("ApplicationEventLoggingService")
public class ApplicationEventLoggingService {
@Autowired
private DataManager dataManager;
public DataManager getDataManager() {
return this.dataManager;
}
public ApplicationEvent logApplicationEvent(
UUID uuidApplicationEventID,
String stringApplicationEventTypeID,
String stringApplicationComponentID,
String stringApplicationComponentType,
String stringUsername,
LocalDateTime localDateTimeEventStart,
LocalDateTime localDateTimeEventStop
) {
/**
* Step 1: Load referenced application event type.
*/
ApplicationEventType applicationEventType = null;
try {
applicationEventType = this.getDataManager().load(ApplicationEventType.class).id(stringApplicationEventTypeID).one();
} catch (NoResultException noResultException) {
System.out.println("No event type found for " + stringApplicationEventTypeID);
}
// If the event type does not exist, create it.
if (applicationEventType == null) {
applicationEventType = new ApplicationEventType();
applicationEventType.setApplicationEventTypeID(stringApplicationEventTypeID);
applicationEventType.setName(stringApplicationEventTypeID);
applicationEventType.setDescription(stringApplicationEventTypeID);
applicationEventType.setCreatedBy("admin");
applicationEventType.setCreatedDate(OffsetDateTime.now());
applicationEventType.setVersion(1);
applicationEventType.setSortOrdinal(0);
try {
this.getDataManager().save(applicationEventType);
} catch (Exception e) {
throw new RuntimeException(e);
}
}
/**
* Step 2: Load referenced application component.
*/
ApplicationComponent applicationComponent = null;
try {
applicationComponent = this.getDataManager().load(ApplicationComponent.class).id(stringApplicationComponentID).one();
} catch (NoResultException noResultException) {
System.out.println("No component found for " + stringApplicationComponentID);
}
// If the application component does not exist, create it.
if (applicationComponent == null) {
applicationComponent = new ApplicationComponent();
applicationComponent.setApplicationComponentID(stringApplicationComponentID);
applicationComponent.setName(stringApplicationComponentID);
applicationComponent.setDescription(stringApplicationComponentID);
applicationComponent.setApplicationComponentType(EnumerationApplicationComponentType.fromId(stringApplicationComponentType));
applicationComponent.setCreatedBy("admin");
this.getDataManager().save(applicationComponent);
}
/**
* Step 4: If a primary key was not passed, create it.
*/
if (uuidApplicationEventID == null) {
uuidApplicationEventID = UUID.randomUUID();
}
/**
* Step 5: Create the object.
*/
ApplicationEvent applicationEvent = this.getDataManager().create(ApplicationEvent.class);
applicationEvent.setApplicationEventID(uuidApplicationEventID);
applicationEvent.setApplicationEventTypeID(applicationEventType);
applicationEvent.setApplicationComponentID(applicationComponent);
applicationEvent.setEventStart(localDateTimeEventStart);
applicationEvent.setEventStop(localDateTimeEventStop);
applicationEvent.setUsername(stringUsername);
/**
* Step 6: Save the object.
*/
this.getDataManager().save(applicationEvent);
/**
* Step 7: Return the object.
*/
return applicationEvent;
}
public ApplicationEvent updateApplicationEvent(
ApplicationEvent applicationEvent
) {
/**
* Step 1: Get the application event identifier.
*/
UUID uuid = applicationEvent.getApplicationEventID();
/**
* Step 2: Find the application event in the database.
*/
ApplicationEvent applicationEventTemp = this.getDataManager().load(ApplicationEvent.class).id(uuid).one();
applicationEventTemp.setEventStop(applicationEvent.getEventStop());
if (applicationEventTemp != null) {
this.getDataManager().save(applicationEventTemp);
}
/**
* Step 2: Return the object.
*/
return applicationEventTemp;
}
}
Listing 2 – Java Code for an application vent logging service.
The Timer and Capturing Usage Events
Timer is component of Jmix defined in the facets element an application screen. Specifically, it will be in the screen XML descriptor. The configuration of a Timer through the XML is done through three attributes: delay, autostart, and repeating.
| Parameter Name | Required? | Desciption |
| delay | Yes | This is the timer interval in milliseconds. |
| autostart | No | indicates whether or not the timer will start automatically. The default setting is false; when autostart is set to false the timer will start only when its start() method is invoked. When it is set to true, the timer starts immediately after the screen opening. This parameter is optional. |
| repeating | No | Turns on repeated executions of the timer. If the attribute is set to true, the timer runs in cycles at equal intervals defined in the delay attribute. Otherwise, the timer runs only once as many milliseconds as specified in the delay attribute after the timer start. This parameter is optional. |
Ensure that Captured Time is in the Time of the User
Conclusion
References
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. 3 As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house, and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison.
The vile and violent victory of the liars and haters that killed Stephen was the start of an uprising against Greek-speaking Jesus followers in Jerusalem. But in the midst of all the growing animosity toward the first Christians, some people took time to feel. Although it was inconvenient and more than a little dangerous, devout men took time to say “I love you, Stephen” and saw to the burial of his broken body. And they wept greatly for their fallen brother.
The decision to mourn our martyrs matters. In the time intentionally set aside to be sorrowful we recognize the loss, reflect on their light, and thereby also become reinforced in our resolve to live more like them (Ecclesiastes 7:2-4).
Taking time to mourn our fallen heroes, good friends, and light-bearing leaders is part of (1) respecting them, (2) thanking God for their contribution to our lives, and (3) beginning the process of good changes in the heart, and (4) picking up where they left off. As we embrace the loss and think on their legacy, we can be led into deeper commitments, repentance, and revival. For those of us who want to move in the direction of being better persons, good grieving is key. Consider the words of Solomon on the matter:
2 Better to go to the house of mourning
Than to go to the house of feasting,
For that is the end of all men;
And the living will take it to heart.
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
4 The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning,
But the heart of fools is in the house of mirth.
The house of mourning, in the passage above, is the place and time dedicated to grieving the loss of someone. We go to that house when we choose to mourn our dead. This is better than trying to cope with their loss through escapes into pleasure or the decision to go to places dedicated to feeding the flesh (house of feasting). Why? Solomon goes on to explain that the dead we mourn have gone where we too are going: “For that is the end of all men,” he says. While we are still alive, we can be fundamentally changed for the better if we will intentionally go look upon the fact that our time is short and that we cannot escape death. When the living look intentionally at the loss of life it affects them profoundly… they taken to heart (Ecclesiastes 7:2).
The decision to mourn the loss of Stephen was a decision to become better men through grief. Their faces and voices visibly expressed the excruciating pain of parting ways with a beloved brother. The text says they made great lamentation over him (Acts 8:2). But notices what Solomon says about this:
3 Sorrow is better than laughter,
For by a sad countenance the heart is made better.
In this moment the mourners are being made better. They are facing facts and their hearts, the place from which spring our words, work (Matthew 12:34; Luke 6:45), and the issues of life (Proverbs 4:23), are being refined.
Questions for Consideration
It was an act of real courage to take time to mourn the loss of Stephen. Jewish law forbade funeral observances for condemned criminals; Stephen had been the victim of mob violence and those who stoned him surely viewed him as a blasphemer and law breaker. They will look for his friends, associates, and family. The courage of these devout men is a reminder of the similar valor shown by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus in the burial of Jesus (Matthew 27:57-60; Mark 15:42-46; Luke 23:50-54; John 19:38).
The Leading Persecutor of the Church (Acts 8:3; 26:9-11; Galatians 1:13)
Saul, is at work fanning this flame into a blaze. He leads the charge against the Jesus followers by going methodically from home to home, and from synagogue to synagogue to persecute them. The description of his activities is called havoc in Acts 8:3. It carries the meaning of the damage caused by a wild animal. He reflects on his violence toward the church later in life:
And I punished them often in every synagogue and compelled them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly enraged against them, I persecuted them even to foreign cities. (Acts 26:11, NKJV)
Leading the work of hurting the church was the young man who had stood with the clothes of those who stoned Stephen. He was not content to support Stephen’s death; he obtained permission to pursue people that tried to run away while continuing to promote faith in Jesus:
The prime agent in the repressive campaign was Saul of Tarsus, who now carried into more effective action the attitude to the new movement which he had displayed at the stoning of Stephen. Armed with the necessary authority from the chief-priestly leaders of the Sanhedrin, he harried the church, arresting its members in their own homes and sending them off to prison. A zealot for the ancestral traditions of his nation, he saw that the new faith menaced those traditions. Drastic action was called for: these people, he thought, were not merely misguided enthusiasts whose sincere embracing of error called for patient enlightenment; they were deliberate impostors, proclaiming that God had raised from the tomb to be Lord and Messiah a man whose manner of death was sufficient to show that the divine curse rested on him. (Bruce, 1988, p. 163)
From his perspective the Jesus followers had to be stopped. And he was going to do it.
Moving On with the Message (Acts 8:4)
4 Therefore those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word.
The consequence of the persecution is a scattering of the believers (Acts 8:2, 4). With their scattering the word of God is also scattered. The gospel of Jesus Christ is now being preached everywhere. In particular it is now being proclaimed in those places (Judea and Samaria) that Jesus wanted to reach (Acts 1:8).
They were scattered like one scatters seed. But scattered seeds grow, Christian. See the irony! The persecution and scattering of the Christians only led to the growing of the movement. With the dispersal of the Hellenist Christians, the fulfillment of the second phase of Jesus’ commission began—the witness to all Judea and Samaria (8:1b; cf. 1:8).
Learn to look at life through the lens of the Lord’s program. In that view nothing is wasted and the things that seem like setbacks are actually used to spring forward in doing His will (Romans 5:1-5; 8:28).
The Principle of Persisting (Acts 8:4)
The nation of Israel had been dispersed among the Gentiles (James 1:1). Through that scattering of God’s people other nations came to know about God’s plan to bring them salvation through the King of the Jews (Matthew 2:1-2; John 4:19, 25). Now the new people of God are being dispersed among the nations. But what will they do among the nations? Be witnesses, of course!
The church had grown extensively; it was to grow more than ever, but now by being spread abroad. Luke’s figures and further notes about the growth make the estimate of 25,000 believers in and near Jerusalem at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom seem conservative. The persecution aimed to destroy the infant church; in the providence of God it did the very opposite. It started a great number of new congregations especially in all of Palestine, each becoming a living center from which the gospel radiated into new territory even as Jesus had traced its course by adding after Jerusalem “all Judea and Samaria” (1:8). (Lenski, 1961, p. 311)
Over the nearly two years since Pentecost (33 AD) thousands of Jesus followers have been trained by the apostles to pursue holiness, present the gospel, and mentor others in following Jesus. They have been empowered, equipped, and educated in evangelism and discipleship. It is time for the highly trained church to be deployed. Luke says that the response of the church was logical; Therefore (οὖν) those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word (Acts 8:4). What else could they do? Witnessing, for the Christian, is not activity; it is an essential identity (Acts 1:8; Deuteronomy 6:4; Isaiah 43:12; 44:8). When they could not be accepted for who they are, they go elsewhere in their new identity.
Figure 2 – Dr. Alejandro Mandes talks with our youth about Joshua 1:8-9. He comes to us in
his identity as a person who explains the word of God and promotes faithfulness to Christ.
How would you respond? Before you answer, consider what Jesus means by giving the Holy Spirit. It was not to simply facilitate activity; he baptized the new believers of Jerusalem into Himself to give them a new essential identity:
That identity is not a function of location. They are new creations wherever they go. And so the new creation of God has just been scattered abroad. This is what Jesus wanted (Matthew 10:23). The setback of persecution was a setup to spring forward in the mission of taking the gospel to the world.
Questions for Consideration
References
Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.
1 Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. (Acts 8:1, NKJV)
Saul (Σαῦλος) was consenting to the death of Stephen (Acts 7:60). The word translated consenting comes from the verb συνευδοκέω; it can mean either approval and support (Luke 11:48; Romans 1:32) or merely a willingness to accept (1 Corinthians 7:12, 13). When Saul, years later, recounts this event to his Jewish brethren he sheds additional light on what his consenting meant:
19 So I said, ‘Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on You. 20 And when the blood of Your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death, and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ (Acts 22:19-20, NKJV)
In his own words Saul says that consenting was more than a passive acceptance of what was being done to Stephen. His approving attitude toward the martyrdom of Stephen was accompanied by the action of assisting Stephen’s executioners. In order to be unhindered in stoning Stephen they disrobed. Some of those expensive items would have been stolen if not for the role that Saul played. In this way, working as a guard over the clothes, the young Saul aided in the brutal murder of the Lord’s servant Stephen (7:58). While the Sanhedrin murdered a godly man, Saul made sure that they were able to do so without fear of someone stealing the clothing that they had taken off; elaborate robes and costly religious garb would interfere with stone casting.
The martyrdom of Stephen was the beginning of an outbreak: At that time a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem. Literally the text reads, “There, also, arose in that day a great persecution came upon the church” (Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ διωγμὸς μέγας ἐπὶ τὴν ἐκκλησίαν). The conjunction after the verb (δὲ) shows either contrast or continuation. In this case it is continuation; what began with Stephen expands into an all out assault on the church which was at Jerusalem. Hell broke loose!
Am I being crass by saying “Hell broke loose?” No. The church, empowered by Jesus and led by an ignorant and untrained fisherman (Acts 4:13), has been assaulting the gates of hell… and winning.
18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18, NKJV)
Indeed, it is more appropriate to say that the Savior has been using surrendered souls as soldiers in a siege on dead religion, hypocrisy, and in His mission to set captives free. Crucifixion did not stop Jesus; but He was just One. Threatening Peter and John did not stop Jesus; they were two. Arresting and beating the apostles did not stop Jesus; they were twelve. This persecution could have been predicted as the anxious response to growing number of Jesus followers; now there are thousands of Jesus followers.
On account of this great persecution on the church the believers were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria. Yes! Once again the enemy is exploited to execute the plan. Let me say that again. The enemy of God is being exploited in the plan of God. Look back to the beginning of Acts.
8 But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth. (Acts 1:8, NKJV)
Where were the people scattered? They were scattered to the places that the Lord wanted to go! The persecution was being used to push the people of God into the places that Jesus had already said they would go with the message of reconciliation.
Persecution is used by God to further His own plan. The attempts of the enemy to hurt saints and hinder the church will actually help with what God is doing to sanctify His people and advance His own agenda. The setbacks intended by the enemy of setups for springing forward.
Are there people persecuting you because your light interferes with their evil plan? God is going to use the persecution to further his plan and your faith (Genesis 50:20) and reveal that you are in His will. Abide in Him and do not believe for a moment that this is not going to be used for His glory and your good (Romans 8:28).
Questions for Consideration
This small group helps me make it through tough times. (Darlene and Rich and Susan Whiteheads are normally present.)
Introduction
What are you going to do when the consequences of keeping company with Christ come home? We cannot be so naive as to think that periods of peace will last always. Indeed, it is not wise to ignore the advisories and admonitions of Scripture regarding persecution:
Persecution is an indicator of imminent great reward
Persecution is an indispensable part of godly living
Persecution is an instigation of glory for God. The persecutor pushes the persecuted into worship.
All of these words from Scripture are helpful insofar as they keep me from falling into despair. But what are we to do when it is our day to pay for following Jesus? If you think this question is little more than the rhetoric required for opening this message consider the following:
Do not be deceived into thinking that modern persecution of Jesus followers is fiction, or that it is random, or that it is seldom, or that it is remote. The opposition to following Christ is real, it is frequent, it is progressing, and it is local. (In fact, it can become very personal. If your devotion to Christ is getting in the way of someone’s ungodliness, they will intentionally injure you with the goal of getting you to stop standing your ground, to stop stating the truth, and to stop promoting their repentance.) What should we do? Thank God for the Bible! His word is telling us the perspective to have and the plan to execute when adversity arrives; the precedents and guidance are found in the history of our faith as recorded in Acts. Specifically, we need to study the writings of Luke in Acts; there are principles for us in this book. Concerning the situation in Jerusalem, J. B. Polhill writes
The opposition to the Christians had been gaining momentum throughout chaps. 4–6. It came first from the Jewish officials in the arrest of the apostles and the two hearings before the Sanhedrin. The first resulted in a warning (4:21); the second, in a flogging (5:40). With the Hellenist Stephen came a third Sanhedrin trial, and this one resulted in death for the Christian witness (7:58–60). The new factor was that this time the officials had the backing of the people (6:12)
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 211). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
In Acts 8 we are reading about the intolerance that was heaped on the early Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews) because of their grand view of God and their promotion of Jesus. They insist that God is global in His concerns and that the true temple of God is not a location on earth (Isaiah 66:1-2) but the moving body of Christ. They have the audacity to say that the purpose of the law in preparing for the coming of the Christ has been fulfilled (Galatians 3:24) in Jesus of Nazareth and that now the relationship between Jew (or Gentile) and God will not be based on the law of Moses. The former things had become items of pride for many Jews; the idea that the law and temple were no longer needed was threatening to the egos, empires, and economies of people who had learned to use the law and the temple for self-promotion.
The Hellenist vision of an “unbounded God” was intolerable, particularly for the “Zionists” of the Diaspora-Jewish synagogues; and they unleashed their fury on these Greek-speaking Christian “radicals” in their midst.
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 211). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
These new perspectives coming out of the Jesus community were threatening to people who used the religion to ruthlessly control others, stay in power, feed their appetites for vain glory, and line their pockets. They saw no choice but to rid their communities of the new sect of Jesus followers.
Questions for Consideration
Your persecution for following Jesus is your participation in the suffering that was once directed at the head. Now the body of Christ is suffering; you have been made part of that body through faith in Christ. To be included in that suffering is confirmation that you are His and that He is yours. Rejoice that you have been counted worthy to suffer shameful treatment for His name.
In His grip by His grace,
Roderick L. Barnes, Sr.
References
Polhill, J. B. (1992). Acts (Vol. 26, p. 211). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
The decision to move on is sometime more important than the direction. And the decision not to depart, when it clear that Christ is calling us away from a status quo or ungodly station, is defiance and a deadening disobedience. The abundant life He offers is in leaning on Him as we leave it all behind (Matthew 4:18-20; Luke 5:27-28):
By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. Hebrews 11:8, NKJV
In His grip by His grace,
Roderick Barnes
Life is a journey. For a leader, it is a double journey as we travel with others. For leaders of leaders, frequent flier miles can quickly add up. For those leaders who are “worried and troubled about many things,” frequent flier miles may never be cashed in. A regular pre-flight announcement states, “If oxygen masks are necessary, they will drop from a compartment above. If you are traveling with a child or someone needing assistance, put your mask on first.” Why? Because you can’t help someone when you are struggling yourself. Right? Not so fast; we Christian leaders do it all the time.
As leaders, we often forget to grab some oxygen first before we take care of our charges. Someone is always in need, and good leaders always care. The better a leader you are, the more people will seek you out. You didn’t become a good leader by only looking out for yourself. Being a leader is a call, and it is confirmed by people looking for you. Compass needs leaders who go beyond a title or seeking recognition. And Compass is committed to making sure our leaders continue to look more and more like Jesus.
Once, when Jesus was leading a life group in Martha and Mary’s house, the principle of “put your oxygen on first” was on full display. Martha wanted Mary to get up and help her take care of the people hearing Jesus. Jesus answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).
To care for others is our call, but that must be balanced with an insatiable thirst for being with Jesus. We can’t give what we don’t have. I’m not saying ignore people; I’m saying make sure you are serving others out of a deep breath of the Spirit of Jesus. It makes shepherding an adventure and keeps the burn-out far away. Think adventure!
I’m not big on guilt as a motivation, so don’t take this as an admonition to get your priorities right. What I am saying is that the journey you invite your disciples on will be more life-giving when we maintain our spiritual discipline of personal devotional time. It is the kind of journey that will keep us from burning out.
Tools for enhancing our devotional time:
Refresh and Recalibrate: https://bit.ly/4cP7WNc
The Spiritual Disciple of Resetting: https://spirituallyhungry.com/the-spiritual-discipline-of-resetting/
For you leaders, it is a reminder, not an invitation. “Continue to choose the good part.”
Dr. Alex Mandes
