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Jews and Gentiles?

The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter. And after there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles should hear the word of the gospel and believe. (Acts 15:6-7 ESV)

Some church meetings are over the color of the carpet, the budget or officers. Those are the ones that tend to get a lot of the bad press, especially when things go bad. We all know about ‘that church’ that split over the color of the carpet. However, some church meetings are vitally important and come with long lasting consequences. describes such a gathering.

: Andy Wulff; 11 November 2016

A Missionary Visit

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off. ( ESV)

If you grew up in the church, like me, a missionary visit meant cool things from faraway place, slideshows, stories of adventure, and massive amounts of guilt to-go. I remember one missionary weekend when a large snake skin was rolled down the aisle and I also got to shoot a poison dart blowgun. To be honest, the next week of ‘normal’ church was a bit of a let down. With those types of

: Andy Wulff; 21 October 2016

How would you describe a Christian?

But some men came down from Judea and were teaching the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” And after Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and debate with them, Paul and Barnabas and some of the others were appointed to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and the elders about this question. ( ESV)

Christians are good people. Christians are people that keep the 10 commandments. Christians are folks that love God and love their neighbor. Christians are people that go to church. Christians are individuals that are good citizens. Christians are Bible people. Christians are people that do the right thing. How do these descriptions sit with you? Are they accurate? Are they complete? How would you describe a Christian?

: Andy Wulff; 04 November 2016

Where is God when things around us are bleak?

About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. . . So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. (Acts 12:1-5 ESV)

Let’s be honest. Most of us are pessimist. Our outlook on the future is bleaker then our faded memories of the past. We sometimes then mask our fear with escapism, “God come and get us out of here!” And in moments of honesty we look around and wonder what is going on. Has God gone on vacation? Are we being judged? Did something slip by Him?

: Andy Wulff; 14 October 2016

Progress = complication

When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed. ( ESV)

Progress = complication. That’s how I feel about our world. We live in a time where things are amazing! Technology has enabled amazing things in travel, in information, in medicine, in education, in 'you name it'. But to be honest, sometimes I day-dream about going back to simpler times, becoming a kid again with less complications.

: Andy Wulff; 28 October 2016

Barnabas, Son of Encouragement

Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. ( ESV)

Most of us want to be the superstar. We want to be famous. We want the adulation and notoriety. If we are trying to be pious we might fain humility but we would really like it if people whispered our name as we came in the room. The danger of this mindset is that, either overtly or secretly, we foster a wrong perception of ourselves and others. And even worse, we minimize who God has made us to be.

: Andy Wulff; 07 October 2016

Hope In Madison