Acts Devotional Week 19

Acts: Open Eyes, Open Ears

September 9, 2012

Acts 28:23-31

After they had set a day to meet with him, they came to him at his lodgings in great numbers. From morning until evening he explained the matter to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus both from the law of Moses and from the prophets.  Some were convinced by what he had said, while others refused to believe.  So they disagreed with each other; and as they were leaving, Paul made one further statement: “The Holy Spirit was right in saying to your ancestors through the prophet Isaiah, (Isaiah 6:9-10) ‘Go to this people and say, you will indeed listen, but never understand, and you will indeed look, but never perceive.   For this people’s heart has grown dull, and their ears are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes; so that they might not look with their eyes, and listen with their ears, and understand with their heart and turn— and I would heal them.’ Let it be known to you then that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles; they will listen.”  He lived there two whole years at his own expense and welcomed all who came to him, proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ with all boldness and without hindrance.

Paul puts his very best effort into preaching and teaching the message of Christ to the Jews (church).  He uses every conceivable tool he can to do this.  He does it day and night.  All he found was argument.  Some believed, other did not.  Neither was content to allow the other side to have their beliefs.  Paul observes and participates in all this and at the end of the discussion he had a realization.  These particular people have allowed their hearts to grow dull.  They message lacks power because they are unable and unwilling to see and hear what God is trying to say.  He quotes Isaiah, showing that it has been this way for a long time.

What happens when a heart grows dull?  It lacks passion.  It becomes content with things as they are and it isn’t able to accept anything else.  A dull heart doesn’t move and it doesn’t get excited about new things.  A dull heart intentionally shuts the eyes and intentionally refuses to listen.  A dull heart doesn’t want to see or hear anything different from what they already know or have experienced.  

A dull heart misses the continuing work of God.

How willing are we to look at and listen for the work of the Lord?  How willing are we to try and understand God’s continuing plan for our lives and our church?  Are our eyes open?  Can we hear the call of God?  Do we feel the drive and passion that comes from doing God’s will?  Do we hold ourselves back from God and His work?  Paul doesn’t.  Paul goes to those not-Jews (outsiders) because they see, hear, and understand the message of Christ.  Paul did not let closed eyes and ears prevent him from doing God’s work.  Neither should we.  Let’s be open to God.

Acts Devotional Week 18

Acts: After the Storm

September 2, 2012

Acts 28:1-10

After we had reached safety, we then learned that the island was called Malta.  The natives showed us unusual kindness. Since it had begun to rain and was cold, they kindled a fire and welcomed all of us around it.  Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood and was putting it on the fire, when a viper, driven out by the heat, fastened itself on his hand.  When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they said to one another, “This man must be a murderer; though he has escaped from the sea, justice has not allowed him to live.”  He, however, shook off the creature into the fire and suffered no harm.  They were expecting him to swell up or drop dead, but after they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual had happened to him, they changed their minds and began to say that he was a god.

Paul helps everyone safely survive the storm.  He is helping everyone prepare for survival on the island.  In that process he is attacked by a viper.  This should kill him, it doesn’t.  People thought Paul was being punished for surviving, he wasn’t.  God had greater plans for Paul and God’s protection was with him.  The ones that expected Paul to die were amazed when he didn’t even get sick.  They thought him to be a god.  Amazement is always a proper reaction to God at work.  When others see God at work in our lives, they may be amazed.  There is something different about a Christian.  There is a unique strength in the followers of God.  How close to the surface of our lives do we hold that uniqueness?  What would happen if people saw a little more of God at work in us?  Do we ever try to hide what God is doing in our lives?

 Now in the neighborhood of that place were lands belonging to the leading man of the island, named Publius, who received us and entertained us hospitably for three days.  It so happened that the father of Publius lay sick in bed with fever and dysentery. Paul visited him and cured him by praying and putting his hands on him.  After this happened, the rest of the people on the island who had diseases also came and were cured.  They bestowed many honors on us, and when we were about to sail, they put on board all the provisions we needed.

Paul promised safety in the storm because of Christ.  He is kept safe personally because of Christ.  Now he heals the sick because of Christ.  After the storm there are many opportunities to do ministry (God’s work).  Paul doesn’t miss a chance to show people who God is and how he works.  God protects.  God heals.  God is worthy of honor.  Let’s make sure we never miss an opportunity to do God’s work.  After the storm we can serve God more fully and people are more ready to see and hear what the Lord is doing.

Devotional Acts Week 17

Acts: Safe in the Storm

August 26, 2012

Acts 27:21-26

Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss.  But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down.  For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’  So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said.  But we will be shipwrecked on an island.”

Paul finds himself on a boat headed to stand before the Roman emperor as a prisoner.  The journey is long and difficult.  Strong winds and storms plagued the ship throughout.  Paul takes this time to get to know the captain and crew on the ship.  To them he offers a warning of bad weather, which they do not listen too.  When Paul is proven right they are more willing to listen when he tells them they will be safe in the storm.  Sometimes being heard requires patience and grace. 

This was no small storm.  For 14 days the crew battled the sea and the storm.  They did not eat during that time.  They tossed cargo overboard.  At one point they thought to abandon ship and lowered lifeboats only to cut the boats free at Paul’s warning of trouble.  276 people ate one meal at Paul’s direction.  The next day they found land, cut their anchors, and headed to shore.  Along the way the boat gets stuck and breaks apart.  All 276 people made it to shore just as Paul had promised.  Considering the circumstances, this is a miracle.

The storm came, but it did not stop God’s purpose.  The storm lasted for a long time, but it did not stop God from keeping people safe.  The storm destroyed property, finances, and why physically difficult, but it did not destroy the people God was protecting.  God is always greater than the storm.  God will always be greater than the storm.  If all our attention is focused on the storm we won’t find safety.  When we focus on God in the midst of the storm we find safety and peace.

Each of us faces storms in life.  Perhaps some of us have been shipwrecked emotionally, financially, physically, or relationally.  We cannot deny the power of the storm.  But we can take courage.  God is with us in the storms of life.  God is greater than the storms of life.  God will bring us safely through.  What does taking courage look like for you today?

Acts Devotional Week 16

Acts: A Fearless Testimony

August 19, 2012

Acts 26:16-23

Now get to your feet! For I have appeared to you to appoint you as my servant and witness. You are to tell the world what you have seen and what I will show you in the future.  And I will rescue you from both your own people and the Gentiles. Yes, I am sending you to the Gentiles to open their eyes, so they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God. Then they will receive forgiveness for their sins and be given a place among God’s people, who are set apart by faith in me.’  “And so, King Agrippa, I obeyed that vision from heaven.  I preached first to those in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout all Judea, and also to the Gentiles, that all must repent of their sins and turn to God—and prove they have changed by the good things they do.  Some Jews arrested me in the Temple for preaching this, and they tried to kill me.  But God has protected me right up to this present time so I can testify to everyone, from the least to the greatest. I teach nothing except what the prophets and Moses said would happen— that the Messiah would suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, and in this way announce God’s light to Jews and Gentiles alike.”

Paul spends two years in prison for a crime that everybody agrees isn’t really a crime at all.  He uses every opportunity he gets to share the message of Christ.  The Roman leaders don’t know what to do with him.  If they release him, his Jewish enemies will kill him.  If they keep him, they knowingly imprison a man who has done nothing wrong.  So they decide to send him to Rome.  Before Paul leaves he meets King Agrippa.  Paul stands before the leaders of the local Jewish and Roman societies in chains and uses his time to share about what Christ did in his life.  He tells about the ministry Christ was doing through him.  He paints a picture of what the Christian life looks like.  His message is simple.  1. God calls all people.  2.  People are to repent or turn from an old (wrong) way of living to the new life Christ offers.  3.  Turn to God (make the active choice to make God central to life).  4.  Live a life worthy of God by making sure a person’s deeds match his beliefs.

Agrippa sees what Paul is doing.  Paul is trying to convert to Christianity these powerful leaders.  He is not shy about it.  They are shocked at his fearlessness.  They are also intrigued.  They did not accept Paul’s attempt, but they recognized him as innocent.  While they still sent Paul to Rome, Paul’s testimony made a lasting impact.  How shy are we about sharing our testimony?  How willing are we to speak of God in difficult situations or in places where such things may not be accepted?  What if we were as fearless as Paul?

Acts Devotional Week 15

Acts: Go, I Will Send You

August 12, 2012

Acts 22:14-22

Then he (Ananias) said (to Paul), ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will, to see the Righteous One and to hear his own voice; for you will be his witness to all the world of what you have seen and heard.  And now why do you delay? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away, calling on his name.’  “After I had returned to Jerusalem and while I was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance and saw Jesus saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’  And I said, ‘Lord, they themselves know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believed in you.  And while the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself was standing by, approving and keeping the coats of those who killed him.’ Then he said to me, ‘Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” Up to this point they listened to him, but then they shouted, “Away with such a fellow from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live.”

 Paul has been rescued from the crowd that was trying to kill him.  He asks to speak to them.  He wants to share his message with people trying to kill him.  He is allowed this by the Roman soldiers.  He tells of his life, how he came to believe in Jesus Christ.  He speaks in a language that the crowd understands.  Paul makes clear who he is and what he believes.  Paul is called by God.  Paul is to be a witness of the saving work of Jesus Christ.  Paul is to be a disciple, baptized, forgiven, and living every day in the name of Jesus.

Yet Paul is not welcome.  The Holy Spirit even warned Paul that the message God had given him would not be accepted among the Jews and those in Jerusalem.  Paul resists this.  He wants to give the message to his people.  He thinks that the change they see in him will help them change and add emphasis to the message.  This was proven not to work.  Even Jesus was not accepted in his hometown.  Sometimes people see only what they want to see.  Sometimes we have a priceless gift to give to those we love that will not be accepted.  Unfortunately there is little we can do about it. 

The people hear Paul’s testimony and still refuse to listen.  When they rejected the message God had given Paul, Paul followed the leading of the Spirit and went to the Gentiles (not-Jews).  They heard the message and the work of God spread like fire.  In just a few short years faith in Jesus spread from a small group in Jerusalem to the “ends of the earth” with thousands of believers.  Still Paul is not accepted.  The crowds do not think he should be allowed to live. His greatest work for the Lord is seen as a crime.  Let us never be like these crowds.

Acts Devotional Week 14

Acts: Worship Interrupted

August 5, 2012

Acts 21:26-32

So Paul went to the Temple the next day with the other men. They had already started the purification ritual, so he publicly announced the date when their vows would end and sacrifices would be offered for each of them.  The seven days were almost ended when some Jews from the province of Asia saw Paul in the Temple and roused a mob against him. They grabbed him, yelling, “Men of Israel, help us! This is the man who preaches against our people everywhere and tells everybody to disobey the Jewish laws. He speaks against the Temple—and even defiles this holy place by bringing in Gentiles.”  (For earlier that day they had seen him in the city with Trophimus, a Gentile from Ephesus, and they assumed Paul had taken him into the Temple.)  The whole city was rocked by these accusations, and a great riot followed. Paul was grabbed and dragged out of the Temple, and immediately the gates were closed behind him.  As they were trying to kill him, word reached the commander of the Roman regiment that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.  He immediately called out his soldiers and officers and ran down among the crowd. When the mob saw the commander and the troops coming, they stopped beating Paul.

 Paul has arrived in Jerusalem.  He has told others about what God has done.  They have received this news with praise.  They also face the reality that some fear and hate Paul. They accuse Paul of not following the Law of God.  They accuse Paul of not doing things right (as they understand what is right).  So Paul pays for the purification rights of four men and himself.  This is an act of devotion to God.  It is a time of serious contemplation and spiritual connection to God.  This is a time of sacrifice and worship.  It was definitely the “right” way to do things.

Near the end of this purification ritual some of those who opposed Paul saw him and raised a mob under false pretenses.  They didn’t even work hard to find a real reason to be upset, they just spouted off and started a riot.  Paul is taken out from his purification ritual of worship, cast out of the Temple, and his opponents began to beat him with the intent of killing him.  If not for Roman (non-believer) intervention Paul’s life would have ended right there.

Paul’s heartfelt and expressed desire was to follow God.  Paul was outnumbered and out-influenced.  He stood alone in a riot of righteous violence just because he followed God.  What happens when Christians loose site of God’s work?  What happens when our way becomes more “right” than God’s way?  What happens when accusation replaced love, grace, and understanding?

Acts Devotional Week 13

Acts: Finishing the Work

July 29, 2012

Acts 20:18-28

When they arrived he declared, “You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now  I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews.  I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes.  I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.  “And now I am bound by the Spirit to go to Jerusalem. I don’t know what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit tells me in city after city that jail and suffering lie ahead.  But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.  “And now I know that none of you to whom I have preached the Kingdom will ever see me again.  I declare today that I have been faithful. If anyone suffers eternal death, it’s not my fault, for I didn’t shrink from declaring all that God wants you to know.  “So guard yourselves and God’s people. Feed and shepherd God’s flock—his church, purchased with his own blood—over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you as elders.

 This is a sad farewell.  Paul’s missionary journey is leading him into danger and he knows it.  He is speaking to his friends and fellow ministers.  He is also saying what needs to be said to prepare himself for the unknown trial ahead.  First, he recognizes where he has come from.  He has endured trouble before and it never stopped him from doing the Lord’s work.  This was the work the Holy Spirit led him too.  It was a work that saw the message of Christ shared with boldness, honesty, and humility wherever it needed to be shared. 

Second, Paul expresses where he is going.  Sometimes we need to say something out loud for it to become a reality.  The same faith that led Paul to successfully do God’s work in Asia is leading him to Jerusalem.  Speaking his intention brings clarity and accountability.  It is a reassurance.  In order to do what God has called him to do, Paul must go to Jerusalem no matter the risk.  He will have to trust God for the rest and he knows it.  He will finish the work.

Finally, Paul speaks to his friends.  He has set himself as an example to them.  Now he is going away and does not expect to return.  These disciples of his will need to continue the work.  They must not shrink from the task the Lord has given them.  They are the guardians of God’s message and the one’s responsible for the discipleship of God’s people.  They must also finish the work God began through Paul.  Will we finish the work God has begun in our lives?

Acts Devotional Week 12

Acts: Confusion, Riots, and The Way

July 22, 2012

Acts 19:23-31

About that time, serious trouble developed in Ephesus concerning the Way.  It began with Demetrius, a silversmith who had a large business manufacturing silver shrines of the Greek goddess Artemis. He kept many craftsmen busy.  He called them together, along with others employed in similar trades, and addressed them as follows: “Gentlemen, you know that our wealth comes from this business.  But as you have seen and heard, this man Paul has persuaded many people that handmade gods aren’t really gods at all. And he’s done this not only here in Ephesus but throughout the entire province!  Of course, I’m not just talking about the loss of public respect for our business. I’m also concerned that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will lose its influence and that Artemis—this magnificent goddess worshiped throughout the province of Asia and all around the world—will be robbed of her great prestige!”  At this their anger boiled, and they began shouting, “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”  Soon the whole city was filled with confusion. Everyone rushed to the amphitheater, dragging along Gaius and Aristarchus, who were Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia.  Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. Some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, also sent a message to him, begging him not to risk his life by entering the amphitheater.

 Ephesus contains the temple of Artemis, which is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.  The town was very wealthy and very active.  Paul spends three years preaching the message of Jesus (The Way) here.  God is working in such a powerful way that the political and business leaders are beginning to notice.  Things are changing.  The town is becoming different and it is hitting the businessmen in their pocketbooks and the political leaders in maintaining public order.  It all comes to a head in a near riot started by a man named Demetrius who was concerned about business (and Artemis worship).

This entire event can be boiled down to one idea.  Safety.  Demetrius and the business leaders felt threatened while their profits and jobs were not safe.  The politicians (town clerk) in Acts 19:35-41 were afraid of Roman retaliation if a riot were to break out.  Their goal was staying safe.  Paul’s desire was to rush into the riot.  He wanted in.  His goal was not safety.  He saw an opportunity to stand up for God and he was eager to take it, even if it was not safe.  Paul’s traveling companions faced the wrath of a mob and Paul wanted to stand next to them.  How often does our desire to be “safe” keep us from following God?  Are we more like the business leaders and politicians or Paul in our service to God?

Acts Devotional Week 11

Acts: Shaking Off the Dust

July 15, 2012

Acts 18:4-11

Each Sabbath found Paul at the synagogue, trying to convince the Jews and Greeks alike.  And after Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul spent all his time preaching the word. He testified to the Jews that Jesus was the Messiah.  But when they opposed and insulted him, Paul shook the dust from his clothes and said, “Your blood is upon your own heads—I am innocent. From now on I will go preach to the Gentiles.”  Then he left and went to the home of Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God and lived next door to the synagogue.  Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, and everyone in his household believed in the Lord. Many others in Corinth also heard Paul, became believers, and were baptized.  One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and told him, “Don’t be afraid! Speak out! Don’t be silent!  For I am with you, and no one will attack and harm you, for many people in this city belong to me.”  So Paul stayed there for the next year and a half, teaching the word of God.

What drove Paul?  His trade is tentmaking or leatherworking (Acts 18:1-4).  Yet he stops this when Silas and Timothy arrive.  Their financial support empowers Paul to focus on sharing the Word of God.  This was his passion, but did it drive him?  He shared God’s Word with the Jews in the synagogue every Sabbath, yet they did not listen.  They continued to refuse Jesus as the Messiah.

Paul’s response to this refusal is to shake the dust from his clothes.  This symbolizes a cleaning out, removal from, or separation from.  Interestingly, Paul doesn’t see their opposition to God’s Word as an attack against him.  Instead, he views their rejection of Christ as opposition against themselves.  Their refusal to take God’s Word seriously is harmful to themselves first and foremost.  By shaking the dust from his clothes Paul leaves the fate of those who refuse to listen in their hands and walks away.

Walking away may seem harsh, but Paul was driven to make disciples and that work was happening among the Gentiles.  Paul walked away from those who refused God and walked toward those searching for God.  Sometimes there are things a people we need to walk away from in order to do God’s work.  Paul’s refocused attention led to many being baptized.  Perhaps walking away from some things will open us up to a greater work of the Lord.  In the end, Paul received a message of assurance from the Lord.  God encouraged Paul.  God protected Paul.  God still works this way in us. Let us follow Him.

Acts Devotional Week 9

June 24, 2012

Acts 16:16-24

One day, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave-girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners a great deal of money by fortune-telling.  While she followed Paul and us, she would cry out, “These men are slaves of the Most High God, who proclaim to you a way of salvation.”  She kept doing this for many days. But Paul, very much annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I order you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour.  But when her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities.  When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, “These men are disturbing our city; they are Jews and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us as Romans to adopt or observe.”  The crowd joined in attacking them, and the magistrates had them stripped of their clothing and ordered them to be beaten with rods.  After they had given them a severe flogging, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to keep them securely.  Following these instructions, he put them in the innermost cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

Who sets people free?  Here we have a slave-girl and a prison.  The girl was a slave who made money for her owners.  She was enslaved to a spirit who controlled what she was able to see and speak.  She was not allowed to be who God created her to be.  In the name of Jesus, Paul and Silas freed her.  She found freedom in Jesus Christ.

Yet that freedom had a cost.  The girl’s owners lost a source of income.  They were upset so they decided to go after Paul and Silas.  All Paul and Silas were trying to do was go to a place to pray.  They were not seeking attention or trying to cause trouble.  Yet they find themselves seized, put on trial, stripped, beaten and put into prison.  In freeing a girl in Jesus’ name they found themselves in prison.

The work of the Lord can be difficult.  As God frees people from their prisons of sin and its consequences there is opposition.  Through Paul and Silas Jesus was changing the way the world worked.  Some just didn't like that.  A safe and tame message of salvation is fine, but when God changes things there is often resistance.  Ultimately, imprisonment could not stop God’s work (Acts 16:25-40).  Salvation spread and the world was changed.  God sets people free.  Will we accept that freedom or stand against it?  Will we be willing to make the sacrifice needed to set people free?

Acts Devotional Week 8

June 10, 2012

Acts 15:12-19

Everyone listened quietly as Barnabas and Paul told about the miraculous signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.  When they had finished, James stood and said, “Brothers, listen to me.  Peter has told you about the time God first visited the Gentiles to take from them a people for himself.  And this conversion of Gentiles is exactly what the prophets predicted. As it is written:  ‘Afterward I will return and restore the fallen house of David.     I will rebuild its ruins and restore it, so that the rest of humanity might seek the LORD, including the Gentiles—all those I have called to be mine.  The LORD has spoken—he who made these things known so long ago.’  “And so my judgment is that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

Paul and Barnabas had completed their missionary journey.  It was successful wherever it went.  Many Jews and Gentiles had come to believe in Jesus Christ.  But they had faced opposition along the way.  Some tried to discredit them.  Others argued with them publically.  Still others got people agitated enough to attempt physical harm.  Paul is stoned during this journey and survived it.  Yet the message of Christ got through and now Paul is home.  Even at home there are questions about what to do with all these new believers.  Should they follow the old ways as practiced before or should we allow a new way of following Jesus to happen?

This is an age old question that follows believers every time God does a new or highly significant work.  What is the church to do when following God leads to places that don’t fit with what has been done before?  There is always resistance to change…even when it is clearly God at work.  We get comfortable in the pattern of how things are done.  Sometimes it’s hard to see how God can operate outside of that pattern.

This is what Paul and Barnabas are facing.  They are facing a council that is unsure about the changes God brought about through Paul’s work.  In that place, Peter and James stand up and declare that the old ways must change and the new believers not be given a difficult road to Christ.  They were right.  They still are.  If God is calling people we simply cannot let patterns and systems stand in His way.  It’s always been God’s Church and He should always be able to do as He sees fit in it.  May we never allow our natural resistance to change stand in the way of people coming to God.  

Acts Devotional Week 6

May 20, 2012

Acts 10:34-36

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism.  In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right.  This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

Some were excluded from following God.  It sounds unthinkable to us today.  We recognize that all those who call on the Lord are able to find salvation and follow him.  It wasn't always so in the early church.  For many you had to be Jewish to follow Jesus.  If you weren't Jewish you were a Gentile and unable to follow Jesus (unless you became Jewish first).  Peter thought that way for a while…until God decided to change his mind. 

This change of mind came with an encounter with a Gentile named Cornelius.  Cornelius was a Roman army officer.  He was also a devoted follower of Jesus who was well known for his generosity to the poor and being a man of prayer.  In Peter’s world these things didn't fit together.  Cornelius would have always stayed an outsider whose voice could not be heard.  So God stepped in.  He sent an angel (messenger) to Cornelius telling him to invite Peter to his home.  Cornelius did as God directed.  At the same time, God gave Peter a vision.  In the vision, God presents Peter with food that Jewish laws forbid him to eat.  When Peter refuses to eat a voice says “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” (Acts 10:15)  This happens three times.  Just after this, the men with Cornelius’s invitation arrive.  Peter would normally refuse an invitation from a Gentile like Cornelius.  It wasn't something God-fearing Jews did.  But this vision caused him to accept. 

The lesson is in the acceptance.  Peter went where he would not go and discovered God at work.  He learned that God does not show favoritism.  He accepts those who follow him.  Christians everywhere are to do the same.  Different races, denominations, ideas, cultures, and practices are not separate us from each other.  The Holy Spirit is greater than our differences and God will bring all his people together in unity. 

Accepting the outsider is an easy concept to grasp mentally, but a far harder concept to live out practically.  The outsider brings difference which we often resist.  It is time to stop resisting and seek the Lord’s will.  New ideas and new people from new places are benefits to faith not hindrances.  Is there anyone or anything that we are blindly excluding today?  Let’s change that!

Acts Devotional Week 5

May 13, 2012

Acts 9:36-42

Now in Joppa there was a disciple whose name was Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was devoted to good works and acts of charity.  At that time she became ill and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, who heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the request, “Please come to us without delay.” So Peter got up and went with them; and when he arrived, they took him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Peter put all of them outside, and then he knelt down and prayed. He turned to the body and said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up. He gave her his hand and helped her up. Then calling the saints and widows, he showed her to be alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

In a wealthy city a beautiful and respected woman decided to follow the Lord.  Tabitha (her name meant gazelle which was considered beautiful) sought out the widows and the poor.  A widow herself, she took care of them by making clothing and other things they might need.  Her life was devoted to doing the Lord’s work.  She may not have been a preacher or a prophet, but she is called a disciple.  She was a saint and a leader as she served the Lord.  Her death was more than the congregation could handle.  So vital was she to the ministry of that congregation that they went to extraordinary efforts to reach Peter and Peter responded.  Let’s not be confused.  Tabitha was not just a nice lady who did nice things.  She was a vital and important minister to the city of Joppa. 

It’s a powerful image.  Seeing those who have been so blessed by a life gathered together to mourn, honor, and bless that life.  That upper must have been filled with emotion…with love.  So many lives changed.  So many people drawn to Christ through the love and care of Tabitha.  So many more that still needed her touch and ministry.  Imagine the heartbreak of losing one so vital.  Imagine the joy and seeing her come back to life.  From heartbreak came joy.  From and end came a new beginning.  From death comes life.  We are called to be disciples.  We are called to be like Tabitha.  Good works matter.  Caring for other matter.  God’s work done in a life matters.  The world needs to hear the message God gives us.  Throughout this event, Tabitha says not one word.  Yet many are brought to the Lord through her.  How can you be like Tabitha in your life?  Who needs your attention, your touch, or your prayers today?  What does your ministry look like?  Become a disciple like Tabitha and serve the Lord.

Acts Devotional Week 4

May 6, 2012

Acts 7:53-60

 “You deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though you received it from the hands of angels.” The Jewish leaders were infuriated by Stephen’s accusation, and they shook their fists at him in rage. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed steadily into heaven and saw the glory of God, and he saw Jesus standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honor at God’s right hand!” Then they put their hands over their ears and began shouting. They rushed at him and dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. His accusers took off their coats and laid them at the feet of a young man named Saul.  As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.”  He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.

It took a lie to get him there.  They tried to publicly win an argument against him and failed.  So they resorted to deception, persuading others to make up stories so that he appeared to be a blasphemer and a man who spoke against God.  What they could not do honestly and openly the accomplished deceitfully and Stephen was brought to trial before the high council. 

False accusations were made and Stephen was asked if they were true.  He could have answered a number of different ways.  He could have defended himself and exposed the lies that put him in this difficult position.  He could have backed down from the message God gave him and disappeared.  He could have saved himself.  Instead he spoke the truth.  Stephen makes a powerful speech reminding the religious leaders of how God worked in their history.  Of how God changed things, protected them, and guided them.  He reminds them of the disobedience that caused these same people to persecute God’s messengers and prophets.  He makes the case that they are doing exactly that now.  Instead of answering the false accusation brought against him, Stephen brings an accusation against the council…and for this he died.

Stephen made a choice.  He chose to set aside his own wants, needs, and life to do the work of the Lord.  He was unmoved by the rage, the shouting, and the unwillingness to listen.  Stephen prayed for himself and asked forgiveness for those stoning him.  The religious leaders chose to pick up stones and kill rather than listen to the message God gave Stephen.  What choices do we make daily?  Do we cover our ears, get angry, and pick up stones when things don’t go as we like?  Or are we willing to do God’s will and trust Him with the rest?  Stephen’s was a catalyst in the early church.  Will we be the same here?

Acts Devotional Week 3

April 29, 2012

Acts 3:1-10

One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon.  And a man lame from birth was being carried in. People would lay him daily at the gate of the temple called the Beautiful Gate so that he could ask for alms from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked them for alms. Peter looked intently at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and raised him up; and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. Jumping up, he stood and began to walk, and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. All the people saw him walking and praising God, and they recognized him as the one who used to sit and ask for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

There was a lame man begging at a gate.  Most would ignore him.  Some would give him a little bit of money or maybe a bite to eat.  He did this everyday.  It was routine.  It was life as he knew it…until he encountered Peter and John.  When he asked them for help, they stopped and paid attention.  They got the lame man’s attention.  Something was about to happen.  In the middle of this man’s routine God was at work.  In the middle of our routine God is at work…often in unexpected ways.

What happened next was not expected.  Peter doesn't give the lame man money or food.  Instead he gives him health and new life.  “In the name of Jesus, stand up and walk” and that is exactly what happened.  The lame man didn't need gold or silver.  He didn't need to spend his life crippled and begging at a gate.  Our God heals.  Every one of us needs the healing touch of God.  Most of our hurts aren't seen physically, but we can be crippled relationally, emotionally, and spiritually.  God’s desire is to heal his people.  To heal us.

When the lame man encountered the disciples of Jesus he found healing.  The same should be true when people encounter us, the church.  God works in our lives.  He heals.  As a church we must recognize and celebrate God’s healing touch.  When people saw this formerly lame man they were amazed and worshiped God.  We are the lame man.  As believers, let us show others God’s healing work as we worship him in all aspects of our lives.