Hey guys, sorry it has been so long. I am posting 11-13 here, and 14 and 15 tomorrow, then we will be caught up. Again, sorry about the delay. Hope you are keeping up with your reading.
Acts 11:
I love the story of Barnabas, "The Son of Encouragement." Barnabas seems to have the gift of discernment and encouragement; he always seems to know those who have the best hearts and those who are truly seeking to follow God. Here's what we know about him: "He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord." What an amazing thought! Barnabas was the one who spoke up for Paul before the disciples; he was the one sent to Antioch to encourage the new Christians and to teach them in their faith. And he was the one who brought Paul to Antioch to minister to the people there.
I hope I can be a Barnabas in the lives of other people.
Acts 12:
During this time we begin to see the church being truly persecuted. Herod gets in on the action, having the apostle James killed for his faith and jailing Peter. He surrounded him with soldiers, and yet God STILL managed to pull of a miraculous escape.
One of the things that always sticks out to me about this story is the actions of the church. Luke tells us that the church is gathered together praying for Peter's release. Yet when Peter shows up they are sure that he had died! Rather than believing their prayers worked, they instead think that the worst has happened!
Don't we sometimes pray like that too? I know I do. I pray that God will act, but then I try to explain it away when he actually does. It seems like I could have been an integral part of this church's ministry!
Acts 13:
How do you make decisions in your own life? How did you decide to go to KU? How did you decide what to major in? How do you know what God wants you to do in your life?
These are important questions to consider.
In Acts 13 we find the church in Antioch engaged in worship and fasting. It seems like this is a typical part of their practice. In the midst of their worship the Holy Spirit told them to send Paul and Barnabas out on a trip to spread the Gospel.
It doesn't seem like Paul and Barnabas are looking to leave; it doesn't even seem like the church is looking to send people out as missionaries. However, when the Holy Spirit speaks, they listen!
What do they do next? They continue to do what they were doing before! They continued to fast and pray about the Lord's decision, then they decided to obey. They blessed Paul and Barnabas and then sent them out to do the Lord's work.
I sometimes think that I refuse to listen to God's leading in my life. Sometimes I spend all of my time praying about the future and forget to listen for God to lead me!
Ultimately, however, I think God's guidance comes from a life of worship, fasting, and prayer. These practices don't seem to be new for the church; rather, they seem to be a part of their system of worship. I believe that our hearts become attuned to the heart of God as we worship him and seek to honor and glorify him.
What are your thoughts on our passages?
Showing posts with label Peter. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Peter. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Saturday, April 11, 2009
Acts 9-10
Imagine a complete transformation, where God totally makes a person turn 180 degrees from the way they were going.
Jeffrey Dahmer was a mass murderer, killing (and eating) 17 boys over 13 years. (Sorry to be graphic.) Dahmer was convicted and sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences (totaling over 900 years). While in prison God changed the heart of Dahmer; he began to read and study the Bible and came to faith in Christ. He repented of his sins and was baptized by a local Church of Christ minister in 1994. What an amazing story! God's transforming power is for ALL people, not just those who the world thinks of as "good." No one would have ever imagined that Dahmer would feel sorry for what he'd done, let alone become a follower of Christ. God truly works in amazing ways.
2000 years ago we would have encountered another murderer. This man took pride in dragging people out of their homes and throwing them in prison, even in having them killed! Yet on the road to Damascus God caused Saul to have a transformational experience. Jesus blinded Saul (aka Paul) in order that he might truly SEE God. Ananias baptized him into Christ three days later. From that moment on Paul becomes passionate about the Gospel of Jesus. God caused him to have a transformational experience that transformed not only HIS life, but the history of the entire world.
Isn't God good! What did you learn?
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Who's in and who's out? That's the real question in Acts 10. Before this most Christians had been former Jews or God-fearers (people who believe in God but didn't take the drastic circumcision step.) In Acts 10 God tells Peter to stop trying to decide who is in and who is out of the church. God sent Jesus to save everyone who believes and chooses him as their LORD and Savior. Peter sees the Holy Spirit poured out on these Gentiles and he baptizes them on the spot!
We so often decide who can and can't come to church based on their outward appearance or their background. Maybe we should trust that God's Spirit is at work in the world in the lives of those TOTALLY unlike us and look to see where God is moving. Just a thought.
What do you think about these two chapters?
Jeffrey Dahmer was a mass murderer, killing (and eating) 17 boys over 13 years. (Sorry to be graphic.) Dahmer was convicted and sentenced to 15 consecutive life sentences (totaling over 900 years). While in prison God changed the heart of Dahmer; he began to read and study the Bible and came to faith in Christ. He repented of his sins and was baptized by a local Church of Christ minister in 1994. What an amazing story! God's transforming power is for ALL people, not just those who the world thinks of as "good." No one would have ever imagined that Dahmer would feel sorry for what he'd done, let alone become a follower of Christ. God truly works in amazing ways.
2000 years ago we would have encountered another murderer. This man took pride in dragging people out of their homes and throwing them in prison, even in having them killed! Yet on the road to Damascus God caused Saul to have a transformational experience. Jesus blinded Saul (aka Paul) in order that he might truly SEE God. Ananias baptized him into Christ three days later. From that moment on Paul becomes passionate about the Gospel of Jesus. God caused him to have a transformational experience that transformed not only HIS life, but the history of the entire world.
Isn't God good! What did you learn?
-------------
Who's in and who's out? That's the real question in Acts 10. Before this most Christians had been former Jews or God-fearers (people who believe in God but didn't take the drastic circumcision step.) In Acts 10 God tells Peter to stop trying to decide who is in and who is out of the church. God sent Jesus to save everyone who believes and chooses him as their LORD and Savior. Peter sees the Holy Spirit poured out on these Gentiles and he baptizes them on the spot!
We so often decide who can and can't come to church based on their outward appearance or their background. Maybe we should trust that God's Spirit is at work in the world in the lives of those TOTALLY unlike us and look to see where God is moving. Just a thought.
What do you think about these two chapters?
Monday, April 6, 2009
Acts 4-6
Sorry it has taken me all weekend to post. We are back on schedule now!
Acts 4:
It is interesting that Peter and John are hauled up before many of the same people who tried Jesus in the Gospels. Annas, the High Priest, and Caiphas, who once served as High Priest, are there, as are many members of his household. Peter shows his new-found guts and presents the gospel to them, the very men who had Jesus killed!!!
As they listened, we are told what they observe: "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." It is my hope that people will say the same things about us! May it always be said that we have been with Jesus.
The priests tell Peter and John to stop talking about Jesus, but Peter replies, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Wow! What amazing faith! May we always have the same courage and conviction when confronted by those who would rather shut us up than listen to the Gospel.
Acts 5:
Many people have a problem with the story in Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphira sell their field and pretend to give all of the money to the church. They want the same credit that others are getting, but without much personal cost.
The problem in this story is not the money. Instead, the problem is their heart. If they told the church that they could only give part, then I think that would have been appreciated and accepted in gratitude. The story, however, sounds a lot like the story in Leviticus 10. The new priests decide that they will treat God lightly, like he doesn't matter. As a result, Nadab and Abihu are killed for their disrespect. God does not tolerate when we think he is common or lightweight.
I love how the early church functions in the story, also. They all work for the good of the community. God uses their actions to bring others to faith. It creates such a stir that the Pharisees have them arrested and thrown in jail. An angel delivers the apostles, however, and the very next thing they do is go and proclaim the Gospel in the Temple again! How ballsy is that?!?!?
Luke closes out the chapter with, "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."
Acts 6:
Acts 6 discusses how we deal with internal problems in the church. The Greek widows are being ignored in favor of the Israelite widows. Seven men are appointed as servants (διακονος, "deacons") to serve their needs. God uses them in amazing ways to bless the people.
What are your thoughts on these passages?
Acts 4:
It is interesting that Peter and John are hauled up before many of the same people who tried Jesus in the Gospels. Annas, the High Priest, and Caiphas, who once served as High Priest, are there, as are many members of his household. Peter shows his new-found guts and presents the gospel to them, the very men who had Jesus killed!!!
As they listened, we are told what they observe: "When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus." It is my hope that people will say the same things about us! May it always be said that we have been with Jesus.
The priests tell Peter and John to stop talking about Jesus, but Peter replies, "Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard." Wow! What amazing faith! May we always have the same courage and conviction when confronted by those who would rather shut us up than listen to the Gospel.
Acts 5:
Many people have a problem with the story in Acts 5. Ananias and Sapphira sell their field and pretend to give all of the money to the church. They want the same credit that others are getting, but without much personal cost.
The problem in this story is not the money. Instead, the problem is their heart. If they told the church that they could only give part, then I think that would have been appreciated and accepted in gratitude. The story, however, sounds a lot like the story in Leviticus 10. The new priests decide that they will treat God lightly, like he doesn't matter. As a result, Nadab and Abihu are killed for their disrespect. God does not tolerate when we think he is common or lightweight.
I love how the early church functions in the story, also. They all work for the good of the community. God uses their actions to bring others to faith. It creates such a stir that the Pharisees have them arrested and thrown in jail. An angel delivers the apostles, however, and the very next thing they do is go and proclaim the Gospel in the Temple again! How ballsy is that?!?!?
Luke closes out the chapter with, "The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ."
Acts 6:
Acts 6 discusses how we deal with internal problems in the church. The Greek widows are being ignored in favor of the Israelite widows. Seven men are appointed as servants (διακονος, "deacons") to serve their needs. God uses them in amazing ways to bless the people.
What are your thoughts on these passages?
Friday, April 3, 2009
Acts 3
"Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk."
What powerful words! And true to our form, too. My guess is that none of us have the money to change the world. We can give pocket change to a beggar or maybe buy a hamburger. But Peter and John take it one step further. They offer him hope and healing.
I think we are called to do the same. We need to meet the needs of people, but the greatest need in everyone's life is the spiritual. Let us offer hope and healing to everyone we meet this week.
What stood out to you?
What powerful words! And true to our form, too. My guess is that none of us have the money to change the world. We can give pocket change to a beggar or maybe buy a hamburger. But Peter and John take it one step further. They offer him hope and healing.
I think we are called to do the same. We need to meet the needs of people, but the greatest need in everyone's life is the spiritual. Let us offer hope and healing to everyone we meet this week.
What stood out to you?
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Acts 2
I wonder what it would have been like to hear twelve seemingly-uneducated men speaking my language (and dozens of others) in the middle of the crowded square. The people who were listening realized that they were Galileans (which instantly meant they were from the boondocks and were nothing more than backwoods hicks!) What would I have thought? How would I have reacted? What would I think about this sight?
The story we find in Acts 2 is the story of the very beginning of the Church. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, begin to proclaim the Good News in languages they had never studied before! Jews and God-fearers from throughout the Roman Empire were assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost and they were amazed at what they heard.
As Peter begins to preach to the people, he does say what we think he should say. Peter isn't very PC and he quotes a LOT of scripture. And we find through his simple presentation of the Gospel that three thousand people came to faith in Jesus Christ.
As Peter proclaimed the Good News, the people's hearts were touched and they wondered how they could be saved. Peter's response is this:
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
What an amazing story. From the humblest of beginnings the new church grew into an international movement within one generation.
What stands out to you from this chapter?
The story we find in Acts 2 is the story of the very beginning of the Church. The apostles, filled with the Holy Spirit, begin to proclaim the Good News in languages they had never studied before! Jews and God-fearers from throughout the Roman Empire were assembled in Jerusalem to celebrate Pentecost and they were amazed at what they heard.
As Peter begins to preach to the people, he does say what we think he should say. Peter isn't very PC and he quotes a LOT of scripture. And we find through his simple presentation of the Gospel that three thousand people came to faith in Jesus Christ.
As Peter proclaimed the Good News, the people's hearts were touched and they wondered how they could be saved. Peter's response is this:
"Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
What an amazing story. From the humblest of beginnings the new church grew into an international movement within one generation.
What stands out to you from this chapter?
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