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 Christianity. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christianity. 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?
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Acts 1
Acts 1:
In Acts 1 Luke gives us the background information for what happens between Jesus' ascension and the Day of Pentecost. Luke gives us details on the discussions that take place between the disciples and Jesus before he ascends, the actual ascension of Jesus and the conversation with the angles, as well as the choosing of another Apostle to take Judas' place.
What stands out to you from this chapter?
Here is something that stood out to me:
"In my former book, Theophilus (i.e. the book of Luke), I wrote about all of the things Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven..."
- What do you think Luke means by this statement? For me, I hear Luke discussing how the church is a continuation of Jesus' work. We are, in essence, the Body of Christ present on the earth, and we are called to continue Christ's work until he returns. That means we are to bring healing, freedom from oppression, proclaim the good news, touch the lives of people, and bring peace and renewal to people who feel lost or abandoned in turmoil. What else is the church supposed to do?
In Acts 1 Luke gives us the background information for what happens between Jesus' ascension and the Day of Pentecost. Luke gives us details on the discussions that take place between the disciples and Jesus before he ascends, the actual ascension of Jesus and the conversation with the angles, as well as the choosing of another Apostle to take Judas' place.
What stands out to you from this chapter?
Here is something that stood out to me:
"In my former book, Theophilus (i.e. the book of Luke), I wrote about all of the things Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up into heaven..."
- What do you think Luke means by this statement? For me, I hear Luke discussing how the church is a continuation of Jesus' work. We are, in essence, the Body of Christ present on the earth, and we are called to continue Christ's work until he returns. That means we are to bring healing, freedom from oppression, proclaim the good news, touch the lives of people, and bring peace and renewal to people who feel lost or abandoned in turmoil. What else is the church supposed to do?
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