The Everyday Prayer

Re:Verse reading–Acts 11:1-26 (day five)

“Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced and began to encourage them all with resolute heart to remain true to the Lord; ²⁴ for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.”

When we think of vision, we often think of God’s plan and purpose FOR a group of people. Vision keeps us looking forward and upward with hope and courage. In this week’s Re:Verse passage we see a different facet of vision. Vision is also the ability and capacity to see potential and opportunities IN a group of people. Barnabas saw this new church and didn’t immediately try to press them forward with vision. Rather, he just encouraged them with the vision of how he saw the grace of God already working IN them. Where does this kind of vision come from? (Holy Spirit and Faith vs. 23) What could happen in a church if people “full of the Holy Spirit and of faith” begin to see God’s Grace at work IN each other and intentionally encouraged obedience and joy?  “Where there is no vision, the people perish”  Proverbs 29:18

Re:Verse reading–Acts 11:1-26 (day four)

They are words that would be an excellent epitaph…”And I remembered the word of the Lord.”  (V. 16) The Holy Spirit brought to Peter’s mind what Jesus had taught them.  Then, Peter applied that insight to the present and acted on it.  Wouldn’t you want to encounter a need or opportunity and then “remember the word of the Lord”?  There was no arguing once the source of authority was identified.

What was the result of Peter’s obediently acting on the word of the Lord?  The Gentiles received the repentance that leads to life.  As believers in Christ, this should be our desire…that our lives would lead others to a saving faith, a repentance that leads to life.  This experience was against everything that Peter had been taught as a Jewish boy.  He chose to follow the word of the Lord though, rather than his emotions or feelings.  God’s Word is not always in sync with the popular culture or opinions of the day, but it will never fail to lead others to God and bring Him glory!

Re:Verse reading–Acts 11:1-26 (day three)  

“Surely not, Lord!”  There is a strain of thinking that warns us against disagreement with God, against verbalizing our negative reaction to his direction.  But repeatedly in scripture we see honesty with God met not with anger, but engagement. Abraham opposed God’s intention to destroy Sodom, and God granted escape to Abraham’s family.  Jonah disputed God’s withholding of the destruction of Nineveh, and that conversation enabled Jonah to see God’s compassion for non-Hebrews.  Here, Peter’s honest dissent resulted in the revelation that Christ came to seek and to save all men, regardless of ethnicity or culture.  There is such a thing as rebellion against God.  But disagreement is not disloyalty.  God can tell the difference.  And he’ll use it as an occasion to shine the light of understanding.

Re:Verse reading–Acts 11:1-26 (day two)  

But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’ vs. 9

All Christians have come to accept that part of our walk is the need to repent. To confess those things that hinder us from a fully surrendered life in Christ. As Pastor Don has told us, the Greek word that we use for repentance means to “think again.” When we think again about our actions or our attitudes we look with Jesus’ eyes upon those choices.

Peter was asked to “think again” with regards to what he could eat and with whom he could associate. His previous actions were not sinful, actually quite the contrary, he would refrain from eating or associating based on the Jewish custom and law. Jesus now wanted to show Peter a better way. Those customs played an important role in Jewish history and culture, but now Jesus wanted to show that his love was for all.

Is there some habit or attitude that you have that could use a spiritual reboot? Are there things that you could stand to think again about? Is every attitude and action of your life focused on Jesus’ Kingdom plan for your life? Time to think again?

Re:Verse reading–Acts 11:1-26 (day one)

“I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’  But I said, ‘By no means,Lord’ “–v 7-8.

God never changes.  However, circumstances do.  Often.

Like a quarterback who comes to the line of scrimmage, sees the defensive line up and exercises his prerogative to change the play, the Father, in Acts 11, calls an “audible”.

For 1500 years, the Jewish nation observed “kosher” laws that symbolized their “separation” from the nations.  It was a strict law.  Rigid custom.  No wonder (no excuse, but, still, no wonder) that Peter resisted the change.

With this vision, the Father opened a new chapter of salvation history–years of gospel expansion to all people without regard to race or ethnicity.  All foods are clean.  All Gentiles are welcome.

Will you be ready when God brings  a new chapter and gives you a new assignment?  Are your ears tuned and heart soft to an audible from God?

Re:Verse reading–Acts 9:1-22, 26-31 (day seven)

It makes no sense for Paul to come to Christ, and it makes no sense for Christ to forgive Paul.  Paul’s hatred burned white hot towards Christians.  His heart’s passion was to prove Jesus was a criminal and snuff out Jesus’s followers.  Paul watched Stephen’s murder with an approving nod, and could not wait to find the next follower of Christ to murder.  Paul’s sins were as egregious as they come, yet Jesus chose to forgive him and use him.

It does not make sense to us.  We want really bad people to have really bad comeuppance.  The early church didn’t want anything to do with Paul.  They feared him and kept him at arm’s length for years.  The church hesitated because they could not believe what happened.  I’m sure they were like us quietly praying for the holy fires of vengeance, all the while God was doling out grace and mercy.

It is a blessing to us that God forgave Paul, not because he became the greatest missionary the church has ever known, but because it confirms that the grace of God is sufficient even while we are enemies of God.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.  For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”  (Romans 5:8-10)

Re:Verse reading–Acts 9:1-22, 26-31 (day six)

We have all (if you are in Christ) been rescued from our Damascus road. Each had set our feet on a path in opposition to Jesus, just like Paul over 2000 years ago. And like Paul we had an encounter with Jesus that led to our change of heart and our rescue from a path that was leading to destruction.

Where are your feet now? Where do your steps lead? Here’s the thing, Jesus invites us (even commands) into a life filled with purposeful steps, not a life of meandering.

Do you feel like you are meandering in life? Jesus says, “that’s not what I have for you.”

Let’s learn to walk with purpose.

Re:Verse reading–Acts 9:1-22, 26-31 (day five)

It is an interesting response from Saul when He encounters the Living Christ. Saul asks a sincere and monumental question. “Who are you, Lord?” The answer would define his worldview and theology for the rest of His life. Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus is the Christ. It is no coincidence that first words Paul preaches and proclaims is the answer to the last words (question) Saul utters before his conversion.

When we daily read and study the scriptures or listen to lessens and sermons, we should ask that same question, Who are You, Lord?” What insight, understanding, new facet of the Lord’s nature and character can we learn, appreciate, and understand? What can we learn and discover about God. It is a question always worth asking.  The answer shapes our lives and heart for eternity!

Re:Verse reading–Acts 9:1-22, 26-31 (day four)

Many had come to know Jesus in the recent days…3,000 at Pentecost, 5,000 at Peter’s second sermon.  All of these and more were now disciples of Jesus. What was different about Saul?  God had special plans for Saul…He was going to show Saul how much he must suffer for Jesus’ name sake.  Saul would be a missionary to the gentiles and kings, as well as the sons of Israel.

Saul could have rejected God’s plan for his life, but he didn’t.  He was immediately baptized and began to preach and witness in the synagogues.  Saul was a man with a mission!

What about you?  Has God asked you to do something that you have not yet done?  Are you holding out for a better assignment?  God will not give you a new assignment until you have been obedient to His first command.  More obedience…stronger character…bigger assignment!  Maybe you too can be shipwrecked and imprisoned…like Saul.

Re:Verse reading–Acts 9:1-22, 26-31 (day three)

“Who are you, Lord?”  Think of the irony of this prayer—that these words would come from Saul, of all people.  His résumé: “as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.”  Here’s a man who trained and studied and researched and analyzed and inspected every square inch of the received spiritual knowledge of his culture.  He had trained his entire life for this exact work.  The Way of Jesus would stop here.  But all that Saul had studied, he had misunderstood.  Whoever God is, he’s not who Saul had thought.  Even if he had not been blinded by the light, there was no way he would have been able to see anything, because the light by which he saw the world had gone out.  What would happen to you if you prayed—really prayed—this prayer: “Who are you, Lord?”