I would like to start off this post with a short introduction. My name is Ruth Finnegan and I am married to Sean Finnegan and we have four sons, who range from age 11 to 1 month old. It is my joy and pleasure to be a stay-at-home mom! When Sean and I first got married we had a lot of discussion about “how are we going to be.” We decided to set a few tenets or standards for our life together. These were: seek righteousness; don’t be cheap, tip generously, only use good toilet paper, and be given to hospitality. Recently, I went to the store to stock up on toilet paper and they were out of our usual brand. I bought a cheap package to tide us over until I could go to the store again. Oh man! Mistake!! Sean started declaring, “Have we lost all of our principles?? What is this, sandpaper?! Should we stop tipping too?” I burst out laughing when he said this because I was instantly brought back to that conversation early on in our marriage. I went out and bought good toilet paper for the house and got rid of the cheap stuff.
Sean and I have been married for almost 14 years and we have always been passionate about being given to hospitality (Romans 12:10). Over the years, we have had many people come stay with us. Some come for just a night and some for many months. We feel that God has given us much and blessed us abundantly and that it is our joy to bless others with our home (and with our good toilet paper). I have found that you discover a lot about people when they stay with you in your home. I thought about this as I read Acts 20:17-38.
When Paul was in Ephesus, his mission was certain. He served and lived among the people, he kept back nothing, teaching them “repentance toward God and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ” (Acts 20:21). Paul was a true shepherd who cared for his flock and was very clear about his purpose. He made sure that he was not a burden. He took care of himself and those with him and he used every opportunity to teach and shepherd the flock there. He truly cared for people and genuinely wanted the believers to be protected from the wolves that were sure to come. Paul knew he had to leave and wouldn’t see them again. He implored them with these final words:
35 In everything I showed you that by working hard in this manner you must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He Himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
And with that, he knelt down with them and prayed for them. When Paul left, they did not breathe a sigh of relief because he had inconvenienced them. No, they had deep sorrow in their heart because he had been a blessing to them.
We have had people stay with us that were all about what they needed or being served so when their time of departure came, we were thankful! We have also had the pleasure of having guests that infused our home with light and eternal blessings! They had eyes to see and wanted to be a blessing and help. When we go about our lives and come into contact with others, let’s strive to be like Paul. He was all about teaching the eternal things of life like the Kingdom of God. He was not a burden but a blessing to the believers and sincerely cared for them. He didn’t complain about his lot as a missionary, he was driven by the holy spirit even when it came to his own discomfort and sacrifice. Let’s strive to encourage others and remember it is more blessed to give than to receive!
-Ruth Finnegan
(Originally posted for SeekGrowLove on June 10, 2017 – today, Ruth and Sean’s boys are much older and taller. But I bet the whole family still enjoys using, and giving, the good toilet paper.)
Reflection Questions
How would you describe how Paul gave? What was he giving?
When have you found it to be true that, “It is more blessed to give than to receive?” What has been your favorite thing to give?
Where are you challenged to give more freely? What will you give this week? How?
What stands in the way of you living completely committed to God? Time management problems, a secret (or not-so secret) sin, a preoccupation with _______, a friend taking you in the wrong direction? Many in the early church in Acts were living out a completely committed relationship with God and His Son, Jesus. And the results are exciting to watch as we read through the book. Their faith was living and active and daily – and tested regularly.
I wonder if today too many people who carry the label ‘Christian’ use their faith as a once-a-week booster shot, if they can make it to church that week. But then are quite content to spend the week surrounded by (and sometimes covered in) the germs and sicknesses of worldly living and priorities.
When you read Acts 19 search for all the sold-out characteristics and examples; and while you’re at it – spot the imitations as well (those exist today, too). I particularly like the passage in verses 18-20 where the believers were confessing their practices and bringing their (expensive) magic books to be burned. They had heard about Jesus and they believed and they were excited and ready to change! It’s not that they had heard about Jesus and kind of believed and were sort of interested and wanted to add in some Jesus/church/faith to their already full lives. See the huge difference? They were radically changing their lives because they wanted to follow Jesus well.
Do you have anything in your life to add to the bonfire? Anything that is keeping you from being totally committed to God and His Coming Kingdom? Anything that doesn’t mix well with Jesus’ message that you need to give up?
The believers burned 50,000 drachmas worth of obstacles to living sold-out lives (a drachma was a silver coin worth about one day’s wages) – that’s a lot of obstacles they eliminated! The very next thing Luke wrote was: “In this way the word of the Lord spread widely and grew in power” (Acts 19:20). Sacrifice and true change brought growth. Are you ready to grow?
-Marcia Railton
(Original devotion posted for SeekGrowLove on April 19, 2018)
Reflection Questions
In your reading of Acts what do you find impressive about the early church?
What in your life is keeping you from living totally committed to God and His Coming Kingdom? What do you have to confess? What do you have to add to the bonfire?
What changes can you make in your life that would help the word of the Lord to spread and grow in power?
What does your church already do that is similar to the actions of the early church? How can you help your church look more like the early church?
Acts 18 details the cities that Paul visited on his way from Jerusalem to Greece and some of the highlights in those cities. While in Corinth Paul again has issues with the Jewish community there and instead finds a Gentile man named Titius Justus who was a worshiper of God. Paul also has a vision from the Lord saying,
“Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:9,10)
I understand why Paul would need this encouragement with the number of cities that he had been thrown out of after annoying the local Jewish population with his message.
What I find interesting is the fact that Paul is the first missionary to set foot on the continent of Europe and just recently we read about the first convert in the area, yet even in this “heathen” land filled with idols and false gods God is working in people’s lives and has people who worship him. These people do not know the gospel and need to hear about Jesus desperately, but even without that knowledge they are seeking God and worshiping him. We see this today in many of the mission fields that we send people into. The people do not know about Christ, but it is obvious that God has been working in their community to prepare them to hear. This is why it is so important that we get out there and evangelize. The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few.
Then while traveling in Ephesus in modern day Turkey, Paul runs into a man named Apollos who was a Jew that knew his scriptures (Old Testament) thoroughly and knew only the message of John the Baptist. With only this information he was boldly speaking about Jesus and the fact that he was the son of God. He was off on some things, but he was on fire for God and was running with it.
These verses are encouraging because they show that you do not need to have everything figured out theologically in order to follow God. You don’t need a master’s degree or years of training for him to be working in your life. Now I do think that seeking truth should be an important part of any believer’s life, but all that is needed to get started with God is faith in Jesus, and the Holy Spirit to work in your life.
-Chris Mattison
(Originally posted Feb 27, 2019 for SeekGrowLove)
Reflection & Application:
If you heard the Lord speak to you in a vision do you think he would say, “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent” or “Do not be afraid; START speaking, do not be silent” or something else?
Like Apollos, who didn’t first know the whole story, how has your understanding and knowledge grown? What and who has helped you in this area?
How, where, when and to whom do you think God wants you to share what you know about Him, His Son and His plan of salvation?
Have you ever gotten your fingers pinched, or crushed in a door? Ouch. That stings. Have you ever watched as someone walked (or ran) right into a closed door, falling backwards? I watch a lot of preschoolers – it’s a regular thing. Some handle it well, and dust themselves off as they go on, sometimes even laughing. Others need to take some time on the floor (and sometimes in my arms) to get over the shock and pain.
Have you ever been excitedly making plans of how your day, your trip or your life would go – only to find closed or closing doors. Maybe your fingers gets pinched in the process, or maybe your whole body and spirit are totally knocked out from a closing opportunity you were planning on and excitedly anticipating?
There are a lot of closed and closing doors in Acts 16. Paul and his companions (including Silas and Timothy at this point) were at the beginning of Paul’s second missionary journey. It is helpful to look at a map as you read Acts 16:6-10 to see what is really going on with Paul’s travel plans. (I also found William Schlegel’s Satellite Bible Atlas handy). Verse 6 says the Holy Spirit kept them from preaching the word in the province (not continent) of Asia. This indicates that they had wanted to, were planning on, and would have taken the gospel message to the province of Asia. That sounds like a very good thing! But, Asia became a closed door – because of the Holy Spirit. The map shows that the province of Asia would have been to their west as they were traveling. The very next verse says that at the border of Mysia (indicating that they did indeed continue traveling after their first way was blocked), “they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (Acts 16:7 NIV). Bithynia would be to their east. Closed door, again! Can’t go west, then, further down the road they can’t go east.
It would be interesting to know what these closed doors looked like. Maybe government red tape and passport issues that prevented travel to certain areas. Maybe a prophecy or just plain “bad feeling” about proceeding in the intended direction. Maybe advice from others regarding weather or disasters or unrest ahead. Maybe we will know one day what their closed doors were. Probably you can see what your closed doors are. What has kept you from the day, the trip or the life you envisioned? Maybe you have become discouraged because of all the things you were planning on doing, that aren’t working out right now as you had planned. If so, keep reading Acts.
It’s easy to ask, “What’s up, God? Don’t you want these on-fire evangelists to carry your word to the world?” How many closed doors are we supposed to come across and still keep going? It is so easy to let road blocks and closed doors defeat us, but Paul kept traveling, wherever he could. Can’t go to Asia, can’t go to Bithynia, let’s try heading to Troas. He was rewarded with a vision of a man from Macedonia calling out for help. The Bible tells us, when Paul received the vision, “We got ready at once to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.”
So off to Macedonia they went. And what adventures – and lots of open doors – awaited them in Macedonia! There were new churches and hearts God was preparing in Philippi and Thessalonica and Berea (all cities of Macedonia). But God had planned that they would hear the message from Paul and his companions. He just needed to get Paul to them. If God had allowed Paul to enter Asia or Bithynia when they had wanted to, Lydia and the Philippian jailer and so many others would have been left waiting.
God’s plans were better than Paul’s . God’s plans are better than ours. His open doors are the best. His closed doors are closed for a reason – and that is okay – even good – even when it pinches a bit or throws us to the ground for a spell. Get up and try another door. Keep traveling and testing doors. The one He wants you to go through will indeed open. And behind THAT door are adventures and blessings that He has prepared for you – and people that He has prepared for you to carry the good news to. Don’t miss out on finding the open doors because you are sulking at the closed ones.
(Note on Holy Spirit and the Spirit of Jesus: both of these spirits were blocking Paul’s way at different times. I think it is not saying these are the same – but they did have the same purpose which was to get Paul to where God wanted him by keeping Paul from going other places, at least for now (later he would travel to Asia and work with the people who God had prepared at that time). Just as God and His Son are two side by side in heaven right now, they are active in the same spiritual battle for saving lives by sending their spirits to guide, empower, and close and open doors. It’s kind of like getting two superheroes on your side instead of just one.)
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions:
Do you sometimes tell yourself that your plans are better than God’s? How can you trust Him more?
What doors have been closed that you were anticipating traveling through? How did you handle it?
What doors have been opened that you hadn’t been anticipating or planning? What blessings would you have missed out on if you had taken the closed door route instead?
Today we had several scriptures on our journey to read through the Bible in a year. The ones that resonated in my heart were from Leviticus 22 and 23. Chapter 22 talks a lot about sacrifices, being clean for them and what you are able to sacrifice. What comes to mind for me at first is that God wants our best. He lays out the things that need to be done in order to come before Him.
The scripture also tells us what can be sacrificed – and what can not be sacrificed. It says in 22:19 & 20 “you must present a male without defect from the cattle, sheep, or goats in order that it may be accepted on your behalf. Do not bring anything with a defect, because it will not be accepted on your behalf.” This makes me think of when I buy fruit or veggies at the grocery store, I stand in front of the strawberries looking for the best container I can get, no mold, nice and red, not soft and squishy, the best. God wants our best, unfortunately, sometimes it is hard to give him our best. We work or go to school all day, do homework, laundry, cook dinner…and the list goes on and on. The beauty of this is that Jesus died for us, we don’t have to be perfect to come to God. We just need to be children of God, have a relationship with Him, love Him and then love others. We should try to give Him our best, but we will fail (at least I do) and that is okay. We just need to keep trying.
Leviticus 23 talks about Festivals. The thing that stuck out to me was verse 3 “There are six days when you may work, but the seventh day is a day of sabbath rest, a day of sacred assembly. You are not to do any work; wherever you live, it is a sabbath to the Lord.” During each of the festivals mentioned rest is a big part of it. Making sure you take the sabbath day to rest. The rest He is speaking about is not a nap. Although I love naps, and I think they are a great thing to do, He is speaking about resting in Him. Spend time with God. I will be honest with you; this is something that I need to work on. First,I need to slow down and rest, but most importantly, I need to rest in Him. Taking some time to stop your day to give your brain a break is great but are you giving Him your time?
After receiving instructions from Moses in Leviticus 18 and 19, instructions about how to live a holy life continue in Leviticus 20 and 21. Not only are the children of Israel warned and instructed about sexual sins and moral conduct, then a law of consequence is set forth to them. The penalty for killing babies, consulting familiar spirits (devil spirits, mediums, wizards and such like) and sexual sins is death! The death penalty was necessary because the blood offerings of animals can not cover for these sins. God has been very generous with his chosen people in communicating these consequences. Wanting to please Almighty God and live a holy life requires submission to his ways and his justice. So what does one do when the laws of land permit such abominations and atrocities?
In Leviticus 20:4-5: “And if the people of the land do any ways hide their eyes from the man, when he gives of his seed (offspring) unto Molech, and kill him not; then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off, and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among the people.” It is not good to be cut off from God and his precious covenants. It is not good to have God’s face set against you. We are not to just shut our eyes to these kinds of sins. The people of Ammon had a god named Molech whom they worshipped by sacrificing their children. Apparently, this way of sacrificing children, killing your own offspring was after the doings of the land. The penalty for this kind of sin and also the ignoring of the sin by the people has serious consequences. Eternal life for some is on the line.
Only because of Jesus Christ and his holy sacrifice could these sexual sins and moral sins be forgiven. Acts 13:38-39: “Be it known unto you therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins: and by him all that believe are justified from all things, from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” Now’s the time to preach forgiveness of these sins and to draw men to Christ. If they do not submit to God’s way of redemption, they most surely will die from these sins and perish forever. For it is written in Revelations 21:8: “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.”
It is important that we take a stand and teach people how to draw to a Holy God. It’s also important for us to instruct those who oppose themselves. “God would have all men saved and come unto a (full) knowledge of the truth.”(1 Timothy 2:4).Now is the time to plead with people and invite them to know the only true God so they can see his love and why he knows what is best for mankind. If we can show people that God loves them and sent his son so they could be forgiven of these types of sins because of Jesus Christ, then at least they will have a choice. That is the real pro-choice issue. Many do not understand, because they have not been shown God’s love. We are here to be that love and to give them the real choice.
-Cindy Abbott
Reflection Questions
Is there someone you could help to see the error of their way by loving them enough to show them the truth?
Have you ever hidden your eyes from someone committing these sins, instead of lovingly imploring them with true knowledge of life and death decisions?
In what ways do you pray and ask for strength to “withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” (Eph 6:13)?
Have you ever felt like or heard the expression as you are trying to navigate through life, “Oh boy! I sure wish there was a manual for life!” Or perhaps, “Couldn’t someone write a manual for life for dummies?” After reading the book of Leviticus, it’s impossible to return to this way of thinking because there it is, plain as day, rules to live by. Not just rules though, specific instructions on how to live life without sin and how to please the Most Holy, One and Only God whose name is Jehovah! Even though these valuable instructions were written long ago, there they stand, perfectly applicable to the here and now and somehow perfectly suited to our day and age. What a God to create and not leave us without instruction!
Leviticus 18:1-5:”And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and say to them, I am Jehovah your God. After the doings of the land of Egypt (America, Russia, China, insert your land here and it’ll apply), where in you dwell, shall you not do: and after the doings of the land of Canaan, whither I bring you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in their ordinances. You shall do my judgments, and keep mine ordinances, to walk therein: I am Jehovah your God. You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man does, he shall live by them: I am Jehovah.”
Next Jehovah God gives specifics about avoiding sexual sins and how to deal with our nakedness. A very specific and thorough list, so we make no mistake and do not give ourselves permission to sin in this way. In chapter 18 verse 22, “You shall not lie (to have sexual relations) with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.” Verses 24-25: “Defile not you yourselves in any of these things (again long list in previous verses-read for yourselves): for in all these the nations are defiled which I cast out before you: and the land is defiled: therefore I do visit the iniquity thereof upon it, and the land itself vomits out her inhabitants.” There are quite a few more verses that warn the children of Israel (which children you are, if you believe in Jesus Christ-because you are then Abraham’s seed and grafted into the family tree. See Galatians 3:29 and Romans 11:11-32).
Leviticus 19 continues on to describe the conduct and expectations of the people of God. Much of this section reiterates the 10 commandments. I had a Christian friend say to me last year that she was teaching the children’s fellowship that they no longer have to fulfill the 10 commandments of the law, because she believed we are no longer under the law. My insides were set on alarm and my eyes widened. Then her own son replied, “But, we should, right mom?” When Christ fulfilled the law and commandments, the law was not abolished; but rather, we were set free from sin so that we could fulfill the law! It gladdens our Father God’s heart for us to love him with our everything and to demonstrate our love for God by loving one another. How can we know what love is without instructions? God declares of himself that he is love (1 John 4:16). He ought to know what love is and how to be holy and without sin. An exhortation to live by is in Leviticus 19:2b: “You shall be holy: for I Jehovah your God am holy.” Following God’s instruction manual will liberate you to be holy and to love more.
Psalm 40:
“I waited patiently for Jehovah: and he inclined unto me and heard my cry. He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay and set my foot upon a rock, and established my goings. And he has put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in Jehovah. Blessed is that man that makes Jehovah his trust, and respects not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. Many, O Jehovah my God, are your wonderful works which you have done and your thoughts which are to us-ward: they cannot be recounted in order to you: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; mine ears have you opened; burnt offering and sin offering have you not required. Then said I, Lo, I come; in the volume of the book it is written of me. I delight to do your will, o my God: yes, your law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Jehovah, you know. I have not hid your righteousness within my heart: I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation: I have not concealed your lovingkindness and your truth from the great congregation…”
Oh to have the heart of David and of Jesus Christ, our forerunner! Let us not conceal the word! Let us not hide what is righteous! Let us do what is right and show others what God has done by delivering us out of the miry clay of our sins! We will be happy if we trust in Jehovah and do what is right.
Acts 13:
The gift ministries of a prophets and teachers:
Acts 13:1-3: “Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” (Right here there were 6 prophets and teachers recorded). “As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them. And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.”
A prophet is one who speaks for God or receives information from God for the people. They speak on God’s behalf to the people. A teacher is one who expounds and conveys what God has said and what has been written in God’s word. Both gift ministries are gifts to the church to build up the people and to keep the people of God growing and on God’s track. They are gifts to the body of Christ until we all come into the full measure of the fullness of Christ.
People may not always like a prophet or a teacher; but nevertheless, they are God’s gift to the church until Christ comes in his kingdom.
In chapter 13 we have Barnabas and Saul separated unto specific work for them to do. Each prophet/teacher prayed and fasted asking God’s direction and afterwards received word from God and sent these two men on their way to do what God would have them do.
On his way, Paul first addresses a false prophet (someone not sent from God, who is not doing God’s will) and Paul being filled (filled to overflowing in the Greek text) with the holy spirit, set his eyes on the false prophet, rebukes him and blinds him! Paul made full proof of his ministry right there! Next Paul preaches on the first Sabbath and in essence rebukes the Israelites for not seeing the Christ coming and how Jesus fulfilled just what was prophesied that he would fulfill. Then Paul preached to them the forgiveness of sins through believing Jesus Christ and that they can be justified from all things. Paul warned the Israelites not to miss the boat and then comforted the proselytes (Gentiles who believed). Paul continued to preach there until “the word of the Lord was published throughout all the region.”
There are still prophets/teachers in the body of Christ today. You may see them doing these specific things as seen here. Being filled to overflowing and performing the works of God, rebuking, preaching, warning, comforting and continuing. If you are a prophet, keep doing it! If you see a prophet/teacher, thank God for them and heed them! If you feel you want to serve in this capacity, pray and ask God for the gift that can benefit the body and meet with other prophets/teachers so you can learn and grow and fulfill God’s will for your generation.
-Cindy Abbott
Reflection Questions
Is there someone in your life or at work or school who would benefit from learning the instructions in Leviticus 18 and 19?
Can you sit and appreciate all the thoughts that God is having about you this very minute? Thoughts of peace, thoughts of love, thoughts of longing for your fellowship?
Can you tell someone who is suffering and in a horrible pit how God delivered your soul and can deliver them as well?
In what ways have you seen God demonstrate his love for the body in your area through the men and women who chose to serve as prophets and teachers?
Has God called you to this gift ministry? Will you answer the call?
You know that feeling when things are going so well that you question if you’re dreaming? Maybe you ask someone nearby to pinch you or maybe you pinch yourself. Either way, this is the feeling I imagine Peter had the night before Herod was going to bring Peter to trial. I’d encourage you to listen to Acts 12. As you listen, visualize what this could have looked like. Go ahead and use a little bit of imagination, as we’re not given pictures to accompany the stories in the Bible. If I’m being honest, I sometimes forget that the Bible is a literary text, but this chapter allows me to pick out some details and things that make me consider the (historical) story, and smile.
I’ll mention a couple parts that I really like about this chapter, but other parts might jump out at you.
v. 7 – Peter must’ve been a heavy sleeper! First the angel appeared, with a light. That didn’t wake Peter, so the angel struck (or smote) him. A gentle, “Hey Peter, time to wake up” with a rub on the shoulder didn’t cut it…
v. 9 – Peter didn’t know what was happening. He thought it was a vision. I like how he follows the angel’s instructions though. I think this is a good example for us to follow. Even when we may be a little confused about what God wants us to do, we should still obey and follow through with whatever it is.
v. 11 – “Now I know without a doubt”. I like how confident Peter is at this point. Before he thought it could be a vision. Now he knows that this is real life, and this is all part of God’s plan.
v.14-16 – I understand Rhoda was excited, but it makes me giggle how she didn’t even open the door for Peter. She was so excited that Peter had to keep knocking! 🙂
I like this chapter a lot. I will be working at being confident while following God’s plan for me and I will work at being as excited as Rhoda about what God is doing in my (and others’) lives!
-Moriah Railton
(reposted from SeekGrowLove – May 15, 2021)
Reflection Questions
What do we learn about the early church in Acts 12? In what ways would you like your church to follow the example of the early church more?
What do we learn about Peter in Acts 12? How do you think he could have been sleeping (chained between two guards) on the night before he would be brought to trial before Herod who had recently had James killed.
What do we learn about Herod in Acts 12? What was the reason for his death? When have you been guilty of the same attitude?
What do we learn about God in Acts 12 – remembering how Peter was saved and He handled Herod…but also, remembering that James was not saved. What is your response to God when He saves and when He crushes the wicked and when He doesn’t save the righteous?
I love that right after Luke wrote about Cornelius and Peter’s God-orchestrated visit (in yesterday’s reading of Acts 10) he spends the bulk of the next chapter telling all the events again. This time Peter is explaining his actions to the circumcised believers in Jerusalem who were criticizing him for going into the home of an uncircumcised man and and even eating with them. This story is obviously near and dear to the writer’s heart. In Luke’s gospel and his sequel book of Acts how many times did Luke write of the events of the birth of Jesus? Once. How many times did Luke recount the events of Jesus’ death and resurrection? Once. But Luke, the Gentile doctor, perhaps the only Gentile writer of the New Testament (depending on who wrote Hebrews), takes the opportunity to tell this story twice.
For this story – this true factual account complete with times and locations – opened up a new way for Jews and Gentiles. This story had the power to change ministry, to change lives, to save lives – a lot of lives. Now God’s overwhelming love, forgiveness, salvation through the blood of his Son – the Jewish Messiah – and the newly poured out gifts of the Spirit were not just for the circumcised Jews who believed but for anyone in the whole world who would listen and accept and do what is right. God in His mercy and grace can and will and has cleaned up what was thought could never be clean. This is BIG NEWS worthy of retelling.
Did you catch what Luke reports the Gentile named Cornelius was doing when God’s angel appeared to him with a message, that when followed, had the potential to change his life and the lives of his family and the lives of all Gentiles to come? If you aren’t sure, check out Acts 10:30. Did you catch what Luke reports the Jew named Peter was doing when he received the vision (3 times, because once wasn’t enough) that would completely change the brand new life of the early church and Christian movement? If you aren’t sure, it’s recorded in Acts 11:5. I don’t think it is mere coincidence that both of these devout men were praying AT THE TIME when God gave them directions that would change their world.
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you” (James 4:8).
What might have happened if Cornelius and Peter had been too busy to pray? I don’t doubt that God’s amazing plan would have proceeded, but perhaps through the actions of someone else. What would have happened if either of these men had not followed the directions given to them when they prayed? What if they had just come to God in prayer to quickly deliver their most recent “God Please Do” list and then get on with their day as they had planned? What if Peter had continued with his, “Surely not, Lord” protests because the directions he was receiving weren’t what he expected?
Might there be times we have missed out on God’s life-altering blessings and messages because we didn’t take the time to pray to draw near to God? Are there times when we steal Peter’s line and tell the Almighty, “Surely not, Lord”? Are there people and situations we doubt God can clean? Have you ever tried to stand in God’s way? Are there times we haven’t followed the Lord’s direction because it doesn’t line up with what we were expecting? Maybe we need to hear this story again?
-Marcia Railton
Reflection Questions
What does this account in Acts 10 and 11 mean to you? What do you find amazing about it?
Is your prayer time drawing near to God, not just turning in your most recent “God please do” list? When you pray are you ready to really receive direction from God?
Have you tried telling God, “Surely not, Lord”? Have you tried to stand in His way? Do you more often stand in His way or follow His way?
Yesterday, I said I was going to skip over the Paul stuff, but we’re actually going to look at parts of his story today. There’s a theme in Paul’s story that I think is often overlooked but continues through with today’s story in Acts. I want to end my week of writing for you with a note on accepting others.
Ever since I was little, and heard the story of Paul, I’ve been struck by the seemingly minor character Ananias. It is important to note, the Ananias in Paul’s story is different from the guy in Acts 5. Not much is known about him through scripture and he is not mentioned anywhere else besides in association with Paul. I’ve always felt like he got very little credit for the role he played. God performs a tremendous miracle through him in restoring Paul’s sight. Ananias must have been a man full of compassion and courage. God tells him to go seek a man who has been persecuting people with Ananias’ beliefs. Never forget, the people in the Bible have free-will. Ananias could have said no. And, if not for God asking him to go, I’d say Ananias had every right to refuse – after all, Saul wanted to kill him (Acts 9:1). Even so, Ananias had compassion on Saul. Sought him out, healed him, and loved him. Much like Jesus does with us.
Barnabas is a more well known member of the early church in Acts. If I’m being honest, my interest in this character does stem from the fact my grandmother, Gayle Ross, named a cat after him. He was my favorite cat, next to the orange tabby named Buster, whom Barnabas (the cat) coincidentally reminded my grandma of so much she got the cat’s name officially changed to Barnabuster several years later. Alas, my curiosity over his namesake led to a love for this character. Again, like Ananias, Barnabas had to be a pretty compassionate and courageous person. When Saul initially arrived in Jerusalem as a changed man, many church members were afraid of him. Once Barnabas befriended him, he took him along to meet the apostles. It was then people started to take Saul’s change of heart seriously. Barnabas took Paul under his wing, encouraged him, and supported him. Not only is this Christ-like but also something Jesus commands us to do in his teachings.
Ananias’ and Barnabas’ attitude of acceptance matches that of Peter’s in chapter 10. There are incredible connotations for Peter’s actions in visiting and eating with Cornelius. These will be further discussed in chapter 11. For now, it’s important to note there was a division between Gentiles and Jews and thus between Gentile believers and Jewish believers. Peter starts to break down this barrier with his actions in Acts 10. He even tells Cornelius “I’m a human being just like you!” (verse 26 NLT) Peter is displaying love and acceptance just as his predecessor once showed a stinky, rowdy, uneducated fisherman.
There are some Christians who have been complaining about the Super Bowl’s He Gets Us commercials. I understand some of their arguments. Perhaps the ads give off a Jesus that is accepting of sin or tolerant of sinful lifestyles. However, I think these critics might be missing the point. I think the purpose of these ads were to show the side of Jesus that is sadly overlooked in mainstream culture today. The Jesus that ate with Zacchaeus. Zacchaeus’ change of heart occurs AFTER his visit with Jesus, not before. Jesus doesn’t wait for Zacchaeus to be ready for him. He eats with this lying cheating tax collector despite his sordid reputation. In doing so, Zacchaeus is changed after experiencing the Savior’s mercy. Jesus was not accepting of Zacchaeus’ lifestyle, but he did accept Zacchaeus as a man and saw him as someone worth sharing a meal.
It is so easy to forget that while we are called to not be of this world, we are called to still live in it. This means loving the people who love the world. Who disagree with us. Now, trust me, loving is not the same as tolerating or condoning unrighteous behavior. Having said that, here’s something I have learned from my work with kids. It is so much easier to discipline once you have built a loving relationship. We need not accept sin, but we should be accepting of the sinner. It is through our example and how we treat people Jesus will be made known to the world. What sort of Jesus do you want to preach? A judgmental king or the bridge between a holy God and an unholy people.
Notes on Leviticus 12 and 13: As someone who firmly believes in the teachings in Galatians 3:28 I was perplexed to read about differences in the purification process for women after delivering a baby. Should a woman deliver a boy, she had to wait 33 days until she could be declared ceremonially clean from the bleeding of childbirth. If she delivered a girl, she would have to wait 66 days. I found an interesting and reasonable commentary on why there was a difference. Basically, the reason a woman had to wait twice as long was because she was not only waiting for herself to be purified, but the second waiting period was symbolic of her daughter’s purification period for her future menstrual cycle and childbirth bleeding. It’s not so much God is being unfair in demanding a longer waiting period. Rather, this was a way of honoring the importance of a woman’s role in Israelite culture to bring children into the world by having her mother account for a purification process on her behalf. Another thing I found interesting was the rules for skin diseases. Turns out, the same protocol the priests used is the same daycares use when it comes to Hand Foot and Mouth disease. If the sore is open, oozing and bleeding, it’s unclean and the child must be sent home. If the sore is closed up with a remaining scab, the child is good to remain at school.
-Emilee Ross
Reflection Questions
Who has been accepting of you? What can you learn from them? From Ananias? Barnabas? Peter? Cornelius? Jesus?
What sort of Jesus do you want to preach? A judgmental king or the bridge between a holy God and an unholy people.
Did you read Psalm 37 every day this week? What can be learned, remembered and treasured from this Psalm?
Seek Grow Love 