If you have been following the daily reading plan, then you are finishing the book of Acts today.
Congratulations.
If you have been with it since the begining last summer, then you have read the Gospel of John, the book of Romans, and the book of Acts.
I burned out on the daily blogs in January.
I hope you kept up with the daily reading though.
If not, pick it up where you left off.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Sunday, January 11, 2009
Sunday Acts 13:4-12
Barnabas and Saul travel to Cyprus.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 13:4-12
Barnabas and Saul began their missionary journey having been sent by the church at Antioch under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. They first went to Cyprus which was the homeland of Barnabas.
Notice how they approach spreading the gospel. They have been called to take the gospel to the Gentiles. However, they first go to the Jewish synagogues. Also, they begin their effort in Barnabas’ place of origin. The principle here is to start with those people who are the most open to the gospel. Barnabas has friends and relatives in Cyprus. He has contacts. He knows people. It is natural to take the gospel to those people with whom we already have a relationship. The Jews already know who God is. They understand the scripture. They are more likely to understand and receive the gospel than the Gentiles. While Barnabas and Saul begin with the Jews, they then move to the Gentiles.
Another strategy that they use is to reach people of influence. They take the gospel to the governor. An obstacle in the way is the sorcerer. Saul shows the superiority of the power of God and the governor came to faith in Christ.
A transition occurs in the narrative at this point. Luke starts calling Saul by the name Paul. This is his Greek name. From now on, the mission is to take the gospel to the Greek culture. Also, there is a shift in leadership. Up to this point, Luke has always listed Barnabas first. From now on, he lists Paul first. It seems that Paul takes over as leader. To Barnabas’ credit, he seems to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit rather than get his feelings hurt.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 13:4-12
Barnabas and Saul began their missionary journey having been sent by the church at Antioch under the leadership of the Holy Spirit. They first went to Cyprus which was the homeland of Barnabas.
Notice how they approach spreading the gospel. They have been called to take the gospel to the Gentiles. However, they first go to the Jewish synagogues. Also, they begin their effort in Barnabas’ place of origin. The principle here is to start with those people who are the most open to the gospel. Barnabas has friends and relatives in Cyprus. He has contacts. He knows people. It is natural to take the gospel to those people with whom we already have a relationship. The Jews already know who God is. They understand the scripture. They are more likely to understand and receive the gospel than the Gentiles. While Barnabas and Saul begin with the Jews, they then move to the Gentiles.
Another strategy that they use is to reach people of influence. They take the gospel to the governor. An obstacle in the way is the sorcerer. Saul shows the superiority of the power of God and the governor came to faith in Christ.
A transition occurs in the narrative at this point. Luke starts calling Saul by the name Paul. This is his Greek name. From now on, the mission is to take the gospel to the Greek culture. Also, there is a shift in leadership. Up to this point, Luke has always listed Barnabas first. From now on, he lists Paul first. It seems that Paul takes over as leader. To Barnabas’ credit, he seems to follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit rather than get his feelings hurt.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Saturday Acts 13:1-3
Barnabas and Saul are called to missions.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 13:1-3
Luke begins his account of the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Gentiles had already accepted the gospel, but here is the first instance of a church intentionally sending people out to spread the gospel to the Gentiles of the world.
Barnabas and Saul had spent a considerable amount of time already in Antioch teaching the people about Christ. But there were other leaders as well. Luke mentions five leaders here. He calls them teachers and prophets. He probably does not mean two groups of people, but that these leaders were teachers who were also prophets. Maybe a better way to describe them would be prophetic teachers. They were inspired by God in their teaching.
There is some debate about the use of “they” in verses 2 and 3. Is Luke referring to only the leaders or to the whole church in Antioch? I think the best argument is that verse 2 is referring to the leaders while verse 3 is the whole church. The prophetic teachers were fasting and ministering to the Lord. The Holy Spirit revealed His mission for Barnabas and Saul to the leaders. The leaders told the whole church of their revelation and the whole church then fasted, prayed, and sent the two on their mission.
Some things to note: The Holy Spirit revealed His will when they were fasting. This implies that they were expectant about hearing from God. We should expect to hear from God. He does not hide.
The church was willing to lose important leaders for the larger mission. We have to release people for ministry even if it seems to hurt our areas of ministry.
The leaders led and the people followed their lead.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 13:1-3
Luke begins his account of the spread of the gospel to the ends of the earth. Gentiles had already accepted the gospel, but here is the first instance of a church intentionally sending people out to spread the gospel to the Gentiles of the world.
Barnabas and Saul had spent a considerable amount of time already in Antioch teaching the people about Christ. But there were other leaders as well. Luke mentions five leaders here. He calls them teachers and prophets. He probably does not mean two groups of people, but that these leaders were teachers who were also prophets. Maybe a better way to describe them would be prophetic teachers. They were inspired by God in their teaching.
There is some debate about the use of “they” in verses 2 and 3. Is Luke referring to only the leaders or to the whole church in Antioch? I think the best argument is that verse 2 is referring to the leaders while verse 3 is the whole church. The prophetic teachers were fasting and ministering to the Lord. The Holy Spirit revealed His mission for Barnabas and Saul to the leaders. The leaders told the whole church of their revelation and the whole church then fasted, prayed, and sent the two on their mission.
Some things to note: The Holy Spirit revealed His will when they were fasting. This implies that they were expectant about hearing from God. We should expect to hear from God. He does not hide.
The church was willing to lose important leaders for the larger mission. We have to release people for ministry even if it seems to hurt our areas of ministry.
The leaders led and the people followed their lead.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Friday Acts 12:20-25
Herod Agrippa dies.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:20-25
Herod Agrippa killed James and intended to kill Peter, but an angel freed Peter from prison. Agrippa returned to Caesarea. The historian Josephus tells us that Agrippa organized games to be played in honor of the emperor Claudius. While watching the games, he spoke to the crowd who declared Agrippa to be a god. While on the platform, he was stricken with abdominal pains and died five days later.
Luke tells us in Acts that God stuck Agrippa as judgment.
Again, the gospel spread and the church grew.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:20-25
Herod Agrippa killed James and intended to kill Peter, but an angel freed Peter from prison. Agrippa returned to Caesarea. The historian Josephus tells us that Agrippa organized games to be played in honor of the emperor Claudius. While watching the games, he spoke to the crowd who declared Agrippa to be a god. While on the platform, he was stricken with abdominal pains and died five days later.
Luke tells us in Acts that God stuck Agrippa as judgment.
Again, the gospel spread and the church grew.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Thursday Acts 12:6-19
Peter is released from prison by an angel.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:6-19
Peter was scheduled for execution the following day. He was asleep between two guards with more guards at the door. An angel appeared and woke Peter. Luke says that the angel struck him on the side to wake him. My mental image is the angel kicking Peter lightly in the ribs and saying, “Get up.” Notice that the angel has to give Peter step-by-step directions: get up, get dressed, put your shoes on, put your coat on, follow me. Peter thought that it was a vision rather than reality.
It was not until they were outside and away from the prison that Peter realized that it was all real. He went to the home of Mary which seems to have been a gathering place for some of the Christians in Jerusalem. Many people believe that this home was the place of the last supper and the place where the events of Pentecost began. We do know that Mary was the mother of John Mark.
John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. He went with Saul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Peter calls him his spiritual son in 1 Peter 5:13. John Mark wrote the gospel of Mark. Most scholars believe that he was the young man who ran from the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52).
There is some real irony in Peter’s arrival at Mary’s house. He knocked on the door and Rhoda got so excited that she forgot to let him in. She told everyone in the house that Peter was at the door. They didn’t believe her. Wait a minute! They had gathered together and fervently prayed for Peter. They had prayed for a few days. Now, God has answered their prayer and Peter is at the front door. But they don’t believe it.
We do the same thing. We pray, but often we don’t really believe that God will answer our prayer. When He does, we don’t recognize it. This is related to our lack of faith. We say we believe, but we live as if we really don’t.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:6-19
Peter was scheduled for execution the following day. He was asleep between two guards with more guards at the door. An angel appeared and woke Peter. Luke says that the angel struck him on the side to wake him. My mental image is the angel kicking Peter lightly in the ribs and saying, “Get up.” Notice that the angel has to give Peter step-by-step directions: get up, get dressed, put your shoes on, put your coat on, follow me. Peter thought that it was a vision rather than reality.
It was not until they were outside and away from the prison that Peter realized that it was all real. He went to the home of Mary which seems to have been a gathering place for some of the Christians in Jerusalem. Many people believe that this home was the place of the last supper and the place where the events of Pentecost began. We do know that Mary was the mother of John Mark.
John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. He went with Saul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. Peter calls him his spiritual son in 1 Peter 5:13. John Mark wrote the gospel of Mark. Most scholars believe that he was the young man who ran from the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane (Mark 14:51-52).
There is some real irony in Peter’s arrival at Mary’s house. He knocked on the door and Rhoda got so excited that she forgot to let him in. She told everyone in the house that Peter was at the door. They didn’t believe her. Wait a minute! They had gathered together and fervently prayed for Peter. They had prayed for a few days. Now, God has answered their prayer and Peter is at the front door. But they don’t believe it.
We do the same thing. We pray, but often we don’t really believe that God will answer our prayer. When He does, we don’t recognize it. This is related to our lack of faith. We say we believe, but we live as if we really don’t.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Wednesday Acts 12:1-5
Persecution returns.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:1-5
While Barnabas and Saul were in Antioch, another persecution arose in Jerusalem. King Herod attacked some of the believers. He probably was doing the bidding of the Sanhedrin in order to increase his popularity with the Jews.
The Herod in this passage was Herod Agrippa I. He was the grandson of Herod the Great who was king during the birth of Jesus. Herod the Great had his son Aristobulus executed in 7 BC. Agrippa was about four years old then. After the murder of his father, he was sent off to Rome to grow up as a member of the imperial court. He was close friends with Caligula who would later become the Roman Emperor. Caligula’s successor, Claudius, appointed Agrippa to be the king of Judea and Samaria. Agrippa liked to be popular so he often did what people liked. The Sanhedrin had always opposed the Christians so they must have convinced Agrippa to step up the pressure. He killed James, which the Jews applauded, so he also arrested Peter.
Peter was arrested during the Passover feast which included the weeklong feast of unleavened bread. Agrippa intended to keep Peter in jail for the week then bring him before the people for trial. Verse 6 tells us that Agrippa to execute Peter as he did with James.
The response of the Christians was to gather for prayer. This should always be our response. We gather to seek God’s direction and provision.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 12:1-5
While Barnabas and Saul were in Antioch, another persecution arose in Jerusalem. King Herod attacked some of the believers. He probably was doing the bidding of the Sanhedrin in order to increase his popularity with the Jews.
The Herod in this passage was Herod Agrippa I. He was the grandson of Herod the Great who was king during the birth of Jesus. Herod the Great had his son Aristobulus executed in 7 BC. Agrippa was about four years old then. After the murder of his father, he was sent off to Rome to grow up as a member of the imperial court. He was close friends with Caligula who would later become the Roman Emperor. Caligula’s successor, Claudius, appointed Agrippa to be the king of Judea and Samaria. Agrippa liked to be popular so he often did what people liked. The Sanhedrin had always opposed the Christians so they must have convinced Agrippa to step up the pressure. He killed James, which the Jews applauded, so he also arrested Peter.
Peter was arrested during the Passover feast which included the weeklong feast of unleavened bread. Agrippa intended to keep Peter in jail for the week then bring him before the people for trial. Verse 6 tells us that Agrippa to execute Peter as he did with James.
The response of the Christians was to gather for prayer. This should always be our response. We gather to seek God’s direction and provision.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Tuesday Acts 11:27-30
The Antioch church sends relief to Jerusalem.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 11:27-30
Saul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch for a year teaching the gospel. Toward the end of the year, some prophets came to Antioch and predicted a severe famine. Historians tell us that there were several famines in the Roman empire between 45 and 49 AD.
The church at Antioch collected money and sent it to the church in Jerusalem with Barnabas and Saul. Apparently, the church at Antioch was better of financially that the Christians in Jerusalem. For some time, the Jerusalem church had been supporting a large number of widows. People brought money from the sale of property to support the church. However, many Christians left in the persecution and the proceeds from property sales must have been dwindling. So the church of Antioch decided to help.
There was no command to send money back to Jerusalem, but they recognized their duty to support their brothers and sisters in Christ who needed help.
Notice in verse 30 that Luke refers to the leaders of the Jerusalem church as elders. Here we start to see a shift in the church leadership. Up to this point, the apostles were the leaders of the church. Now we see them adopting a similar model to the Jewish synagogues with elder leadership.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 11:27-30
Saul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch for a year teaching the gospel. Toward the end of the year, some prophets came to Antioch and predicted a severe famine. Historians tell us that there were several famines in the Roman empire between 45 and 49 AD.
The church at Antioch collected money and sent it to the church in Jerusalem with Barnabas and Saul. Apparently, the church at Antioch was better of financially that the Christians in Jerusalem. For some time, the Jerusalem church had been supporting a large number of widows. People brought money from the sale of property to support the church. However, many Christians left in the persecution and the proceeds from property sales must have been dwindling. So the church of Antioch decided to help.
There was no command to send money back to Jerusalem, but they recognized their duty to support their brothers and sisters in Christ who needed help.
Notice in verse 30 that Luke refers to the leaders of the Jerusalem church as elders. Here we start to see a shift in the church leadership. Up to this point, the apostles were the leaders of the church. Now we see them adopting a similar model to the Jewish synagogues with elder leadership.
Monday, January 5, 2009
Monday Acts 11:19-26
The gospel spreads in Antioch.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 11:19-26
Luke continues his account of the spread of the gospel. Some of the believers who had fled from Jerusalem because of the persecution went to Antioch. They shared the gospel with Gentiles rather than Jews only. Many Gentiles came to Christ in Antioch.
The apostles wanted to make sure that everything was proper so they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check things out. Why Barnabas? Why didn’t one of the apostles go? It may be that Antioch was too foreign for even the apostles. It was not in Judea or even Samaria. It was 300 miles north of Jerusalem. It was a Greek (Hellenist) culture. It was Gentile. Barnabas was the perfect choice. He was a respected Jew. He was trusted by the apostles and the whole church at Jerusalem. He was also a Hellenistic Jew. He was from Cyprus. Note that some of the men who were preaching the gospel in Antioch were also from Cyprus.
Barnabas went to Antioch and saw that the Lord was at work. The task was too big for him so he went to Tarsus to get Saul. Tarsus was about 100 miles west of Antioch and Barnabas knew that Saul had been called by God to reach the Gentiles. We don’t know what Saul had been doing in Tarsus for the last few years. He may have been preaching the gospel to Jews or he may have already been preaching to the Gentiles. But, Barnabas recruited Saul and brought him back to Antioch. They both stayed there for a year and taught the people about Christ.
Barnabas looked for opportunities to get other people engaged in the work of God. He saw a tremendous opportunity in Antioch and knew the right person to work with him. We always need to be on the lookout for opportunities for other to engage in the Lord’s work.
Many people want to serve but they don’t know what to do or how to go about it. As you get to know people, help them find areas of ministry.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 11:19-26
Luke continues his account of the spread of the gospel. Some of the believers who had fled from Jerusalem because of the persecution went to Antioch. They shared the gospel with Gentiles rather than Jews only. Many Gentiles came to Christ in Antioch.
The apostles wanted to make sure that everything was proper so they sent Barnabas to Antioch to check things out. Why Barnabas? Why didn’t one of the apostles go? It may be that Antioch was too foreign for even the apostles. It was not in Judea or even Samaria. It was 300 miles north of Jerusalem. It was a Greek (Hellenist) culture. It was Gentile. Barnabas was the perfect choice. He was a respected Jew. He was trusted by the apostles and the whole church at Jerusalem. He was also a Hellenistic Jew. He was from Cyprus. Note that some of the men who were preaching the gospel in Antioch were also from Cyprus.
Barnabas went to Antioch and saw that the Lord was at work. The task was too big for him so he went to Tarsus to get Saul. Tarsus was about 100 miles west of Antioch and Barnabas knew that Saul had been called by God to reach the Gentiles. We don’t know what Saul had been doing in Tarsus for the last few years. He may have been preaching the gospel to Jews or he may have already been preaching to the Gentiles. But, Barnabas recruited Saul and brought him back to Antioch. They both stayed there for a year and taught the people about Christ.
Barnabas looked for opportunities to get other people engaged in the work of God. He saw a tremendous opportunity in Antioch and knew the right person to work with him. We always need to be on the lookout for opportunities for other to engage in the Lord’s work.
Many people want to serve but they don’t know what to do or how to go about it. As you get to know people, help them find areas of ministry.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Sunday Acts 11:1-18
Peter returns to Jerusalem.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 11:1-18
Cornelius asked Peter to stay at Caesarea for a few days. Then Peter made his way back to Jerusalem. By the time he gets there, the word had already spread that Gentiles had come to faith in Christ.
Notice what the initial concern is with Peter. Some were wound up that Peter had gone to the house of a Gentile and ate with them. They confronted Peter with his unacceptable behavior.
Peter explained all that God had orchestrated and revealed. God had specifically shown Peter a vision explaining that Peter should not consider things to be unclean that God had declared clean. Then the Holy Spirit guided Peter to go with the men. When he got to Caesarea and heard what Cornelius had seen, he realized that the message from God was way more than just saying that it was OK to visit a Gentile. God wanted Gentiles to come into His family.
Peter’s big finish is that the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles just like He had come upon the apostles at Pentecost. The opposition was silenced. You can argue with somebody’s idea or even their dream, but you can’t argue with the event of Pentecost.
Then they glorified God saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life to even the Gentiles.” What do you do when God reveals His plan? You praise God for His plan.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 11:1-18
Cornelius asked Peter to stay at Caesarea for a few days. Then Peter made his way back to Jerusalem. By the time he gets there, the word had already spread that Gentiles had come to faith in Christ.
Notice what the initial concern is with Peter. Some were wound up that Peter had gone to the house of a Gentile and ate with them. They confronted Peter with his unacceptable behavior.
Peter explained all that God had orchestrated and revealed. God had specifically shown Peter a vision explaining that Peter should not consider things to be unclean that God had declared clean. Then the Holy Spirit guided Peter to go with the men. When he got to Caesarea and heard what Cornelius had seen, he realized that the message from God was way more than just saying that it was OK to visit a Gentile. God wanted Gentiles to come into His family.
Peter’s big finish is that the Holy Spirit came upon the Gentiles just like He had come upon the apostles at Pentecost. The opposition was silenced. You can argue with somebody’s idea or even their dream, but you can’t argue with the event of Pentecost.
Then they glorified God saying, “So God has granted repentance resulting in life to even the Gentiles.” What do you do when God reveals His plan? You praise God for His plan.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Saturday Acts 10:44-48
The Holy Spirit fills Cornelius and his family.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 10:44-48
God has been rocking Peter’s world. Sometimes it was hard for Peter to learn the lessons that God was teaching. But usually the lesson was learned and Peter’s faith grew. Peter went to Lydda and Joppa then Caesarea. He was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and ended up where God wanted him to be.
Up to this point, their understanding of the gospel was that it was the continuing story of God working with His people. God chose Abraham to be the father of a special group of people who would be the community of God’s people. Moses led these people to the land that God had promised to Abraham. Through God’s leadership and provision, they occupied the land and established the nation of Israel. God provided King David to unify the nation and establish roots in the land. God sent prophets to challenge the people when they strayed. He even allowed other nations to punish Israel when they strayed too far. But through it all, they understood that God would do more in the future. God would sent the Messiah to restore Israel as the Kingdom of God’s people. He would bring the people back to God.
The first Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He was the savior of individuals but also the nation of Israel. The Jews were still the community of God’s people, they just needed to follow Christ as the continuation of God’s plan for His people.
Samaritans coming to faith in Christ was a stretch, but their roots were the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God is certainly merciful in accepting Samaritans. Nobody saw this event with Cornelius coming. This is why God arranged for Peter to be there. Peter was the leader of the apostles. Now God proved that this was legitimate by replicating the events of Pentecost with Cornelius and his family.
The men who came with Peter from the church at Joppa were Jewish Christians. They witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit with Cornelius and were amazed. Peter’s response was to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. These Gentiles had been accepted by God, so they should be baptized.
We tend to put limits on God. We have to be open to His leading and allow Him to establish the limits.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 10:44-48
God has been rocking Peter’s world. Sometimes it was hard for Peter to learn the lessons that God was teaching. But usually the lesson was learned and Peter’s faith grew. Peter went to Lydda and Joppa then Caesarea. He was obedient to the leading of the Holy Spirit and ended up where God wanted him to be.
Up to this point, their understanding of the gospel was that it was the continuing story of God working with His people. God chose Abraham to be the father of a special group of people who would be the community of God’s people. Moses led these people to the land that God had promised to Abraham. Through God’s leadership and provision, they occupied the land and established the nation of Israel. God provided King David to unify the nation and establish roots in the land. God sent prophets to challenge the people when they strayed. He even allowed other nations to punish Israel when they strayed too far. But through it all, they understood that God would do more in the future. God would sent the Messiah to restore Israel as the Kingdom of God’s people. He would bring the people back to God.
The first Christians believed that Jesus was the Messiah. He was the savior of individuals but also the nation of Israel. The Jews were still the community of God’s people, they just needed to follow Christ as the continuation of God’s plan for His people.
Samaritans coming to faith in Christ was a stretch, but their roots were the Northern Kingdom of Israel. God is certainly merciful in accepting Samaritans. Nobody saw this event with Cornelius coming. This is why God arranged for Peter to be there. Peter was the leader of the apostles. Now God proved that this was legitimate by replicating the events of Pentecost with Cornelius and his family.
The men who came with Peter from the church at Joppa were Jewish Christians. They witnessed the power of the Holy Spirit with Cornelius and were amazed. Peter’s response was to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit. These Gentiles had been accepted by God, so they should be baptized.
We tend to put limits on God. We have to be open to His leading and allow Him to establish the limits.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Friday Acts 10:34-43
Peter shares the gospel with Cornelius.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 10:34-43
God has arranged things to get Peter to Caesarea to meet Cornelius and his family. The storyline of the book of Acts has been moving toward this moment. The book opened with the Acts version of the Great Commission (1:8). Jesus told the disciples that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
They understood this command in terms of geography. However, His command also includes types of people. They began in Jerusalem and the nearby areas of Judea. With the persecution, the gospel spread to the rest of Judea and into Samaria. The Ethiopian eunuch took the gospel to the ends of the earth to the south. Saul, in his time in Arabia, took the gospel to the ends of the earth to the east. North and West is still yet to happen.
The gospel has also been spreading to groups of people. Part of this spread has also included the concept of the unity of Christianity. The first hurdle was to ensure that Hellenistic Jewish Christians and Hebraic Jewish Christians could come together as the church. Then Samaritans were included in the fold. With the Ethiopian eunuch, half-proselytes to Judaism along with those who were unacceptable within Judaism because of physical problems were added to the church.
Now, Peter sees that God intends that all people can follow Christ. God sent an angel to Cornelius. He gave Peter a vivid vision and spoke to him by the Holy Spirit. He sent men from Caesarea to Joppa to take Peter to Cornelius. God has set the stage and Peter obeys in faith. Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius and his family.
Our view of the world is bigger than their view in the first century. To them, the ends of the earth were basically the edges of the Roman empire. Paul had a bigger view of things and wanted to go as far as he could. He talked about taking the gospel to Spain. We now see the world globally and see all of the people who need to hear the gospel.
The storyline of Acts is a missionary movement taking the gospel out to the world. Pray for our missionaries who are working all over the world.
The storyline of Acts is also about people reaching people. We all are part of the continuing story of the expansion of the Kingdom of God. God is still arranging circumstances and touching people to prepare them to hear the gospel. Your encounter with each person is part of God’s plan. Just hearing your story of how God is working in your life may be a link in God’s plan for another person.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 10:34-43
God has arranged things to get Peter to Caesarea to meet Cornelius and his family. The storyline of the book of Acts has been moving toward this moment. The book opened with the Acts version of the Great Commission (1:8). Jesus told the disciples that they would be His witnesses in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.
They understood this command in terms of geography. However, His command also includes types of people. They began in Jerusalem and the nearby areas of Judea. With the persecution, the gospel spread to the rest of Judea and into Samaria. The Ethiopian eunuch took the gospel to the ends of the earth to the south. Saul, in his time in Arabia, took the gospel to the ends of the earth to the east. North and West is still yet to happen.
The gospel has also been spreading to groups of people. Part of this spread has also included the concept of the unity of Christianity. The first hurdle was to ensure that Hellenistic Jewish Christians and Hebraic Jewish Christians could come together as the church. Then Samaritans were included in the fold. With the Ethiopian eunuch, half-proselytes to Judaism along with those who were unacceptable within Judaism because of physical problems were added to the church.
Now, Peter sees that God intends that all people can follow Christ. God sent an angel to Cornelius. He gave Peter a vivid vision and spoke to him by the Holy Spirit. He sent men from Caesarea to Joppa to take Peter to Cornelius. God has set the stage and Peter obeys in faith. Peter shared the gospel with Cornelius and his family.
Our view of the world is bigger than their view in the first century. To them, the ends of the earth were basically the edges of the Roman empire. Paul had a bigger view of things and wanted to go as far as he could. He talked about taking the gospel to Spain. We now see the world globally and see all of the people who need to hear the gospel.
The storyline of Acts is a missionary movement taking the gospel out to the world. Pray for our missionaries who are working all over the world.
The storyline of Acts is also about people reaching people. We all are part of the continuing story of the expansion of the Kingdom of God. God is still arranging circumstances and touching people to prepare them to hear the gospel. Your encounter with each person is part of God’s plan. Just hearing your story of how God is working in your life may be a link in God’s plan for another person.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Thursday Acts 10:17-33
Peter visits Cornelius.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 10:17-33
I love this passage. We think we have God figured out. Even in our deepest “Aha moment” God is way ahead of us waiting for us to catch up. Luckily for us, He leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow.
Peter has just had an amazing vision from God. He knows it was from God, but he is trying to figure out what it meant. He was hungry and the vision seemed to be about food. It would be easy to conclude that this lesson from God was limited to lifting the Jewish dietary restrictions.
Just as the men from Cornelius came to the house of Simon the tanner, the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter and told him to go with the men “without any doubts.” So, Peter went downstairs and told the men that he was the one that they were looking for. They told Peter why they were there and that he should go with them to Caesarea.
God’s message now makes sense to Peter (or so he thinks). It would be unthinkable for a Jew to go to the home of a Gentile and eat with them. But the lesson from God has shown him that it is OK for him to go to Cornelius’ house. The men spent the night at Simon’s house in Joppa and they set out for Caesarea in the morning.
When they get to Cornelius’ house, Cornelius gets a little overwhelmed and wants to worship Peter. I have to cut him a little slack. Just think about this from Cornelius’ perspective. An angel appeared to him and told him to send for Peter. The message that Peter would give him could not be given by the angel. So, from Cornelius’ mindset, Peter must be pretty important in God’s plan.
Peter told Cornelius to get up and then explains that he had received a new revelation from God that it was OK for him to be in Cornelius’ house. Just like I have to cut Cornelius some slack, I think we have to cut Peter some slack. The concept that Gentiles could become disciples of Christ probably never crossed his mind. When Philip took the gospel to the Samaritans, Peter went and investigated. But Gentiles? No way!
Peter thinks that the vision from God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit were just to get him go and talk to Cornelius. So, he says to Cornelius, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Cornelius explains the encounter with the angel. He tells Peter that he has assembled his family here to hear a message from God through Peter. Oh, to have been there with a video camera. This would be all over You-tube. I’ll bet that Peter’s head almost exploded. He thought that he got it before, but now he really gets it.
The message from God is not just that it is OK for Peter to go to the home of a Gentile, but that God says that it is OK for a Gentile to enter the Kingdom of God. See how God has orchestrated the events. He wants this to happen through Peter. Why Peter? He was the leader of the apostles. This must have God’s stamp of approval on it to be acceptable to the other Christians. God has brought Peter to this place geographically. He came to Lydda then Joppa then Caesarea. He has brought Peter to this frame of mind progressively. The gospel has gone to the Jews and the Samaritans and the half-proselytes. Now the gospel is going to the Gentiles. It is not just the ends of the earth geographically, but to all the people on the earth.
God is still orchestrating events. He brings people into our lives that He wants us to interact with. And He has already been working in their lives preparing them for an encounter. We have to be sensitive to other people and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Click here for an online Bible. Acts 10:17-33
I love this passage. We think we have God figured out. Even in our deepest “Aha moment” God is way ahead of us waiting for us to catch up. Luckily for us, He leaves a trail of breadcrumbs for us to follow.
Peter has just had an amazing vision from God. He knows it was from God, but he is trying to figure out what it meant. He was hungry and the vision seemed to be about food. It would be easy to conclude that this lesson from God was limited to lifting the Jewish dietary restrictions.
Just as the men from Cornelius came to the house of Simon the tanner, the Holy Spirit spoke to Peter and told him to go with the men “without any doubts.” So, Peter went downstairs and told the men that he was the one that they were looking for. They told Peter why they were there and that he should go with them to Caesarea.
God’s message now makes sense to Peter (or so he thinks). It would be unthinkable for a Jew to go to the home of a Gentile and eat with them. But the lesson from God has shown him that it is OK for him to go to Cornelius’ house. The men spent the night at Simon’s house in Joppa and they set out for Caesarea in the morning.
When they get to Cornelius’ house, Cornelius gets a little overwhelmed and wants to worship Peter. I have to cut him a little slack. Just think about this from Cornelius’ perspective. An angel appeared to him and told him to send for Peter. The message that Peter would give him could not be given by the angel. So, from Cornelius’ mindset, Peter must be pretty important in God’s plan.
Peter told Cornelius to get up and then explains that he had received a new revelation from God that it was OK for him to be in Cornelius’ house. Just like I have to cut Cornelius some slack, I think we have to cut Peter some slack. The concept that Gentiles could become disciples of Christ probably never crossed his mind. When Philip took the gospel to the Samaritans, Peter went and investigated. But Gentiles? No way!
Peter thinks that the vision from God and the prompting of the Holy Spirit were just to get him go and talk to Cornelius. So, he says to Cornelius, “Here I am. What do you want?”
Cornelius explains the encounter with the angel. He tells Peter that he has assembled his family here to hear a message from God through Peter. Oh, to have been there with a video camera. This would be all over You-tube. I’ll bet that Peter’s head almost exploded. He thought that he got it before, but now he really gets it.
The message from God is not just that it is OK for Peter to go to the home of a Gentile, but that God says that it is OK for a Gentile to enter the Kingdom of God. See how God has orchestrated the events. He wants this to happen through Peter. Why Peter? He was the leader of the apostles. This must have God’s stamp of approval on it to be acceptable to the other Christians. God has brought Peter to this place geographically. He came to Lydda then Joppa then Caesarea. He has brought Peter to this frame of mind progressively. The gospel has gone to the Jews and the Samaritans and the half-proselytes. Now the gospel is going to the Gentiles. It is not just the ends of the earth geographically, but to all the people on the earth.
God is still orchestrating events. He brings people into our lives that He wants us to interact with. And He has already been working in their lives preparing them for an encounter. We have to be sensitive to other people and the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
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