Acts - Week 9 / Thursday

Reading for today: Acts 18:1-17

Paul arrives in Corinth, which was a commercial center and a very prosperous city. It had been destroyed in 146 B.C. and was not rebuilt until Julius Caesar took an interest in it 100 years later. He made it a Roman colony, and it again became prosperous.

But it was also a center of idolatry and licentiousness. The Greeks even invented a new word to express extreme sexual immorality, "to Corinthianize." The Corinthians were encouraged in this immorality by their worship of the so-called goddess of love, Aphrodite.

At Corinth Paul met a husband and wife who were to become some of his most faithful friends and fellow laborers in the gospel. Aquila and Priscilla had recently come to Corinth from Italy. The fourth Roman Emperor, Claudius, had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul came to them and found in their home a place to live and to carry on his trade, for they also were tentmakers and had been able to establish their business in Corinth successfully.

When the Jews became abusive to Paul, he declared he was done with them, and would now go to the Gentiles of Corinth. But in the spring of 52 A.D., a new proconsul named Gallio was appointed by the Roman Senate to govern in the province of Achaia, or Greece.

Apparently the unbelieving Jews thought they could take advantage of the new governor's lack of knowledge of the situation. So they rose up against Paul and brought him to the governor's judgment seat. Incidentally, archaeologists have discovered this judgment seat built of blue and white marble.

Gallio had sense enough to realize that no crime was involved, so he drove them out of the tribunal. They seized Sosthenes, the new ruler of the synagogue, and struck him down before he could leave the tribunal. It would seem as though the evil he had intended for Paul had fallen on him!

However, this event must have had a deep effect on Sosthenes, because he obviously yielded to the truth of the gospel. In 1 Cor. 1:1 Sosthenes joins Paul in greeting the Corinthians. Though we cannot prove it for sure, this must be the same man. It would be unlikely that there would be another prominent Sosthenes who was well known to the Corinthian church.

Talk about the grace of God! The leader of the opposition, a man who must have blasphemed Paul and the gospel, became a brother in the Lord. Isn't it amazing how God works?

Tomorrow: Discipleship at its best!

Acts - Week 9 / Wednesday

Reading for today: Acts 17:16-34

Paul now finds himself in the city of Athens, which was famous for its Acropolis and all its temples. By this time in history, however, it had lost its former glory. It was no longer politically important. Its old leadership in culture and education had been taken over by Alexandria in Egypt. But Athens still nurtured the memory of its past.

Paul went to the synagogue, as was his custom, in order to reason with the Jews and God-fearing Gentiles. But he also went out into the marketplace every day, where he knew he would find men who were not versed in the Scriptures.

Since Athens was a culture that worshiped as many as 30,000 gods and goddesses in their mythology, most of the people were unaware of the "good news" of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul's ability to connect with these people is a classic example of relevant communication. His choice of words and examples is truly interesting to observe.

I wonder how relevant our communication as a church is to our world today. If we really listened to ourselves, would we hear ourselves using "insider language" that few people outside our circle understand? Or do we, like Paul, have the ability to understand who we are talking to, and are able to use language they comprehend, and illustrations and examples they can connect with?

Jesus was a master at this kind of relevant communication. He told stories and used examples that his hearers could immediately identify with. This is so important if we want people to hear the crux of what we have to share. Remember, the "good news" is only good news if it is understandable.

Yes, the Holy Spirit has to prepare the person's heart for them to receive the "good news," but somebody has to share that good news with them. That's where you and I fit in. We work, as a team, with the Holy Spirit. And I need to remind myself that I am not ultimately responsible for how many respond to the "good news." That is God's responsibility. My responsibility is to be faithful to share the gospel in ways that my hearers can understand. I gently plant the seed.

Tomorrow: Reaching Corinth---the center of idolatry and licentiousness

Acts - Week 9 / Tuesday

Reading for today: Acts 17:10-15

Because of the trouble in Thessalonica, the followers of Christ sent Paul and Silas to Berea, which was some 50 miles away. This city was off the main Egnatian Road they had been following, and the believers may have thought they would be safer there.

The Bereans did respond quite differently. Instead of reacting against Paul's messsage, they welcomed the Word with all kinds of eagerness, zeal, and enthusiasm. Even more importantly, they examined the Scriptures daily, searching it out like lawyers investigating a case, to see whether the things Paul was telling them were true.

Many of both the Jews and Gentiles believed. When the news traveled back to Thessalonica, the unbelieving Jews there came to Berea to cause trouble. Before they could do nay damage, the Berean Christians hurried Paul off in the direction of the Aegean Sea, while Silas and Timothy stayed behind to teach and encourage the believers in Berea.

The men accompanying Paul took him on to Athens, from where he sent them back with a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as quickly as possible.

The significant thing about these few verses is the Bereans' thirst for truth. They gave themselves fully to reading, studying, and searching the Word of God so that they would know what was truth. What an example for us to imitate! It is so vital for us to commit ourselves to regularly reading and learning from the Bible. It is such a healthy discipline for us to adopt into our lives, and it will pay wonderful benefits.

It is interesting to me that Paul never had to correct these believers, at least not from the volume of writing that we have from him. I can't help but think that this was true because they immersed themselves in the Word, and it helped them to live lives that were right in line with God's will. Wouldn't it be great if the same thing could be said about all the family here at CLF? What a powerful testimony that would be in our community!

Tomorrow: Athens---the home of 30,000 idols

Acts - Week 9 / Monday

Reading for today: Acts 17:1-9

This is now Paul's second missionary journey. He and Silas make the 100 mile trek along the Egnatian Road to the city of Thessalonica, the most important city of ancient Macedonia, and there they find a synagogue. As was Paul's custom, he went to the synagogue first. The Jews had a background in the Scriptures, so Paul would use that background as his platform for teaching.

As always, Paul talked about the Scriptures that pointed to the Messiah, and used them to clearly show that it was God's divine purpose for the Messiah to suffer and rise again from the dead, clearly pointing to Jesus in the process.

Some of the Jews were persuaded, but an even larger number of Gentiles believed, including some of the wives of the chief men of the city. Thus the Gentile converts far outnumbered the Jewish believers. Incidentally, the first letter to the Thessalonians gives a further description of the ministry of Paul and Silas at this time, especially chapter two.

Again, opposition arises alongside this great opportunity. I love the accusation that the unbelieving Jews bring against Paul and Silas. They said, "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here..." Even though the accusation was a large exaggeration, it nevertheless was a back-handed compliment about the influence and impact these two men were having in the area.

The authorities did not take the charges seriously, and they order Jason's release after securing from him some sort of agreement, probably to talk Paul and Silas into leaving town. The sooner they could get these guys out of town, the better! Although the gospel is a gospel of peace, it still can stir up a fair amount of discord between those who believe and those who don't.

Tomorrow: What's the best way to stay on course?

Week 8/Friday

Reading for Today: Acts 16:16-40

After their first missionary journey experiences, Paul and his companions seem fearless when it comes to opposition. Their experiences of seeing God act on their behalf for the sake of the Gospel help them to see beyond their present circumstances and focus on following Christ.

This time they were "severely flogged and thrown into prison" (16:23). The Roman law concerning punishment depended on the judge and often was overly cruel, especially when administered to aliens. They didn't realize Paul was indeed a Roman citizen, to which he would appeal to later. Suffice it to say, the beating wasn't pretty!

Paul and Silas had no inkling of what God was going to do in this situation. For all they knew, this could be the end. So, their response represented genuine faith and total trust that God would never leave them. I wonder what they were singing? I wonder what I would have sung? Probably something like the old "Hee Haw" song that began like this: "Doom, despair, and agony on me. Deep dark depression, excessive misery. If I had no bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

Anyway, "the other prisoners were listening to them as they were singing hymns to God."(verse 25) It is in this context that God miraculously moved in their situation. Long story short, the jailer and all his household, and I would think many of the prisoners, were saved that night to the glory of God!

I wonder what the "prisoners" around ME see? Do I demonstrate a rock solid faith in God no matter what? Often I have lived my life hoping that God would help me avoid pain, not realizing that it is the pain in my life that has strengthened my faith the most and brought the most glory to God.

Pain will always be the common human experience in this fallen world. In the midst of our pain, let us focus on the One who promises us an eternal home where "He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Revelation 21:4)

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 8/Wednesday

Reading for today: Acts 16:1-15

Paul and Silas, along with Timothy, continued to revisit the churches started on the first missionary journey. They delivered the letter from the Jerusalem Council and “the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.” Healthy churches are growing churches.

 

If you look at the map of Paul’s second missionary journey, it made good sense to continue evangelizing the Asian peninsula. Paul had a logical plan, but God had a divine plan – a different plan. Often logical plans and divine plans coincide, but not in this case. We must always be open to the possibility of God leading us “outside the box” of our logic.

 

The Scripture says that “they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not allow them to” (16:7). I wish we had more information but suffice it to say that Paul and his friends were listening to the Spirit. The Spirit said “No” but didn’t give them an alternative plan, so they headed to the nearest port city of Troas. It was at Troas that “Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us’” (16:9).

 

Notice that Paul and his friends didn’t just stand still and do nothing after getting a closed door to Bithynia. They kept moving and headed in the next logical direction. The key to following God is to first of all stop going in the direction we definitely know NOT to go. We don’t have to know the next step. In fact, we often don’t know what God wants us to do until we stop doing what we know He doesn’t want us to do. I remember when I knew God was leading me out of teaching at Nekoosa High School. It didn’t make sense to give up all that security and step into the “unknown” but I’m so glad I did. There is nothing as exciting and rewarding as following God’s leading.

 

Perhaps you find yourself stuck. You KNOW God wants you to stop what you are doing and go another direction but you are afraid to let go of the security of your own plans. I urge you, LET GO AND LET GOD control your decisions. You’ll never be disappointed and you will never have to say, “If only I had followed God’s voice.”

 

Paul’s obedience led him to open the first missionary work in what we know today as Europe. Most of the Epistles in the Scriptures are written to these churches.

 

Join me tomorrow as we talk about Paul’s and Silas’ prison ministry (Acts 16:16-40).

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 8/Tuesday

Reading for today: Acts 15:19-35

Evidently the Antioch church was doing fine until the Judaizers came and stirred up the Jews in the congregation with the idea of requiring the Gentiles to conform to the Jewish laws and traditions. After settling the issue of not requiring conformity for salvation, it was decided to suggest compromise when it came to fellowship. The Jewish traditions would have been familiar to the Gentiles anyway since “Moses had been preached in every city from the earliest times and is read in the synagogues on every Sabbath.” (v.21).

The Gentiles in the congregation were being asked to abstain from certain things that were particularly offensive to the Jews for the sake of harmony. In Romans chapters 14-15 Paul asked the more “mature” believers to make allowances for the “weaker” brothers. Thus, it seems that the Jews were considered the “weaker” brothers in this situation.

One sign of Christian maturity is the willingness to refrain from activities that would cause misunderstanding and cause unnecessary arguments in the body of believers. Paul admonishes the Corinthian church to “Be careful that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak… When you sin against your brother in this way and wound their weak conscience, you sin against Christ.” (1 Cor. 8:9, 12)

Let’s ask God to reveal any of our actions that may be causing problems in our relationships. Take the first step to resolution by asking God for a greater measure of love. He will do it!

Tomorrow I would like to consider discerning "closed and open doors" in the context of Paul's vision of the "Man of Macedonia."

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 8/Monday

Reading for today: Acts 15:1-19

Paul and Barnabas came back from their first missionary journey all "pumped up" about the amazing things God had done. They didn't dwell on the "persecution" along the way because it was insignificant compared to what God had done, especially among the Gentiles (14:27).

Not long after they returned a group of "Judaizers" came from Judea to straighten out the church at Antioch with a doctrine of faith + circumcision in order for the Gentiles to be saved. Paul and Barnabas were having no part of this heresy. They knew from experience that cultural traditions and the requirement of circumcision were only symbols and had no power to save. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law to perfection when he came as "messiah" not only to the Jews but to the whole world. The Jews had the privilege of God speaking to the world through them, but they had to be saved like everyone else, by grace through saving faith alone!

If we are honest with ourselves, we know there is not enough goodness in any of us to merit a clean slate before a holy God. But sometimes we trick ourselves into thinking we are not so bad, especially when we compare ourselves to those around us. The worst thing we could do is judge our merits by looking at each other. The result of that exercise is that we all "sink together" to the lowest common denominator of spirituality.

The only true measure of our spirituality is God's word as applied to our hearts by the Holy Spirit. The Bible says we all come up short. So we are back to the fact that we are hopelessly lost without saving faith in Jesus Christ.

The Judaizers were still relying on faith + circumcision and I'm sure included in their theology of salvation were many other cultural traditions. Are you relying on Christian traditions for your sense of security in salvation? It is not enough to do Christian activities. One must have the power of the Holy Spirit actively convicting and convincing us that we are His children.

Acts 15:8 says, "God, who knows the heart, showed that he accepted them (Gentiles) by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as he did to us (Jews). He made no distinction between us and them, for he purified their hearts by faith." God knows our hearts as well. Let's all search our hearts honestly before God today and renew our affirmation of saving faith in Christ alone for our salvation.

Tomorrow I would like to talk about the requirements for "fellowship." Have a great day!

Jim Mathias

Acts - Week 7 / Friday

Reading for today: Acts 14:21-28

These verses wrap up the first missionary journey taken by Paul and Silas. You can see on the map of their journey that they retraced their steps when they got to Derbe. That in itself was pretty remarkable because they had been treated pretty roughly in some of those places.

But they went back to check on the status of the churches they had started when they came through initially. They basically did three things in each city: They strengthened the believers in these new churches and encouraged them to remain in the faith; not trying to gloss over anything, they warned the believers that hardships would come in this walk with Christ; and then, after praying and fasting, they appointed elders (leaders) in each church.

The appointing of elders was important because these new churches all needed some organization in order to be able to work together and carry on the work of the Lord. Paul and Barnabas wanted these churches to succeed, so they helped them get organized for continuing success.

It has been proven again and again that the best method of evangelism is the starting of new churches. That was true in Paul and Barnabas' day, and it still holds true today. That's why the new site that we have started at Grove Elementary School in Wisconsin Rapids is so exciting. It has the potential to be one more effective means for us to reach our community for Christ. But just as Paul and Barnabas prayed and fasted for the success of each new church that was established, it is important that we follow their example and pray and fast for the success of this endeavor. God has opened a wonderful door of opportunity for us in Rapids. Let's make the most of it!

(The blog will resume on Monday with Jim Mathias doing the writing for Week 8)

Acts - Week 7 / Thursday

Reading for today: Acts 14:1-20

Opportunity and opposition---we see it again and again in this passage. When Paul and Barnabas fled to Lystra and Derbe to escape the planned stoning in Iconium, they had a really interesting experience.

Paul saw a man who had been lame from birth, and discerned that he had faith to be healed. So he told the man to stand up, the man did, and was miraculously healed. This miracle made these pagan Gentiles believe that the Greek gods had come down, and so they proceeded to prepare to offer sacrifices to Paul and Barnabas.

When Paul and Barnabas finally figured out what was going on, they ran out into the crowd attempting to convince them of the wrongness of what they wanted to do. The message Paul and Barnabas try to convey was quite different from the message they normally spoke to a Jewish crowd. They realized they had to use pictures and language that this crowd would understand. Today, we would talk about being relevant. That's an important thing to remember when we are trying to connect with people.

Use language and terminology that they will understand. If somebody does not have a churched background, don't try to talk to them in "church jargon." Whether we like to admit it or not, we tend to have a language of our own, and quite frankly, it doesn't connect very well with someone who has not grown up in the church.

The greatest thing you have to share is your own story of salvation. Learn to tell it in language that will quickly connect with your hearer. I'm not talking about watering down the gospel. I would make a plea for making the gospel understandable---whomever your listener may be.

Tomorrow: The first missionary journey comes to a conclusion

Acts - Week 7 / Wednesday

Reading for today: Acts 13:42-52

First of all, my apologies for this being so late in the day. I started early this morning with a tight schedule, and plumb forgot about writing the blog.

There was a good response to Paul's message on that first Sabbath in Antioch of Pisidia, with many people deciding to follow Christ. By the next Sabbath, nearly the whole town is gathered to hear God's Word.

The sight of the crowd filled the Jews with jealousy, and they began to speak against what Paul said. The implication is that they were afraid of losing their influence over those Gentiles who had been looking to them for teaching. It may also imply that they had a zeal for a Judaism that had no room for blessing on Gentiles who did not first become Jews.

But Paul and Barnabas are not frightened by this attack. They boldly declare that they intentionally had come to the Jews first with this message,, but since the Jews were rejecting their message, Paul and Barnabas would now go to the Gentiles.

Needless to say, this delighted the Gentiles, and many of them chose to follow Christ. Consequently, the Word of God spread through the whole region.

But, as usual, opposition soon arose in the form of persecution against Paul and Barnabas. As a result, they were expelled from the region. But what interests me is their response to this opposition. You don't find them complaining, or moaning about being picked on, or whining, "Why me?"

It says they were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. Is it possible that the two are connected?

How do you find yourself responding when you are faced with some opposition because of your faith in Jesus Christ? Honestly, I find myself saying, "Why me?" far too often. I'm going to work on that one.

Tomorrow: The fickleness of the crowd!

Acts - Week 7 / Tuesday

Reading for today: Acts 13:13-41

Verse 13 gives us an interesting bit of information that will resurface in a couple of chapters. It says that John Mark left them to return to Jerusalem. This departure evidently came at a crucial time, and Paul saw it as an almost inexcusable failure on the part of John Mark. In fact, this event became a point of contention between Paul and Barnabas, as we will see later.

When Paul and Barnabas arrive in Antioch of Pisidia, the first place of ministry for them is, as usual, the synagogue. When they are invited to speak, Paul begins what is his longest recorded sermon.

The first part of the sermon, verses 17-25, reviews the history of Israel, starting from God's choice of Israel and the deliverance from Egypt and leading up to God's choice of David. All of this was very familiar to his audience and showed them Paul knew the Scriptures.

The second part of the sermon, verses 26-37, deals with the death and resurrection of Jesus and with the witness of the apostles. In vs.26 Paul emphasizes that this message of salvation was sent out to them personally, both to the Jews and the Gentiles.

Paul ends his sermon in verses 38-41 by exhorting them to accept Jesus as the Messiah. Verse 39 is the key verse to his sermon: justification comes through faith in Christ, not in holding on to the Law.

The message obviously connected with those who were hearing it, causing many to decide to accept Christ as their Messiah. It is always interesting to me how God takes a spoken message and uses it to penetrate the heart of someone who is listening. God's Word is powerful! It has the ability to ignite even the hardest heart. Maybe you have been impacted by a spoken message. If so, it would be interesting to hear about it.

Tomorrow: Opportunity and Opposition

Acts - Week 7 / Monday

Reading for today: Acts 13:1-12

This passage is a pivotal point in the spread of the gospel. Up to this point, the gospel has been spread from Jerusalem as a result of the persecution that was taking place against the followers of Christ and causing them to scatter away from Jerusalem. But in these verses we encounter the first of those who gave themselves specifically to the work of going to new places for the express purpose of sharing the "good news" and organizing new churches. In fact, these verses describe for us the beginning of the first missionary journey.

Barnabas and Saul (Paul) are selected by the Holy Spirit to be the first missionaries of this new church. It's interesting to me that the church heard this directive from the Holy Spirit during a time of worshiping, prayer and fasting. That meant that they had to quiet themselves before God so that they were in a place that they could hear and respond to the voice of the Holy Spirit.

I wonder if that is why I don't hear the Holy Spirit's voice more often. Could it be that I am too busy, too preoccupied, too intent on doing my own thing to hear His voice? I know it is possible to get so wrapped up in the busyness of life that the Holy Spirit would have to hit me over the head with a 2X4 in order to get my attention. But the Holy Spirit will so rarely ever would do that in any of our lives. So the key is to carve out some quiet times with God so that we can hear His voice, and receive the direction and guidance that we need.

In your experience, what have you found works for you to carve out those times of worship, devotion and prayer? What trade-offs have you made so that you can experience those important times of communion with the Spirit of God?

Tomorrow: Keeping the message relevant

Acts - Week 6 / Friday

"Help is on the Way"

Through the Spirit the prophet Ababus predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. This caused the disciples to provide help for the believers who lived in this region.

The scriptures says, "The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help." God uses us to meet the needs that other have. That has always been His plan.

Tithing a minimum of 10% to the local church is an act of discipline and obedience that reminds us each time we give that God is our supplier. He provided the ability to earn the current income and He is able to make 90% go further than 100% every day of the week. Tithing is an outward action of our dependence on God.

Giving to others is an act of love for God. God set an equal, minimum standard for tithing. In giving above the tithe, we give according to our current ability. God again levels the playing field and says, give what you can.

Several years ago during a weekend service, God spoke to me that I was give all the money in my wallet to a particular person. I opened my wallet and found $13 and some change. I spent a good portion of the morning talking with God about what He had asked. "What good will $13 do anyone?" "I am embarrassed that is so small an amount" "I had plans for that $13."

I chose to obey and handed someone 2-five's, 3-one's and a lot of change. I gave according to my ability at the time and that is what God asked of me.

God is a giving God, it is His nature. He asks us to be givers like He is.

Let's decide to give and then watch what God is able to do in and through us for others.

This blog will resume on Monday, July 14, 2008

Acts - Week 6 / Thursday

Today's Reading: Acts 11:25-26

"Who Looked for You?"

Barnabas remained in Antioch for a time to help the new church, but soon realized his need for additional assistance. So he traveled to the town of Tarsus to look for Saul and persuaded him to return with him to Antioch. For a year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.

Barnabas continued his work of encouragement. Needing help, he sought out Saul, still an relatively new believer with no real ministry experience.

Can't you see Barnabas as he works side by side with Saul? He shows him what to do, shares his own knowledge, watches as Saul does some teaching and offers encouragement and correction along the way. For a year, Barnabas influences and invests into the man who would write most of the New Testament and travel the world to spread the gospel. Their ministry to this church in Antioch was so effective that it was here that the believers were first called "Christians", Christ followers.

Who looked for you? Who spoke into your life and encouraged you to grow? What influence did they have in who you are today?

If you take a moment to ponder your answer, you will find that God has used various people along the way to encourage you.

Who are you "looking" for? Who has God placed in your path to help grow and nurture? Who are you influencing?

Barnabas went "looking" for Saul. About 10 years later this same Saul, now the Apostle Paul wrote these words to the Corinthians.

1 Corinthians 11:1 "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ."

That would be a great statement for each of us to say.

Tomorrow: "Help is on the Way"

Acts - Week 6 / Wednesday

Today's Reading: Acts 11:19-24

"A Man you Want as your Friend"

The news about salvation continued to be told by the believers. As a result, great numbers of people believed creating new churches throughout the region. The leaders in Jerusalem sent Barnabas to Antioch to see what was happening and what they needed.

We've met Barnabas before, his name means "Son of Encouragement" and he was one of the first to extend fellowship to Saul. Now we find Barnabas sent to "check out" the new believers.

Things that are newly created often take time to perfect. Inexperience or lack of understanding are part of anything new. For instance, it has taken me three days of writing this blog to realize that the "Title" space was to be the week and date of the blog, not my clever "Title" for that days thought. I would go back and change the titles, but I can't remember how to edit the blog!!

New things need guidance and encouragement. Barnabas arrived in Antioch, observed what was going on, was glad at what he saw and encouraged them.

Would the people in your home or at work describe you as glad or possessing joy? Do you guide and encourage those around you or do you only see what needs to be improved without offering praise?

Some of you have an encouraging nature, like Barnabas, this is what you do. Keep on believing the best of others because someone needs your words of encouragement today. Others of you struggle to encourage anyone including yourself. Remember, no one or no situation is perfect. However, more improvement and growth is done through encouragement than through criticism.

Proverbs 17:22 "A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

As we go through our day let's be good medicine to those around us rather than spirit crushers.

Tomorrow: Who looked for you?

"A Great Way to Handle a Dispute" (one that actually works!!!!)

Today's Reading: Acts 11:1-18


In today's reading we find that Peter faces criticism from the believers in Jerusalem because he went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them, which violated Jewish law. In Chapter 10, God specifically told Peter to go to the home of Cornelius, who was a Gentile, and he was to share the good news of Jesus salvation. When he did this, all who heard the message believed and were baptized with the Holy Spirit. Thus paving the way for all Gentiles to hear and receive salvation.


The believers in Jerusalem were not privy to God's call to Peter and they criticized him for his actions.


So here we have Christians in a dispute. Lets see what we can take away from their experience.


1. Try to find out all of the facts before confronting someone
vs 1-3

The leaders in Jerusalem criticised Peter because they did not have all of the facts about the situation. They could have asked Peter privately to relate the story of what had happened rather than confronting him openly in a critical fashion.


2. Respond in a non-defensive, grace filled manor. vs 4-17

When confronted by his fellow believers, Peter could have become defensive.

"You weren't there, how do you know what went on?"
"What right do you have to question me?"
"When was the last time YOU saw a vision?"


Such defensive responses may roll off our tongue, but they do nothing to end a dispute, they only serve inflame the disagreement.

Peter was gracious in his response, he was precise and detailed in telling them what had happened.

3. Unity is the Ultimate "WIN" vs 18

After hearing Peter's story, the believers accepted what was said, made no further objections, and praised God for what He was doing in the Gentiles. We don't see either "side" trying to "win" their argument or holding a grudge. Rather they moved on to the bigger picture of leading the growing church in Jerusalem.

When faced with uncertain facts or opposition from those we are close too, let's follow the example of the early church and seek to understand.

Tomorrow: A Man you Want as your Friend.

Tell Us Your Story!

Reading assignment: Acts 12 (A very exciting chapter!)

Hello CLF Bloggers!

Now that I have a Google Blogger Account I am ready to dialogue and hope to hear from YOU!

This past weekend, July 5-6, we looked at Acts 12 where we found Peter in prison and the early church meeting together for prayer. You can see from the reading that Peter's situation was desperate and the church family chose to pray.

We could look at other scripture that talk about prayer or tell other Bible stories that illustrate God's faithfulness in hearing us, but I would like to hear from you.

What story from your life comes to mind when we talk about answered prayer?

• Did God move in a miraculous way to meet a need in your life?
• Did He, slowly, over time change you and release you from the bondage of sin?
• How has He drawn family and friends into a relationship with Himself?

Would you send a response? The beauty of a Blog is that is provides opportunity for others to read what you have written and your testimony may be the encouragement that someone else needs today!

Do you have a need that you would like the staff to pray for? Each Wednesday, in our staff meeting we pray for your needs. We would love to stand with you in prayer that God will move on your behalf. You can either respond in this blog, allowing others to read and pray with you, or you can respond to pastorjulie@clfonline.org.

Tomorrow we will begin to look at Acts 11 "A Great Way to Handle a Dispute" (one that actually works!!!!)