Sixth day of the sixth week after Easter. Read this week's lectionary readings here.
9 And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.
13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying; that is, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.
14 These all with one mind were continually devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.
I think they call this the proto-church. The church hadn't been founded, yet (that comes next week!) but these people kept the Lord's limited ten day mission: go to Jerusalem and wait. And they continually devoted themselves, through prayer.
I wonder what they prayed. Could it be that their prayers were inspired by the promise the Lord made in verses 4 and 5? (Wait for what the Father had promised, "Which," He said, "you heard of from Me; for John baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.") Could it be that they remembered lessons from the Lord like Luke 11:
11 "Now suppose one of you fathers is asked by his son for a fish; he will not give him a snake instead of a fish, will he?
12 "Or if he is asked for an egg, he will not give him a scorpion, will he?
13 "If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him?"
Also, this phrase "continually devoted themselves to prayer" reminds me so much of what the church in its fulness did when it was established ten days hence, in Acts 2:
42 And they were continually devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
Blessed is the man that doth meditate day and night in the Law of the Lord (check out today's Psalm).
Won't you join the Lord's people in continually devoting yourself to prayer? Pray the Psalms, pray what is on your heart, talk to the Lord. And join in devoting yourself to learning, living, and simply enjoying hearing the apostles' body of teaching (which comes from the Lord, and accepting the ones the Lord sent is mandatory for accepting the Lord Himself), and join the Lord's people in devoting yourself to sharing fellowship, and join the Lord's people in breaking bread (eating together and/or observing the Lord's Supper).
There's a big table here reaching around the world, and there's plenty of room. Come recline next to the Lord and eat and have a conversation with Him and His disciples.
Showing posts with label acts. Show all posts
Showing posts with label acts. Show all posts
Friday, May 18, 2012
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
All things working together for good
Third day of the fifth week after Easter. Read this week's lectionary readings here.
God moved heaven and earth to save Cornelius, and on the very eve of his salvation Cornelius still committed idolatry! Yet God forgave him even of this sin. Moreover, God was listening to Cornelius's prayers. Even in his sin, even in his unsaved state.
I don't know if God listens to the prayers of all of the unsaved, or just of those who are looking for salvation. I do know He is aware of everything that goes on in this world, and I do know that He wants everyone to be saved, according to I Timothy 2:4. And I know that He is working on each individual detail that happens in this world to bring about the good of those who love Him and who are called, according to Romans 8:28. He had arranged a lot for Cornelius: He had planted Israel centuries earlier, to hold up His light to the Gentiles. He had brought Rome into power, so that Cornelius would be stationed in Judea. He had sent Jesus and the apostles through the region, which according to Acts 10:37 Cornelius knew about.
And of course those are minimal compared to the real work which Jesus did for Cornelius's salvation in suffering and dying in agony on the cross.
And He had listened to Cornelius's prayers, watched his deeds of righteousness, seen his heart, and arranged to give him the desire of his heart: contact with Jesus, through the preaching of the Gospel and immersion into the atoning death of the Savior.
Those who do not believe God's Gospel often want to charge that the Gospel is one way among many, that other paths of faith are just as valuable, that God can and should and will send everybody to heaven.
But God didn't just forgive Cornelius upon his prayer alone, nor because of his religious life, nor in response to him being a good person. Cornelius could only be saved through the work of Jesus Christ. That work had to occur, and Cornelius had to hear about it, and he had to believe in it and accept it, and he had to become a part of it.
God moved heaven and earth to save Cornelius, and on the very eve of his salvation Cornelius still committed idolatry! Yet God forgave him even of this sin. Moreover, God was listening to Cornelius's prayers. Even in his sin, even in his unsaved state.
I don't know if God listens to the prayers of all of the unsaved, or just of those who are looking for salvation. I do know He is aware of everything that goes on in this world, and I do know that He wants everyone to be saved, according to I Timothy 2:4. And I know that He is working on each individual detail that happens in this world to bring about the good of those who love Him and who are called, according to Romans 8:28. He had arranged a lot for Cornelius: He had planted Israel centuries earlier, to hold up His light to the Gentiles. He had brought Rome into power, so that Cornelius would be stationed in Judea. He had sent Jesus and the apostles through the region, which according to Acts 10:37 Cornelius knew about.
And of course those are minimal compared to the real work which Jesus did for Cornelius's salvation in suffering and dying in agony on the cross.
And He had listened to Cornelius's prayers, watched his deeds of righteousness, seen his heart, and arranged to give him the desire of his heart: contact with Jesus, through the preaching of the Gospel and immersion into the atoning death of the Savior.
Those who do not believe God's Gospel often want to charge that the Gospel is one way among many, that other paths of faith are just as valuable, that God can and should and will send everybody to heaven.
But God didn't just forgive Cornelius upon his prayer alone, nor because of his religious life, nor in response to him being a good person. Cornelius could only be saved through the work of Jesus Christ. That work had to occur, and Cornelius had to hear about it, and he had to believe in it and accept it, and he had to become a part of it.
Sunday, May 6, 2012
Repentance unto life
Read this week's lectionary readings here.
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
How did the witnesses know the Holy Spirit had done this?
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.
What was striking about this, aside from the fact that it was obviously a miracle? What was amazing about it, to people who were regularly amazed by such deeds of the Holy Spirit?
45 the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles
What was the conclusion based on this act of the Holy Spirit?
46 Then Peter declared,
47 "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
Or, as those who later heard Peter retell the entire story concluded: "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18)
By the way, I encourage you to go through Acts 10 and 11 several times and read through it carefully. The entire story is retold several times from person to person. Each telling focuses on different details. All of them are important for a full understanding of what God is telling us in this story, but of course I would say that the main focus is the above: God has granted to Gentiles also the privilege of repenting from sin and receiving life in Jesus.
Thank God, because I am a Gentile.
44 While Peter was still saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word.
How did the witnesses know the Holy Spirit had done this?
46 For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God.
What was striking about this, aside from the fact that it was obviously a miracle? What was amazing about it, to people who were regularly amazed by such deeds of the Holy Spirit?
45 the believers from among the circumcised who had come with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out even on the Gentiles
What was the conclusion based on this act of the Holy Spirit?
46 Then Peter declared,
47 "Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?"
48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
Or, as those who later heard Peter retell the entire story concluded: "Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life" (Acts 11:18)
By the way, I encourage you to go through Acts 10 and 11 several times and read through it carefully. The entire story is retold several times from person to person. Each telling focuses on different details. All of them are important for a full understanding of what God is telling us in this story, but of course I would say that the main focus is the above: God has granted to Gentiles also the privilege of repenting from sin and receiving life in Jesus.
Thank God, because I am a Gentile.
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Preaching Jesus, accepting Jesus
Read this week's lectionary readings here.
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.
36 and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
Philip must've explained how Jesus was the one promised in that Scripture, the prophecy of Isaiah. He must've explained the Good News that Jesus was the one who had stood on trial for the sins of the world, been found guilty and executed, been raised to life as the Scriptures had promised, and who now offered salvation to all who called on His name. He must've explained that anyone who accepted Jesus would be saved from sin and death, and how to accept Jesus, and the eunuch was thinking about it, and wanted that. And then the opportunity presented itself, and the eunuch called.
And the Lord answered.
Praise His name.
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.
36 and the eunuch said, "See, here is water! What prevents me from being baptized?"
Philip must've explained how Jesus was the one promised in that Scripture, the prophecy of Isaiah. He must've explained the Good News that Jesus was the one who had stood on trial for the sins of the world, been found guilty and executed, been raised to life as the Scriptures had promised, and who now offered salvation to all who called on His name. He must've explained that anyone who accepted Jesus would be saved from sin and death, and how to accept Jesus, and the eunuch was thinking about it, and wanted that. And then the opportunity presented itself, and the eunuch called.
And the Lord answered.
Praise His name.
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