Today's Devotion -- Acts 21:10-14
Context: Paul and his traveling buddies left Ephesus and spent several days sailing to Ptolemais, where they are staying in a Christian household with Philip, one of the seven men chosen in the early days of the church for his strong convictions and servants heart.
Text:
10After we had been there a number of days, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11Coming over to us, he took Paul's belt, tied his own hands and feet with it and said, "The Holy Spirit says, 'In this way the Jews of Jerusalem will bind the owner of this belt and will hand him over to the Gentiles.' "
12When we heard this, we and the people there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13Then Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14When he would not be dissuaded, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done." (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Have you ever wished God would give you a glimpse of the future? That he would show you the outcomes of your decisions and let you know the results of your efforts to serve him?
I think we want to peek through the pearly gates of Heaven to see what eternity holds in store, but I often wish God would just send me a post card telling me what choices to make...or at least the outcome of each option so I know what I'm up against.
Paul frequently shares that he was given several premonitions about his future -- that it would involve "prison and hardships". But imagine how he must have felt when a total stranger walked up to him, grabbed his belt (I'm presuming he didn't remove it from Paul's robe, but we don't really know), and ties himself up while prophesying that this will be Paul's future.
Hearing this, the people surrounding Paul try to talk him out of finishing his trip to Jerusalem. As if avoiding that city would save Paul from his destiny! The reaction of the people 'broke his heart', but Paul responded bravely that he was ready to be tied, even die, for Christ.
With such a graphic view of his future, I imagine whenever Paul was confronted by a centurion or soldier he wondered if this would be the time he would be tied up like Agabus prophesied. Did he picture his reaction to this event? Did he worry about what might happen next, and if he would be strong enough to pray his way through it?
If your future holds something painful or scary, would you want to know?
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Acts -- Saying Goodbye
Today's Devotion -- Acts 20:25-35
Context: Paul is taking what will be his final journey through Macedonia and Greece before he heads to Jerusalem. He is in Ephesus, and he is talking to the elders of the church. He knows that the Spirit is compelling him to go to Jerusalem, and has warned him that he will face prison and hardships. He wants to be sure to finish the life task Jesus has given him.
Text:
25"Now I know that none of you among whom I have gone about preaching the
kingdom will ever see me again. 26Therefore, I declare to you today that I
am
innocent of the blood of all men. 27For I have not hesitated to proclaim
to you
the whole will of God. 28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock
of which
the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church
of God, which
he bought with his own blood. 29I know that after I leave,
savage wolves will
come in among you and will not spare the flock. 30Even
from your own number men
will arise and distort the truth in order to draw
away disciples after them.
31So be on your guard! Remember that for three
years I never stopped warning
each of you night and day with tears.
32"Now I commit you to God and
to the word of his grace, which can
build you up and give you an inheritance
among all those who are sanctified.
33I have not coveted anyone's silver or gold
or clothing. 34You yourselves
know that these hands of mine have supplied my own
needs and the needs of my
companions. 35In everything I did, I showed you that
by this kind of hard
work we must help the weak, remembering the words the Lord
Jesus himself
said: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.' " (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Have you ever had to say goodbye to someone you knew you would never see again? What words of wisdom or advice did you share with them? Are there any things you wish you had said?
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Acts -- Receiving Glory Intended for God
Today's devotion compares two texts from Acts:
Acts 12:21-23
21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. (NIV)
Acts 14:11-15
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
The first story takes place in Cesarea, where Herod was staying for a while. The second story occurs in the city of Iconium, about 550 miles away. We don't know the timeline between the two events, but it is pretty safe to say that Paul was not present when Herod died. He was most likely on the island of Cyprus, so we don't know if he even heard of the event.
We don't know the topic of Herod's speech, but it was apparently planned and eagerly awaited by the people. On 'the appointed day' Herod wore his royal robes and sat on his throne to give his public address. He was speaking to people from Tye and Sidon, who had previously been fighting but were now seeking peace so they could receive food from Herod's country. Herod was well aware of their backgrounds, since they had been working with his trusted personal servant, Blastus, to arrange for Herod's visit.
As people will often do, they heaped praises upon Herod for the encouraging words he spoke. He may have announced a new program to deliver even more food to these people than before. They fed his ego by saying that he was more than a mere man, he was a God. And Herod ate it up, accepting their accolades.
By this point, God was pretty fed up with Herod and he had an angel strike him down. We learn that he was first eaten by worms, then he died. Sounds like a pretty awful way to go, doesn't it?
On the other hand, when the people of Iconium proclaimed Paul and Barnabas to be gods, they tore their clothes, extremely frustrated that the people had completely missed the point of their message. Even with convincing speeches, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from making sacrifices to them. The story continues with some Jews coming in and winning the crowd over. They go from wanting to worship Paul as a god to stoning him, leaving him for dead! I'm sure this experience wasn't much more pleasant than being eaten by worms...
But the disciples gathered around them, helped them up, and they continued on their missionary journey. Not much later, they returned to Iconium strengthening the disciples and winning more to Christ. They said, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."
So what is the point of these two stories? Why did we hear graphic details of Herod's death? Why didn't God reward Paul for clearly showing the people that he was only a man, not a god? Instead he allowed him to suffer through a stoning. Think about that today, and think about how you respond when someone gives you glory for something that should reflect God's efforts more than yours.
Acts 12:21-23
21On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. (NIV)
Acts 14:11-15
11When the crowd saw what Paul had done, they shouted in the Lycaonian language, "The gods have come down to us in human form!" 12Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes because he was the chief speaker. 13The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and wreaths to the city gates because he and the crowd wanted to offer sacrifices to them.
14But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of this, they tore their clothes and rushed out into the crowd, shouting: 15"Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
The first story takes place in Cesarea, where Herod was staying for a while. The second story occurs in the city of Iconium, about 550 miles away. We don't know the timeline between the two events, but it is pretty safe to say that Paul was not present when Herod died. He was most likely on the island of Cyprus, so we don't know if he even heard of the event.
We don't know the topic of Herod's speech, but it was apparently planned and eagerly awaited by the people. On 'the appointed day' Herod wore his royal robes and sat on his throne to give his public address. He was speaking to people from Tye and Sidon, who had previously been fighting but were now seeking peace so they could receive food from Herod's country. Herod was well aware of their backgrounds, since they had been working with his trusted personal servant, Blastus, to arrange for Herod's visit.
As people will often do, they heaped praises upon Herod for the encouraging words he spoke. He may have announced a new program to deliver even more food to these people than before. They fed his ego by saying that he was more than a mere man, he was a God. And Herod ate it up, accepting their accolades.
By this point, God was pretty fed up with Herod and he had an angel strike him down. We learn that he was first eaten by worms, then he died. Sounds like a pretty awful way to go, doesn't it?
On the other hand, when the people of Iconium proclaimed Paul and Barnabas to be gods, they tore their clothes, extremely frustrated that the people had completely missed the point of their message. Even with convincing speeches, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from making sacrifices to them. The story continues with some Jews coming in and winning the crowd over. They go from wanting to worship Paul as a god to stoning him, leaving him for dead! I'm sure this experience wasn't much more pleasant than being eaten by worms...
But the disciples gathered around them, helped them up, and they continued on their missionary journey. Not much later, they returned to Iconium strengthening the disciples and winning more to Christ. They said, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God."
So what is the point of these two stories? Why did we hear graphic details of Herod's death? Why didn't God reward Paul for clearly showing the people that he was only a man, not a god? Instead he allowed him to suffer through a stoning. Think about that today, and think about how you respond when someone gives you glory for something that should reflect God's efforts more than yours.
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Acts - Radical Change
Today's Devotion -- Acts 10:10-16
9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."
16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
There are several times when God asks people to do things that are totally against everything they had previously believed: Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, Isaac; a young shepherd boy was told he would become king; a teenage girl was told she would bear a son although she was a virgin; and the Jewish community was told that their long awaited savior was a baby in a manger.
For hundreds of years, the laws that God himself decreed had been followed (more or less). In Leviticus 11, God clearly tells his people which animals are to be eaten and which are unclean. If you touch a pig, for example, you are unclean until evening and you must wash your clothes. If pork touched a cooking pot, the pot must be broken and discarded. These laws about eating were so ingrained in the lives of the Jews that they are still followed by the devout today.
But now Peter is told that he should not call anything that the Lord has made pure 'unclean'. Did he think this was a test? I'm sure it crossed his mind that he had been so hungry that he imagined it. If he followed the directions by eating some sausage, surely he would be struck down in a magnificent display of God's fireworks.
God knew Peter would have some doubts. After all, this was a radical change in the rules. So he immediately sent Gentiles to help verify (and expand upon) the lesson. The same will happen today. If you believe God is telling you to do something that is a radical change to the life you've been living, he will provide additional evidence of his message. It's hard to tell the difference between 'wild hair' ideas we have and assignments from God's will that will stretch our lives and spirits. His word, his people, circumstances, and prayer will usually verify the direction you are to go if the message is truly from him.
What is he telling you to do today?
9About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."
14"Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."
15The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."
16This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
There are several times when God asks people to do things that are totally against everything they had previously believed: Abraham was told to sacrifice his son, Isaac; a young shepherd boy was told he would become king; a teenage girl was told she would bear a son although she was a virgin; and the Jewish community was told that their long awaited savior was a baby in a manger.
For hundreds of years, the laws that God himself decreed had been followed (more or less). In Leviticus 11, God clearly tells his people which animals are to be eaten and which are unclean. If you touch a pig, for example, you are unclean until evening and you must wash your clothes. If pork touched a cooking pot, the pot must be broken and discarded. These laws about eating were so ingrained in the lives of the Jews that they are still followed by the devout today.
But now Peter is told that he should not call anything that the Lord has made pure 'unclean'. Did he think this was a test? I'm sure it crossed his mind that he had been so hungry that he imagined it. If he followed the directions by eating some sausage, surely he would be struck down in a magnificent display of God's fireworks.
God knew Peter would have some doubts. After all, this was a radical change in the rules. So he immediately sent Gentiles to help verify (and expand upon) the lesson. The same will happen today. If you believe God is telling you to do something that is a radical change to the life you've been living, he will provide additional evidence of his message. It's hard to tell the difference between 'wild hair' ideas we have and assignments from God's will that will stretch our lives and spirits. His word, his people, circumstances, and prayer will usually verify the direction you are to go if the message is truly from him.
What is he telling you to do today?
Monday, August 11, 2008
Acts -- Waiting
If you missed class yesterday, you missed a great chance to learn more about the others in the class and an opportunity to reflect deeply upon how God is actively working in your life. Go to the class website, www.faithbuildersclass.org, to look at the handout and answer the questions for your life.
We have another week to read Acts. Please finish what you weren't able to read last week. I won't provide daily reading assignments this week.
Today's Devotion - Acts 1:3-5
3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
A little while back our daughter ordered a new laptop computer for her first year in college. She agonized over all the options and finally chose one that met her needs. Then she waited.
While she knew she wouldn't wait too long for her new toy, each day seemed to stretch longer as she watched for the UPS truck. If she heard a truck drive through our quiet court, she would rush to the window to see if her delivery had arrived. Any time she was away from home for a few hours she would call to see if we had received her package.
It reminded me of Christmas Eve -- the anxious excitement of children who know something wonderful will be here soon, but not soon enough.
As Jesus spent his last few days on Earth before ascending to Heaven, he
promised that a great gift would be delivered -- baptism by the Holy Spirit. He mentions that he's talked about this before, but I wonder if the disciples had really listened and if they had any idea what they were about to receive? I'm sure some of them, probably Peter at least, wished that Jesus had just given them the gift before he left instead of making them wait for it. Every time someone knocked on the door of that little upper room in Jerusalem, I imagine they jumped with anticipation as they expected the promised gift had finally arrived.
God timed his delivery perfectly. After several days of prayer, when they were all together and the appropriate crowd had gathered for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, they were each filled with the Holy Spirit. And the blessings of this gift were made apparent to all who were present -- over 3000 people were baptized.
We are each awaiting for something from God; an answer to prayer, a call to action, understanding of a difficult Biblical concept. Let's wait with eager expectation, just like a child awaits a much desired gift. As did the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it will arrive at just the right time, and it will probably be much better than we ever expected!
We have another week to read Acts. Please finish what you weren't able to read last week. I won't provide daily reading assignments this week.
Today's Devotion - Acts 1:3-5
3After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
A little while back our daughter ordered a new laptop computer for her first year in college. She agonized over all the options and finally chose one that met her needs. Then she waited.
While she knew she wouldn't wait too long for her new toy, each day seemed to stretch longer as she watched for the UPS truck. If she heard a truck drive through our quiet court, she would rush to the window to see if her delivery had arrived. Any time she was away from home for a few hours she would call to see if we had received her package.
It reminded me of Christmas Eve -- the anxious excitement of children who know something wonderful will be here soon, but not soon enough.
As Jesus spent his last few days on Earth before ascending to Heaven, he
promised that a great gift would be delivered -- baptism by the Holy Spirit. He mentions that he's talked about this before, but I wonder if the disciples had really listened and if they had any idea what they were about to receive? I'm sure some of them, probably Peter at least, wished that Jesus had just given them the gift before he left instead of making them wait for it. Every time someone knocked on the door of that little upper room in Jerusalem, I imagine they jumped with anticipation as they expected the promised gift had finally arrived.
God timed his delivery perfectly. After several days of prayer, when they were all together and the appropriate crowd had gathered for the Jewish feast of Pentecost, they were each filled with the Holy Spirit. And the blessings of this gift were made apparent to all who were present -- over 3000 people were baptized.
We are each awaiting for something from God; an answer to prayer, a call to action, understanding of a difficult Biblical concept. Let's wait with eager expectation, just like a child awaits a much desired gift. As did the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it will arrive at just the right time, and it will probably be much better than we ever expected!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Acts - Paul's Story
Read Acts 22-28
Today's Devotion - Acts 26:12-18
What is your story? In our text today, and through much of Acts, Paul tells his conversion story to anyone who will listen. He talks about his life before Christ, how his eyes were literally opened to the truth, and how his life has changed since then. Many saw the level of conviction and passion that Paul had and they accepted Christ immediately. Others, like the governor of Cesarea and many Jewish elders, thought he was insane or even tried to kill him because of what they believed was a blasphemous message.
Does your conversion story have lots of drama like Paul's, or is it more simple and straightforward? Does it inspire others to look at their own lives and contemplate the truth of Christ? When is the last time you shared it?
Today's Devotion - Acts 26:12-18
12"On one of these journeys I was going to Damascus with the authority andtaken from www.biblegateway.com
commission of the chief priests. 13About noon, O king, as I was on the road, I
saw a light from heaven, brighter than the sun, blazing around me and my
companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in
Aramaic, 'Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me? It is hard for you to kick
against the goads.'
15"Then I asked, 'Who are you, Lord?'
" 'I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,' the Lord
replied. 16'Now get up and stand on your feet. I have appeared to you to appoint
you as a servant and as a witness of what you have seen of me and what I will
show you. 17I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am
sending you to them 18to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light,
and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins
and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.' (NIV)
What is your story? In our text today, and through much of Acts, Paul tells his conversion story to anyone who will listen. He talks about his life before Christ, how his eyes were literally opened to the truth, and how his life has changed since then. Many saw the level of conviction and passion that Paul had and they accepted Christ immediately. Others, like the governor of Cesarea and many Jewish elders, thought he was insane or even tried to kill him because of what they believed was a blasphemous message.
Does your conversion story have lots of drama like Paul's, or is it more simple and straightforward? Does it inspire others to look at their own lives and contemplate the truth of Christ? When is the last time you shared it?
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Acts - Faith
Today's Reading Acts 15 - 21
Today's Devotion -- Acts 14: 8 - 10
8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Ok - I know this devotion is really coming from yesterday's reading, but these are the verses that popped out at me today!
The more I learn about God, the more I realize how little faith I have. I can really empathize with the man in Mark 9:24 who said, "I believe, please help me in my unbelief." I want so badly to hear God's direction and to just go forth and follow Him. But instead I question whether it is really Him, if the instruction is really meant for me, and I struggle to figure out all the angles and 'how to's' before I take action. I also want to understand they why's and I want to know the end result before I start. My heart knows that He is in control and that He knows what is best for each of us, but my head seems to take a little (ok, a LOT) longer to get on board.
What was it about this crippled man that Paul saw? The Bible says that he "saw that he had faith to be healed." Was it something about the way he listened to the message that day? Could Paul see his faith in his eyes? If we would stop and look around us in a crowded room, could we tell who had faith and who didn't?
Hebrew 11:1 tells us that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The chapter goes on to give us examples of faith by the early believers -- Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Rahab, and many others. In the gospels, we see many examples of people who were commended by Jesus for their faith -- the woman who knew she could be healed by touching his robe, the four men who tore through a roof so their friend could be healed, the man who knew his servant would be healed by Jesus's words alone.
I want that kind of faith! Lord, please help me in my unfaithfulness!
Today's Devotion -- Acts 14: 8 - 10
8In Lystra there sat a man crippled in his feet, who was lame from birth and had never walked. 9He listened to Paul as he was speaking. Paul looked directly at him, saw that he had faith to be healed 10and called out, "Stand up on your feet!" At that, the man jumped up and began to walk. (NIV)
taken from www.biblegateway.com
Ok - I know this devotion is really coming from yesterday's reading, but these are the verses that popped out at me today!
The more I learn about God, the more I realize how little faith I have. I can really empathize with the man in Mark 9:24 who said, "I believe, please help me in my unbelief." I want so badly to hear God's direction and to just go forth and follow Him. But instead I question whether it is really Him, if the instruction is really meant for me, and I struggle to figure out all the angles and 'how to's' before I take action. I also want to understand they why's and I want to know the end result before I start. My heart knows that He is in control and that He knows what is best for each of us, but my head seems to take a little (ok, a LOT) longer to get on board.
What was it about this crippled man that Paul saw? The Bible says that he "saw that he had faith to be healed." Was it something about the way he listened to the message that day? Could Paul see his faith in his eyes? If we would stop and look around us in a crowded room, could we tell who had faith and who didn't?
Hebrew 11:1 tells us that "faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." The chapter goes on to give us examples of faith by the early believers -- Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Rahab, and many others. In the gospels, we see many examples of people who were commended by Jesus for their faith -- the woman who knew she could be healed by touching his robe, the four men who tore through a roof so their friend could be healed, the man who knew his servant would be healed by Jesus's words alone.
I want that kind of faith! Lord, please help me in my unfaithfulness!
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