Declared Innocent

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

DECLARED INNOCENT

Acts 13:38-41

38 "Therefore, my brothers, I want you to know that through Jesus the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39 Through him everyone who believes is justified from everything you could not be justified from by the law of Moses. 40 Take care that what the prophets have said does not happen to you:

41 "'Look, you scoffers, wonder and perish, for I am going to do something in your days that you would never believe, even if someone told you.'"

NIV

We owe everything to Jesus. Paul makes it clear that through Jesus we have the forgiveness of our sins. That is excellent news, for who could find that kind of grace anywhere but in Jesus. They could not find justification or be declared innocent through abiding by the law of Moses. We cannot find any declaration of being just or righteous, or of being declared innocent, by abiding by any rules or regulations that we think are based on the scriptures. Of course, we want to live a righteous life as we follow Jesus, doing the right things, loving God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and loving our neighbors as we love ourselves. We wonder why we still want rules, those do's and don'ts. It's not that we want to sin or just live in any manner we want, as we do want to live to please the Lord. But trying to live on our own power or strength is just like those who tried to live by the law of Moses. It is not possible for them, nor for us, to attain justification under the law. Because of Jesus, and only Jesus, can we find the forgiveness of our sins, which means that God has declared us righteous and innocent. The warning Paul quotes is from the prophet Habakkuk, about the ruthless Babylonians who overpower all cities, plundering everything , and taking captives. The warning is about scoffers, those who scoff, or despise the grace of God, Jesus. Those whom Paul was speaking to were still living under the law of Moses, and thus they were despisers or scoffers at the only means of justification, Jesus. We certainly do not despise Jesus; he is our Lord and Savior. We have confessed our sins, repented, changed the way we think, and look only to Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins. He is our only way to attain righteousness, be declared or rendered by God as innocent of all charges against us. Those who scoff will not be declared innocent, but will perish. Let us not take the forgiveness of our sins lightly and think that living by any rules of regulations gives us any righteousness or good standing with God. Our only hope is through Jesus, and Jesus only. We cannot add or subtract anything to or from Jesus. He is the only means of our salvation. We can never scoff or not believe that Jesus is the only way, because through him, we are declared innocent.

 

No Decay

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NO DECAY

Acts 13:32-37

32 "We tell you the good news: What God promised our fathers 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm: "'You are my Son; today I have become your Father.'   34 The fact that God raised him from the dead, never to decay, is stated in these words: "'I will give you the holy and sure blessings promised to David.'   35 So it is stated elsewhere: "'You will not let your Holy One see decay.'   36 "For when David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his fathers and his body decayed. 37 But the one whom God raised from the dead did not see decay.

NIV

The news about Jesus is the only good news, and Paul wanted to tell it whenever he could. That is a great lesson we should take to heart. We sing about loving to tell the story of Jesus and his glory, but do we actually tell the story to whoever we can? In a world where there is wickedness and so much bad news is generated about something by so many, hearing good news should be a desirable thing. People look to human leadership to solve their problems; some look to it to meet their needs. Some look to themselves to provide their own needs and secure their future. But the only real problem is life and death, and the only one who provides all that someone needs and has secured their future is the Lord. However, each person is given a choice to accept life instead of death. Once we choose to accept the good news that Jesus has been raised from the dead and lives, we will have life. Because all flesh will decay in this world, that is, all will die, everyone who comes from the dust will return to the dust, ashes to ashes, dust to dust, but Jesus promised to those who accept him as their Lord and Savior that even through we die, we will live, and our flesh will be raised from the dead or we who are still alive will be changed. We will all have a new glorified body that will not see decay. Is there any good news better than having eternal life, never to see decay? Of course, we know that when this body does give out, we will leave it and then be present with the Lord, for we know that we only temporarily reside in this perishable and corruptible body that cannot inherit eternal life. However, to be absent from it is to be present with our Lord. However, someday, that body will be raised imperishable and uncorruptible to live forever, just as Jesus lives forever with his saints to reign. He arose, and so will we, where there is no decay. 

The Witnesses

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE WITNESSES

Acts 13:26-31

26 "Brothers, children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. 28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.

NIV

Paul is laying out the complete plan of salvation for these people of Pisidian Antioch. He was in the synagogue and asked if he had any encouraging words. What more encouragement can there be than about Jesus taking our sins to the cross, then being raised from the dead? It has also seemed strange to us that the religious men of Israel who read the scriptures every Sabbath,  especially the prophets who spoke of the Anointed One, did not see Jesus for who he was. Their own quest for power over the people and their position in the community overshadowed their ability to see the truth. Their traditional thinking blinded them from seeing Jesus as the Son of David, the long-awaited Messiah, the Christ. Paul is making it clear to both the sons of Abraham, the Jews, and the Gentiles who are God-revering. Times have not changed; we have so many people today who are blinded by their own thinking and by a desire for power or influence over others. There are so many different organizations or movements with their agenda for a better way, their way. Many stand in protest against anything that does not agree with their thinking, wanting to influence others to follow their agenda. We were once blinded by our own desires, but the scales have been removed from our eyes, more importantly, from our hearts. After Jesus was raised from the dead, we have the testimony of many witnesses to his resurrection. Can there be anything better than to be assured that Jesus was raised from the dead? Because he was resurrected, we can be confident that we who live in him and believe in Jesus will also be resurrected to eternal life, to live forever with Jesus. We cannot listen to the voices of decent, or those false prophets, teachers, with their silver-tongued deceit. There is only one truth, and his name is Jesus. He is the way, the truth, and the life. There is no other way to attain salvation and eternal life. As those who physically saw the resurrected Jesus were witnesses to others, and we have the Holy Spirit dwelling within, being a witness to us of the truth about Jesus, we too should be witnesses to others. The question is, what constitutes being a witness? In a court of law, we can only testify to what we have heard, seen, or experienced. We are sworn to tell the truth and only the truth. We do not need to be an evangelist, a preacher, or a great public speaker to tell someone what happened to us. We can tell how Jesus saved us; that would be the truth. We are just the witnesses. 

Whose Heart

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

WHOSE HEART

Acts 13:13-25

13 From Paphos, Paul and his companions sailed to Perga in Pamphylia, where John left them to return to Jerusalem. 14 From Perga they went on to Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath they entered the synagogue and sat down. 15 After the reading from the Law and the Prophets, the synagogue rulers sent word to them, saying, "Brothers, if you have a message of encouragement for the people, please speak." 16 Standing up, Paul motioned with his hand and said: "Men of Israel and you Gentiles who worship God, listen to me! 17 The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers; he made the people prosper during their stay in Egypt, with mighty power he led them out of that country, 18 he endured their conduct for about forty years in the desert, 19 he overthrew seven nations in Canaan and gave their land to his people as their inheritance.   20 All this took about 450 years. "After this, God gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet. 21 Then the people asked for a king, and he gave them Saul son of Kish, of the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years. 22 After removing Saul, he made David their king. He testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.' 23 "From this man's descendants God has brought to Israel the Savior Jesus, as he promised. 24 Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel. 25 As John was completing his work, he said: 'Who do you think I am? I am not that one. No, but he is coming after me, whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.'

NIV

Paul has more to say to the men in the synagogue, bringing them to the point that Jesus is the Messiah, but there are some truths in this portion, or his introduction, that we should take note of. First, the message about the forgiveness of sins through Jesus is extremely encouraging, which is what Paul was invited to speak. This portion is a history lesson on Israel and its relationship with God, leading to the knowledge of David, the one man whom God testified about. This is the truth that we want to consider how our lives compare to David's. God testified that he found a man after his own heart. What does it mean to be after God's own heart? Certainly, this did not apply to the private life of David, for he acted sinfully concerning Bathsheba. We must then conclude that this testimony of God about David concerned his public life. Saul was rebellious and did not follow God's command. However, David did not allow idolatry, and he ruled according to the law of Moses. He followed the commands of God. However, even when he sinned, when Nathan brought it to his attention, he repented and sought God. David did not rule against God, but for God. We are not sinless either; however, have we become comfortable with a level of sin in our lives? What we know about David is that he was not comfortable with his sin. Of course, we would never murder, steal, or commit any of those big sins of the Ten Commandments. Yet have we allowed ourselves the liberty to gossip, or harbor ill feelings, unforgiveness, jealousy, envy, self-centeredness, anger, pride, judgmental, critical, or any of those other emotional or spiritual faults? Those feelings or actions are nothing like the heart of God or the life of someone who lives after God's own heart. Sure, we are not sinless, but at the same time, do we seek the heart of God in the area in which he has called us to serve him? Can we say that God has not called us into his service? We are not called to be a king as David was, but we have been called to be a part of the body of Christ, to build each other up, to encourage each other, and to love each other. We may not rule a nation, but if we seek God's heart, we should rule over ourselves and be rid of those unfruitful feelings. Jesus said that if we come after him, we must deny ourselves, pick up our cross, and follow him. If we can do that, then maybe God would testify concerning us that he found someone after his own heart who would do everything he wants. This is the greatest question: do we do what we want, following our own heart, or do we want what God wants, following His heart?  

Evil Never Wins

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

EVIL NEVER WINS

Acts 13:6-12

6 They traveled through the whole island until they came to Paphos. There they met a Jewish sorcerer and false prophet named Bar-Jesus, 7 who was an attendant of the proconsul, Sergius Paulus. The proconsul, an intelligent man, sent for Barnabas and Saul because he wanted to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul from the faith. 9 Then Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight at Elymas and said, 10 "You are a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that is right! You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery. Will you never stop perverting the right ways of the Lord? 11 Now the hand of the Lord is against you. You are going to be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the light of the sun." Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he groped about, seeking someone to lead him by the hand. 12 When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, for he was amazed at the teaching about the Lord.

NIV

Here we see the difference between a magician and the power of God. It may be true that Elymas the sorcerer was able to perform some parlor tricks, but whatever he did was from the pit of hell or the devil's trickery. However, there is no real power or authority from the evil one, only tricks, illusions, and falsehood. Paul and Barnabas saw right through Elymas and called him a child of the devil and an enemy of all that is right. When a person, who is a child of the devil, opposes the word of God, Jesus, and all that is right,Their main agenda is to attempt to destroy anyone who lives according to what is right because they are following Jesus. We can see this truth throughout our world as those who oppose what is right protest against the truth of God. However, Saul and Barnabas, knowing the power of God and being filled with the Spirit, told Elymas that the hand of the Lord was against him. Evil never wins when the hand of God is at work, which is always in those who accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, as they are also filled with the Spirit. Believers do not need deceit and trickery as the children of the devil do. That is all evil can do, deceive and trickery, but the believer has the power of God. Paul called down blindness on Elymas, and someone had to lead him by the hand. Yet,  by performing magic or trickery, he was already blind to the truth of God. He lived with a blind heart, and now he had blind eyes. Evil never wins. The power of God worked through Paul and Barnabas, and now the proconsul's eyes were opened to the truth, and he believed. He was amazed at the teaching about the Lord. This is where believers live, in the teaching about the Lord, and in the power of God, being filled with the Spirit, seeing the truth overcome evil, for evil never wins. 

Hear and Respond

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HEAR AND RESPOND

Acts 13:1-5

13:1 In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3 So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off. 4 The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. John was with them as their helper.

NIV

There surely is a story about those six prophets and teachers in Antioch, but the one that applies to our lives concerns the work of the Holy Spirit. The first question is, how did the Holy Spirit speak? We are told he made a statement, telling them to set apart for him Barnabas and Saul for the work he had called them to. Did the Spirit speak audibly, or was it more like an overwhelming sense among all of them, as they were one in the Spirit, one in the Lord, and unity was there, not just one day unity will be restored. After laying hands on those two, they sent them on their way by the Holy Spirit. Here is where we come into this story, or where we apply the work of the Spirit within the church and our lives. First, because they were all fasting and praying, the Holy Spirit made himself and his plans known to them. They were one in the Spirit. Have we missed out on that kind of unity? Have we forgotten the power of the Holy Spirit, with all his gifts and fruit? Have we lost the ability or the sensitivity of his voice within? Maybe we have become too busy with our own lives, even our church lives, being concerned about doing the right things, being religious, following our traditions rather than following Jesus, or listening to the Holy Spirit. First, we should note that some of us may be called upon to be set apart to the work he has called us to. The question then would be: how do we know who is called or set apart for a specific work? There should be a consensus among the church, as it was in Antioch. When Barnabas and Saul responded to the call of the Holy Spirit, the church confirmed that call by placing their hands on them and sending them on their way by the Holy Spirit. This is the second truth. The Holy Spirit is the sender; that is, he is the one who sends people where they are supposed to be. The caveat to that is we need to be listening to the Holy Spirit. Again, if we become too busy doing church in traditional ways or in the same old patterns we always use, maybe we have dampened the Spirit's fire. It is true that most churches support missionaries, who are supposed to be proclaiming the word of God somewhere; however, we did not hear their call, nor did we lay hands on them and send them out by the Spirit. Someone at the denominational headquarters sent them out after they met all the requirements, raised their own support funds, perhaps learned a language, and whatever else was required. That is a major difference between the church in Antioch and the church today. Has the church become too much of a form of business, or does it function with too many rules and regulations, rather than praying and hearing the Holy Spirit as to who has been set apart for his purpose? There are some who know, who have heard, who have gone where the Spirit has led, but there could be others who have yet to hear and respond. Should we not all be praying in unity to hear the Spirit's voice? When we hear, we should respond. 

The Heart

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE HEART

Acts 12:18-25

18 In the morning, there was no small commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had a thorough search made for him and did not find him, he cross-examined the guards and ordered that they be executed. Then Herod went from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there a while. 20 He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon; they now joined together and sought an audience with him. Having secured the support of Blastus, a trusted personal servant of the king, they asked for peace, because they depended on the king's country for their food supply. 21 On the appointed day Herod, wearing his royal robes, sat on his throne and delivered a public address to the people. 22 They shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." 23 Immediately, because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. 24 But the word of God continued to increase and spread. 25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark.

NIV

The heart of an evil man will receive his just reward. First, because the guards had no idea that Peter had been rescued by an angel, they had no valid reason for the empty cell. It is sort of like no one had any idea why there was an empty tomb. The heart of this evil, Herod, had those innocent guards executed. Had he stood guard himself, he would not have known why Peter was missing from the cell, but that did not matter; he was angry and took it out on those guards. But that is not the full story, as this evil heart was still at work. When the people of Tyre and Sidon wanted an audience before king Herod of Israel to secure peace because they depended on Isreal for food. When he made his speech, their response was that he spoke like a god, not a man. Then the evil heart responded with pride in self, instead of giving all the credit for his wise words to the Lord God Almighty. This is the lesson that we all must learn well. Jesus told us to learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart. Herod did not learn that lesson, as Herod's heart was not gentle nor humble. Because he did not give praise to God, an angel of the Lord struck him down, and he was eaten by worms and died. That sounds like an awful way to die, as worms fed on him as he lay there, after being struck down. Let us learn never to give ourselves any credit for anything, which is contrary to the way of the world. It is natural to want credit for what we do. It is natural to expect others to give us credit in the realm of the world. We earn a better position, a pay increase, and acknowledgment of a job well done. Credit for our efforts started in our schooling, everything we did was graded, earn that "A", and be praised. This is the way within the church. We do not take credit for our good deeds or whatever ministry we are called to. We do not take credit for our education, abilities, talents, skills, or knowledge of the scriptures, or anything, for that matter, as we are supposed to have a gentle and humble heart. We are supposed to overcome pridefulness and replace it with humility. Let us give the Lord all the credit for all we are and all we do, for we are the work of his hands, being who we are, doing what we do because of his divine purpose for our lives. God saw the evil heart of Herod and responded with worms. How does God respond to our hearts?