Made Clean

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

MADE CLEAN

Acts 10:9-16

9 About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. 10 He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. 12 It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. 13 Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."  14 "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean." 15 The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."  16 This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

NIV

There is more to this narrative regarding Peter and Cornelius, but within this exchange between Peter and God, we need to explore.  First, we notice that Peter was staying with Simon the tanner. Most likely, the main portion of the house was busy as they were preparing the meal. So Peter needed to get alone to pray and spend time with his risen and ascended Lord. We are told Peter fell into a trance, which is a curious word. The Greek word used in this context would mean the throwing of the mind out of its normal state, or the alienation of the mind. It is clear that Peter was not thinking normally or being alert; his mind was wandering, and that is when he saw heaven open and something like a large sheet being let down. Was that real, or a vision during this mind-wandering experience? We do not know if we have ever fallen into a trace, just staring out into nothing, thinking of nothing, our mind just void of anything, but it seems that was the condition Peter was in when he saw this sheet lowered from heaven. It is not about the fact that Peter kept the Jewish laws regarding food, although being a Jew, he would have kept to the rules about clean and unclean animals. The truth we need to focus on is what God told him. "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean." Immediately, we are confronted with the truth that we have been washed in the blood of the Lamb; our sins have not only been forgiven but also thrown away. We have been declared holy and blameless in his sight. We have been declared pure by God, so we need to see ourselves as God sees us. Of course, we still sin, perhaps not in such a grievous way as we used to before we met Jesus, but sin is still sin, and it is against God. This could cause us to feel guilt or shame because we are not as perfect as we think we should be. That alone is a problem because we should not call ourselves unclean when God has declared us clean. We cannot even make cleanliness a standard we must strive to achieve, because we cannot make ourselves clean, no matter how much we try. Perfection will not be ours in this flesh, yet God has made us clean.

 

Be Still and Listen

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BE STILL AND LISTEN

Acts 10:1-8

10:1 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. 2 He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. 3 One day at about three in the afternoon he had a vision. He distinctly saw an angel of God, who came to him and said, "Cornelius!" 4 Cornelius stared at him in fear. "What is it, Lord?" he asked. The angel answered, "Your prayers and gifts to the poor have come up as a memorial offering before God. 5 Now send men to Joppa to bring back a man named Simon who is called Peter. 6 He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea." 7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, Cornelius called two of his servants and a devout soldier who was one of his attendants. 8 He told them everything that had happened and sent them to Joppa.

NIV

Interestingly, Cornelius was a devout Roman centurion who feared God, or was in awe of God, which the Greek word also carries the meaning of to revere God. Here again, we see a personal visit by an angel of God. It is defined as a vision; however, in Greek, it means something gazed at, a spectacle. It appears that Cornelius saw this angel of God who spoke directly to him and stared at the angel. What the angel said about Cornelius's good deeds gives some clue as to how God sees us. His prayers and gifts to the poor came up as a memorial offering before God. That is a specific good deed, rather than doing good things within the church or as a church. Cornelius gave gifts to the poor, those who had little, who were lacking, living in want. It seems today some believers are skeptical, maybe even a little afraid of the poor, and do not want direct contact with them. We wonder how we can give gifts to the poor. What would that look like? Some churches make occasional donations to food pantries so that those in need might have food, and, in some sense, that is a gift to the poor. However, this narrative speaks of one man, Cornelius, who gave gifts to the poor, which would mean either from his personal giving or perhaps through one of the men in his Regiment. Nevertheless, God had been watching over him and sent an angel to bring about an encounter with Peter. God had a plan for Cornelius, and he intervened directly to make sure that plan would be accomplished. Although giving to the poor could be a great lesson, we should focus more on the purpose God has for our lives. All throughout the Holy Scriptures, we see people being directly contacted by God with instructions for specific tasks, or their lives, where they are to be, what they should do, where they should go, or who they should speak to. Do we live as someone who has been contacted by God? Do we just live our lives while including some relationship with God? Do we live by the traditions we have put in place, even those religious ones, thinking we are being good Christians? What would happen if God actually intervened in our lives, telling us to do something completely out of the ordinary, out of the pattern we have established? Are we ready to move forward with his plan, even though we haven't done anything like this before? Could we do something outside our comfort zone? Cornelius, a Gentile, a Roman Officer, was told to seek out a Jewish man, and he did. Let us always be available to hear from the Lord. Let us listen more, rather than do all the talking in our times of prayer. Maybe, just maybe, God wants to say something to us, and we are too busy talking, too busy with our traditions, too busy with our lives, to hear him. Let us be still and listen, knowing He is God. 

Turn to Jesus

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

TURN TO JESUS

Acts 9:32-43

32 As Peter traveled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda. 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years. 34 "Aeneas," Peter said to him, "Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat." Immediately Aeneas got up. 35 All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord. 36 In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. 37 About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 38 Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, "Please come at once!" 39 Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning toward the dead woman, he said, "Tabitha, get up." She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up. 41 He took her by the hand and helped her to her feet. Then he called the believers and the widows and presented her to them alive. 42 This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

NIV

One miraculous healing was all it took for many to turn to the Lord. We also see an incredible change in Peter. He went from confessing that time in Caesarea Philippi, when he stated that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, to denying Jesus three times, to preaching such a powerful sermon on the Day of Pentecost that thousands responded, believing in Jesus. Now, being full of the Spirit, he has no doubt telling this paralytic man that Jesus Christ healed him. Seeing this healing brought more people to faith in Jesus. The news of that healing in Lydda spread to a neighboring town of Joppa, where Tabitha died. The people must have believed that because Peter healed that man, he could also raise Tabitha from the dead. Well, Tabitha was raised from the dead by Peter first praying, then telling her to get up, and she did. That is the power of God at work, for only through the name of Jesus was Peter able to do such a miracle. We wonder if all that faith and miracles just stopped sometime after all the apostles left this world to go to be with Jesus. We know there could still be miracles; healings happen within the people of faith. That is the clue to everything: first, having faith; second, being full of the Holy Spirit and the power of God. Can we have the same faith that Peter had? Of course, we can; we have the same Holy Spirit dwelling in us who dwelt in Peter. True, Peter walked with Jesus in person and witnessed all the healings, miracles, and the raising of three people from the dead. Still, it was his faith in the name of Jesus, just as he and John had told the lame man to get up and walk when they were on their way to the temple, that the paralytic man was healed and Tabitha was raised from the dead. Both those miracles caused people to turn to Jesus. That is the whole purpose of miracles and healings. Sure, it would be great to see someone healed, so they could be whole, but the purpose would only serve the few who witnessed the healing unless they were so filled with faith that they could not contain the news and spread it all over their town, so people would turn to Jesus. That is the whole of the good news: that people turn to Jesus. 

Jesus Loves You

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

JESUS LOVES YOU

Acts 9:26-31

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he really was a disciple. 27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. 28 So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. 30 When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus. 31 Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.

NIV

Was it any wonder the disciples were afraid of Saul, for he had the reputation of hating the people of the way, opposing Jesus as the Messiah? Now he was a believer in Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God. However, Barnabas took him to the apostles and testified to Saul's conversion experience, and Saul became a man who spoke boldly in the name of the Lord throughout Jerusalem. It seemed his message was opposed only by the Grecian Jews, those who lived in Greece, spoke Greek, and were in Jerusalem for the festival. We do wonder whether they lived abroad in Greece and, being exposed to Greek mythology, had their views of the Messiah a bit skewed, or whether they were not in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus' triumphal entry, amid the hallelujahs of the people. If they did not see the crucifixion, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, it would have been difficult to believe, but to want to kill Saul because he debated them, opposing their way of thinking, seems contrary to the message of God. However, we do learn a valuable lesson from this narrative. We should not be afraid of those who can kill our bodies. Jesus was clear that what is whispered in our ears, we should proclaim from the roofs. That we should not be afraid of those who kill our bodies but cannot kill our souls. Rather, we should be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. This was the first time Saul's life was in danger because of his outspoken message about Jesus, but not the only or last time men wanted to kill him, and therefore his message. How outspoken are we? Do we even speak up when we are out and about in the world? Do we just live in our own little cocoon of safety within the community of faith? Do we even talk at all about Jesus other than at church, or do we mention Jesus, or talk about spiritual matters with each other, or do we chat more about the weather, sports, or perhaps our aches and pains, or some other mundane subject? We cannot imagine the early church being distracted from talking about Jesus to anyone who would listen, even to those who might oppose our message. Let us not be silenced by fear or embarrassment, but let us love to tell the story of Jesus and his love. It could be as simple as saying, "Jesus loves you."

 

 

More and More Power

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

MORE AND MORE POWER

Acts 9:19-25

Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21 All those who heard him were astonished and asked, "Isn't he the man who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? And hasn't he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?" 22 Yet Saul grew more and more powerful and baffled the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.   23 After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. 25 But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

NIV

There is no question that Saul had an experience with Jesus, as he was a changed man. Instead of persecuting the people of the way, he became a man of the way, a believer in Jesus, as the Son of God, the Messiah, the  Christ, and he could not keep silent about his revelation. He became more and more powerful and baffled, or confounded, perplexed the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus was the Christ. Saul is an example to all of us of how we should live with more and more power as we perplex people, telling them and proving to them that Jesus is the Christ. Is that not the call on all of us believers? Are we not supposed to share our faith, tell our story, how we came to know Jesus is alive, that he is the Son of God, and through him we are saved from the penalty of our sins, death? We wonder whether we spend too much time focused on rules and regulations or our traditions, rather than becoming more and more powerful in our testimony about Jesus. Some might become so focused on the church itself, the building, the sanctuary, holding it to our traditional thinking of what it should be, rather than being engaged in proving Jesus is the Christ, sharing with those who do not know Jesus, even confounding them because we have more and more power. Sadly, the Jews in Damascus hated the truth about Jesus so much that they wanted to kill his messenger. Tradition had gripped them, closing their hearts and minds. We can never allow traditional thinking to block our hearts from the truth. We cannot become so invested in the rules and regulations that we cannot experience the power of God within us and the freedom to express more and more of the Spirit's power as we tell our story. We can quench the Spirit with our traditional thinking, but when we release the Spirit's power, we will live with more and more power. 

Follow Directions

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FOLLOW DIRECTIONS

Acts 9:10-19

10 In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, "Ananias!" "Yes, Lord," he answered. 11 The Lord told him, "Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. 12 In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight."  13 "Lord," Ananias answered, "I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name." 15 But the Lord said to Ananias, "Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel. 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name."  17 Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord-Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here — has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul's eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, 19 and after taking some food, he regained his strength.

NIV

First, we should acknowledge that the Lord speaks to his people. With Ananias, it was within a vision. The Greek word used is horama, which has a direct meaning of that which is seen, or gazed upon, a sight, a spectacle. We believe Ananias saw the Lord. That is, Jesus appeared spectacularly before Ananias and told him what he was supposed to do.  Interestingly, Ananias had a conversation with the Lord. From this exchange, understand the Lord had special plans for both Ananias and for Saul. Secondly, we should understand that the Lord is not silent about his desire for his people to walk in a certain way, direction, or path, or to have a special task to fulfill. Of course, we can always turn to the sacred scriptures to hear our Lord's words on the path we should all walk as believers. However, some have declared a special calling in the ministry, either as pastors, missionaries, evangelists, or in another specialty area. How was that call received? Did the Lord appear to them in a vision and inform them of their calling? Was it just a feeling, a sense of knowing what they were supposed to do? If it were a feeling, how could it be determined whether the feeling was inspired by the self or the Lord? Ananias had no doubt about what was expected of him, for he saw the Lord and received direct instructions. It is possible that we could receive a calling directly from the Lord, and it is also possible that the Spirit within moves us into the place where he can use us for his purpose, revealing the calling through others who verify that we have the call of God to a specific task. Certainly, the Lord intervened spectacularly in Saul's life, giving him directions. Then he intervened miraculously in the life of Ananias to help accomplish his purpose for Saul. We could get that same kind of push into the Lord's purpose for our lives, either through a vision with direct contact from the Lord, or through the assistance of someone who has been directed to us. However, the Lord determines how he wants to direct our lives; we will be directed. Of course, that also means we need to listen and follow directions. 

He is The Cause

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HE IS THE CAUSE

Acts 9:1-9

9:1 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples. He went to the high priest 2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. 4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, "Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?"  5 "Who are you, Lord?" Saul asked. "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting," he replied. 6 "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do."  7 The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless; they heard the sound but did not see anyone. 8 Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could see nothing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus. 9 For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything.

NIV

Saul had no chance against the power of the Lord. Although he was filled with hatred and breathing out murderous threats against the Lord's disciples, God had a plan for his life. As Saul was on his way to Damascus to arrest as many people as he could who belonged to the way, the Lord intervened with a supernatural flash of light that surrounded him. This is the beginning of Saul's conversion to Paul, the apostle to the Gentiles. What we learn from this narrative is twofold. First, the Lord is the one who initiates our conversion from sinner to saint, or an unbeliever to a believer. If we think it was our choice alone, we would be mistaken. Although we do have a choice, it is the Lord's choice to call us. How would we know what our choices were, to remain a condemned sinner, or to repent and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, unless the Lord intervened in our lives somehow? If Jesus had not fallen upon Saul in such a dramatic way, would Saul ever have changed from persecuting the church to being part of the church? It is doubtful, and that is our story as well. We cannot believe we made the choice to follow Jesus just out of the blue, on our own accord, without a single movement of the Lord toward us. We know some might think they have been Christians from their earliest memories because their parents were Christians, but how can we be a believer without any effects from the Lord? We know that children raised in a believing home go on to walk their own paths in life. No, in order to be a true believer in Jesus, we must have some intervention in our lives by Him. It could be a vision, a miracle,  a bright light, a voice, a friend, a stranger, or even a revelation from his word, but our eyes must be opened, our hearts must be softened, and we must be receptive to the truth. We know about hard hearts, closed ears and eyes, and rejection of the gospel message. How can our hearts, ears, and eyes be opened unless Jesus intervenes? He changed Saul through an overwhelming series of events. He has changed us, and continues to do so, through his overwhelming presence. Without Jesus intervening in our lives, we would be lost forever. Thank you, Lord, for causing us to see you. Thank you for being the cause. 

Puff

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

POOF

Acts 8:32-40

32 The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture:

"He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 33 In his humiliation he was deprived of justice. Who can speak of his descendants? For his life was taken from the earth."  

34 The eunuch asked Philip, "Tell me, please, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35 Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus. 36 As they traveled along the road, they came to some water and the eunuch said, "Look, here is water. Why shouldn't I be baptized?"   38 And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him again, but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip, however, appeared at Azotus and traveled about, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he reached Caesarea.

NIV

We could focus on the prophecy about Jesus and how Philip proclaimed the good news about Him, and how the Eunuch believed and wanted to be baptized, but there is a larger story here. That is not to say that explaining the good news of Jesus is not a large story, for that is the call on all of us. Every believer should be ready, willing, and able to proclaim the good news about Jesus and the kingdom of God. Just as Philip was led by the Spirit to run along the chariot and initiate a conversation about the Scripture the eunuch was reading, we should always be looking for opportunities to speak up about the good news about Jesus. That would be more than just inserting the name of Jesus into a conversation; it would be telling the good news about Jesus. This story also gives us the truth that every believer should go through the waters of baptism and experience the baptism in the Spirit, His infilling, and indwelling, with all the power he brings with him, his gifts, and fruit. As important as those truths are, we also should focus on this other power of the Spirit. When the eunuch and Philip came up out of the water, Philip was transported, caught up, taken away, disappeared, in a sense, from the presence of the eunuch, as he saw him no more. Some would want to explain this transportation away, saying that Philip immediately left and headed in another direction. Still, the Greek word harpazoo literally means to be snatched out or away. That positively implies that the Spirit caught up or snatched  Philip and supernaturally transported him away from the presence of the eunuch. Philip was there, and poof he was not there. This is how great the Spirit's power is, for He is God. We believe in the triune Godhead, the Father, Son, and Spirit. We must know what power dwells within our being, yet the question is whether we believe it and avail ourselves, or yield ourselves to the power of the Almighty Spirit of God, as Philip did. We do wonder if any of the people in Azotus witnessed the appearance of Philip, as he was not there, and poof, he was there. Transportation in Star Trek is fantasy; however, what happened to Philip was reality, and we should note that it could happen to us if the Spirit so needed us somewhere in a poof.

 

Following, Listening, Doing

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FOLLOWING LISTENING DOING

Acts 8:26-31

26 Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Go south to the road — the desert road — that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." 27 So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important official in charge of all the treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship, 28 and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading the book of Isaiah the prophet. 29 The Spirit told Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it." 30 Then Philip ran up to the chariot and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. "Do you understand what you are reading?" Philip asked. 31 "How can I," he said, "unless someone explains it to me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

NIV

There is more to this story about Philip with a powerful display of God's work. However, we are already seeing God at work by sending an angel to give Philip specific directions. There is nothing vague about what God wanted Philip to do. He was instructed to go South, on a specific road, from Jerusalem to Gaza. That seems strange, but God had a plan for the Ethiopian eunuch's life, and Philip was to be the Lord's instrument in that plan. This gives us a clue that we should always be available to be used by the Lord and to follow his directions and his leading. We may not know the purpose of our instructions, as Philip did not know why he was supposed to travel that road, but he was following God's plan. As Philip was traveling the road he was told to met this Ethiopian, and the Spirit told Philip to go near the chariot. How often do we find ourselves someplace just because we feel we should be there? Is it truly because we feel we should be there, or are we being prompted by the Spirit to be in a specific place at a certain time? Is there someone we are supposed to encounter? Have we ever felt led to ask them a question, such as, "Do you know anything about?" then just know what about we should ask? If the Lord gave Philip that kind of specific direction, then we believe he could give us some kind of specific instruction as to where, when, and what to do. Did an angel actually appear to Philip, or was it more like a vision, or maybe just a voice, but the point is God was at work, and Philip was his instrument. We wonder how many times we act on our own account, being our own planner, our own instrument, even in religious matters, or what we believe are spiritual matters. How often do we make our own plans? It is not that Philip wasn't living life or doing things; he was an apostle and had been following Jesus. That was the purpose of his life: to continue to follow Jesus. He was open to the Spirit, listening, hearing the voice of an angel, doing what he was instructed to do. This should be our story. First, to follow Jesus, second, to listen to the voice of the Spirit, his leading, his lighting our way, and thirdly, to do that which we have been instructed to do. It comes down to following, listening, and doing. 

Saved Baptized Empowered

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

SAVED BAPTIZED ENPOWERED

Acts 8:14-25

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 When they arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16 because the Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. 17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 When Simon saw that the Spirit was given at the laying on of the apostles' hands, he offered them money 19 and said, "Give me also this ability so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit." 20 Peter answered: "May your money perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this ministry, because your heart is not right before God. 22 Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. 23 For I see that you are full of bitterness and captive to sin." 24 Then Simon answered, "Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me." 25 When they had testified and proclaimed the word of the Lord, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many Samaritan villages.

NIV

We have come face-to-face with one of the first pieces of evidence that receiving the Holy Spirit is not automatic upon accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior, as is often taught. Following their acceptance of Jesus, they were baptized as well. Here was an entire group of new believers who heard Philip's message about the good news of the kingdom of God. Yet they had not received the Holy Spirit until Peter and John prayed that they would receive the Holy Spirit, and when they laid their hands on them, they received the Holy Spirit. We are not told what evidence there was that the Holy Spirit came upon them, but we know from the word of God and experience that the Holy Spirit manifests Himself within a believer in various ways, often through one of his gifts and his fruit. However, the one piece of evidence that should be present is the Holy Spirit's power. There is another truth that is given to us in this passage, and that is about Simon thinking that he could pay to have the same power he thought Peter and John had. The sending of the Holy Spirit comes through the power of God. Jesus told his disciples that he must go and that he would send the Spirit from his Father. The only way to receive the Spirit is through faith in Jesus Christ. Just like the free gift of God, our salvation and the reward of eternal life, receiving the Holy Spirit is also a free gift of God. Simon was wrong in his thinking; he just wanted the power to perform more magic. Peter and John rebuked him, and we are told that he sought forgiveness. However, the story is about receiving the Holy Spirit. It might happen on the day of our salvation, or some days later, as it was with those new believers in Samaria. But the truth, as Peter and John indicated, is that accepting Jesus as Lord and Savior is followed by Baptism and the reception of the Holy Spirit. Those are three different experiences every believer should have. We are saved, baptized, and empowered. 

Great Power

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

GREAT POWER

Acts 8:9-13

9 Now for some time a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and amazed all the people of Samaria. He boasted that he was someone great, 10 and all the people, both high and low, gave him their attention and exclaimed, "This man is the divine power known as the Great Power." 11 They followed him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 12 But when they believed Philip as he preached the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Simon himself believed and was baptized. And he followed Philip everywhere, astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw.

NIV

The first truth we notice is about Simon, who practiced sorcery, or magic. He boasted that he was someone great. This is the first clue about being a follower of Jesus: no boasting about our greatness. We might not boast openly or verbally, but do we think of ourselves more highly than we should, that is, boast internally of our greatness, or our good deeds, or how religious or spiritual we are? Do we boast about our knowledge of the scriptures? The truth tells us to walk humbly before our God and men. Because we humble ourselves before the Lord, he will lift us up. He will bring about the actions of our lives, directing our paths, pouring out the Spirit upon us, who manifests his fruit and gifts within us. When we walk justly and love mercy as we walk before the Lord, as he requires of us, then he can display his power in our lives. The people were amazed at Simon, thinking he was a man of divine power, known as the Great Power, but he was not acting under God's power; rather, under the dark power of the devil, for all sorcery is from him. Satan is all about counterfeiting the power of God. His desire is to deceive people, to pull them away from the truth of God. Satan would want us to think more highly of ourselves, seeing our greatness, our abilities, our education, training, and skills as the means to our success in life and even in the religious realm. Even the church may have been deceived by putting too much attention on qualifications rather than on the call of God. There was a massive difference between the power of Simon and Philip. Simon preached of his greatness, Philip preached about the good news of the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus. The people might have been amazed by Simon's black magic, but they believed Philip's message and were baptized. When God's power was displayed through Philip, even Simon was astonished by the great signs and miracles he saw. This is the key to the lives of believers: follow Jesus, not anyone else. Do not be amazed at false power, and do not be deceived by the silver-tongued purveyors of deception, with their messages of how great we can be. We do not follow Jesus to become great, but to learn from him and be gentle and humble of heart. God is the only one with Great Power. 

Being Full

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BEING FULL

Acts 8:1-8

8:1 And Saul was there, giving approval to his death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. 2 Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. 3 But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. 5 Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Christ there. 6 When the crowds heard Philip and saw the miraculous signs he did, they all paid close attention to what he said. 7 With shrieks, evil spirits came out of many, and many paralytics and cripples were healed. 8 So there was great joy in that city.

NIV

We are being introduced to Saul, as during the moment the men of the Sanhedrin were stoning Stephen, we are told that the witnesses laid their outer garments at the feet of Saul. We did not go into detail about why they did this, but it was within the law that those who testified against someone had to start the execution of stoning, and then the rest would join in. This was done so to prevent false witnesses, but that did not matter in this case; they all wanted Stephen stoned. He was still full of the Spirit and gave up his spirit, just like Jesus did. Now Saul gave his approval for the death of Stephen, and he began to persecute the church. The universal church has been persecuted throughout the world within our lifetime, but there were times when the church persecuted people who lived in opposition to its rules. The persecution of anyone proves that evil can live within. But our lesson today is our introduction of Philip, as well as all those who were scattered. They preached the word wherever they went. Because the Apostles remained in Jerusalem, those who preached the word were simply Jesus' followers. They may have been people who were in the crowds that followed him wherever he went, or new believers who heard Peter's sermon on that Day of Pentecost. Nevertheless, they preached the word of God wherever they went. That could be our lesson: that no matter our place in life, our education, training, talents, or skills, we should all be preaching the word of God wherever we go. There is something else we should note, and it concerns Philip. He was one of the apostles who stayed in Jerusalem; however, we are told he went into a city in Samaria and proclaimed Christ there. Philip was full of the Spirit and the power of God because he performed miraculous signs, and when the people saw what he did, they paid close attention to what he said. We wonder how many people would pay close attention to what we say if we were given the power to perform miraculous signs, or if evil spirits would shriek in our presence, and people would be healed. We wonder: if we were to have the power of God, be full of the Spirit, and proclaim the word of God, would we be anything like Philip, or anything like Jesus? Let us first be filled with the Spirit and the power of God, and he will do the rest. He will do the work in us and through us. 

Seeing His Glory

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

SEEING HIS GLORY

Acts 7:54-60 7:54-60

54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 "Look," he said, "I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." 57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. 59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.

NIV

After being charged with being "Stiff-necked," they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. That is a strange response, to grind their teeth at him. What we imagine is that their anger was so intense that they clenched their teeth, as if they were growling at him, with hatred in their hearts, and it was reflected in their eyes. However, Stephen's faith was so powerful that he looked up and saw heaven and the glory of God. This is not a normal experience most people would have, yet Stephen was just an ordinary man. He was full of the Holy Spirit and the power of God. That may not be ordinary, as it would seem many believers do not exhibit the qualities, power, and vision that Stephen had. To peer into heaven and see the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God requires both faith and the power of the Holy Spirit at work within. This could be our lesson. We could see the glory of God, but we would first need to be full, that is, completely full, not half or somewhat full of the Holy Spirit. Maybe Stephen was a special man, yet he was just a man who did more than believe in God; he believed God, and lived as one who believed God's power could be at work within him. Do we live like that? Do we truly believe God and give the Holy Spirit absolute freedom to exhibit his power and might within us? There is another lesson we could take to heart: the Sanhedrin's response. Of course, no one likes to be called "stiff-necked" stubborn or obstinate as the Greek word implies. However,  being taught, corrected, rebuked, and trained are all part of a believer's life, as we explore the scriptures, because all are God-breathed. Anger, being furious, gnashing our teeth, growling at someone because we think we have been offended, is not being full of the Spirit and the grace of God, but rather we would be full of ourselves. Covering our ears is also not the way of life for a believer, as if we did, it would be closing our ears to the truth of God that corrects us and shows us the right way to live. It was the pride of the men of the Sanhedrin that caused their furiousness, to the point of rushing Stephen and stoning him to death. They were so self-righteous and opposed to the truth of God, seeing that the only one righteous is Jesus, God. When we start to think of ourselves as holy and righteous, believing we are doing everything right, being religious enough, spiritual enough, doing enough good, almost to the point that we do not admit our sinful nature or that we have sin in our lives, we have lost the truth. Everything we know about Stephen tells us that he was sold out for God, that he was totally full of faith, the Spirit, God's grace, and power. Lord, fill us with your Spirit, your grace, and your power so that we can see heaven opened and see your glory. 

Hear, See, Speak

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HEAR, SEE, SPEAK

Acts 7:51-53

51 "You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it."

NIV

These are the last words of Stephen as he was standing before the Sanhedrin, and they were damning words against them. He not only accused them, but he also passed judgment upon them. He called them "stiff-necked." This phrase had been used against their forefathers several times throughout the Old Testament. Its meaning comes from when oxen refuse to take the yoke, stiffening their neck, not bending their heads to receive the yoke on their necks. Stephen is telling them that they are stubborn, insubordinate, and unwilling to submit to the law's restraints. Stephen is not finished with just judging them as "stiff-necked", but he tells them they have uncircumcised hearts and ears. We know that Paul used the same idea that people are not Jews because of the circumcision of the flesh, but the true Israel is those who have a circumcised heart. The male reproductive part is the most tender of all parts; circumcision, therefore, exposes it, removing a covering. The heart is truly the most sensitive member of the body, and to cover it, to hide it, deep within, not allowing God to circumcise the heart would mean a refusal to submit to his authority. When we do not allow our hearts to be exposed to God, we live under the cover of darkness. It is the same with our ears, refusing to listen to the truth, forging our own set of rules and regulations that we know we can abide by, and then think so well of ourselves. This is what Stephen judged them for doing. They resisted the Holy Spirit, who leads men into all truth. They wanted their own truths, and we need to be careful to learn that lesson well. When we allow God to circumcise our hearts and ears, we are completely open to his authority and totally submitted to his plan and purpose for our lives. We cannot manipulate the word of God, as the Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests, and the teachers of the law did, and apply it so that we fit it to our way of thinking. That type of thinking is like the three monkeys: "see no evil, hear no evil, and speak no evil, except in the case of the uncircumcised hearts and ears, it is "see no truth, hear no truth, and speak no truth."  If or when we do that, we are living with uncircumcised hearts and ears. Let us listen first with our ears, but secondly, and most importantly, with our hearts.

 

The Throne

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

 THE THRONE

Acts 7:44-50

44 "Our forefathers had the tabernacle of the Testimony with them in the desert. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen. 45 Having received the tabernacle, our fathers under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them. It remained in the land until the time of David, 46 who enjoyed God's favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.   47 But it was Solomon who built the house for him. 48 "However, the Most High does not live in houses made by men. As the prophet says:

49 "'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me?       says the Lord. Or where will my resting place be? 50 Has not my hand made all these things?'  

NIV

We are still in the response Stephen made as he stood before the Sanhedrin. He is recounting the times when Moses received the detailed instructions from God to build the tabernacle, a place that signified the Lord's presence. It had two chambers: the outer chamber and the Holy of Holies, the inner chamber where the Ark of the Covenant was. This was the place of meeting with the Lord, during the time of David and Solomon, who built the temple in Jerusalem, where the presence of the Lord now rested. However, Stephen is making the point that men cannot build anything capable of containing God's presence. Heaven is his throne. What kind of house will be built for him? How could we build a building for God? Men have built some great edifices, some with great amounts of gold, filled with all sorts of places for the living and the dead. Others have built large auditoriums that have no appearance of a place of worship; one man built a cathedral of crystal glass. There are many smaller places, or what we would call a church, some adorned spectacularly, others as plain as could be. However, the point is that every building is a testament to human ingenuity and skill, and if we are not careful, we can become proud of our building. We might consider the building as a place to meet with the living God, but how could that be if God's throne is in heaven? Although God did instruct Moses to build the tabernacle, and Solomon to build the temple. God can certainly inhabit a building for a moment, as he did when he met with Moses, but it is not a place he dwells. It is possible for God to temporarily fill every church in all the world, for God is omnipresent, and there is nothing impossible for him. We can surely invite the Holy Spirit to fill our sanctuaries, and he will. Jesus has told us we can ask and he will do it. When the Spirit fills the sanctuary, it becomes a holy place, just as the tabernacle and the temple were considered holy. Still, our God sits upon the heavens, the whole earth is his, and everything, including the heavens, was made by his hand. Let us not worship a place, or put too much value in a place, but let us worship the One True God, who sits on his throne. 

The Idol

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE IDOL

Acts 7:39-43

39 "But our fathers refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt. 40 They told Aaron, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt — we don't know what has happened to him!'   41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and held a celebration in honor of what their hands had made. 42 But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies. This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:

"'Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings forty years in the desert, O house of Israel? 43 You have lifted up the shrine of Molech and the star of your god Rephan, the idols you made to worship. Therefore I will send you into exile' beyond Babylon.

NIV

We are still in Stephan's response as he stood before the Sanhedrin. They are furious with him and produced false witnesses against him, accusing him of blasphemy against the Holy place and the law. He is recounting the history of Israel and how, while Moses was on the mountain of God for those forty days and forty nights, the children of Israel had Aaron make a golden calf for them to worship. Why is it so easy to worship what our hands have made rather than God? They said they did not know what happened to this fellow Moses. He was out of sight, and they put him out of their minds. However, what they could make with their own hands was visible and touchable. It could serve their pride, but in reality, it did nothing for them, for it was without eyes to see, ears to hear, and a mouth to speak. It could not perform miracles or any signs and wonders. Everything this golden calf was not and could not do, God was and could do and more. Yet the people refused to obey him, rejected him, and refused his plan for them to go to the land he had promised to Abraham. We cannot imagine the church today refusing to obey God. We cannot fathom that the church would not want to follow God's plan or make anything more important than God. The children of Israel made that golden calf their idol, and it could be said the Pharisees made the law their idol, rather than worshipping the One True God. Israel rejected God, and the Pharisees, the Chief Priests, and the teachers of the law rejected Jesus. We are so happy the church today has not created for itself any idols, but worships the Lord our God in spirit and in truth. We do wonder whether, over the years, the church has become distracted by creating or developing its own set of rules and regulations, or whether it has looked to its "Good works" to the point that they almost become an idol. Certainly, we would never turn away from our Lord or refuse to obey him, but have we added or idolized what we have done? Do we lift ourselves up, thinking how good, or religious, or spiritual we are, rather than humbling ourselves before the Lord, lifting Him up, glorifying Him and His name? Let us be careful not to think of ourselves more highly than we should, for just as the golden calf could not save the people, we cannot do anything or look to anything other than God to save us. Let us always face our God, looking only to him, forfeiting all else, not having idols, but submitting to his plan or purpose for our lives and for the life of the church. 

The Call

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE CALL

Acts 7:35-38

35 "This is the same Moses whom they had rejected with the words, 'Who made you ruler and judge?' He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt and did wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea and for forty years in the desert. 37 "This is that Moses who told the Israelites, 'God will send you a prophet like me from your own people.'   38 He was in the assembly in the desert, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers; and he received living words to pass on to us.

NIV

There is a simple truth in this segment of the response of Stephen as he stood in front of the Sanhedrin. When Mose tried to break up the fight between two Hebrews, they rejected his attempts and his authority. They rejected him with the words, "Who made you ruler and Judge?" Stephen made the great point that God did, in fact, make Moses ruler and judge over them. Here is the story that comes right into our lives. Men can declare whoever they want to be their ruler. In our country, that should be done rightly by the vote of the people. However, in the church, a completely different standard is at work. In some denominations, deacons are chosen by the congregation through some selection process, while elders are hand-picked by the pastor. Some denominations send the pastor to a church, while others choose their own pastor. Still, God's calling regarding who should pastor a church may not be the standard some denominations use. God ordained Moses to shepherd the people of Israel; however, many denominations require that their standards be met before ordaining someone. It is like any earthly organization; it has the right to demand certain rules and regulations be met to join. But it is not men who ordain a shepherd; it is God who ordains someone to be the shepherd of his people. Yet we live in a time and culture where the church seems to function more like an organization than a church. God called Moses, and after a few attempts to refuse to go back to Egypt, he complied. We know that even though God has called and ordained, there are still the rules and regulations of the church that must be met for a man to be ordained. Yet, first, and foremost, the truth is that no matter if man ordains, if God has not called and ordained a person, then they are the one to be the shepherd of God's people. The other truth is about being a ruler and judge, as Moses was appointed by God. The pastor or shepherd of God's people is not a ruler nor a judge, but should be a servant to the people of God. Jesus set that standard, and if we are following Jesus, then the truer calling is to be a servant leader. Yet, nothing should happen unless there is "The call." 

Hear His Voice

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HEAR HIS VOICE

Acts 7:23-34

23 "When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his fellow Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?' 27 "But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, 'Who made you ruler and judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?'   29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons. 30 "After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to look more closely, he heard the Lord's voice: 32'I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.' Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. 33 "Then the Lord said to him, 'Take off your sandals; the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.'  

NIV

We are still in Stephen's response as he stood before the Sanhedrin. As he recorded the life of Moses, he included the moment of the burning bush. It is amazing how God drew Moses' attention, and when he took a closer look, he heard the Lord's voice. When the Lord spoke, we are told that Moses trembled and that he dared not look. We know this story well, but the truth we should focus on is hearing the Lord's voice. Moses must have heard the voice of God more times than are recorded for us, as we know he met with God in the tent of meeting many times, and even before that, when he gave all the instructions about the plagues and the exodus. We should learn the fact that God does speak to his people. Perhaps not everyone or all the time, but it is possible God could talk, and we could hear his voice. We believe the reason God spoke to Moses is that he had a special plan for Moses, a calling, a directive to lead the children of Israel out of slavery into a place he had prepared for them, the land he had made a covenant with Abraham that he would give to his descendants. God spoke to Abraham, another opportunity for us to learn that God speaks to his people when he has a plan for them to do something. How else are we going to know what to do unless the Lord tells us? What do people mean when they say they have a call? Did God call them? Did they hear the voice of God? Did he do something to draw their attention, as he did with Moses? We, Christians, say that we are a people who pray, but is most of our prayer time spent talking to God, with little, if any, time listening for the voice of God? How are we supposed to know what God desires for us to do, our vocation, where we are to live, what church we are supposed to engage with, and specifically what we should be doing for the kingdom, or in our vernacular, our calling? Perhaps the Lord may not speak to us in long, drawn-out paragraphs of instructions, as he did with Moses. He may speak only a few words, but they would be direct. Sometimes, he might use something like that burning bush to draw our attention so we would know he wants to tell us something or direct us in a certain way. However, if the Lord decides to inform us of his intended purpose for us, we need to listen and watch so that we are within his plan. Let us always be more attentive to the voice of the Lord than our own. Let us hear his plan rather than devise our own plan. Let us listen, rather than talk. Let us hear his voice.  

Transformed

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

TRANSFORMED

Acts 7:9-22

 

9 "Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph, they sold him as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt; so he made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace. 11 "Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our fathers could not find food. 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was, and Pharaoh learned about Joseph's family. 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family, seventy-five in all. 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our fathers died. 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money. 17 "As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt greatly increased. 18 Then another king, who knew nothing about Joseph, became ruler of Egypt. 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our forefathers by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die. 20 "At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child. For three months he was cared for in his father's house. 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter took him and brought him up as her own son. 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.

NIV

Stephen is building the case against the men of the Sanhedrin by recounting their history with their first patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and now with his son Joseph, and how Israel became who they are. Stephen will get to Moses, who was a prophet and the leader who led the children of Israel out of Egypt. The point of this history lesson is to condemn them for disobedience, which we will get to as we work through the complete speech of Stephen. But for now, we will focus on what he said about Moses being educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and being powerful in speech and actions. Strangely, Stephen would have said that about Moses because when Mose encountered God at the burning bush, one of the excuses he tried to give God was that he had never been eloquent in the past and that he was slow of speech and tongue. Here we are shown the truth about how God does whatever He wants to do with anyone, regardless of that person's talents, skills, or abilities. He told a man slow of speech and tongue and turned him into a man of powerful speech and action. Perhaps that was Stephen's story as well, for he was full of God's grace and power. I can testify about the power of God, as we were once very slow of speech, in fact, afraid to speak, hiding behind my camera, not wanting to engage with people. Having extremely limited skills in verbal communication and the nuances of English, God took me into a place I would never have imagined. No matter our background, education, skills, talents, or abilities, God can take us beyond and use us for his purpose. In the case of Moses, God made sure he learned all he would need to be the leader God intended him to be. He can and will do the same thing for any of us if we are willing to give him full access to our facilities, our minds, souls, hearts, and strengths. We know that truth that with us it is not possible, but with God, all things are possible. God transformed Moses into what he needed him to be. Let us continue to trust him, submitting to his purpose, and he will transform us into who he needs us to be.

 

Like an Angel's Face

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

LIKE AN ANGEL'S FACE

Acts 6:15

15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

 Acts 7:1-8

7:1 Then the high priest asked him, "Are these charges true?" 2 To this he replied: "Brothers and fathers, listen to me! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. 3'Leave your country and your people,' God said, 'and go to the land I will show you.'   4 "So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living. 5 He gave him no inheritance here, not even a foot of ground. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land, even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: 'Your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated four hundred years. 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' God said, 'and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.'   8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth. Later Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

NIV

Because Stephen was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and full of God's grace and power, and did wonders and miraculous signs among the people, those who felt they were in charge became so jealous that they fabricated lies to accuse Stephen of blasphemy against Moses. We will get into Stephen's response, which is full of grace and truth, but first, we wanted to consider his appearance. All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel. We wonder how they knew what an angel's face looked like.  This description of Stephen gives us a clue of what someone full of faith and the Holy Spirit should look like. That is not to say that all apostles and the rest of the believers did not have the Holy Spirit; as we know, Peter was full of the Spirit when he got up and preached the best sermon ever, and thousands responded and accepted Jesus. But Stephen was special, and yet only a man, like us. However, he must have released the power of the Spirit to perform those signs and wonders and to be so full of the Spirit and wisdom. That is another clue to his appearance and to how we could appear if we were to actually release the power of the Spirit within us. If we were as full of the Spirit as Stephen was, our faces would show it, and we would be performing great signs and wonders. There is no reason we should not have the power of God in our lives, unless we are quenching the Spirit and trying to be righteous or religious and spiritual on our own efforts. We are told that Stephen was as he had been before he was selected by the people to be a deacon because he was chosen, having been full of the Spirit and wisdom. We can be full of the Spirit, full of the power of God, full of grace and wisdom, for we have the same Spirit that Stephen did. The question is whether we believe it and if we release the Spirit's power. If we allow the Spirit complete access to our whole being, there would be visible evidence to others; even our continence would reflect the glory of God, and maybe, just maybe, our face would look like the face of an angel. 

Grace and Power

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

 GRACE AND POWER

Acts 6:8-15

8 Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)-Jews of Cyrene and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia and Asia. These men began to argue with Stephen, 10 but they could not stand up against his wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. 11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, "We have heard Stephen speak words of blasphemy against Moses and against God." 12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13 They produced false witnesses, who testified, "This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs Moses handed down to us." 15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

NIV

We are no sooner introduced to Stephen than men oppose him. We wonder whether the opposition stemmed from Stephen being full of God's grace and power, as well as faith and the Holy Spirit. He also did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. How was it possible that Stephen did such things? He wasn't one of the twelve who walked with Jesus. He was known by the people in the early church as a man full of the Spirit and wisdom, but weren't the other six chosen by the people also supposed to be full of the Spirit and wisdom? Why was Stephen different? Why was he singled out and his story told? He was a special man, yet it was God's grace and power that brought about his fame and opposition. The difference between all those members of the Synagogue and Stephen was that they were hemmed in by their adherence to the law, regulations, rules, and traditions, while Stephen was full of wisdom and truth from God. The men of the Synagogue were most likely schooled by some rabbi or teacher of the law. We do not know what schooling Stephen had, but he was full of faith and the Holy Spirit, so we believe he was taught by the Spirit, who leads people into all truth. Ordinary men, without the power of God or the presence of the Holy Spirit, could not stand up against Stephen's wisdom or the Spirit by whom he spoke. That is the clue we should focus on. It was the Spirit who was speaking through Stephen, or Stephen's words were prompted by the Spirit of whom he was full. That truth is what we need to apply to our lives. First, we ought to be full of the Spirit. Is it possible to have been baptized in the Spirit and not be full of the Spirit? Is it possible that we just say we have been baptized in the Spirit, but we are not? We know that if we have the presence of the Holy Spirit dwelling within, we should be exhibiting gifts and fruit. Can we forge either the gifts or the fruit of the Spirit? It might be possible to pretend, but the truth is that if we are full of the Spirit, the true evidence would show in our lives, such as being full of God's grace and power, even to the point of performing miracles, signs, and wonders among the people. There has to be a major difference between having knowledge of the scriptures and speaking as if we know the truth, and being so full of the Spirit that he speaks through us, or our words are prompted by the Spirit, as Stephen's were. Flow Spirit flow, flow through us with all your grace and power. 

Full Of Faith

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FULL OF FAITH

Acts 6:1-7

6:1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, "It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word." 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. 7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

NIV

Here, we are first introduced to Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit. We will spend more time with Stephen later, yet we cannot help but think about what he must have been like. What was his personality? Why was he so full of faith and so full of the Holy Spirit? He must have been a powerful believer, having no doubts about his salvation and the resurrection of Jesus. When did Stephen become a believer? Was he part of the first disciples of one hundred and twenty that were in the room when Jesus appeared to them? Was he one of the many who heard Peter's speech on the Day of Pentecost and was added to their number? Because he was full of faith and full of the Holy Spirit, we believe he had to be among those in the room when the Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind, and what appeared as flames of fire settled on each of them. We will ponder Stephen further, but for now, we should focus on why the apostles decided to have the brothers choose seven men to become deacons, who would administer to the physical needs of the widows. Their reasoning was that they should not be distracted from attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. This gives us a clue into how the church should function. At first, when the church was small, perhaps the apostles took care of the needs of widows, but as the numbers increased, it would have taken too much time from the ministry of the word, so the introduction of deacons was made. This teaches us that clergy should not be involved in the daily administration of the church, but should spend their time in prayer and the ministry of the word. That is not to say that pastors should divorce themselves from what goes on in the church; rather, they are the spiritual leaders. This does not mean they should not serve the church in various ways, for they should be servant leaders, as Jesus demonstrated throughout his time with his disciples. However, today it seems pastors do need to be part of the church, serving and doing things to build it up. However, pastors should never neglect focusing on prayer and the ministry of the word. However, it seems that in some denominations, within the organization, clergy are hired as administrators. However, the pattern given in this text is for the local church system rather than for the organization of districts, regions, parishes, schools, and denominational headquarters. Within the local church, there should be deacons to administer to the people's needs, while the pastor can serve in an overseer capacity. The first responsibility of the pastor is prayer and the ministry of the word; let the deacons attend to being deacons, full of faith and the Holy Spirit. 

Cannot be Stopped

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

CANNOT BE STOPPED

Acts 5:33-42

33 When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law, who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed them: "Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God." 40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged. Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. 41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ.  

NIV

The first truth that shines through is in Gamaliel's speech. He is a well-respected teacher of the law, who is honored by all the people. If he is respected and honored for his great knowledge of the law, he would also be very knowledgeable about the prophets and would recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of their words. Yet he was blinded by law, rather than seeing the law as a mirror that showed his sin, and Jesus as the soap that cleansed him. However, in his speech to the Sanhedrin, he stated that if this movement, headed by Peter, John, and the rest of the Apostles, was generated by the mind of men, it would fail, like the others before them. But if what they are teaching is from God, the men of the Sanhedrin will not stop them, for they will find they are fighting against God. We still have people today who would want believers to be silent. They do not want to hear anything that opposes their agenda. They are blinded by their own desires and passions, unable or unwilling to see the truth. The scripture is clear regarding men loving the darkness because the light exposes their sin. However, the truth is that the apostles were not promoting their own agenda but teaching the truth about Jesus and his resurrection. It would not fall apart, for Jesus will build his church, and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. What the Apostles taught through the power of the Holy Spirit has spread throughout the world and the centuries, becoming the church we know today. Because there is continued growth, someone is still proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ, and people are being added to the church. That is one of our tasks as believers, to proclaim the good news, to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. We send missionaries to some ends of the earth, but the fact is, we live in one of the ends of the earth, and here is where we are to proclaim the good news. We should see people added to the local church, maybe even daily, weekly, or monthly, but nevertheless added. The Good News cannot be stopped. 

Never Being Silenced

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

NEVER BEING SILENCED

Acts 5:25-32

25 Then someone came and said, "Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people." 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. 27 Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. 28 "We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name," he said. "Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man's blood." 29 Peter and the other apostles replied: "We must obey God rather than men! 30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead — whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. 31 God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel. 32 We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him."

NIV

This is a great witness to the facts concerning Jesus and the main purpose he came to earth. This narrative is also a judgment about those who rejected Jesus and handed him over to the Romans to be crucified. Instead of the Sanhedrin Judging Peter and all the apostles, they judged the Sanhedrin. That could be our lesson: instead of letting non-believers judge our faith, the Word of God, Jesus judges them. However, everyone has been judged as guilty of sin, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Jesus. We could use this truth about obeying God rather than men; however, that may only apply to speaking up about the resurrection of Jesus, because we are also told to submit to the governing authorities, for no authority exists without the permission of God, or that God establishes. Paul, inspired by the Spirit, has more to say about that in the letter to the Romans, but there is another truth we should focus on. Peter said that the Holy Spirit is a witness to everything about Jesus, whom God has given to those who obey him. What does this obeying God refer to? Does it mean not being silenced by men, but standing up, speaking up, about the resurrection of Jesus? If we take obeying God to apply to all the commands of God, then we would never be given the Holy Spirit, for who has obeyed God completely? On the other hand, we have obeyed in the sense that we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We have obeyed God by giving him all the praise and honor. Even our gathering together to worship him is an act of obedience to his word. Yet, the point is that God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him. This brings us to the two schools of thought about when we are given the Holy Spirit. Some believe we are given the Spirit at the moment we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. How does that apply to those who consider themselves believers all their lives? When did they receive the baptism in the Spirit? The other thought is the gift of the Spirit, or the baptism of the Spirit with fire, which comes at some time after we accept Jesus; it is a second experience, as we can see in the rest of these Acts of the Apostles. Nevertheless, we must understand that the Spirit is a gift from God; in fact, the Spirit is God because God is triune, and thus we live in the presence of our Lord God Almighty, with the Spirit dwelling within, bringing his power into our lives. Let us live in the power of God, standing up, speaking up, and never being silenced. 

The Influencers

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE INFLUENCERS

Acts 5:17-24

17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail. 19 But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. 20 "Go, stand in the temple courts," he said, "and tell the people the full message of this new life." 21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people. When the high priest and his associates arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin — the full assembly of the elders of Israel — and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there. So they went back and reported, 23 "We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside." 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled, wondering what would come of this.

NIV

It is no wonder the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests were puzzled. They put the apostles in jail, the door was locked, the guards were at the door, and yet when they came to get the apostles, no one was in the cell. It is a bit strange that the angel opened the jail doors and brought them out, yet the doors were locked. There was something supernatural that happened: the doors were securely locked and the guards at the doors, yet the apostles walked out because the angel brought them out. Once again, we see the high priest and all his associates, who were Sadducees, filled with jealousy. They wanted to be the leaders. They wanted people to follow their way of life. They wanted to be the influencer. The problem was that the Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection, and the apostles were teaching the full message of a new life, which included the resurrection of Jesus and that all who believe in the name of Jesus will experience the same resurrection. This is not just a hope of all believers, but it is the reality of the new life in Jesus. We know the scriptures talk about hope in Christ, and even the definition of faith uses the things hoped for yet not seen, but we cannot help but think in terms of fact rather than hope. Because we take Jesus's words as absolute truth, we do not hope, but know without a doubt that although we die, we will live. That is when this body finally gives out, and we must leave it behind and be present with our Lord. Someday, our bodies will be resurrected into a glorified form, and we will join back up with them to live in the new city of Jerusalem with the Lord forever. In a way, we feel sorry for those who are like the Sadducees, who do not believe in a resurrection. What is the purpose of life, if not to know Jesus as Lord and Savior? It is sad to think we are born, live a pitiful life, and die, and that is the end of the story. Of course, some non-believers think that because they are a good person, they will go to heaven, but they are sadly mistaken; they will perish, unless they confess with their mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in their hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead. Anyone who believes in Jesus, who is influenced by Jesus, will be saved. That is the big difference. Who is the influencer of our lives, men or God? The next question is, who are we influencing for Jesus? 

Faith Exercised

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FAITH EXERCISED

Acts 5:12-16

12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed.

NIV

There is power in the name of Jesus. Yet it appears that even as Peter passed by and his shadow fell upon sick people, they were healed. How is that possible? Was it because  Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit? We are not told that Peter did anything, but we must believe that he touched the sick using the name of Jesus of Nazareth. No man can miraculously, supernaturally heal or drive out evil spirits by his own power. When the crippled man at the gate was healed, Peter invoked the name of Jesus. Nevertheless, all the sick and anyone tormented by evil spirits were healed. This power comes directly from the Lord God Almighty because Peter had used the name of Jesus. We are also told that the early church was filled with so much power that people were in awe of them; they were highly regarded, as we are told no one else dared to join them because the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. We wonder whether the church today generates the awe that keeps people from joining because of all the signs and wonders happening. That cannot be it, because we do not see any miraculous signs and wonders, nor do all the sick people get healed. Why? Do we not have the same name or ability to use the name of Jesus? Is our faith not faith at all, but just pretending to have faith? Do we really not believe the sick can be healed? Maybe we are just doing church without being the church. Maybe that was just for then and not applicable to today. But why is this recorded for us? Are we meant to just look at it as historical, or are we supposed to learn something from these truths? We know the name of Jesus has the same power as it always has, for God never changes. We have witnessed miracles, evil spirits driven out, healings, yet has anything changed? Do we lack that early faith, or have we just settled into the routine of Christianity, not expecting God to do anything, or not expecting any power in the name of Jesus? We know about routines and how they can become ruts, just plodding along, until that ruth become a grave. But there is still power in the name of Jesus; we serve a risen Savior, and God is still in the business of Salvation, doing the supernatural. Have we allowed our faith to become weak, crippled, and useless? Restore and strengthen our faith, Lord, so we can have faith exercised.