Tag: Devotional

After fasting and praying

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 13:2–3 (ESV): 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 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.

EXPLAIN

Due to persecution, many believers were scattered, away from Jerusalem. A number of disciples went to Antioch of Syria and a strong church was started, a church that over time became a center, if not the center, of the church world in those days.

Paul had returned to his hometown of Tarsus, but Barnabus went looking for him. There, they taught many people for a year (Acts 11:26).

The influence of the believers in Antioch is seen in that they were first called Christians, a term of insult, there.

A prophet foretold a worldwide famine, and so the church of Antioch sent relief to the believers in Judea by Barnabus and Saul or Paul.

After they returned to Antioch, various leaders in the church were worshipping and fasting, when the Holy Spirit revealed to them that Barnabus and Saul/Paul should been sent out as missionaries. After praying and fasting, they laid hands on the men and sent them off.

APPLY

It was in the context of prayer and fasting that the Holy Spirit revealed to the church his desire to send Paul and Barnabus out as missionaries. But it was not enough to fast and pray to receive God’s direction. Rather, the believers continued to fast and pray as they sent them men to the work.

Do we regularly pray and fast enough that we are able to hear God’s call upon our lives and our church?

If God only revealed his will through prayer and fasting, would we ever hear from Him?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, I desire to know your will and be guided by your voice. Help me to cultivate the discipline of both prayer and fasting so that my heart might be in tune to your voice. Amen.

What is our desire for growth?

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 12:24 (ESV): 24 But the word of God increased and multiplied.

EXPLAIN

The book of Acts demonstrates that numbers do matter. We find in the first two chapters that the believers meeting in the upper room numbered 120. After the Holy Spirit came on the Day of Pentecost, the number of believers increased by 3,000.

As Luke continued telling of the story, he included markers from time to time to speak of the increase of the gospel. After the seven were chosen to oversee the food ministry to widows, we are told that the word of God continued to increase, the number of disciples multiplied greatly, and a great many priests became obedient to the faith (Acts 6:7).

Acts 12:24 is another such marker. King Herod had killed James, and wanted to kill Peter, but God delivered him in response to the prayers of the church. The believers were praying so fervently that they couldn’t believe Peter had been released, but God had responded to their prayers.

King Herod executed the guards and then gave a speech to emissaries from Tyre and Sidon. Seeking his favor, they said he was a god. God struck him dead. And the word of God increased and multiplied.

APPLY

It is interesting that the emphasis here and in Acts 6:7 is on the word of God increasing and multiplying. That included the number of disciples increasing and multiplying, yet the focus seems not to be on people and standards by which we might take pride. Rather, the emphasis is on the increase and expansion of God’s kingdom.

I see a tension here that we must keep in balance. We need to know if the number of disciples is increasing and multiplying in our midst. That will necessarily happen if the word of God is increasing.

But the focus should not be on numbers, attendance, and the pride we might feel from having a large, or merely growing, church. Rather, is God’s kingdom increasing in our world?

Is God’s message of good news flourishing?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, I pray that your kingdom and program would increase in our world. May I be used by you is proclaiming the good news of your kingdom. Amen.

She was truly missed

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 9:39 (ESV): 39 So Peter rose and went with them. And when he arrived, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood beside him weeping and showing tunics and other garments that Dorcas made while she was with them.

EXPLAIN

Luke, in the last part of Acts 9 and then in Acts 10, records Peter’s physical movement as he traveled from place to place, which reflects his mental and spiritual movement that led him to accept Gentiles as equal candidates for God’s grace.

In Joppa, a little known woman named Dorcas had made a huge impact upon the entire community, sewing clothes and distributing them to people in need, as well as doing other good deeds. Dorcas had died prematurely, and the believers sought Peter to come.

APPLY

I want to live such a life of generosity and charity that my community will also be sad when I am gone, not because I am necessarily any special person, but because I was a good ambassador of Christ, sharing the love of Jesus by deed and word.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to develop a mindset of generosity and caring for others. Help me to see needs in my community. Give me the faith and push to do something about it. Amen.

The need for a guide

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 8:30–31 (ESV): 31 And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

EXPLAIN

After a very successful ministry in Samaria, the Holy Spirit told Phillip to go south into the desert. As he walking down the road, an Ethiopian eunuch came by in a chariot, reading from Isaiah.

The Spirit told Phillip to go to the chariot and so he asked the man if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch’s response is our highlighted text.

APPLY

There is a simple truth here that may be easily overlooked. Pre-Christians, new Christians, and even more established Christians needed guidance in the faith.

Phillip was engaged in pre-conversion discipleship.

What made this moment so powerful? Phillip was sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s leadership and willing to engage others in a spiritual conversation, the eunuch was humble and willing to listen and learn, and an invitation to discipleship was given.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to be sensitive to the Spirit’s voice. May I be willing to go out of my comfort zone to disciple others. Prepare the way for me so that people are ready to hear and obey the Good News. Amen.

Give me boldness

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 4:29 (ESV): 29 And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness,

EXPLAIN

The healing of the man lame from birth who begged outside the Temple caused a great stir. Many people came together and Peter and John recognized the opportunity to share the Good News.

The Sanhedrin heard of this and we’re greatly annoyed. They arrested them and put them in prison. On the next day, they put them on trial and asked by what authority they were healing people.

Peter responded by proclaiming Jesus to be the Messiah, that through him only we can receive salvation. The Sanhedrin were astonished, recognized that these were uneducated men, yet spoke with wisdom and authority.

They threatened the apostles not to speak in Jesus’ name any more and then sent them away. Afterwards, the apostles gathered all the church to pray. These words are part of their prayer.

After they prayed, the place was shaken, they were filled anew with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.

APPLY

In various ways, people today will threaten and discourage us from living for Jesus and proclaiming him to be the only way of salvation.

We should respond by imitating the apostles’ example: pray, acknowledge God’s sovereignty, ask for Holy Spirit boldness, and continue to live and speak faithfully for Christ.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, you are God and you are in control. You see those who would oppose your will. May your kingdom come and your will be done. Help me to live faithfully, a pure and holy life before you. May I proclaim your truth boldly, for your glory. Amen.

Fix your eyes on Jesus

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Acts 3:5 (ESV): 5 And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them.

EXPLAIN

This story occurred a few days or weeks after the Day of Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out upon the believers. In other words, Peter and John saw this man somewhere between 2-3 months after Jesus’ death and resurrection.

Yet Luke writes that this man was lame from birth and had been carried daily to the gate of the temple to beg. We must assume that this man had seen Jesus, or at least been in very close proximity to Jesus, before Jesus’ death.

But this man was not healed by Jesus.

Now, as this man fixed his attention and expectation upon Peter and John, ready to receive from them, the disciples shared the good news that Jesus came to bring healing – physical and spiritual.

And he was healed as he looked and reached up in faith.

APPLY

We may not understand why the lame man was not healed by Jesus, even though we read of other instances which indicate that not everyone was healed by the Master.

The lack of faith in Nazareth prevented Jesus from doing many miracles. At the pool of Siloam, Jesus walked through the midst of many seeking healing to speak to one man.

What we definitely see is that this man’s expectant faith was met by the compassionate heart of Christ. Do we fix our eyes on Jesus, expecting to receive good from him?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, may I not miss your presence in my life, passing me by, busy with seeking what I need, preoccupied with my plans. Rather, may I fix my eyes on Jesus, ready to receive your grace. Amen.

Devoted to prayer

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HIGHLIGHT

Acts 1:13–14 (ESV): 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

EXPLAIN

After Jesus’ ascension, the believers, about 120 people, began meeting in the upper room. As they waited for the Holy Spirit to come, they began to pray.

They devoted themselves to prayer.

During the prayer time, Peter was studying and meditating on scripture and realized that Judas Iscariot’s place among the Twelve needed to be filled.

Having replaced Judas, having prayed, the believers then waited in unity… and the Holy Spirit came upon them.

APPLY

Listening to some podcasts on disciple-making recently, the point has been made that Christians in the U.S., Christians in the Western world, know little about sustained, devoted prayer.

We tend to pray for a purpose. Once the purpose is accomplished, we think we no longer need to pray. Or, if our prayer is not answered, we look to other methods to accomplish our desires.

The purpose of prayer is to change our heart, mind, and will to be in conformity to God’s will. How might our lives and churches be different if we truly devoted ourselves to such prayer?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, help me to take the next step in my life to becoming “devoted in prayer”. May I learn the joy of the sweet fellowship of prayer, of submission to your will, of living for your glory. Amen.

Sent

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HIGHLIGHT

John 20:21 (ESV): 21 Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.”

EXPLAIN

This is one of the first resurrection appearances of Jesus. John tells first of Jesus appearing to Mary Magdalene near the tomb. Then, in the evening of that day, John says that Jesus appeared to the disciples while they were hiding in a locked room.

As Jesus was on trial before Pilate, the governor asked Jesus if he were King of the Jews. Jesus explained that his kingdom is not of this world, but Jesus had come into the world to bear witness of the truth (John 18:33-38).

Now King Jesus, having been resurrected from the dead, delegates his authority to his disciples (and by extension, all who follow him since) to go into the world bearing witness of the truth.

APPLY

We serve the King of kings. His kingdom is not of this world; therefore, we do not fight and manipulate affairs of this world to force God’s agenda upon those who do not believe him.

Rather, we are commissioned by the King to go out and share the truth: Jesus is King!

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for the mission you have entrusted to me and all your followers: to share the good news that Jesus is King. Help me to faithfully do my part in making disciples who make disciples of King Jesus. Amen.

Holy Spirit, be my guide

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HIGHLIGHT

John 16:13–14 (ESV): 13 When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. 14 He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you.

EXPLAIN

Jesus was teaching his disciples on the night before his betrayal and his crucifixion the next day. Jesus had told his disciples that he would be leaving them, but he sought to comfort them by telling them he would send a Comforter, the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit would empower them, teach them, and guide them. The Holy Spirit came upon the believers fifty days after Jesus’ resurrection, on the Day of Pentecost.

APPLY

The Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life, abides with us, and desires to fill us fully. While Jesus is not physically present, the Holy Spirit is that presence of Jesus, of God, with us.

He will guide us, teach us, empower us, correct us, and encourage us. Therefore, we should listen closely to his voice, cultivate our fellowship with him, and obey him always.

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit, which your Son sent for us when he ascended into heaven. Holy Spirit, guide me, teach me, give me wisdom and power, that the name of Jesus might be glorified in and through me. Amen.

The importance of remaining humble and teachable

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HIGHLIGHT

2 Chronicles 35:21 (ESV): 21 But he sent envoys to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, king of Judah? I am not coming against you this day, but against the house with which I am at war. And God has commanded me to hurry. Cease opposing God, who is with me, lest he destroy you.”

EXPLAIN

Josiah was a godly king. What he did to bring the people back to God was amazing. He organized a Passover feast so wonderful that the writer of Chronicles says no other Passover was like it, from the days of Samuel the prophet.

2 Kings tells us that a prophecy was made that he would die in peace, that he would be spared the judgment of God coming upon the land.

Yet Josiah died from wounds in battle. He did die at home, but the fact that Pharaoh Neco’s archers shot Josiah and he died as a result seems difficult to reconcile with the prophecy made about Josiah.

APPLY

The question we must consider carefully, then, is if Neco truly was operating according to God’s will. Did Josiah step out of the umbrella of God’s protection because he insisted on opposing Neco, who was on a mission of God?

Neco was a pagan king, as far as we know. Yet Paul writes in Romans 13 of governing authorities being appointed by God. He says that those who resist the governing authorities, who have appointed by God, will incur judgment.

Should we be more cautious about rejecting out of hand “truth” delivered by unlikely sources? Should we adopt a more humble position, earnestly seeking to know what God’s will is, not being so quick to assume what we believe his will to be?

RESPOND

Heavenly Father, in my spiritual growth help me to remain humble, always willing to listen and learn, no matter from what source you send me lessons. Amen.