Acts 12:1-19

  Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword. And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people. So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God. And on the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains; and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared, and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter's side and roused him, saying, "Get up quickly." And his chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Gird yourself and put on your sandals." And he did so. And he said to him, "Wrap your cloak around you and follow me." And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision. And when they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street; and immediately the angel departed from him. And when Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting." And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer. And when she recognized Peter's voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate. And they said to her, "You are out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. And they kept saying, "It is his angel." But Peter continued knocking; and when they had opened the door, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, "Report these things to James and the brethren." And he departed and went to another place.

 

  Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiers as to what could have become of Peter. And when Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led away to execution. And he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

 

One of the most troubling realities in Christianity is the way that some believers are not rescued from pain and suffering while others are. This is most commonly seen when people are sick. People pray for both sick believers. One gets well. The other dies. In fact, it seems very rare that God heals a person once the doctors have given us the bad news that she’s at death’s door. We often look back with longing to the days of the early church. Back then, we say, God rescued a lot more believers from their sufferings.

 

God did rescue some people from their sufferings back then, just as he does now. But this story makes it clear that the early church had to struggle with uncertainty in the same way that we do.

 

As the story begins, Herod executes James the brother of John. Just like that. In one verse, he’s dead. Who knows how much the believers prayed for John between his arrest and his execution? I’m sure they prayed fervently. I would be very surprised to learn that they hadn’t. But he died. And Herod seemed to be in control. God allowed him to arrest Peter, too.

 

So the church prayed. And this time God sent an angel to free Peter. Peter himself didn’t believe it was happening at first! Neither did the believers who had gathered for a prayer meeting – even though Peter’s safety was the very thing they were praying for! But Peter was free. God’s rescue was real. The consequences were real. The believers were able to report to other believers that Peter had been rescued. There was a small uproar among the soldiers. Herod executed them for losing a prisoner. God had actually sent an angel to walk Peter out of prison! But he hadn’t rescued James the brother of John.

 

We serve the same God believers have always served. We walk in the same faith, the same calling, the same hope. The early days may seems glorious, but our history would look glorious, too, if we reported mainly on the amazing things God does and devoted only a sentence or two to the times when God seems not to act. When God acts, we respond the same way the early believers did – with wonder and amazement! We must remember that we serve a God who is able to do amazing things now – and does them! But we also must remember that our ultimate hope is not that God will heal us today. Our ultimate hope is that we will be raised to a totally new and indestructible life when Jesus comes again. Today’s “failures” merely remind us to keep looking forward to that hope. God is not weak. But God has an amazing salvation in store for all of us – such an amazing salvation that it doesn’t matter that all of today’s prayers don’t go our way.

 

James the brother of John? He’ll live again. And Peter, who was rescued? He eventually died. But he’ll live again, too. We have to stop putting our hope in temporary rescues, temporary healings, temporary blessings. This life fades and withers, no matter how often God intervenes. We are not Christians because we hope that Jesus will make things easier on us in this life. We are Christians because we know that Jesus is giving us a whole new life when He returns. We should not be confused that God sometimes heals and helps us now while at other times He seems to do nothing. God doesn’t want us to think that His salvation is complete already. He didn’t want the early church to think so, either.

 

Father, thank You that there’s more to come. Better things to come. Thank You that all the frustrating, painful experiences we have today are not forever. Thank You for sometimes acting in response to our prayers, as You did for Peter – reminding us that You are powerful enough to save us. But thank You also that You don’t make this life so easy that we forget to look forward to what is really going to be great – and that You never have. I can’t wait for Jesus to come again! Life will be so wonderful! Your glory and power will be so obvious! We will fully experience and enjoy Your love! Keep reminding us through Your word and through Your answers to prayer – whenever You decide we need them – keep reminding us that You are able to fulfill Your promises. Keep our hope on Jesus’ return.

 

Acts 11:27-30

During this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of them, named Agabus, stood up and through the Spirit predicted that a severe famine would spread over the entire Roman world. (This happened during the reign of Claudius.) The disciples, each according to his ability, decided to provide help for the brothers living in Judea. This they did, sending their gift to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

 

During this time… This time when the Jewish believers were beginning to preach the gospel to non-Jews, this time when Barnabas and Saul were ministering among the believes in Antioch, this time when the Antiochenes gave the believers for the first time the title Christians. During this time, a prophet named Agabus came to Antioch and gave a Spirit-led prediction that there would be a severe famine, and this took place during the reign of Claudius. According to Barnes, there were four famines during Claudius’ reign, and one of them was particularly severe in Judea, continuing for several years.

 

How did these non-Jews who were the first disciples to be called Christians respond? They responded by recognizing their familial responsibilities. They responded by providing help for the brothers – the Jewish believers. These Gentiles now considered the Jewish believers to be brothers! Where before the good news, there had been a clear distinction and division between Jews and non-Jews, the distinction was now gone – erased in Jesus Christ. Both Jewish believers and Gentile believers had a new identity with Jesus as their Lord and Savior, a new identity that counted their faith in Jesus Christ a more important mark of their citizenship and family ties than their ancestry.

 

So they acted like brothers. Brothers don’t let each other down. Brothers don’t leave each other to fend for themselves. When one brother goes down, another brother is there to pick him up again. And so these non-Jews, these Christians, sent a gift to the elders in Judea to provide for their brothers during the famine.

 

Father, help me to see people this way. We live in a world where secularism has followed on the heels of Christianity’s unifying principle, claiming that we ought to see all the world as brothers and overlook all distinctions. And there is certainly a way in which I ought to see all people as my human brothers and sisters, seeking to help where I can and to make peace in all places. But there is one dividing line who will never change, who makes me family with some even though I am neighbor to all: Jesus Christ. Because of Jesus, may I remember to respond with empathy and help particularly for those who are family in Christ. My resources are limited, so teach me to meet the needs of my own family as well as I can. May I prioritize Your people, Father, who are also my people. May I prioritize them anytime I have to make a choice because those who believe in Jesus are family.

 

Acts 11:19-26

    Now those who had been scattered by the persecution in connection with Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, telling the message only to Jews. Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord's hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

 

    News of this reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw the evidence of the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

 

    Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.

 

It took a little while for Jewish believers to grasp that God was redeeming not only them, but everyone. Understandably so. But little by little, some of the Jews who had lived among Gentiles began to tell non-Jews the good news that the Judge of all men is also the Savior of all men. Jesus, the One we’ve offended by our sins, is the One who offers us a relationship with Himself. And non-Jews turned to Jesus. A lot of them.

 

Again, the church leaders wanted to confirm that what they were hearing about was actually the work of God. So they sent Barnabas. Caution is always best before saying that some new spiritual movement is actually from God. But notice the response when leaders have confirmed that God is truly at work: gladness, encouraging words to keep people following Jesus, and many more people brought to know their Lord.

 

Not only that, but Barnabas invested his life in these believers, and he called Saul along to do the same. For a year! And so the Jewish believers continued to invest in reaching out to the non-Jews, and the church grew. And there in Antioch, where Jews and Gentiles came together as the church, the disciples were first called Christians. Christ brought Jews and non-Jews together, and He became the name by which they were called. Our unity points people to Christ, because nothing else would or could unite us.

 

Father, at this point we’re suffering from a much smaller number of Jews in our midst. Lord, please bring them to you. And bridge the divides that exist between various Gentile cultures. Bring people who are totally different from one another together because of Jesus Christ – because His grace is poured out on us and we are now a part of His family. May those of us who know You value Jesus and His family above any earthly connections we have – national, cultural, familial. And may people see us united in Christ. May they join us. Bring in other Gentiles, but bring in many Jews again, too – Jews confessing that the God they have always professed is actually Jesus Christ! May the world know You.

 

Acts 11:1-18

    The apostles and the brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him and said, "You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them."

 

    Peter began and explained everything to them precisely as it had happened: "I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. Then I heard a voice telling me, `Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.'

 

    "I replied, `Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.'

 

    "The voice spoke from heaven a second time, `Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.' This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.

 

    "Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house. He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, `Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.'

 

    "As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. Then I remembered what the Lord had said: `John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.' So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us, who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could oppose God?"

 

    When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted even the Gentiles repentance unto life."

 

We’ve already heard that God accepted the Gentiles, demonstrating His acceptance by sending Peter to Cornelius’ family and giving them the Holy Spirit when the heard the good news about Jesus. For us today, since we’re used to the idea that non-Jews can be saved by God, this seems like no big deal.

 

But it is huge! Look at this story! The apostles and brothers throughout Judea hear something: they hear that the Gentiles have received the word of God. And what is their response? It’s probably the same response Peter would have had if God hadn’t given him a vision and told him – directly commanded him through the Holy Spirit – to go with his non-Jew visitors. They took issue with Peter! They were too distracted by the fact that Peter ate with uncircumcised, non-covenanted men to praise God that more people had heard God’s words! We may look back and think how foolish that was, but we have 2000 years of history in which God has revealed Himself to non-Jews. Prior to this, God revealed Himself almost exclusively to Jews! And He gave His covenant to Jews. So the Jews had a right to be confused. We also should test people when they bring something strange to the table of our fellowship with God. God has already told us what it looks like to fellowship with Him, and we don’t want to receive what God hasn’t welcomed to the table. While we may find their reaction odd, given the fact that we’re humans with a limited grasp of what God is doing, I hope that we would prioritize clinging to what we do know of God while examining new ideas, like they did. Why? Because they were being faithful to God. And it wouldn’t take long for God to teach His people some new things so long as they were listening to Him. But it’s always good to check and make sure a new direction is coming from God.

 

But Peter reported to them the whole story – his vision, Cornelius’ vision and need for someone to bring a message through which he and his family would be saved (since they weren’t yet) – and the way that Jesus showed He had accepted these Gentiles by giving them the Holy Spirit. He reminded them of Jesus’ words: “John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” These men who knew Jesus saw it immediately. God really was doing a new thing! He really was offering salvation to non-Jews!

 

Father, thank You that those who loved and knew You were wary of new directions. Thank You that they set us an example. An example of holding faithfully to what You had revealed so far. And an example of examining and accepting a new direction from You, a direction that they were able to see was in line with Your work all along. Thank You that Your new direction was to accept and save people like me. Lord, may I follow their example of faithfulness to You. And may I also continue the tradition started way back in Acts 10 and 11 of offering Your good news to everyone – Jew or non-Jew. May people hear Your message and throw themselves at Your feet for the mercy we all need, but only You give.

 

 

Acts 10:34-48

    Then Peter began to speak: "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. You know what has happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached-- how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.

    "We are witnesses of everything he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They killed him by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him from the dead on the third day and caused him to be seen. He was not seen by all the people, but by witnesses whom God had already chosen--by us who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one whom God appointed as judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

    While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles. For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.

    Then Peter said, "Can anyone keep these people from being baptized with water? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have." So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

 

What is new and amazing in this passage doesn’t feel new and amazing to us today: God accepts non-Jews! The evidence is overwhelming to Peter. God spoke to Cornelius, a non-Jew, through an angelic vision and told him to find Peter. God spoke to Peter, a Jew, through a dietary vision and told him to accept what God accepted. The vision was followed by directions from the Holy Spirit to Peter that he was to go with the Gentile visitors who had just arrived where he was staying. And when Peter arrived at Cornelius’ house, he was told again that Cornelius had specifically invited him to come announce a message from the Lord because the Lord had told him to. The Lord’s hand was everywhere, dealing with both the Jews and the non-Jews. And so Peter begins by saying, “I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism, but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right.” Men from every nation? Accepted by God? Amazing!

 

And God’s acceptance leads to salvation. God brought Peter to Cornelius so that Peter could tell Cornelius that Jesus Christ, the Jew who had done amazing things but had then been killed by the Jews, was God’s appointed Messiah, the judge of all men and the one who stands ready to condemn Jews and Gentiles alike for their sins. Cornelius needed to hear this. He needed to know that he stood condemned in his sins, even though God had noticed his good deeds and had sent an angel to direct him to Peter. He still stood in danger before the Holy God of all. But Peter also told Cornelius that the Judge of all was the one who offered forgiveness to all. Through Jesus’ name, everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins! Everyone… Jew and Gentile.

 

Father, thank You for sending Jesus not only to be the Judge of all men, even though Jews and Gentiles alike deserve to go to hell for our sins against You. Thank You for establishing Jesus also as the Savior of all men. Not just Jews, but people like me, too. Otherwise, I and almost everyone I know would be lost. Thank You for being such a wonderful Savior, a saving God for Jews, and for Gentiles, too!

 

Acts 10:23b-33

    The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along. The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. But Peter made him get up. "Stand up," he said, "I am only a man myself."

 

    Talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. He said to them: "You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with a Gentile or visit him. But God has shown me that I should not call any man impure or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?"

 

    Cornelius answered: "Four days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me and said, `Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.' So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us."

 

Father, thank You for reaching out to us Gentiles and teaching us not to worship men or any other created being. Thank You for teaching Your Jewish people that Gentiles may be clean so that they would be willing to offer us the hope of salvation. Thank You that You have dealt with Gentiles in the same wonderful ways that You’ve dealt with Jews – in dreams, through angels, by Your grace and mercy. Thank You that Gentiles may gather to listen to hear what You have commanded. Thank You that we are not cut off from You, that You do not give us the cold shoulder, that You have not rejected us. You are so gracious!

 

Acts 10:9-23

    About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles of the earth and birds of the air. Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter. Kill and eat."

 

    "Surely not, Lord!" Peter replied. "I have never eaten anything impure or unclean."

 

    The voice spoke to him a second time, "Do not call anything impure that God has made clean."

 

    This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven.

 

    While Peter was wondering about the meaning of the vision, the men sent by Cornelius found out where Simon's house was and stopped at the gate. They called out, asking if Simon who was known as Peter was staying there.

 

    While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Simon, three men are looking for you. So get up and go downstairs. Do not hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

 

    Peter went down and said to the men, "I'm the one you're looking for. Why have you come?"

 

    The men replied, "We have come from Cornelius the centurion. He is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is respected by all the Jewish people. A holy angel told him to have you come to his house so that he could hear what you have to say." Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.

 

To bring Cornelius the opportunity of salvation, God needed to deliver two divine messages, not just one. He had already spoken to Cornelius through an angelic vision. But when God spoke to Cornelius and told him to go find Peter, Peter was not yet at a point where he was willing to associate with Gentiles like Cornelius. God had to speak to Peter, too.

 

He did so through a vision centered on food (God knows just how to speak to us men, doesn’t He?). Peter, who had been brought up and had lived according to the Jewish food laws God had commanded the Jews to follow, was told to eat animals he thought of as unclean. And God told Peter not to reject what God made clean. God could make anything clean.

 

When the vision was over, Cornelius’ men arrived and the Holy Spirit told Peter to go with them without misgivings. That was the point of the vision: Peter was supposed to go on a two-day trip to be with Gentiles! Without the vision, who knows what Peter’s response would have been? (Note: Many today justify eating foods the Jews consider unclean based on this vision. This may be a correct application, but not necessarily, since the vision was really an illustration telling Peter to accept Gentiles. For a direct Scripture teaching on eating non-Kosher foods, see Mark 7:18-19.) But Peter’s response following the vision was to invite these Gentile men in as his guests.

 

Peter, even as a believer and an apostle, didn’t understand everything he needed to understand right from the start. As Peter followed Jesus, Jesus continued to teach and grow him. And as Peter listened to his Lord and obeyed Him, Peter did what Jesus wanted. Had Peter just shaken this vision off, saying, “I shouldn’t have let myself get so hungry. I’m getting delirious!” and not received the teaching of the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ mission to the Gentiles would have been hampered.

 

But it was God who was at work. And what God wants done is done. So God spoke to Cornelius through an angel, directing him to find Peter for an important message. And God spoke to Peter through a vision, instructing him to welcome Gentiles and go with them, despite the fact that he had been taught to see them as unclean. God was at work, and so men did His will.

 

Father, Thank You for Your work among us. Thank You that You don’t expect us to know everything or be wise enough to know Your will in every situation. You teach us and grow us as we follow You. You prepare us to walk in Your plans. May we who believe in Your Son Jesus Christ remain humble and open to being taught fresh ideas from You. May we admit that we do not understand Your words perfectly, and may we therefore be all the more alert to listen to You, the one we call our Lord. You are all-wise and all-righteous. Your plans are good. Help me and all Your children learn from You.

 

Acts 10:1-8

At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion of what was known as the Italian Cohort,a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God.

 

About the ninth hour of the day he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God come in and say to him, "Cornelius."

 

And he stared at him in terror and said, "What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have ascended as a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa and bring one Simon who is called Peter. He is lodging with one Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea."

 

When the angel who spoke to him had departed, he called two of his servants and a devout soldier from among those who attended him, and having related everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

 

This is the story of Cornelius, the story of how God saved a man who by most people's thinking was either already "ok" with God or was hopeless. When Luke describes him, he sounds wonderful: devout, fears God (with his family), generous and continually praying to God. It is this description that polarizes people in their perceptions of Cornelius. Some say, "He sounds so pious, of course he's right with God." Others say, "But this could describe a serious adherent to any religion. He's so committed to his own religious practices - so dependent on his own works to earn him a place with God - that he is in terrible danger of God's judgment. What should we believe?

 

The story itself gives us some hints. God sends an angel to Cornelius. And that angel’s message begins by saying that God has taken note of Cornelius’ prayers and generosity. But what kind of notice has God taken? Has the angel come to assure Cornelius that he and his family will live forever at God’s right hand?

 

No. The angel tells Cornelius to send for the apostle Peter, and where to find him. Isn’t that strange? If God were truly pleased with Cornelius, would He not have been more likely to send a message such as, “Cornelius, you are among the best of my servants on earth, even if you aren’t a Jew. You are such a good person. Listen, you need to know that you will definitely be staying in My house when the time comes. You’ve earned it.” That’s the message we would expect if Cornelius was actually right with God. But instead, the angel says, “Cornelius, God has noticed that you are striving to serve Him by your prayers and your generosity. So here’s what you need to do: find Peter.”

 

Why did Cornelius need to find Peter? Well, when Peter comes to Cornelius, Peter preaches the gospel to him (Acts 10:34-43). Peter says that Cornelius already knows something – the earthly history of Jesus Christ (10:37-38). But Peter adds some information that Cornelius does not know – that Peter and the other disciples have been appointed to testify that Jesus is the final judge, and that everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of his sins (10:39-43). So while Cornelius was devoutly following God, and may even have had high respect for Jesus as a man of God, Cornelius did not yet know that Jesus was actually the God-appointed judge of all humanity, the one before whom all of Cornelius’ sins would be laid bare. Cornelius did not yet know that he needed to place his trust in Jesus if he wanted to be forgiven of his sins. In other words, Cornelius had not yet placed his trust in Jesus. Cornelius had not yet been forgiven for his sins.

 

Rather than looking at what happened to Cornelius when Peter told him these things (that will come soon enough), let’s return to the verses above. Cornelius was a man who cared deeply about pleasing God. He was a man actually seeking God. And God had noticed his efforts. But God had not yet forgiven Cornelius’ sins. In His great mercy, God sent an angel to Cornelius and told him to find the very person who could help this passionate God-seeker to actually find God.

 

So was Cornelius right with God or not? No. Cornelius, at the beginning of this story, was actually in terrible danger of facing God’s wrath. His sins, despite his prayers and his generosity, had not yet been forgiven. Cornelius was still seeking. And so when the angel told him to find Peter, Cornelius did what a seeker does: he kept seeking. He sent men to find Peter and bring him back, because Cornelius was eager to find out what God had in store for him through Peter. Cornelius was not yet right with God. But God was fulfilling His promise to this seeker: “Seek and you will find” (Matthew 7:7). God had seen Cornelius’ blind, hopeful prayers and generosity, and God was placing Himself squarely in the path of this lost seeker. God was choosing to be found.

 

Father, thank You so much! This story is amazing. Even though Cornelius was not a member of Your chosen people – at least according to his national background – You, the God of the Jews, willingly opened the door for him to know You. Cornelius might never have heard of Jesus and might never have had the opportunity to have his sins forgiven. He deserved Your grace no more than anyone else. But You saw him seeking. And You had compassion on him. And You spoke to him through an angel, giving Cornelius specific directions from where he was to where Your people were. As I read this story, I recognize more than ever how much grace You had toward me. I have lived like Cornelius, seeking You by what I do, trying to imitate what people who seem to know You do and say. And like You did with Cornelius, You made sure that at some point I heard the truth about Jesus. In Cornelius’ life, You directed him to your words of life via an angel’s message. In my life, You directed me to your words of life by having me be born to a man and a woman who knew You and spoke your words all the time. But in both my life and Cornelius’, it was Your guiding hand that led us to Your truth. Thank You for caring about seekers. Thank You for caring about people who have no clue how to find You on their own – for caring enough to speak to us instead of hiding.

 

Acts 9:36-43

    In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor. About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room. 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!"

 

    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.

 

    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. 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. This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.

 

So Peter raised Tabitha from the dead. What does this teach us today?

 

Does it teach us that really honorable people will always be brought back to life to go on serving (in this life)? Tabitha was certainly honorable. She was “always doing good and helping the poor.” When Peter came, the weeping widows showed him all the clothing that she had made for them. She cared about people in very practical ways, and she would have been sorely missed if Peter had not raised her from the dead. But such wonderful people are not always raised – yet. If that were true, then we would have to wonder why Stephen did not get resurrected after his martyrdom. We have to wait for Jesus’ return to see all His disciples raised to life again. Even Tabitha!

 

Does it teach us that we disciples ought to be doing a lot more healings and resurrections in our day? I wish it did! But the gifts of healing and miracles seem to have been restricted mostly to the apostles. Notice that it was other disciples who called Peter to Joppa. They did not, and presumably could not, raise Tabitha to life. So healings and miracles like this one are not for all believers to do. The Holy Spirit distributes His gifts as He sees fit. Some believers are given the gifts of healings and miracles; many of us are not. It is interesting to me that the New Testament speaks only of church leaders who had such gifts; I wonder whether there are church leaders in our day who have these gifts but who have never been asked to use them.

 

But what does Tabitha’s healing teach us? It teaches us that Jesus is the source of resurrection! When Tabitha was raised to life, did everyone worship Peter? No. “Many people believed in the Lord.” When Peter went to Joppa and raised Tabitha, how did he begin? “Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed.” We don’t know what he prayed. He may not have known when he knelt down whether Jesus wanted him to raise Tabitha; perhaps he was asking for guidance. Or perhaps he was asking Jesus whether he was authorized to raise this particular person, Tabitha. But whatever the prayer was about, Peter knew he could not raise Tabitha from the dead by his wishes. He couldn’t raise her from the dead by his own powers; do you and I have that kind of power in us? He couldn’t raise her from the dead by his own authority; he needed authority from above. It was Jesus’ will to raise Tabitha from the dead, and Tabitha was raised by Jesus’ power and authority.

 

All life comes through Jesus. All life, including life after death. Jesus gives us spiritual life after our sins have killed us. Jesus gives physical life after our bodies have fallen apart. Though He does not raise every believer from the dead now, when Jesus comes again we will all be raised, restored to do good works forever. Jesus is the resurrection and the life! Let’s put all our hope in Him!

 

Father, thank You for another reminder that my one hope is in Jesus Christ. Without Him, all the pleasure I can expect to have is limited to this life. And to be honest, in this cursed world, with its sin and decay, I can get depressed. It is so encouraging to know that Jesus gives life! It is so encouraging to know that Jesus can overcome every part of the curse – even death! I look forward to the day when Jesus comes again. I am so excited to know that one day I will have a body that never gets sick or hurt or weak! Lord, with that hope in mind, help me to live joyfully NOW. Help me to put up with pain and sickness – and even to look death in the face without fear – knowing that their hold on me is limited. Help me to serve the people around me gladly, even when I am exhausted, because I know that Jesus will renew my life. Help me to be a faithful servant now, while it is difficult, because I know that I will one day receive my King’s rewards.

 

Acts 9:32-35

Now it came about that as Peter was traveling through all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda. And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed. And Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; arise, and make your bed." And immediately he arose. And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

 

When the apostles heal people in the book of Acts, one of the amazing aspects of these stories is how simple it seems – how simple it is. Peter traveled. Peter met up with believers in Lydda. Peter encountered Aeneas, a paralyzed man who had been bedridden for eight years.

 

And Peter told him about Jesus. “Jesus Christ heals you.” We say things like that today questioning what they mean. “Jesus Christ heals you… spiritually.” “Jesus Christ heals you… at least, He will some day.” “Jesus Christ heals you… because He makes doctors really smart so that they can figure out what’s wrong and get you just the right medication.” Peter knew about spiritual health. Peter knew about Christ’s return, when everything will be fully restored. Peter knew about doctors and medicines, and probably thanked God for them (in fact, a doctor wrote the book of Acts!).

 

But Peter knew that Jesus heals. And Peter didn’t limit what that meant. Jesus heals spiritually, and entirely (when He returns), and through doctors and earthly medicines that He provided for us. But Jesus heals, and one of the ways Jesus heals is simply through His authoritative words. The one who was there at the beginning, who said, “Let there be light,” and saw light burst forth to obey Him – He heals by telling people, sometimes through His servants, “Arise, and make your bed.”

 

It is this sort of authority that tells us that Jesus is truly Lord. Jesus is the Master, the King of the universe. What Jesus says goes. And when people understand that what Jesus says goes, they are bound to humbly bow before Him, confessing that they have (foolishly) rebelled against this Jesus who holds all authority in His commands. All who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw the healed paralytic, and they turned to the Lord, to the King whose authority to heal proves His authority to demand everyone’s obedience.

 

It is simple. Jesus heals because He has the authority to heal, and His servants heal because Jesus has given them the authority to heal. And that same authority calls us all to repent of our sins and serve Him – to receive forgiveness from the one who died on the cross in our place. The only way we would reject this authority is if we don’t believe that Jesus heals – in any way He wants.

 

Father, may I recognize that Jesus is Lord, and may I help others to see this, too. And may His authority to heal just make sense to me. May I realize that His ability to heal is as unlimited as His authority – that our Healer can heal by His commands, by His good creation gifts (medicines), by His restoration of the entire world when He returns, and by His restoration of our relationship with God before He returns. No matter what kind of healing it looks like to us, it is Jesus who heals. May I stop mentally limiting His authority. May I understand how thoroughly He reigns in every area of my life – and willingly go along with His commands.

 

Acts 9:23-31

     After many days had gone by, the Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul learned of their plan. Day and night they kept close watch on the city gates in order to kill him. But his followers took him by night and lowered him in a basket through an opening in the wall.

 

    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. 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. So Saul stayed with them and moved about freely in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

 

     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.

 

As faithful as Saul had been in persecuting the church while he believed the church promoted heresy, he was at least as faithful – probably more – in promoting Christ and building up the church once he met Jesus Christ and found that He is Lord and Savior.

 

And Saul’s faithfulness earned him the same reward he had formerly offered to believers: persecution. He had to flee Damascus for Jerusalem. And in Jerusalem, he had a hard time for a while finding friends among the believers. But Barnabas stood up for him and brought him into their fellowship. And Saul continued to preach Jesus Christ – earning himself some more persecution.

 

Apparently, the heavy persecution that had previously been directed toward anyone in the church was now directed almost exclusively toward Saul, because when he was gone the church enjoyed “a time of peace.” There was peace between the church and Saul, their persecutor. There was peace between Christ and Saul. And the church was strengthened. It was comforted and encouraged by the Holy Spirit – even their most vehement persecutor, Saul, could be transformed by Jesus Christ, so what did they have to fear? And the church continued to increase.

 

Father, thank You that You can take even such a man as Saul and make peace with him. Thank You that You can make the church’s enemies into friends. Thank You for making persecutors into co-persecutees. Deliver all Your people from persecution, but more importantly, deliver us all from unfaithful hearts. May we be completely devoted, as Saul was, to our King Jesus – willing to face anything for Him! And may our devotion even in the face of persecution encourage one another and build up Your church. Help us not to wimp out when people mock us, but to proclaim Jesus all the more. People need Him!

 

Acts 9:10-22

Acts 9:10-22

 

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias." And he said, "Behold, here am I, Lord." And the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for behold, he is praying, and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight." But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Thy saints at Jerusalem; and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call upon Thy name." But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen instrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel; for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name's sake." And Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight, and be filled with the Holy Spirit." And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he arose and was baptized; and he took food and was strengthened.

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, "He is the Son of God." And all those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, "Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, and who had come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?" But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

 

This is the story of how one obedient disciple was Christ’s instrument and set fire to the dynamite ministry of Saul of Tarsus.

 

Ananias – before the Lord even gave him his task, he had a willing and obedient heart, saying, “Behold, here I am, Lord.”

 

His assignment was simple: Go to Saul and be the Ananias in his vision, the Ananias who restores his sight.

 

He never said no. Even when afraid, he simply described his fears to Jesus. So rather than scold him, Jesus simply gave Ananias further explanation with the repeated command, “Go.” The reasons were simple: because Saul was a chosen instrument of Christ’s to bear His name before Gentiles, kings, and the sons of Israel; and because Christ was going to show Saul how much he must suffer for Jesus’ name (Note: perhaps through the example of Ananias, the formerly persecuted, obeying Christ even to the point of ministering to Saul, the persecutor – how could Saul have possibly missed this example? Saul’s life would be forever changed. No longer would he persecute. He would now serve Jesus and witness to even his persecutors that Jesus is the Christ.).

 

And Ananias obeyed. He went and laid his hands on Saul, and he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus… has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” He called Saul brother, trusting Jesus. He brought peace from Jesus’ family to Saul, being Jesus’ instrument to heal Saul’s eyes and even to fill Saul with the Holy Spirit.

 

Because this disciple Ananias was faithful:

• Saul’s sight was restored
• Saul was baptized
• Saul ate and was strengthened
• Saul was with (rather than hunting down) the disciples in Damascus
• Saul caused great amazement by his conversion
• Saul preached Jesus and proved that He was the Christ

 

Jesus used Ananias to light the dynamite ministry of Saul. Every believer is significant, though we fill different roles in God’s plan. Praise God for the role He gave Ananias!

 

Father, make us faithful, like Your servant Ananias. May we obey You, even in the face of our fears. May we trust Your wisdom, Your commands, and Your plans. And may we be faithful servants… because You are faithful to us.