To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 27
Celebrating the Work Together
From Attalia they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been committed to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. And they stayed there a long time with the disciples.
—Acts 14:26-28
In his book 365 Thank Yous, John Kralik writes about finding himself at a low point in his life, with his career, his marriage, his friendships, and his relationship with his children in shambles. He knew something needed to change, but he went about it in a somewhat countercultural way. Instead of turning his focus inward, he embarked on a quest to write one thank-you note every day for an entire year. There was a surprising side effect that he couldn’t have anticipated. While the recipients appreciated their notes, the bigger transformation happened within John himself.
As John learned, gratitude isn’t just meant to be felt; God intended it to be expressed and externalized. This is true when it comes to what other people have done for us, but it is even more so when it comes to celebrating and thanking God for what he has done.
Scripture commands God’s people countless times to acknowledge his works publicly:
Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all peoples.
—Psalm 96:3
I will give you thanks in the great assembly; among the throngs I will praise you.
—Psalm 35:18
Praise the Lord. Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of his faithful people.
—Psalm 141:1
It’s so easy, when we’re in the middle of the work God has called us to do, to jump past what God is doing right now and mentally move on to the next step, the next challenge. There’s always another problem to be solved, another task to be accomplished, another goal to be met, and we often fail to pause in the middle of it all to thank God for what he has done and then celebrate those things with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
When Paul and Barnabas reported to the other believers all they had seen God doing as the early church exploded, the entire congregation was bolstered. Acts 14:22 says that as they met with the believers in various cities, they strengthened them and encouraged them to remain true to the faith.
There is great joy in celebrating God’s work in the context of community. Those who give the good report are blessed as they say it with their lips and solidify it in their hearts, and those who hear it are encouraged as they are reminded once again of God’s character and faithfulness.
Just as sorrows are divided in community, so joys are multiplied.
Challenge: How have you seen God at work in your life or in the life of others? Take time to celebrate that work by writing it down and/or telling someone about it.
—Stephanie Rische
Thursday, February 26th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 26
Enduring in the Face of Opposition
The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the good news.
—Acts 14:5-7
Charles Joseph Coward was born in 1905 in England, and by all accounts he had an ordinary life . . . for the first three decades or so. In 1937 he joined the British army, and three years later, he was captured by Nazi forces. Over the course of the next several years, he was sent to one German prisoner of war camp after the other.
But during this time he wasn’t focused on himself and how to save his own skin. Instead, Coward defied his name, devoting himself to rescuing Jews from Auschwitz, one of Germany’s dreaded concentration camps in World War II. His most daring feat of courage, however, was when he exchanged clothes with a prisoner and smuggled himself into Auschwitz for a night. There was someone he thought he might be able to rescue, but the only way to find him was to go behind bars himself. While many prisoners were making desperate attempts to smuggle themselves out of the concentration camp, this man, later dubbed the Count of Auschwitz, put his life on the line to get in.
His attempt was unsuccessful—he was never able found the prisoner he was looking for—but his brave actions serve as an example for us of being willing to face hardship to do the right thing. When we take a stand for Christ, we will sometimes find ourselves standing against the crowd, just as Charles Joseph Coward did.
During their time in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas learned just how fickle popular opinion can be. Shortly after they arrived, the people thought they were gods (Acts 14:11-13). And then, just a few verses later, the Jewish leaders arrived and turned the crowd against them until they took the drastic action of stoning Paul (Acts 14:19).
When we look to the crowd to affirm us or define our worth, we will struggle to endure the opposition we face. But when we look to Jesus as our cornerstone for truth, we will be able to remain faithful until the end. Even if, like for Charles Coward, that means being smuggled into enemy territory.
When are you most tempted to listen to the crowd? First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Write down this verse somewhere you’ll see it to remind you whose voice to listen to.
—Stephanie Rische
February 26
Enduring in the Face of Opposition
The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles. There was a plot afoot among the Gentiles and Jews, together with their leaders, to mistreat them and stone them. But they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding country, where they continued to preach the good news.
—Acts 14:5-7
Charles Joseph Coward was born in 1905 in England, and by all accounts he had an ordinary life . . . for the first three decades or so. In 1937 he joined the British army, and three years later, he was captured by Nazi forces. Over the course of the next several years, he was sent to one German prisoner of war camp after the other.
But during this time he wasn’t focused on himself and how to save his own skin. Instead, Coward defied his name, devoting himself to rescuing Jews from Auschwitz, one of Germany’s dreaded concentration camps in World War II. His most daring feat of courage, however, was when he exchanged clothes with a prisoner and smuggled himself into Auschwitz for a night. There was someone he thought he might be able to rescue, but the only way to find him was to go behind bars himself. While many prisoners were making desperate attempts to smuggle themselves out of the concentration camp, this man, later dubbed the Count of Auschwitz, put his life on the line to get in.
His attempt was unsuccessful—he was never able found the prisoner he was looking for—but his brave actions serve as an example for us of being willing to face hardship to do the right thing. When we take a stand for Christ, we will sometimes find ourselves standing against the crowd, just as Charles Joseph Coward did.
During their time in Lystra, Paul and Barnabas learned just how fickle popular opinion can be. Shortly after they arrived, the people thought they were gods (Acts 14:11-13). And then, just a few verses later, the Jewish leaders arrived and turned the crowd against them until they took the drastic action of stoning Paul (Acts 14:19).
When we look to the crowd to affirm us or define our worth, we will struggle to endure the opposition we face. But when we look to Jesus as our cornerstone for truth, we will be able to remain faithful until the end. Even if, like for Charles Coward, that means being smuggled into enemy territory.
When are you most tempted to listen to the crowd? First Corinthians 10:13 says, “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” Write down this verse somewhere you’ll see it to remind you whose voice to listen to.
—Stephanie Rische
Wednesday, February 25th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 25
Dealing with Opposition
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
—Acts 14:23
If ever there was a test of the human body, mind, and soul, surely it must be war. War poses nearly every kind of challenge conceivable: it’s a test of courage, of physical ability, of mental sharpness, of loyalty and patriotism.
On a daily basis, soldiers face challenges of a magnitude most civilians can’t even comprehend: the prospect of having to take human life, the threat of being killed themselves, the absence of the comforts of home, and the long stretches of time they’re separated from family and friends.
But perhaps one of the most significant challenges faced by those on the front lines is one we might not immediately consider: endurance. It’s not just that soldiers have to put up with those difficulties; it’s also that they don’t know how long they’ll have to.
During World War II, after the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, most Americans believed the Allied victory was close at hand. Most of the troops weren’t issued winter uniforms because the generals were convinced they wouldn’t be in Europe long enough to need them. The soldiers, meanwhile, talked among themselves in their foxholes about being home by Christmas.
But weeks became months, and still the fighting continued. Many of the soldiers grew weary in the waiting, and a few grew so desperate that they took drastic measures to get home. In the midst of mortar exchanges with the Germans, some American GIs stuck a foot out of their foxholes in an attempt to get wounded badly enough to be sent home. But there were other soldiers who found a way to endure despite the opposition and hardships.
Paul and Barnabas weren’t in a war, per se, but they faced fierce opponents—spiritual snipers, perhaps—who were looking to shut down their ministry, cause them harm, and even take their lives, if necessary. These men were faced with a decision: Would they choose self-preservation and head home, or would they endure despite the opposition?
Remarkably, Paul and Barnabas were undaunted by the challenges and obstacles they faced. They would preach in one place until their lives were in too much danger, and then they’d flee to another city. They’d minister there for as long as they could until they were driven out again. They may have been diverted to new locations, but their mission never wavered. The new cities just meant that God was using them to spread the gospel even farther. Acts 14:7 makes it clear that they never lost sight of their calling: after they fled to new cities, “they continued to preach the good news.”
Perhaps one of the most remarkable details about the endurance of these men happened just after Paul was stoned and left for dead. Anyone would have understood if he and Barnabas decided to take an early retirement at that point, but instead, they immediately returned to Lystra and Iconium—the very cities where they’d been threatened and attacked (see Acts 14:21-22).
What difficult situation are you facing right now? What would it look like to endure, as Paul and Barnabas did, in the midst of that situation?
—Stephanie Rische
February 25
Dealing with Opposition
Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.
—Acts 14:23
If ever there was a test of the human body, mind, and soul, surely it must be war. War poses nearly every kind of challenge conceivable: it’s a test of courage, of physical ability, of mental sharpness, of loyalty and patriotism.
On a daily basis, soldiers face challenges of a magnitude most civilians can’t even comprehend: the prospect of having to take human life, the threat of being killed themselves, the absence of the comforts of home, and the long stretches of time they’re separated from family and friends.
But perhaps one of the most significant challenges faced by those on the front lines is one we might not immediately consider: endurance. It’s not just that soldiers have to put up with those difficulties; it’s also that they don’t know how long they’ll have to.
During World War II, after the Invasion of Normandy in June 1944, most Americans believed the Allied victory was close at hand. Most of the troops weren’t issued winter uniforms because the generals were convinced they wouldn’t be in Europe long enough to need them. The soldiers, meanwhile, talked among themselves in their foxholes about being home by Christmas.
But weeks became months, and still the fighting continued. Many of the soldiers grew weary in the waiting, and a few grew so desperate that they took drastic measures to get home. In the midst of mortar exchanges with the Germans, some American GIs stuck a foot out of their foxholes in an attempt to get wounded badly enough to be sent home. But there were other soldiers who found a way to endure despite the opposition and hardships.
Paul and Barnabas weren’t in a war, per se, but they faced fierce opponents—spiritual snipers, perhaps—who were looking to shut down their ministry, cause them harm, and even take their lives, if necessary. These men were faced with a decision: Would they choose self-preservation and head home, or would they endure despite the opposition?
Remarkably, Paul and Barnabas were undaunted by the challenges and obstacles they faced. They would preach in one place until their lives were in too much danger, and then they’d flee to another city. They’d minister there for as long as they could until they were driven out again. They may have been diverted to new locations, but their mission never wavered. The new cities just meant that God was using them to spread the gospel even farther. Acts 14:7 makes it clear that they never lost sight of their calling: after they fled to new cities, “they continued to preach the good news.”
Perhaps one of the most remarkable details about the endurance of these men happened just after Paul was stoned and left for dead. Anyone would have understood if he and Barnabas decided to take an early retirement at that point, but instead, they immediately returned to Lystra and Iconium—the very cities where they’d been threatened and attacked (see Acts 14:21-22).
What difficult situation are you facing right now? What would it look like to endure, as Paul and Barnabas did, in the midst of that situation?
—Stephanie Rische
Tuesday, February 24th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 24
Unity in the Midst of Opposition
Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
—Acts 14:3
In 1996, Eric Daniel Harris, a pastor at Kentucky Missionary Baptist Church in Saline City, Arkansas, pled guilty to a startling crime: he set fire to his own church. But perhaps the most surprising part of the arson wasn’t that he did it but why he did it. It wasn’t to get insurance money; it wasn’t out of spite. No, his actions were a misguided attempt to create unity in his congregation. He said, “There was a division among church members, and they needed a project to unite them.”
Clearly Pastor Harris was wrong to commit a crime to achieve this goal. But he may have been on to something with the underlying premise. The truth is, although opposition and hardship can be painful, God can also redeem those trials and bring something good out of them.
We know from Scripture that God has the power to prevent us from facing opposition and going through trials. He parted the Red Sea to enable the Israelites to escape slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. He took the prophet Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire, meaning Elijah never had to experience death. When Jesus walked the earth, he healed the lame and sick and brought sight to the blind.
But there have also been times in history when God allowed his followers to face opposition. Instead of going directly to the Promised Land, the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Joseph was sold by his brothers and thrown in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Jesus allowed his friend Lazarus to die even though Lazarus’s sisters asked Jesus to heal him.
None of these circumstances meant that God wasn’t blessing these people or that he had withdrawn his presence from them. Instead, he allowed those times of opposition so he could fulfill his purposes in ways more powerful than what could be accomplished through harmony and ease.
God allowed Paul and Barnabas to face significant opposition on their missionary journey too. But that didn’t mean they were doing something wrong or that God was withholding his blessings from them. The reality is that Jesus is a dividing line. The apostle Peter described Jesus as a rock that will be either a stumbling block or a cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-10). It’s impossible to remain neutral about Jesus. So when people oppose Jesus, it’s natural that they’ll oppose us too.
Have you ever faced opposition because of your faith? How would you respond if you were criticized or faced negative consequences for following Jesus?
—Stephanie Rische
February 24
Unity in the Midst of Opposition
Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders.
—Acts 14:3
In 1996, Eric Daniel Harris, a pastor at Kentucky Missionary Baptist Church in Saline City, Arkansas, pled guilty to a startling crime: he set fire to his own church. But perhaps the most surprising part of the arson wasn’t that he did it but why he did it. It wasn’t to get insurance money; it wasn’t out of spite. No, his actions were a misguided attempt to create unity in his congregation. He said, “There was a division among church members, and they needed a project to unite them.”
Clearly Pastor Harris was wrong to commit a crime to achieve this goal. But he may have been on to something with the underlying premise. The truth is, although opposition and hardship can be painful, God can also redeem those trials and bring something good out of them.
We know from Scripture that God has the power to prevent us from facing opposition and going through trials. He parted the Red Sea to enable the Israelites to escape slavery at the hands of the Egyptians. He took the prophet Elijah to heaven in a chariot of fire, meaning Elijah never had to experience death. When Jesus walked the earth, he healed the lame and sick and brought sight to the blind.
But there have also been times in history when God allowed his followers to face opposition. Instead of going directly to the Promised Land, the Israelites had to wander in the wilderness for forty years. Joseph was sold by his brothers and thrown in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Jesus allowed his friend Lazarus to die even though Lazarus’s sisters asked Jesus to heal him.
None of these circumstances meant that God wasn’t blessing these people or that he had withdrawn his presence from them. Instead, he allowed those times of opposition so he could fulfill his purposes in ways more powerful than what could be accomplished through harmony and ease.
God allowed Paul and Barnabas to face significant opposition on their missionary journey too. But that didn’t mean they were doing something wrong or that God was withholding his blessings from them. The reality is that Jesus is a dividing line. The apostle Peter described Jesus as a rock that will be either a stumbling block or a cornerstone (1 Peter 2:4-10). It’s impossible to remain neutral about Jesus. So when people oppose Jesus, it’s natural that they’ll oppose us too.
Have you ever faced opposition because of your faith? How would you respond if you were criticized or faced negative consequences for following Jesus?
—Stephanie Rische
Monday, February 23rd
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 23
Success Brings Opposition
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
—Acts 14:1-2
We had just finished eating lunch with a pastor from a country in Southeast Asia. He had come to the States for a few weeks to give an update on the small but vibrant church that met in the basement of his home. In his country, it was illegal to convert from another religion to Christianity, and he and his fellow church members had faced the kind of persecution that seems unimaginable to most of us in the West. One member of their congregation had lost his job due to religious discrimination. One woman had been disowned by her family. Another man had been thrown into jail without cause.
When he had finished giving us the update about his church, one of my friends asked, “Pastor, how can we pray for you?”
The room was filled with palpable silence as we awaited his answer. Would he ask us to pray for religious freedom in his country or an overthrow of the current government? Would he request safety and physical protection for his family? Would he ask for financial provision for his church? Would he ask for the means to move to a safer place?
“Actually,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “my church prays for you.”
“For us?” We were incredulous.
“Yes, for the church in America.”
No one could formulate a response. We just stared at him.
“We are worried for you in America,” he said. “You are so comfortable here. If you do not face trials because of Jesus, how will your faith be proven true? How will you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?”
Here I’d been wondering how his faith could stand up under so many trials, and he was wondering how my faith could stand up without them. Clearly I had a lot to learn about suffering for Jesus.
Reading the accounts of the early church in the book of Acts can feel like a cross-cultural experience for us—it turns our preconceived notions about faith upside down. As Western Christians, it’s easy to think that if we’re facing opposition, we must be doing something wrong. If we are criticized, we wonder if it’s time to throw in the towel. If we run into conflict, we decide maybe this wasn’t God’s will. If we feel the pangs of doubt and discouragement, we figure this must not have been our calling after all.
But the book of Acts lets us in on a secret American culture will never tell us: success doesn’t automatically lead to smooth sailing. In fact, sometimes success leads to opposition.
When Paul and Barnabas embarked on their missionary journey, the very fact that people were listening and responding to the message of the gospel was what got them in trouble. If they’d just been coasting along, not making waves, the Jewish leaders no doubt would have left them alone. It was only because God was at work through them that they found their lives in danger. And there were some unexpected upsides to the opposition they faced: it deepened their reliance on God and solidified their relationship with other, giving them an even more unified bond in Christ.
The same is true for us. For all that opposition is uncomfortable and frightening, it unites with the God who can protect us in the midst of trials and with our brothers and sisters, who walk through it with us.
—Stephanie Rische
February 23
Success Brings Opposition
At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.
—Acts 14:1-2
We had just finished eating lunch with a pastor from a country in Southeast Asia. He had come to the States for a few weeks to give an update on the small but vibrant church that met in the basement of his home. In his country, it was illegal to convert from another religion to Christianity, and he and his fellow church members had faced the kind of persecution that seems unimaginable to most of us in the West. One member of their congregation had lost his job due to religious discrimination. One woman had been disowned by her family. Another man had been thrown into jail without cause.
When he had finished giving us the update about his church, one of my friends asked, “Pastor, how can we pray for you?”
The room was filled with palpable silence as we awaited his answer. Would he ask us to pray for religious freedom in his country or an overthrow of the current government? Would he request safety and physical protection for his family? Would he ask for financial provision for his church? Would he ask for the means to move to a safer place?
“Actually,” he said, his voice thick with emotion, “my church prays for you.”
“For us?” We were incredulous.
“Yes, for the church in America.”
No one could formulate a response. We just stared at him.
“We are worried for you in America,” he said. “You are so comfortable here. If you do not face trials because of Jesus, how will your faith be proven true? How will you grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ?”
Here I’d been wondering how his faith could stand up under so many trials, and he was wondering how my faith could stand up without them. Clearly I had a lot to learn about suffering for Jesus.
Reading the accounts of the early church in the book of Acts can feel like a cross-cultural experience for us—it turns our preconceived notions about faith upside down. As Western Christians, it’s easy to think that if we’re facing opposition, we must be doing something wrong. If we are criticized, we wonder if it’s time to throw in the towel. If we run into conflict, we decide maybe this wasn’t God’s will. If we feel the pangs of doubt and discouragement, we figure this must not have been our calling after all.
But the book of Acts lets us in on a secret American culture will never tell us: success doesn’t automatically lead to smooth sailing. In fact, sometimes success leads to opposition.
When Paul and Barnabas embarked on their missionary journey, the very fact that people were listening and responding to the message of the gospel was what got them in trouble. If they’d just been coasting along, not making waves, the Jewish leaders no doubt would have left them alone. It was only because God was at work through them that they found their lives in danger. And there were some unexpected upsides to the opposition they faced: it deepened their reliance on God and solidified their relationship with other, giving them an even more unified bond in Christ.
The same is true for us. For all that opposition is uncomfortable and frightening, it unites with the God who can protect us in the midst of trials and with our brothers and sisters, who walk through it with us.
—Stephanie Rische
Friday, February 20th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 20: Proclaiming the Word Together
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.
—Acts 13:4-5
The lyrics to this classic Christian song were written in the 1960s, when racial tensions were high in the United States:
We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord.
and we pray that all unity
may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians
by our love, by our love.
These lyrics were penned by Peter Scholtes, who was leading a youth choir at the time. He searched everywhere for a song that would be appropriate for a series of events designed to bring together people of various cultural backgrounds and different denominations, but he couldn’t find a song that would work. So he wrote this song—all in a single day.
Perhaps the most significant reason unity is important for the church is because we’ve been entrusted with the calling of proclaiming the gospel to those who are near and those who are far. Our unity is a significant piece of our witness to a world that’s divided in every conceivable way, polarized by political differences, socioeconomic differences, racial differences, and religious differences.
The world is accustomed to seeing relationships fractured by jealousy, fear, and mistrust. So when they see Christians in community, showing authentic love to one another the way God intended, they pay attention.
When Paul and Barnabas were sent out as the church’s first missionaries, they knew how crucial it would be for them to be of one heart. They would face many obstacles from the outside, not the least of which was that many of the Jewish leaders wanted them dead. And they would be leaving everything behind—family, friends, their church, and the comforts of home—for an unknown future. Besides all the natural challenges they were up against, they would also face spiritual opposition. They would need to be united with each other if they were going to remain strong.
The same is true for us. There may not be a wanted poster with our faces on it, but we do come up against opposition—from the world, which often doesn’t understand the values we hold sacred, and from Satan, who would like nothing more than to thwart our mission by stirring up division between us.
Unity doesn’t happen automatically. When we become Christians, we don’t wake up the next morning with glowing feelings about every other believer we meet. We still have personality clashes; we still disagree with one another at times. So how can so many different voices join together into a unified melody?
A. W. Tozer, a renowned theologian, described Christian unity this way in his book The Pursuit of God: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
If we want to create a beautiful symphony, we have to resist the urge to compete for a solo and instead play the part we were designed to play. When we are in tune with Christ, we will be in harmony with one another as well.
—Stephanie Rische
February 20: Proclaiming the Word Together
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.
—Acts 13:4-5
The lyrics to this classic Christian song were written in the 1960s, when racial tensions were high in the United States:
We are one in the Spirit,
we are one in the Lord.
and we pray that all unity
may one day be restored.
And they’ll know we are Christians
by our love, by our love.
These lyrics were penned by Peter Scholtes, who was leading a youth choir at the time. He searched everywhere for a song that would be appropriate for a series of events designed to bring together people of various cultural backgrounds and different denominations, but he couldn’t find a song that would work. So he wrote this song—all in a single day.
Perhaps the most significant reason unity is important for the church is because we’ve been entrusted with the calling of proclaiming the gospel to those who are near and those who are far. Our unity is a significant piece of our witness to a world that’s divided in every conceivable way, polarized by political differences, socioeconomic differences, racial differences, and religious differences.
The world is accustomed to seeing relationships fractured by jealousy, fear, and mistrust. So when they see Christians in community, showing authentic love to one another the way God intended, they pay attention.
When Paul and Barnabas were sent out as the church’s first missionaries, they knew how crucial it would be for them to be of one heart. They would face many obstacles from the outside, not the least of which was that many of the Jewish leaders wanted them dead. And they would be leaving everything behind—family, friends, their church, and the comforts of home—for an unknown future. Besides all the natural challenges they were up against, they would also face spiritual opposition. They would need to be united with each other if they were going to remain strong.
The same is true for us. There may not be a wanted poster with our faces on it, but we do come up against opposition—from the world, which often doesn’t understand the values we hold sacred, and from Satan, who would like nothing more than to thwart our mission by stirring up division between us.
Unity doesn’t happen automatically. When we become Christians, we don’t wake up the next morning with glowing feelings about every other believer we meet. We still have personality clashes; we still disagree with one another at times. So how can so many different voices join together into a unified melody?
A. W. Tozer, a renowned theologian, described Christian unity this way in his book The Pursuit of God: “Has it ever occurred to you that one hundred pianos all tuned to the same fork are automatically tuned to each other? They are of one accord by being tuned, not to each other, but to another standard to which each one must individually bow. So one hundred worshipers [meeting] together, each one looking away to Christ, are in heart nearer to each other than they could possibly be, were they to become ‘unity’ conscious and turn their eyes away from God to strive for closer fellowship.”
If we want to create a beautiful symphony, we have to resist the urge to compete for a solo and instead play the part we were designed to play. When we are in tune with Christ, we will be in harmony with one another as well.
—Stephanie Rische
Thursday, February 19th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 19: Serving the Lord Together
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.
—Acts 13:4-5
Have you ever looked at the problems facing our world—systemic poverty, child abuse, environmental concerns, or lack of education, to name a few—and thought, What can I do? I’m only one person. In the world’s economy, that’s true: each of us is only one person. But not so in Christ.
Because of Christ, we are no longer just one person. We are one body made up of ordinary individuals who have been called by God to do extraordinary things together. Vesta Kelly gives this word picture to illustrate: “Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.”
Think about it: one snowflake is so small it dissolves on your tongue. But when a group of snowflakes works together, they have the power to cover an entire landscape with beauty, cancel school, or cover the tallest mountain.
It’s interesting to note that the early church’s first missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, were so different in terms of their gifts and personalities. Paul was a bold leader of the church, outspoken and fearless in his preaching, even to those who vehemently opposed him. He was quick on his feet, vocal about his beliefs, and articulate in communicating truths about Christ.
Barnabas, on the other hand, was more of a behind-the-scenes guy. He didn’t seek attention or fame, and his primary reputation was as an encourager. His given name was Joseph, but he was so faithful in his support of the other believers that he earned the nickname Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”
God knew that these two sets of gifts would complement each other well when the two men were traveling and sharing the good news. Paul couldn’t be effective in sharing the gospel without the support and encouragement of Barnabas, and Barnabas wouldn’t have been able to play to his strengths if he’d tried to be the one out front.
And it wasn’t just Paul and Barnabas who were being used by God: the rest of the church was also being used by God as they sent these two missionaries into the world. As senders, their role wasn’t as glamorous or dramatic, but they were no less important. Paul and Barnabas needed their prayers, financial support, and counsel.
We were meant to serve together. Our gifts are different, but our goal is the same: to serve Christ and advance his Kingdom.
What gifts has God given you? Are you more of a leader or an encourager? This week, take some time to pray about how God might be calling you to use your unique gifts to serve alongside your fellow believers.
—Stephanie Rische
February 19: Serving the Lord Together
The two of them, sent on their way by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia and sailed from there to Cyprus. When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues.
—Acts 13:4-5
Have you ever looked at the problems facing our world—systemic poverty, child abuse, environmental concerns, or lack of education, to name a few—and thought, What can I do? I’m only one person. In the world’s economy, that’s true: each of us is only one person. But not so in Christ.
Because of Christ, we are no longer just one person. We are one body made up of ordinary individuals who have been called by God to do extraordinary things together. Vesta Kelly gives this word picture to illustrate: “Snowflakes are one of nature’s most fragile things, but just look at what they can do when they stick together.”
Think about it: one snowflake is so small it dissolves on your tongue. But when a group of snowflakes works together, they have the power to cover an entire landscape with beauty, cancel school, or cover the tallest mountain.
It’s interesting to note that the early church’s first missionaries, Paul and Barnabas, were so different in terms of their gifts and personalities. Paul was a bold leader of the church, outspoken and fearless in his preaching, even to those who vehemently opposed him. He was quick on his feet, vocal about his beliefs, and articulate in communicating truths about Christ.
Barnabas, on the other hand, was more of a behind-the-scenes guy. He didn’t seek attention or fame, and his primary reputation was as an encourager. His given name was Joseph, but he was so faithful in his support of the other believers that he earned the nickname Barnabas, which means “Son of Encouragement.”
God knew that these two sets of gifts would complement each other well when the two men were traveling and sharing the good news. Paul couldn’t be effective in sharing the gospel without the support and encouragement of Barnabas, and Barnabas wouldn’t have been able to play to his strengths if he’d tried to be the one out front.
And it wasn’t just Paul and Barnabas who were being used by God: the rest of the church was also being used by God as they sent these two missionaries into the world. As senders, their role wasn’t as glamorous or dramatic, but they were no less important. Paul and Barnabas needed their prayers, financial support, and counsel.
We were meant to serve together. Our gifts are different, but our goal is the same: to serve Christ and advance his Kingdom.
What gifts has God given you? Are you more of a leader or an encourager? This week, take some time to pray about how God might be calling you to use your unique gifts to serve alongside your fellow believers.
—Stephanie Rische
Wednesday, February 18th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 18: Better Together
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
—Acts 13:3
It may be a little ironic that the first word in our country’s name is United. After all, the United States prides itself in being one of the most independent, individualistic countries in the world.
Social commentators have conducted countless experiments to show the difference between the way people in individualistic cultures view the world and the way people in collective societies tend to think. For example, an article from the U-T San Diego describes a study that contrasted the worldviews of a sample group from the U.S. and China: “If you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing. If you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim.”
Our cultural tendency to see things from an individual perspective instead of a group perspective is not inherently wrong or negative, but we do need to be aware of the unique struggles that may cause as we strive for unity within the church.
The truth is, sometimes it just seems easier to try to do the spiritual life alone. We may have been burned in the past, so we put up walls around our hearts. We keep other people at a distance, and in doing so, we think we’re protecting ourselves from getting hurt. We figure we will avoid the messiness of letting other people see our brokenness and getting too close to theirs.
And even when we long to experience unity with other Christians, sometimes our differences loom so large that the gap seems insurmountable. Those differences can be intimidating, especially when we don’t understand what makes other people tick.
Other times we’re envious of the gifts others have, feeling like we don’t measure up, so we hold back. And sometimes it’s simple pride that gets in the way; our stubbornness prevents us from getting close to people and accepting that our way may not be the only way.
Between our own struggles and the society we live in, there are threats to unity flying at us from nearly every direction. But the struggle to find unity is not unique to the twenty-first-century church. Back when the church was just beginning, the believers had to fight against divisions too. They knew that if the church was to grow and be effective, they would need to be unified. In fact, in Jesus’ final prayer for his disciples, he prayed three times that they would be one, just as he is one with the Father (John 17:11, 21, 22). If Jesus felt the need to triple-pray that prayer, he must have known it would be a big struggle for them—and for us.
The early church recognized that unity doesn’t come easily. It requires effort, empathy, and potentially uncomfortable conversations, but it’s worth it. Why? Not only because we’ve been created with a deep need for community, but also because we are his plan for carrying his message of redemption into the world. The church won’t be able to fulfill that calling if we spend our energy on in-fighting or if we are isolated from one another. But when we come together with our unique experiences, personalities, and gifts, we will experience life-giving community. On top of that, we will be able to advance God’s Kingdom in ways we never could alone.
In this passage we see one of the keys to unity in the early church: prayer. When the church was preparing to send out their first missionaries, they prayed together. For those believers, prayer wasn’t just something they did in the privacy of their homes; it was also an essential part of their relationships.
Challenge: Find one person to pray with today. Ask God to bring unity to our church and to the church as a whole.
—Stephanie Rische
February 18: Better Together
So after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.
—Acts 13:3
It may be a little ironic that the first word in our country’s name is United. After all, the United States prides itself in being one of the most independent, individualistic countries in the world.
Social commentators have conducted countless experiments to show the difference between the way people in individualistic cultures view the world and the way people in collective societies tend to think. For example, an article from the U-T San Diego describes a study that contrasted the worldviews of a sample group from the U.S. and China: “If you show an American an image of a fish tank, the American will usually describe the biggest fish in the tank and what it is doing. If you ask a Chinese person to describe a fish tank, the Chinese will usually describe the context in which the fish swim.”
Our cultural tendency to see things from an individual perspective instead of a group perspective is not inherently wrong or negative, but we do need to be aware of the unique struggles that may cause as we strive for unity within the church.
The truth is, sometimes it just seems easier to try to do the spiritual life alone. We may have been burned in the past, so we put up walls around our hearts. We keep other people at a distance, and in doing so, we think we’re protecting ourselves from getting hurt. We figure we will avoid the messiness of letting other people see our brokenness and getting too close to theirs.
And even when we long to experience unity with other Christians, sometimes our differences loom so large that the gap seems insurmountable. Those differences can be intimidating, especially when we don’t understand what makes other people tick.
Other times we’re envious of the gifts others have, feeling like we don’t measure up, so we hold back. And sometimes it’s simple pride that gets in the way; our stubbornness prevents us from getting close to people and accepting that our way may not be the only way.
Between our own struggles and the society we live in, there are threats to unity flying at us from nearly every direction. But the struggle to find unity is not unique to the twenty-first-century church. Back when the church was just beginning, the believers had to fight against divisions too. They knew that if the church was to grow and be effective, they would need to be unified. In fact, in Jesus’ final prayer for his disciples, he prayed three times that they would be one, just as he is one with the Father (John 17:11, 21, 22). If Jesus felt the need to triple-pray that prayer, he must have known it would be a big struggle for them—and for us.
The early church recognized that unity doesn’t come easily. It requires effort, empathy, and potentially uncomfortable conversations, but it’s worth it. Why? Not only because we’ve been created with a deep need for community, but also because we are his plan for carrying his message of redemption into the world. The church won’t be able to fulfill that calling if we spend our energy on in-fighting or if we are isolated from one another. But when we come together with our unique experiences, personalities, and gifts, we will experience life-giving community. On top of that, we will be able to advance God’s Kingdom in ways we never could alone.
In this passage we see one of the keys to unity in the early church: prayer. When the church was preparing to send out their first missionaries, they prayed together. For those believers, prayer wasn’t just something they did in the privacy of their homes; it was also an essential part of their relationships.
Challenge: Find one person to pray with today. Ask God to bring unity to our church and to the church as a whole.
—Stephanie Rische
Tuesday, February 17th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 17: Seeking the Lord Together
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.”
—Acts 13:2
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and theologian in Germany in the 1940s, is perhaps best known for the stance he took against the Nazi regime during World War II. His courage in standing up for truth and righteousness in the face of great evil landed him in a Nazi concentration camp and ultimately resulted in his death.
But some of his most profound contributions can be found in his writings on Christian community.
He outlined his vision for unity in the church in his classic book Life Together. In it, he makes it clear that the church isn’t just an association of people with a common purpose; rather, the church’s sole focus should be Christ. He said, “Without Christ there is discord between God and man and between man and man. . . . Christ opened up the way to God and to our brother.”
In other words, it’s not enough to wish for peace on earth by trying to find common ground or seeing the best in others. If we want to be truly united, we need to be united in Christ.
Paul and Barnabas had a significant, not to mention dangerous, task before them. They were the church’s very first missionaries, sent to spread the gospel into the world. And if that weren’t a daunting enough responsibility, they also knew that doing so would put their lives in great physical danger. Some of their own people, the Jewish leaders, were threatened by the message of Christ and wouldn’t hesitate to resort to violence and even murder to silence them.
God knew what these men would face in their attempt to advance the gospel beyond the borders of Jerusalem. But he didn’t make their assignment easier; he didn’t remove the obstacles before them. Instead, he did something rather surprising: he assigned them to the buddy system.
This seems to be a pattern throughout Scripture: when God has a significant calling for someone, he tends to send the person out with a partner. God knows we need to be united with our brothers and sisters to accomplish the big plans he has for us. He doesn’t intend for us to go it alone.
Here are a few examples from the Bible:
Paul and Barnabas knew the secret of unity that Bonhoeffer knew: Christ is the only way to unity: “Through him alone do we have access to one another, joy in one another, and fellowship with one another.”
Are you feeling alone in your journey of faith right now? Take a moment to ask God to show you someone you can walk with to fulfill the calling God has given you.
—Stephanie Rische
February 17: Seeking the Lord Together
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.”
—Acts 13:2
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and theologian in Germany in the 1940s, is perhaps best known for the stance he took against the Nazi regime during World War II. His courage in standing up for truth and righteousness in the face of great evil landed him in a Nazi concentration camp and ultimately resulted in his death.
But some of his most profound contributions can be found in his writings on Christian community.
He outlined his vision for unity in the church in his classic book Life Together. In it, he makes it clear that the church isn’t just an association of people with a common purpose; rather, the church’s sole focus should be Christ. He said, “Without Christ there is discord between God and man and between man and man. . . . Christ opened up the way to God and to our brother.”
In other words, it’s not enough to wish for peace on earth by trying to find common ground or seeing the best in others. If we want to be truly united, we need to be united in Christ.
Paul and Barnabas had a significant, not to mention dangerous, task before them. They were the church’s very first missionaries, sent to spread the gospel into the world. And if that weren’t a daunting enough responsibility, they also knew that doing so would put their lives in great physical danger. Some of their own people, the Jewish leaders, were threatened by the message of Christ and wouldn’t hesitate to resort to violence and even murder to silence them.
God knew what these men would face in their attempt to advance the gospel beyond the borders of Jerusalem. But he didn’t make their assignment easier; he didn’t remove the obstacles before them. Instead, he did something rather surprising: he assigned them to the buddy system.
This seems to be a pattern throughout Scripture: when God has a significant calling for someone, he tends to send the person out with a partner. God knows we need to be united with our brothers and sisters to accomplish the big plans he has for us. He doesn’t intend for us to go it alone.
Here are a few examples from the Bible:
- When God made his perfect world, there was only one thing he said was not good: “It is not good for the man to be alone.” So he decided to make a helper suitable for him (Genesis 2:18).
When God called Moses to confront Pharaoh, he sent Moses’ brother, Aaron, along for support (Exodus 7:1-2).
When David stood up to King Saul, who was out to kill him, God provided a best friend for David (1 Samuel 20:17).
When Jesus sent out the disciples, he didn’t ask them to go alone. Instead, he sent them out two by two (Luke 10:1).
Paul and Barnabas knew the secret of unity that Bonhoeffer knew: Christ is the only way to unity: “Through him alone do we have access to one another, joy in one another, and fellowship with one another.”
Are you feeling alone in your journey of faith right now? Take a moment to ask God to show you someone you can walk with to fulfill the calling God has given you.
—Stephanie Rische
Monday, February 16th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
February 16: Breaking through Impossible Barriers
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
—Acts 13:1
For decades after the first airplane was invented, aviators and scientists believed it was impossible to break the sound barrier. They were convinced that any aircraft that flew faster than the speed of sound would be instantly torn apart.
And so, for about forty years, the speed of sound was an accepted boundary in aviation. Pilots didn’t question it. They didn’t flirt with it. They didn’t cross it. It was a firm line, deeply entrenched in flying culture.
This idea of a deep-seated, uncrossable barrier is perhaps not so different from the religious culture in the book of Acts. For centuries, ever since God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5, the Jews had been God’s chosen people. He had revealed himself specifically to this nation and had promised that the Messiah would come through their Jewish line. But when Christ came, he redefined what it means to be chosen by God. Now, in Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
The book of Acts recounts the birth of the church, and with that beginning came some birth pains. God’s plan for the church was—and is—to create a unified community out of diverse individuals. This includes men and women, old and young, Jews and non-Jews, people from all races, cultures, languages, and countries.
This revelation was difficult for the Jewish believers to take in. After all, it was a barrier that had been in place for generations. Was God really opening his family to include people who weren’t part of the Jewish line? It was an idea as revolutionary and impossible as crossing the sound barrier.
Yet this passage in Acts shows how the early church began to demonstrate unity in their diversity. They accepted God’s vision for including people of all backgrounds, and they immediately put that vision into action.
Let’s take a closer look at the list of leaders in the church in Antioch. Barnabas was a Levite, a descendant of the Jewish line of priests. Bible scholars believe that Simeon’s nickname, Niger, indicates he was of African descent. Lucius was from Cyrene, meaning he was likely Greek. Then they had in their mix someone of dubious political background, who had close ties with the emperor partially responsible for Jesus’ death. And finally there was Saul, a former devout Jew who had spent most of his career before his conversion persecuting Christians. If ever there was a recipe for church conflict, this was it.
And yet even with all these racial, cultural, and political differences, the church remained unified. How was that possible? Quite simply, what unified them was more powerful than what divided them. And what united them was Jesus Christ.
In the years just after World War II, some people started to question the commonly held belief that the sound barrier was impassible. And after some trial and error, Bell Aircraft Company created a rocket plane, which was modeled after a 50-caliber bullet, in an attempt to achieve supersonic flight. In October 1947, Air Force captain Chuck Yeager flew the aircraft, dubbed Glamorous Glennis. He took the rocket plane higher and faster until, at 662 miles per hour, history was made: the sound barrier was broken.
From that moment, the entire landscape of aviation changed.
And so it is with God’s chosen ones. History is forever divided by this barrier that was broken in the book of Acts. This has significant implications for us as part of the church today. If these followers of Jesus could remain unified amid their radical differences, then we, too, must strive for Christian unity. With Christ as our common ground, all other differences will fade away.
Challenge: Think of someone in your life who is different from you. Find a way to connect with that person this week based on what you have in common in Christ.
—Stephanie Rische
February 16: Breaking through Impossible Barriers
In the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.
—Acts 13:1
For decades after the first airplane was invented, aviators and scientists believed it was impossible to break the sound barrier. They were convinced that any aircraft that flew faster than the speed of sound would be instantly torn apart.
And so, for about forty years, the speed of sound was an accepted boundary in aviation. Pilots didn’t question it. They didn’t flirt with it. They didn’t cross it. It was a firm line, deeply entrenched in flying culture.
This idea of a deep-seated, uncrossable barrier is perhaps not so different from the religious culture in the book of Acts. For centuries, ever since God’s promise to Abraham in Genesis 15:5, the Jews had been God’s chosen people. He had revealed himself specifically to this nation and had promised that the Messiah would come through their Jewish line. But when Christ came, he redefined what it means to be chosen by God. Now, in Christ, “there is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
The book of Acts recounts the birth of the church, and with that beginning came some birth pains. God’s plan for the church was—and is—to create a unified community out of diverse individuals. This includes men and women, old and young, Jews and non-Jews, people from all races, cultures, languages, and countries.
This revelation was difficult for the Jewish believers to take in. After all, it was a barrier that had been in place for generations. Was God really opening his family to include people who weren’t part of the Jewish line? It was an idea as revolutionary and impossible as crossing the sound barrier.
Yet this passage in Acts shows how the early church began to demonstrate unity in their diversity. They accepted God’s vision for including people of all backgrounds, and they immediately put that vision into action.
Let’s take a closer look at the list of leaders in the church in Antioch. Barnabas was a Levite, a descendant of the Jewish line of priests. Bible scholars believe that Simeon’s nickname, Niger, indicates he was of African descent. Lucius was from Cyrene, meaning he was likely Greek. Then they had in their mix someone of dubious political background, who had close ties with the emperor partially responsible for Jesus’ death. And finally there was Saul, a former devout Jew who had spent most of his career before his conversion persecuting Christians. If ever there was a recipe for church conflict, this was it.
And yet even with all these racial, cultural, and political differences, the church remained unified. How was that possible? Quite simply, what unified them was more powerful than what divided them. And what united them was Jesus Christ.
In the years just after World War II, some people started to question the commonly held belief that the sound barrier was impassible. And after some trial and error, Bell Aircraft Company created a rocket plane, which was modeled after a 50-caliber bullet, in an attempt to achieve supersonic flight. In October 1947, Air Force captain Chuck Yeager flew the aircraft, dubbed Glamorous Glennis. He took the rocket plane higher and faster until, at 662 miles per hour, history was made: the sound barrier was broken.
From that moment, the entire landscape of aviation changed.
And so it is with God’s chosen ones. History is forever divided by this barrier that was broken in the book of Acts. This has significant implications for us as part of the church today. If these followers of Jesus could remain unified amid their radical differences, then we, too, must strive for Christian unity. With Christ as our common ground, all other differences will fade away.
Challenge: Think of someone in your life who is different from you. Find a way to connect with that person this week based on what you have in common in Christ.
—Stephanie Rische
Friday, Feb. 13
Friday
Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. - Acts 11:19-24
It seems that at first, Christians scattered over the Roman Empire preached only to Jews. But they eventually began to preach Jesus Christ to Gentiles as well. These unnamed disciples from Cyprus and Cyrene are genuine heroes. They began the first mentioned “mission to the Gentiles” (here called Hellenists) in Antioch. In Antioch, we have the first example of Christians deliberately targeting Gentiles for evangelism, and this effort had great results.
Antioch was founded about 300 BC by Seleucus I, one of the inheritors of Alexander the Great’s empire. He had a thing about founding cities and naming them after his father, Antioch, and he did this about fifteen times. This city of Antioch was called “Syrian Antioch” or “Antioch on the Orontes.” Back then it was a city of more than half a million; today it is a Turkish city with a population of about 3,500. Antioch was considered by many the third greatest city in the Empire, behind Rome and Alexandria. The city of Antioch was known for its sophistication and culture, but also for its immorality.
It was in this city that the followers of Jesus were first referred to as “Christians” (Acts 11:26). The term literally means “Christ Ones, or “Jesus People”. In Antioch, they probably first used the term Christians to mock the followers of Jesus. But as the people of Antioch called the followers of Jesus the “Jesus People,” the believers appreciated the title so much that it stuck.
Eusebius, the famous early church historian, described a believer named Sanctus from Lyons in France, who was tortured for Jesus. As they tortured him cruelly, they hoped to get him to say something against his faith. They asked his name, and he would only reply, “I am a Christian.” “What nation do you belong to?” He would answer, “I am a Christian.” “What city do you live in?” “I am a Christian.” His questioners began to get angry: “Are you a slave or a free man?” “I am a Christian” was the only reply. No matter what they asked about him, he would only answer, “I am a Christian.” This made his torturers all the more determined to break him, but they could not, and he died with the words “I am a Christian” on his lips.
As Christians we must be willing to take the title “Jesus People,” and must also be worthy of the name. Instead of claiming any other title - American, Protestant, Roman Catholic, Republican, Democrat, whatever - we should be just plain Christians - the “Christ Ones”!
Jeff Frazier
Thursday, Feb. 12
Thursday
Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him, saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them. But Peter began and explained it to them in order” - Acts 11:1-4
Peter must have known that he was going to face some questions and skepticism over his acceptance of the gentiles from his Jewish brothers in Jerusalem. He almost seems ready and eager to tell them the remarkable story of what God has done for the Gentiles. Notice that when Peter gets to Jerusalem it is particular group of Jewish believers, called the “circumcision party” (probably not the best name for your group) that criticize him. This was a group of radical Jewish converts to Christianity who still clung firmly to the Old Testament law of Moses as necessary for salvation. They taught that as a Gentile, your only hope for salvation in Christ was first to become a Jew, and that was accomplished (for men) by the rite of circumcision. Their view was that Jesus was a Jewish Messiah first, and any gentile that wanted to be saved needed to come to Jesus through the Jewish laws and customs.
It might sound strange to us, but this group caused real confusion and division among the new believers. Jesus did not look kindly upon those who would offend the faith of a babe that had come to trust in Him. He said it would be better for that man, that a mill stone be tied around his neck and he by cast into the sea.
What was it that this group accused Peter of? "You went in to men that were uncircumcised and ate with them."
They are now accusing Peter of eating with Gentiles. This might not sound like a big deal to us, we might be tempted to think, “big deal, maybe Peter was hungry and they offered him some food, so what?” However, in ancient middle-eastern cultures (and even in middle - eastern cultures still today) to eat with a person was tantamount to becoming one with them. It was a symbol of acceptance and equality. To the Jewish worldview, Gentiles were most definitely NOT equal to Jews! The Jews were God’s chosen people and Gentiles were unclean and outside the favor of God. That is why a faithful Jew would never eat with a Gentile.
This whole story is reminiscent of a similar criticism the Jewish leaders leveled at Jesus himself...
“And as he reclined at table in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” - Mark 2:15-17
The point is that Peter is only following the teaching and example of his Master - Jesus! Listen to how he defends his actions when this group accuses him, And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” (Acts 11:16-17)
I love this! Peter is essentially saying, “Hey, your issue is with God, not me! I’m only doing what Jesus said and what Jesus did. If you don’t like it, then take it up with Him!”
Jeff Frazier
Wednesday, Feb. 11
Wednesday
As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.” - Acts 11:15-18
It might be tempting to just skip over these verses in Acts 11, since they repeat the story of chapter 10. But whenever Scripture repeats something, we need to take notice. The story shows how God changed the thinking of these Christians on a matter that was essential for the spread of the gospel. If the Gentiles had been required to adopt Jewish rituals and ceremonies to be saved, the gospel would not have spread around the Gentile world as it did, and it would be a different “gospel.”
The Holy Spirit inspired Luke to include this story twice so that the Jewish believers especially would see that salvation is not a matter of adopting Jewish rituals, but rather of God saving people of every race through faith in Christ alone. But these Jewish Christians needed to change their thinking. The story shows how God began that process, and how He works to change our thinking.
To accomplish His sovereign purpose in salvation, God has to change the wrong thinking of His people. First we need to understand God’s sovereign purpose. God’s sovereign purpose includes the salvation of some from every nation for His glory.
God explained His purpose to Abraham in the first book of the Bible, Genesis 12:3, where He told him, “And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.” Later God told him, “In your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 22:18). That seed of Abraham was not just the Jewish race, but specifically Jesus Christ, God’s promised Redeemer. In the last book of the Bible, the four living creatures and the 24 elders fall down before the Lamb and sing, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign upon the earth” (Rev. 5:9-10). Thus God’s purpose is to glorify Himself through the salvation of people from every nation through the seed of Abraham, Jesus Christ.
That sovereign purpose is described in its beginning stages in Acts 11:18, where the Jewish believers say, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life.” The Greek word for “Gentiles” is ethne, often translated “nations.” While the Jewish Christians did not yet grasp the full ramifications of what God was doing, the apostle Paul would later expound on it in Ephesians...
When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. - Ephesians 3:4-6
For 2,000 years the nation of Israel had been God’s chosen people, now all the nations are on equal standing before God through the cross of Jesus Christ. Everyone who comes in faith and repentance to Christ becomes a part of God’s kingdom of priests, made up of Jew and Gentile in the body. This concept was nothing short of revolutionary!
Jeff Frazier
Tuesday, Feb. 10
Monday
Acts 10-11 essentially tells the same story twice. It is the story of how God used a vision in a dream and a unique encounter with a Gentile named Cornelius, to change the mind and heart of the apostle Peter. Then God used Peter to challenge the prejudices of the whole church so that the gospel might continue to spread throughout the world. Repetition is a method that the Biblical writers used to emphasize crucial points, we should always pay careful attention when we see something repeated in the Bible. There is a reason this story is repeated, it is a crucial moment in the history of the church!
This story about Cornelius and Peter has a lot to say about the winds of racism that are blowing in our culture these days. They have a lot to say about our natural tendency to think of other ethnic groups besides our own as unclean or corrupt. They have a lot to say about world missions and our commitment as evangelical Christians to take the gospel of Christ to every ethnic group in the world so that people may be saved. So I hope we can be open to grasp the powerful truth of this story for our lives.
Look at Acts 10:28 - Peter is explaining to the Gentiles why he was willing to come and says, "You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean."
What this means is that Christians should never look down on a person from any race or ethnic group and say: they are unfit to hear the gospel from me. Or they are too unclean for me to go into their house to share the gospel. Or they are not worth evangelizing. Or they have too many offensive habits to even get near them.
But the phrase that makes verse 28 so powerful is the phrase "any man" or "any one": "God has shown me that I should not call any human being common or unclean." In other words, Peter learned from his vision on the housetop in Joppa that God rules no one out of his favor on the basis of race or ethnic origin or mere cultural distinctives or physical distinctives. "Common and unclean" meant rejected, despised, taboo. It was like leprosy.
And Peter's point here in verse 28 is that there is not one human being on the face of the earth that we should think about in that way. Not one. That's the amazing thing in this verse. Not one. Our hearts should go out to every single person whatever the color, whatever the ethnic origin, whatever the physical traits, whatever the cultural distinctives. Don't write off anybody. Don't snub anybody. Don't check them out like the priest and the Levite in the parable of the Good Samaritan and then pass by on the other side. "God has shown me that I should not call any one—not one—common or unclean."
Cornelius would not have been saved if no one had taken him the gospel. And no one will be saved today without the gospel. We should be full of hope and expectancy that this is the sort of wonder God is willing to work in making connections between the groping of unreached peoples and those willing to take the gospel to them.
So let us rid our minds and our hearts of all racial slurs and ethnic put-downs and be done with all alienating behaviors. And let's be Christ for some ethnic outcast, or for some untouchable leper, and let's be the Peter for some waiting Cornelius!
Jeff Frazier
Monday Feb. 9th
In my work as a pastor I frequently meet with couples that are having marriage problems. I recall meeting with one young man who was newly married and was particularly frustrated with the way things were going in the relationship with his wife. He said to me, “I just don’t believe that marriage should be this hard.” I was surprised by his comment and I asked him where he got the idea that marriage was supposed to be easy? As we talked, it became increasingly apparent that the primary issue he had to deal with in his marriage was his own false expectations and wrong-headed ideas about how things were supposed to be.
When it comes to our relationship with God, we all have some false expectations and some wrong-headed ideas about what God is like and how He should do things. We can’t help this really, and a big part of what it means to grow in our knowledge of God is letting go of our wrong thinking about God.
Colossians 1:9-10 - We have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.
This principle is present not just in our individual ideas about God, but it is especially true when it comes to how we view the church, and the people of God. We might not say it out loud, but we all are prone to think that the church is for folks just like us. There is even a principle espoused by the Church Growth movement, “the homogeneous unit” principle. It states that people are attracted to churches that have “their kind of people,” and advocates that we should be targeting a certain segment of the society. So you have churches that state that their target is to reach the Baby Boomers, or the Generation Xers. They aim their whole church service to make these kinds of people feel comfortable. The New Testament and the book of Acts is clear that the church is God’s adopted family, made up of children from every conceivable background, to His glory!
The story of Peter & Cornelius in Acts 10 is all about how God radically changes the thinking of Peter. The story in Acts 11 is all about how God uses the events of Acts 10 and the testimony of Peter to radically change the thinking of the whole church!
Acts 11:15-18 - As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God's way?” When they heard these things they fell silent. And they glorified God, saying, “Then to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life.”
The Gospel changes our wrong thinking, because our wrong thinking can get in the way of what God wants to do. Did you catch what Peter said in vs. 17? He said, “who was I that I could stand in God’s way?” This means that before God opened his eyes to his own prejudice and blindness, he was actually standing in God’s way without even knowing it! This is Peter! He is an apostle, he walked with Jesus, if he can have blind spots, then we are truly blind indeed if we think we don’t have some too. I shudder to think that this might be true about me, about us. I don’t want my blindness or my hidden prejudices to ever stand in the way of what God might want to do through me!
Jeff Frazier
Friday, February 6th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Friday, Feb. 6
Acts 12:24-25
But the word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
We now live in the age of the internet, social media and the phenomenon of the so-called “viral video.” Someone uses their cell phone to video-record their dog eating an ice cream cone or their baby doing something cute and posts it on Facebook or Twitter and within 24 hours it has been viewed by a million people.
If I see something funny or interesting on the internet and want to share it with one of my boys, chances are that by the time I show it to them they’ve already seen it and passed it on to several hundred of their electronic friends.
We live in the viral age of information; images and words can be spread at the speed of light and reach more people more quickly than ever before in human history. The technology that makes all this possible has created something of a “Pandora’s box” in that the power of instant communication can be used for good, for bad and for the completely frivolous.
Here’s a small example of the good!
A couple of weeks ago we shared a Gospel Story video in all our weekend worship services. It told the story of Matt Caterer, who had a successful music career with a punk rock band before realizing the spiritual emptiness at the core of his life. He shared how a series of events eventually led him into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s a great story!
After we showed it in our weekend services we then posted the video on our social media sites, including Facebook, YouTube, and twitter. In two days the video reached well over 6,000 people and is still being shared and viewed.
The Book of Acts is all about the spread of the gospel. We see the gospel spread through preaching and teaching; we see it spread through miracles and healing; we see it spread through personal encounters; we see it spread through persecution and suffering; we even see it spread through the martyrdom of men like Stephen and James.
In that sense, the gospel has always been “viral,” that is, it is the very nature of the gospel to spread. It spreads from person to person, from people group to people group, from culture to culture, by any means available and by any means necessary.
The gospel, therefore, is unstoppable. It leaps across boundaries. It cannot be contained by social, cultural, political, economic or religious barriers. It cannot be stopped by persecution, by suffering, by evil or even by death itself.
Chances are you are reading or listening to this because you have already “caught” the gospel virus; if so, are you willing to pass it on to someone else?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Friday, Feb. 6
Acts 12:24-25
But the word of God increased and multiplied. And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had completed their service, bringing with them John, whose other name was Mark.
We now live in the age of the internet, social media and the phenomenon of the so-called “viral video.” Someone uses their cell phone to video-record their dog eating an ice cream cone or their baby doing something cute and posts it on Facebook or Twitter and within 24 hours it has been viewed by a million people.
If I see something funny or interesting on the internet and want to share it with one of my boys, chances are that by the time I show it to them they’ve already seen it and passed it on to several hundred of their electronic friends.
We live in the viral age of information; images and words can be spread at the speed of light and reach more people more quickly than ever before in human history. The technology that makes all this possible has created something of a “Pandora’s box” in that the power of instant communication can be used for good, for bad and for the completely frivolous.
Here’s a small example of the good!
A couple of weeks ago we shared a Gospel Story video in all our weekend worship services. It told the story of Matt Caterer, who had a successful music career with a punk rock band before realizing the spiritual emptiness at the core of his life. He shared how a series of events eventually led him into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. It’s a great story!
After we showed it in our weekend services we then posted the video on our social media sites, including Facebook, YouTube, and twitter. In two days the video reached well over 6,000 people and is still being shared and viewed.
The Book of Acts is all about the spread of the gospel. We see the gospel spread through preaching and teaching; we see it spread through miracles and healing; we see it spread through personal encounters; we see it spread through persecution and suffering; we even see it spread through the martyrdom of men like Stephen and James.
In that sense, the gospel has always been “viral,” that is, it is the very nature of the gospel to spread. It spreads from person to person, from people group to people group, from culture to culture, by any means available and by any means necessary.
The gospel, therefore, is unstoppable. It leaps across boundaries. It cannot be contained by social, cultural, political, economic or religious barriers. It cannot be stopped by persecution, by suffering, by evil or even by death itself.
Chances are you are reading or listening to this because you have already “caught” the gospel virus; if so, are you willing to pass it on to someone else?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Thursday, February 5th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Thursday, Feb. 5
Acts12:18-23
Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death.
Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
In 1966, just as the rock-n-roll band and cultural phenomenon called “The Beatles” were reaching the peak of their popularity, John Lennon was quoted as saying:
“Christianity will go; it will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and I’ll be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now.”
His remarks created an uproar in large portions of the U.S., particularly in the southern Bible belt, and although he later tried to soften his statement by claiming he only meant that the young people of England treated the band as if they were more important than Jesus, his remarks are still remembered as almost incredibly arrogant and self-serving.
John Lennon had nothing on Herod.
First, Herod is so enraged that Peter has escaped his prison and ruined his fun that he has the guards summarily executed. Then Luke tells us that Herod has evidently been denying food to the regions of Tyre and Sidon because he is angry with them about something. They send representatives to seek the favor of the king.
We read:
On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"
One pictures Herod entering the room with great pomp and circumstance; allowing his groveling guests to bask in his kingly greatness. Then he pontificates about whatever it is kings pontificate about all the while imagining himself to be the finest orator the world has ever known. His guests fall all over themselves praising his magnificence because they are desperate and willing to do anything that might help their cause.
So they praise him as a “god.” Then Herod makes his biggest mistake; he allows them to do so without redirecting their praise to the true God.
Here’s what happens next:
Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
The Jewish historian Josephus confirms the basic outline of this story, attributing Herod’s death to “A severe pain (that) arose in his belly, striking with a most violent intensity.”
The point is that even though Herod possessed the political position and power to inflict suffering and death on those he ruled, he was not God. Just as Peter’s escape let the believers know that God had not abandoned them, so Herod’s death was a reminder that God is sovereign and will one day judge all evil.
A few years later the Apostle Paul would write:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
(Galatians 6:7)
In other words, a man can pretend for a while that he is God; for a time it can certainly seem like evil will go unpunished; but, make no mistake, God is God and will one day judge both the living and the dead.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Thursday, Feb. 5
Acts12:18-23
Now when day came, there was no little disturbance among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. And after Herod searched for him and did not find him, he examined the sentries and ordered that they should be put to death.
Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and spent time there.
Now Herod was angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon, and they came to him with one accord, and having persuaded Blastus, the king's chamberlain, they asked for peace, because their country depended on the king's country for food. On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!" Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
In 1966, just as the rock-n-roll band and cultural phenomenon called “The Beatles” were reaching the peak of their popularity, John Lennon was quoted as saying:
“Christianity will go; it will vanish and shrink. I needn’t argue about that. I’m right and I’ll be proved right. We’re more popular than Jesus now.”
His remarks created an uproar in large portions of the U.S., particularly in the southern Bible belt, and although he later tried to soften his statement by claiming he only meant that the young people of England treated the band as if they were more important than Jesus, his remarks are still remembered as almost incredibly arrogant and self-serving.
John Lennon had nothing on Herod.
First, Herod is so enraged that Peter has escaped his prison and ruined his fun that he has the guards summarily executed. Then Luke tells us that Herod has evidently been denying food to the regions of Tyre and Sidon because he is angry with them about something. They send representatives to seek the favor of the king.
We read:
On an appointed day Herod put on his royal robes, took his seat upon the throne, and delivered an oration to them. And the people were shouting, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"
One pictures Herod entering the room with great pomp and circumstance; allowing his groveling guests to bask in his kingly greatness. Then he pontificates about whatever it is kings pontificate about all the while imagining himself to be the finest orator the world has ever known. His guests fall all over themselves praising his magnificence because they are desperate and willing to do anything that might help their cause.
So they praise him as a “god.” Then Herod makes his biggest mistake; he allows them to do so without redirecting their praise to the true God.
Here’s what happens next:
Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down, because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and breathed his last.
The Jewish historian Josephus confirms the basic outline of this story, attributing Herod’s death to “A severe pain (that) arose in his belly, striking with a most violent intensity.”
The point is that even though Herod possessed the political position and power to inflict suffering and death on those he ruled, he was not God. Just as Peter’s escape let the believers know that God had not abandoned them, so Herod’s death was a reminder that God is sovereign and will one day judge all evil.
A few years later the Apostle Paul would write:
Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.
(Galatians 6:7)
In other words, a man can pretend for a while that he is God; for a time it can certainly seem like evil will go unpunished; but, make no mistake, God is God and will one day judge both the living and the dead.
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, February 4th
To listen to the audio version, click here.
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Acts 12:1-17
About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Dress 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 followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 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 opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.
A number of years ago my brother and his family surprised us at Christmastime by arriving at our house a day earlier than expected. The doorbell rang and we heard the sound of Christmas carolers on our porch so someone jumped up and ran to the front door. I can no longer remember who that was - but whoever did was so surprised that he or she failed to invite my brother and his family to come in; just left them on the porch singing and rand into the house to tell the rest of us about our surprise carolers.
That’s kind of what happens here. A whole group of believers are gathered to pray for Peter, who they know is in prison and facing a fate similar to that of James.
There is a knock on the door and they send the servant girl, named Rhoda, to answer. Evidently she asks the visitor to identify himself, and recognizing Peter’s voice she is so excited she leaves him on the street and runs to tell the others.
This is one of those small, unnecessary details that point to the authenticity of the New Testament record. Why would someone think to put an insignificant servant girl in the story by name if that’s not the way things actually happened?
I also can’t help but notice the humanity of the early believers. Here they are in a prayer meeting; almost certainly pleading with God for the release and protection of their friend Peter; and when he actually shows up and knocks on the door they don’t believe it.
Have you ever prayed for something you don’t really believe God can do? I think most of us have.
Sometimes we struggle to see what God is doing even when he’s doing it right in front of our noses.
But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.
Yesterday we wrestled with the question of why evil and suffering are in the world. We questioned why God would allow James to be executed but sent an angel to rescue Peter?
While we struggle to trust God’s sovereignty in the martyrdom of James, we can see a bit more clearly his purposes in Peter’s miraculous deliverance.
Peter’s knocking on the door during the prayer meeting had to have a powerful impact on that small group of believers. It was God’s way of showing them that their prayers mattered; that he had not abandoned them; that although evil men like Herod seem to rule the world he is still God and is sovereign over all things.
Peter’s escape means that even though James has been taken from them, their faith is not in vain and the gospel has not been defeated.
I wonder where in your life you need to be reminded that your prayers matter? Where in your life do you need to be reminded that the gospel has not been defeated?
Pastor Brian Coffey
Wednesday, Feb. 4
Acts 12:1-17
About that time Herod the king laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church. He killed James the brother of John with the sword, and when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. This was during the days of Unleavened Bread. And when he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him over to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out to the people. So Peter was kept in prison, but earnest prayer for him was made to God by the church. Now when Herod was about to bring him out, on that very night, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and sentries before the door were guarding the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood next to him, and a light shone in the cell. He struck Peter on the side and woke him, saying, "Get up quickly." And the chains fell off his hands. And the angel said to him, "Dress 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 followed him. He did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.
When they had passed the first and the second guard, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel left him. When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting."
When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying. And when he knocked at the door of the gateway, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. Recognizing Peter's voice, in her joy she did not open the gate but ran in and reported that Peter was standing at the gate. 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 opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.
A number of years ago my brother and his family surprised us at Christmastime by arriving at our house a day earlier than expected. The doorbell rang and we heard the sound of Christmas carolers on our porch so someone jumped up and ran to the front door. I can no longer remember who that was - but whoever did was so surprised that he or she failed to invite my brother and his family to come in; just left them on the porch singing and rand into the house to tell the rest of us about our surprise carolers.
That’s kind of what happens here. A whole group of believers are gathered to pray for Peter, who they know is in prison and facing a fate similar to that of James.
There is a knock on the door and they send the servant girl, named Rhoda, to answer. Evidently she asks the visitor to identify himself, and recognizing Peter’s voice she is so excited she leaves him on the street and runs to tell the others.
This is one of those small, unnecessary details that point to the authenticity of the New Testament record. Why would someone think to put an insignificant servant girl in the story by name if that’s not the way things actually happened?
I also can’t help but notice the humanity of the early believers. Here they are in a prayer meeting; almost certainly pleading with God for the release and protection of their friend Peter; and when he actually shows up and knocks on the door they don’t believe it.
Have you ever prayed for something you don’t really believe God can do? I think most of us have.
Sometimes we struggle to see what God is doing even when he’s doing it right in front of our noses.
But Peter continued knocking, and when they opened, they saw him and were amazed. But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he said, "Tell these things to James and to the brothers." Then he departed and went to another place.
Yesterday we wrestled with the question of why evil and suffering are in the world. We questioned why God would allow James to be executed but sent an angel to rescue Peter?
While we struggle to trust God’s sovereignty in the martyrdom of James, we can see a bit more clearly his purposes in Peter’s miraculous deliverance.
Peter’s knocking on the door during the prayer meeting had to have a powerful impact on that small group of believers. It was God’s way of showing them that their prayers mattered; that he had not abandoned them; that although evil men like Herod seem to rule the world he is still God and is sovereign over all things.
Peter’s escape means that even though James has been taken from them, their faith is not in vain and the gospel has not been defeated.
I wonder where in your life you need to be reminded that your prayers matter? Where in your life do you need to be reminded that the gospel has not been defeated?
Pastor Brian Coffey
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