Read Acts 17

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Monty

Read Acts 16

Read Acts 15

Read Acts 12

I wonder what Peter was thinking as he sat chained between two soldiers. James, the brother of John, had already been put to death. Herod is now planning on executing Peter, as soon as the Passover has ended.

He may have been thinking about all he had experienced in life, especially with Jesus. He may have been thinking about heaven, and thinking that he would soon be there. I doubt he was thinking that he would be saved by a miracle. Like the others that were praying for him, he was surprised by his miraculous delivery.

I do imagine that his faith was resolute. He knew that, whatever might come of his life on earth, his eternity was secure. That kind of faith can help us weather life's storms. This kind of faith is not instant. It is developed over time as we walk with Jesus and experience His work in other, smaller, instances. But then when the times come that try our souls, we can have confidence that Jesus will be there with us. Even as we walk through the valleys.

Read Acts 11

Peter follows God's leadership and takes the gospel to Cornelius and other Gentiles (non-Jews). At the same time, other Christians who fled Jerusalem due to the persecution are telling folks they encounter about Jesus, and many of them are converting.

Though it is obvious to us today that God was in these developments, the people of that day had some reservations. The leadership had to come together and seek God and come to an understanding of what God's desire was in this area. After seeking Hid face on the matter, the leaders accepted that God was indeed at work and gave their blessings. (Though we will see other issues arise in coming days related to this same issue.)

God is at work in our world today. the developments and methods in our world are dynamic. Though it may be troublesome to some on the front lines, it is important that we take time to allow folks to come to terms with God's leading as things change. Finding the balance in pressing ahead without leaving those we lead behind is always a delicate balance. But it is a challenge worth taking.

Read Acts 10

There are two trivial asides I would like to make prior to the main lesson of today's reading. First, it strikes me as interesting that Luke found it important to include the fact that the men sent to retrieve Peter found his house after "having asked for directions." (verse 17) I guess the point could be made that even when we are on divine quests we may need to ask for directions.

Second, we see that when Peter arrived at Cornelius's home, Cornelius fell on the ground and began to worship Peter. Peter quickly interrupted this action stated He too is "just a man." (verse 26) This is a good reminder to all of us that no matter how important we are, we are not God. We need to always discourage others from thinking too highly of us and putting us on a pedestal. Also, we need to be on guard in our own lives of elevated others to a higher estate than just a man.

Finally, we come to the main point. Peter has a major paradigm shift. Previously he had understood that the gospel message was limited to the Jews. God dramatically enlarges his understanding to see that the gospel is for all people. We need to ask God to remove any limitations that we may have in our own understanding of who is a part of our mission field. Change our understanding to see who You want us to see, O God. Give us a new vision that is larger than what we can see with our own eyes alone.

Read Acts 8

After Stephen was stoned to death for his faith in Christ, the scripture records that "Some devout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him." (verse 2) This passage reminded me of a journal entry I made some time back that I would like to share with you today. The entry is dated June 15, 1994.

I recently attended a funeral for a person I did not know. In fact, I had never met her. She was the mother of one of my neighbors. I felt little or no grief during the service. From what was said, she was a wonderful person, and family members and friends wept.

This made me think, "Who will weep at my funeral?" Casual acquaintances will not. Those attending out of duty or respect will not. Business associates won't. Neither will my office furniture or even my gold clubs or fishing equipment.

When my life draws to a close, only those individuals in whom I've invested myself through close personal friendship will weep. I will want this to include my family and close friends. If so, I need to live each day remembering that others can sit in my chair at work; and others can play golf or fish; but only I can be a husband and friend to my wife, family, and friends. I commit to live in such a way that there will be weeping when I depart.

Will there be any loud lamenting at your funeral?