Tag Archives: Acts

Deuteronomy 20, Ecclesiastes 12, Acts 11-12

— by on

“When you go out to war against your enemies… you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt”.  Just like God was with the Israelites, to “give them the victory”, God is also with us.  Although our enemy has no horses and chariots, the influence of sin in our life is an overwhelming one, requiring constant assistance from God to control.  Unfortunately we don’t have the option the Israelites did of going home if we’re afraid.  We’re in a daily battle for our very lives.

“Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man” advises the wisest man. It’s a simple yet challenging statement, one that requires constant work to grow and develop our relationship with God.  But God has “granted repentance that leads to life” to us, so even in the face of great opposition, whether from without or within, Paul’s exhort to “remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose” is what we should remember.  This daily struggle against sin will one day end, and if we remain faithful as best we can now, we will gain eternal life, filled with “gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.”

 

 

Ecclesiastes 11, Acts 10

— by on

Cornelius. A great example of faith, of not hiding his beliefs, of dedication to prayer. For some unspecified period of time he had prayed to God, and in Acts 10 that prayer was answered, and Peter was sent to educate him further.  “God shows no partiality” – even battle hardened centurions are welcome to “receive forgiveness of sins.”

The ways of God are incomprehensible to us, as Solomon eloquently describes.  Yet we know that God takes an interest in our lives. He knows what is best for us, and answers prayers accordingly.

Let’s work on following the example of Cornelius, to be known as someone that fears God and prays continuously.

Acts 8

— by on

“Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ”. Just a short phrase, but what a difficult task. A lifetime of ingrained hatred against this ungodly people, yet Jesus had specifically told the disciples to preach to the Samaritans.  They received the gospel gladly, and many were baptised.

Serving God is not easy, requires us to get outside our comfort zone, show ourselves as different. We have “the good news about Jesus” that Philip shared with the Samaritans and the Ethiopian eunuch.  It’s something far greater than a life of vanity which Solomon writes about, but it’s up to us to share that hope with people around us.

Ecclesiastes 7, Acts 5-6

— by on

Solomon writes “Surely there is not a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins.”  The crucial part of serving God is not the lack of sin, but rather the attitude towards it and the way we act after it has happened.

None of Jesus’ disciples were sinless, but they still recognised that “we must obey God rather than men.”  They were prepared to dedicate their lives to God’s service, despite any mistakes they made along the way.  Peter, James and Stephen all risked their lives in Acts 5-6 to spread the gospel. They even rejoiced “that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor.”

Such passion and zeal is an encouraging example to us in a world filled with apathy. The 12 disciples resolved to “devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word”. Let’s follow their example, and make God’s word the most important thing in our lives.

Ecclesiastes 6, Acts 3-4

— by on

Solomon writes “All the toil of man is for his mouth, yet his appetite is not satisfied.”  The natural man is never content with what it has, always wanting more.  The constant pursuit of material possessions is but vanity, “striving after wind.”

Stark contrast to Peter and John, who have no silver and gold, but yet have something vastly more precious – the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.  Peter and John share this good news which is able to satisfy the most needy of people, even those who are lame and destitute, through their faith.

Our faith in the name of Jesus Christ has the power to blot out sins, to offer us a part in the “times of refreshing” that will come, and to satisfy us eternally in the praise and worship of our great creator.

Acts 2

— by on

“Jesus of Nazareth… [was] crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death.” Peter neatly summarises a critical aspect of the gospel, to which the correct response is to “repent and be baptized… in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins”.

Those that followed Peter’s advice devoted themselves to their new way of life, to teaching, fellowship, breaking of bread and prayer.  I think this is a useful reminder of the passion we all had as we prepared for baptism, as we came to understand the depth of the hope that God has offered.

The “day of the Lord” is coming in which we will be saved.  It is up to us now to “hold fast” to that hope, to allow it to influence our character and affect our daily life.  “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong. Let all that you do be done in love.”

Deuteronomy 10-11, Ecclesiastes 4, Acts 1

— by on

Moses reminded Israel that the heaven and earth belonged to God, along with all that they contained. Yet God had chosen them to be His unique and precious people.  God would be with them, giving them the promised land, providing for their needs, if they would obey the commandments of God.

God has also chosen us to be part of His unique and precious people. Just as the disciples of Jesus were called to be “witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth”, so we are called to be witnesses of God’s love, mercy, goodness and the hope offered to all.

Unlike the oppressed, who “had no one to comfort them”, we have an incredible hope. In a world where so many are without hope, it is our responsibility to share the hope we’ve been offered.