Filed under: March
Posted by Brion Miller
S – Acts 11:6 – 9
When I looked inside the sheet, I saw all sorts of small animals, wild animals, reptiles, and birds. And I heard a voice say, “Get up, Peter: kill and eat them.” “No Lord, “I replied. I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure or unclean. But the voice from heaven spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.”
O – Peter is a loyal Jewish follower and therefore he followed every law to the letter. In the old testament God gave Moses specific instructions about what kinds of animals were acceptable for the people to eat. To eat something impure was to be cut off from the people of Israel. Christ died on the cross and with his death and ressurection he made a new covenant and law. This convenant was with the Jewish people first and the gentiles or non Jewish people. Under this new covenant all people could accepted and become followers of Christ and have eternal life.
A – Application of this scripture is easy. Every day we come into contact with people that are from different backgrounds, races and religions. Some of these people could be considered undesirable or unpopular or even just plain weird. But each person that crosses our path is by divine purpose and appointment. It is an opportunity to reach out and show them the love and joy that we have in Christ. Imagine this if we only accepted the people in our group now we would never grow any larger, But if we take everyone that comes to our group and accept them where they are and as they are the numbers are endless that we can win to Christ. If God has called them and brought them to us it is our responsibility to ACCEPT them.
P – God, I pray that you will open my eyes to see beyond what a person looks like, to accept them as you have accepted them. I pray for barriers to be dropped and for you explode our group as we accept people no matter what they look like, where they come from or how they dress. Remind us that we once were on the outside looking in and you accepted us. Now it is our duty to love and accept those that you call. Amen
Filed under: February
Scripture
Acts 7:59-60
As they stoned him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He fell to his knees, shouting, “Lord, don’t charge them with this sin!” And with that, he died.
Observation
Stephen is being killed right now for telling people about Jesus. The way they are killing him is by throwing massive stones or boulders at him until he dies. As they are pegging him, He asks God not to hold the sin of killing him against them. Basically, as Stephen is dying, he asks God to “forgive” the men who were killing him. That’s right, he drops the spiritual F bomb and asks God to “forgive” the men for killing him. If a lot of us were in Stephen’s shoes (getting stones thrown at us until we died), we might have dropped the F bomb as well, but it probably wouldn’t have been the spiritual F bomb.
Application
I can’t believe that Stephen is asking God to forgive these people for killing him. I would have probably been asking God to strike these people with lightning bolts for attempting to kill me! Forgiving people is one of the hardest things in the world to do, especially when we didn’t do anything wrong. Stephen sets a great example for me that regardless of how bad people treat me, my response should be to forgive them. If Stephen could forgive people as he was being killed (arguably the worst day of your life), surely I can forgive people for making me have a bad day every now and then.
Prayer
God thanks for pointing me to the story of Stephen today. He set a great example to me for how I should treat those that “do me wrong.” Please help me to remember this story in the future when I’m having a hard time forgiving someone.
Filed under: February
By Penny Swanson
S – Acts 7:54 Now when they heard this they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him.
O – What is a “quick?” Have you ever cut your fingernail so short it hurts because it cuts into the soft tissue under the nail or the nail bed? Or cut a dog’s toenail too short and it bleeds? The soft tissue in the nail is the “quick.” And it hurts when it’s cut! The people listening to Stephen’s sermon were angry at what he had to say. Stephen’s words went straight to their hearts – their “soft tissue” or “quick.” The anger was from defensiveness and guilt because what Stephen spoke was the truth.
A – How often do we get angry and defend our actions or words when someone speaks the truth to us? Or when we read the Bible and something in it convicts us of sin in our life? We should be repentant and sorry but instead we deal with the pain by getting defensive and angry.
P – Lord, I pray that when I read your Word and am convicted of sin that I will immediately seek forgiveness and correct my behavior. When I am “cut to the quick” may I respond the right way!
Filed under: February
- S- Acts 7: 34 I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groans and have come down to rescue them. Now go, for I am sending you back to Egypt.
- O- They people were wandering around the desert for SOOOO long, praying to God, asking Him to help them, rescue them and finally God says that He has heard them and He is here to rescue them.
- A- Sometimes I pray to God and it seems like He isn’t listening. I complain and groan to God because I feel like I am just wandering around with no map or no one to tell me where to go next. God is teaching me to be patient and to let Him answer my prayers and concerns when His timing says is right. God has 3 answers- YES…NO… NOT NOW (it’s usually the “not now” that I have a problem with) but God’s plan is SOOOO PERFECT! SO much better than any plan we can come up with ourselves
- P- Lord, I know I complain, groan and lose faith that you hear me. Remind me each day that you hear my every thought, word, see everything I do… and you will rescue me from danger and you will guide my path. I need to continue to have faith and let you control my life! In your son’s name… Amen!
Filed under: February
Posted by Fred Swanson
S: Acts 7:9-10 “..but God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles”
O: God was with Joseph, even in times when his brothers were against him. His brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt, but God used that for his glory and used Joseph in many ways.
A: Despite our circumstances, God is right there by our side. That is his promise, and our faith is a testimony to his promise. We can take comfort in knowing that God is always there with us, no matter what!
P: Lord, help me to stay strong in my faith knowing you are always by my side, no matter what. Use me to glorify your kingdom, in every part of my life.
