God can make something RIGHT out of all of our WRONG. When we make a mess out of our lives by making our own decisions or doing our own thing, God is there to help us through the “shipwreck” we have created (see yesterday’s Morning Coffee). He takes this unplanned situation in our lives, the result of our sin, and makes something good out of it. We have stepped out of His will, but He is willing to display His handiwork if only we will put the broken pieces in His hands to fix. We let go and let God make something wonderful out of our mistakes and sin.

They had no plans to go to the island of Malta. When they left for Rome, the captain of the ship, the owner of the boat and the officer in charge ignored Paul’s warning that shipwreck, loss of cargo and danger to the lives of all on board were ahead if they left this late in the Fall. But they did their own thing, trusting in their own strength and knowledge, and they found themselves in the middle of a storm. When their ship fell apart, they all made it safely to the shore of the island of Malta – not their plan, but God is never without a plan and a purpose.

Praise God! He takes our wrong directions and creates a right destination. Why? Because He intends to make something good out of all the bad. Some decisions we make have consequences – “shipwrecks”. God is able to forgive us, stay by our side as we experience the results of our sin and still use our lives to impact others in a positive way. That is what happened on the island of Malta.

Once we were safe on shore, we learned that we were on the island of Malta. The people of the island were very kind to us. It was cold and rainy, so they built a fire on the shore to welcome us.

As Paul gathered an armful of sticks and was laying them on the fire, a poisonous snake, driven out by the heat, bit him on the hand. The people of the island saw it hanging from his hand and said to each other, “A murderer, no doubt! Though he escaped the sea, justice will not permit him to live.” But Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn’t harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. – Acts 28:1-6

Unfortunately, our mistakes and messes often have an audience. Even well-meaning Christians fail us and sit back expecting to see us crash and burn. There is only one audience we should concern ourselves with – God. Forgive them. Let God work on their hearts and stay focused on Him. He may even use what He makes out of your life to draw them to Himself. Don’t concern yourself with what they say or how they judge. Keep your eyes on God so that He can use you however He intends.

Near the shore where we landed was an estate belonging to Publius, the chief official of the island. He welcomed us and treated us kindly for three days. As it happened, Publius’s father was ill with fever and dysentery. Paul went in and prayed for him, and laying his hands on him, he healed him. Then all the other sick people on the island came and were other sick people on the island came and were healed. As a result we were showered with honors, and when the time came to sail, people supplied us with everything we would need for the trip. – Acts 28:7-10

God is so good! They were not even supposed to be on the island of Malta. God took their shipwreck and made great things out of the wreckage. Consider the lives of all the people on Malta that were changed forever because of Paul’s time on the island. Consider those who experienced the storm and shipwreck firsthand – the other prisoners, officers, crew – they were never the same. God provided for their safe journey on to Rome through the people of the island who had been touched by God through their time there.

God can take a consequence of our sin…
God can take a bad decision made out of our own self-reliance…
God can take a storm we are experiencing…
God can take our shipwreck…
AND make something really wonderful out of it! God isn’t done with us when we mess us. He can MAKE THINGS RIGHT out of our wrong. He is not done with us. He has only begun.

“Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on – shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” But the officer in charge of the prisoners listened more to the ship’s captain and the owner than to Paul. – Acts 27:10-11

Been there, done that. How often do we ignore the advice of others or the prompting of the Holy Spirit because we feel we have a handle on the situation? We know what is best and believe we can handle anything that might come our way. There have even been times in my life when someone pulled me aside and warned me there could be trouble ahead if I continue with my plans. In that moment, I had a choice – listen or do things my way. The officer had the same choice.

When a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. The sailors couldn’t turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. – Acts 27:13-15

There are times in our lives when what first appears as a light wind becomes of wind of typhoon strength and before we know it, we have lost control of our direction. No matter how hard we try to turn things around and go in the other direction, we fail and find ourselves giving up.

We sailed along the sheltered side of a small island named Cauda, where with great difficulty we hoisted aboard the lifeboat being towed behind us. Then the sailors bound ropes around the hull of the ship to strengthen it. They were afraid of being driven across to the sandbars of Syrtis off the African coast, so they lowered the sea anchor to slow the ship and were driven before the wind.

The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. The following day they even took some of the ship’s gear and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. – Acts 27:16-20

In the midst of the storm, have you ever tried to keep it together on your own, like the sailors who used ropes to try to keep the ship from falling apart? Have you ever lowered anchor in order to control the situation? Things continue to get worse until there is no more light – no more hope.

No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don’t be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What’s more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.’ So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.” – Acts 27:21-26

Oh, we could all use an occasional “I told you so” but I much prefer the rest of Paul’s message – Take courage! You’ve made a mess of things and there will be consequences, but I am right here standing beside you and will keep you safe in the midst of the coming shipwreck. Like Paul, I choose to believe God – that it will be just as He said!

Thank you, God, for taking the messes we have made in our life and keeping us safe in the storms. We give up control of the situation and place this ship in your arms. Thank you for your promise to stay with us and take care of us, even in the midst of the consequences and mess we have made. You are so good to us and we love you! Amen.

Before Paul’s conversion, he was very religious. Because of his intense persecution of the believers or Christ followers, we could easily think of Paul as this horrible villain. The reality is that he acted out of his sincere devotion to the Jewish law. Listen to Paul’s resume without Christ:

“I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin – a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.

“I once thought these things were valuable, but now I consider them worthless because of what Christ has done. Yes, everything else is worthless when compared to the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!” – Philippians 3:5-11

Paul was religious. You could say he was going through the motions of serving God. After his encounter with God on the road to Damascus and with the Spirit in his life, Paul was now sold out to God! He went from following all the traditions and rules, to following Jesus! At the end of his life, despite the suffering and imprisonment, Paul had no regrets because he knew he had given EVERYTHING to God. He had traded in the “nothingness of life” for the whole-hearted, all consuming passion of God!

Matthew West – The Motions

This might hurt, it’s not safe
But I know that I’ve gotta make a change
I don’t care if I break,
At least I’ll be feeling something
‘Cause just okay is not enough
Help me fight through the nothingness of life

I don’t wanna go through the motions

Take my life and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.
Take my moments and my days, let them flow in ceaseless praise.
Take my hands and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.
Take my feet and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it’s all for Thee.

As we sang this Chris Tomlin worship song yesterday morning in Church, my thoughts went back to Paul. He saw his life as being holy and set apart for God. Even as he endured physical beatings, false accusations and unjust imprisonment, Paul continued to praise God and to serve Him. His attitude – “I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13b).

When Paul entered Jerusalem, he went to the Temple to start the purification ritual. When the seven days were almost over, some Jews from the province of Asia mobbed the temple, dragged Paul out and tried to kill him. Soldiers intervened and arrested Paul.

False accusations and angry crowds characterized the next hours and then the next day. Paul defended himself over and over again to no avail. This was the beginning of the end for Paul but he used these last seven years of imprisonment as a way to continue to tell his story and reach out to others with the good news of the Kingdom. He saw his life as consecrated to God.

During the suffering and hard times, Paul could have been consumed with self-pity but instead was filled with the power and strength of the Holy Spirit. When put on house arrest, Paul could have grieved the loss of his freedom but instead continued to preach to those who came to visit him. With all the time he had now that he could not travel, Paul wrote thirteen letters – letters that continue to be a source of learning and encouragement to us today.

Take my will and make it Thine, it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is Thine own, it shall be Thy royal throne.
Take my love, my Lord I pour at Your feet it’s treasure store
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.
Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it’s all for Thee. – (the rest of Chris Tomlin’s song Take My Life from the 1874 Hymn Take My Life and Let it Be)

For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no tried to stop him (Acts 28:30-31).

This is where Luke ended his account of Paul’s life. It is believed that Paul was again imprisoned in Rome around AD 64 and martyred during the time of Nero’s persecution of believers. We don’t know the details but we do know that Paul did was he was willing to do – he gave all of himself to God, consecrated to the Holy of Holies.

Take myself and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.
Here am I, all of me.
Take my life, it’s all for Thee.

Third time’s a charm? Paul did not spend very much time in Antioch before he set out on his third missionary trip, again going back to many of the areas he had visited before to check in on those who had come to believe in Jesus. His purpose was to encourage and strengthen them. On this journey, Paul found many believers who had been baptized with John’s kind of baptism of water, which included repenting of their sins, but they had not yet been baptized by or received the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Paul traveled through the country we now know as Turkey, stopping in Ephesus on the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. He stayed there for two years teaching both Jews and Greek. It is possible that Paul wrote his first letter to the church in Corinth during this time in Ephesus.

God gave Paul the power to perform unusual miracles. When handkerchiefs or aprons that had merely touched his skin were placed on sick people, they were healed of their diseases, and evil spirits were expelled…Many who became believers confessed their sinful practices. A number of them who had been practicing sorcery brought their incantation books and burned them at a public bonfire. The value of the books was several million dollars. So the message about the Lord spread widely and had a powerful effect (Acts 19:11-12, 18-20).

Just as Paul was wrapping up his ministry in Ephesus and making plans to go over to Macedonia and Achaia before going to Jerusalem and then Rome, trouble began to brew for Paul. Those who made their money from the worship of false gods were losing business and created accusations against Paul. But God rescued Paul from an intense situation, allowing Paul to leave and go to Macedonia and then to Greece, where he wrote the second letter to the Corinthian Church.

Paul made many more stops as he hurried to make his way back to Jerusalem for the Festival of Pentecost. Rather than go into Ephesus, Paul sent for the elders of the church at Ephesus to meet him in Miletus, where he said these words of farewell:

“You know that from the day I set foot in the province of Asia until now, I have done the Lord’s work humbly and with many tears. I have endured the trials that came to me from the plots of the Jews. I never shrank back from telling you what you needed to hear, either publicly or in your homes. I have one message for Jews and Greeks alike – the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.

“And I have been a constant example of how you can help those in need by working hard. You should remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” – Acts 20:18-27, 35

What a wonderful testimony – one I hope I can have as I feel my time on earth coming towards an end.

– To be able to say I served humbly and opened my heart up to others.
– To be able to say I survived hard times or opposition, not because I shrank back and avoided, but because I stayed true and committed regardless of the situation.
– To have no feelings of regret – regret that I didn’t say enough or that I wasn’t bold enough in my faith, that I loved others enough to have tough conversations.
– I want to work hard in order that those in need can be helped – to live a life that echoes Jesus’ words – “It is more blessed to give than to receive.” – (Acts 20:35)

Paul knew that jail and suffering were in his future, yet said, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it to finish the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.” – (Acts 20:24) Paul was right. He later wrote his letter to the Ephesians while in prison in Rome. But, I’m getting ahead of myself…

Have a great weekend! I’m looking forward to our morning coffee together next week as we hear what happened next to this apostle who has taught us so much already!

On his second missionary journey, Paul took Silas and Timothy with him. Their purpose was to go back and visit each city where they had previously preached the word of the Lord in order to see how the new believers were doing. The result of their trip was that believers were encouraged but also many more found faith in Jesus Christ. Just like the first missionary journey, there were communities where Paul’s message was accepted but also cities in which he faced opposition.

Paul knew before he even began his second tour that he would again face persecution and potentially death. On the first missionary journey, he had been stoned and dragged out of the city. The memories of that pain and rejection would still be vivid in his mind. Yet he returned out of faithfulness to the God who had saved him from a life of persecuting others. The result of his courage and obedience – the churches were strengthened in their faith and grew larger every day (Acts 16:5).

In the city of Philippi, Paul and his team experienced both good and bad. Let’s look first at the good: On the Sabbath we went a little way outside of the city to a riverbank, where we thought people would be meeting for prayer, and we sat down to speak with some women who had gathered there. One of them was Lydia from Thyatira, a merchant of expensive purple cloth, who worshiped God. As she listened to us, the Lord opened her heart, and she accepted what Paul was saying. She was baptized along with other members of her household, and she asked us to be her guests. “If you agree that I am a true believer in the Lord,” she said, “come and stay at my home.” And she urged us until we agreed (Acts 16:13-15).

Lydia was one of three people who were forever changed by Paul’s visit to Philippi. Because of this trip, Lydia’s faith in God increased and she and the members of her household were baptized. Lydia extended hospitality to the apostles and God provided them with a place to stay while in the city.

The second person greatly affected by Paul’s time in Philippi was a slave girl possessed by a demon. She was a fortune-teller and her owners made a great deal of money from the abilities the demon living inside of her possessed. Each day she would follow after Paul’s team shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved” (16:17).

Out of compassion for the slave girl, Paul cast out the demon. Actually, that’s not what happened. Paul, human like we are, became so exasperated that he turned to the girl after listening to her shouting for days and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her (16:18). She was now free from the demon who had tortured her for so long. This young girl, a slave with little to no “worth” in the eyes of the community she lived in, was forever changed.

This is where we see the bad that Paul experienced while in Philippi:
Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the market place. “The whole city is an uproar because of these Jews!” they shouted to the city officials. “They are teaching customs that are illegal for us Romans to practice.”

A mob quickly formed against Paul and Silas, and the city officials ordered them stripped and beaten with wooden rods. They were severely beaten, and then they were thrown into prison. The jailer was ordered to make sure they didn’t escape. So the jailer put them into the inner dungeon and clamped their feet in the stocks. – Acts 16:19-24

During the good times and the bad, Paul praised God. Because of his spirit of devotion to God instead of self-pity, one more person was greatly affected by Paul’s trip to Philippi.

Around midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening. Suddenly, there was a massive earthquake, and the prison was shaken to its foundations. All the doors immediately flew open, and the chains of every prisoner fell off! The jailer woke up to see the prison doors wide open. He assumed the prisoners had escaped, so he drew his sword to kill himself. But Paul shouted to him, “Stop! Don’t kill yourself! We are all here!”

They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, along with everyone in your household.” And they shared the word of the Lord with him and with all who lived in his household. Even at that hour of the night, the jailer cared for them and washed their wounds. Then he and everyone in his household were immediately baptized. He brought them into his house and set a meal before them, and he and his entire household rejoiced because they all believed in God. – Acts 16:25-34

It’s possible that God wants to greatly affect the life of someone else today through our obedience. What is God telling us to do? Where is God telling us to go? If we do what He asks us to do, someone’s life will be forever changed, just as ours will be.

While spending time worshiping the Lord and fasting, the early Church heard from God through the Holy Spirit telling them to dedicate Barnabas and Saul (now known as Paul) to a special work God had for them. The next two chapters of Acts describe Barnabas and Paul’s first missionary journey from Antioch. Their experience varied from town to town and so did their response.

In Paphos, Paul and Barnabas met with the governor, Sergius Paulus. There was an obstruction in the way of the governor accepting the good news of salvation and they were there to remove that barrier. Sometimes there are barriers or distractions in our lives preventing us from trusting in God fully. In the governor’s case it was a Jewish sorcerer named Bar-Jesus. Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, identified the man for what he was – a tool of the devil and an enemy. Instantly mist and darkness came over his eyes and he began groping around begging for someone to take his hand and lead him. The distraction was silenced and the governor became a believer for he was astonished at the teaching about the Lord (Acts 13:6-12).

Next they ended up in Antioch of Pisidia, where they were invited to give a word of encouragement for the people during the weekly service in the synagogue. Paul reminded them of the history of Israel and how Jesus fulfilled many prophecies, how he was condemned instead of recognized and how God raised him from the dead.

“Brothers, listen! We are here to proclaim that through this man Jesus there is forgiveness for your sins. Everyone who believes in him is declared right with God…” (Acts 13:38-39). Paul’s message was accepted and they were invited to stay for another week. During that week, the Gentiles were thankful for these missionaries and many became believers. Opposition arose, however, among the Jews and a mob ran Paul and Barnabas out of town.

So they shook the dust from their feet as a sign of rejection and went to the town of Iconium. And the believers were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit. – Acts 13:51-52

The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas went to the Jewish synagogue and preached with such power that a great number of both Jews and Greeks became believers. Some of the Jews, however, spurned God’s message and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas. But the apostles stayed there a long time, preaching boldly about the grace of the Lord. And the Lord proved their message was true by giving them power to do miraculous signs and wonders. – Acts 14:1-3

Paul and Barnabas experienced the same thing in Iconium that they did in Antioch of Pisidia, yet instead of moving on, they stayed. Sometimes in the face of opposition, the Holy Spirit leads us to walk away. Sometimes he tells us to stay. And sometimes he directs us to flee. That is what Paul and Barnabas did next when a mob of both Gentiles and Jews threatened to attack and stone them.

They went on to Lystra and Derbe and preached the good news there instead. The reaction at first was quite the opposite as the people tried to make Paul and Barnabas into gods to worship.

“Friends, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings – just like you! We have come to bring you the Good News that you should turn from these worthless things and turn to the Living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. In the past he permitted all the nations to go their own ways, but he never left them without evidence of himself and his goodness. For instance, he sends you rain and good crops and gives you food and joyful hearts.” – Acts 14:15-17

Trouble followed Paul and Barnabas to Lystra, stirring up the crowds against them. They stoned Paul and dragged him out of town, thinking he was dead. So what did Paul do this time? Did he shake the dust off his feet and leave? Did he choose to stay or did he flee? As the believers gathered around the injured apostle, he rose to his feet and went back into the town.

The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe, where he made many disciples. Paul and Barnabas stopped by Lystra, Iconium and Antioch of Pisidia on their way home from this long journey. They had one more message to convey using the example of their own lives – a reminder that we must suffer many hardships to enter the Kingdom of God (14:22).

This is a good reminder for us today. God has called each of us to a special purpose. He promises to be with us but He does not promise that our journey will be without distractions, opposition, persecution and sometimes suffering. He has given us the Holy Spirit who will show us what to do when these problems arise. He might lead us to walk away or He may call us to stay. He might warn us to flee from the enemy or He may give us the strength to get up on our feet and go back.

I am so thankful for His direction and strength in any and every situation. I praise Him and thank Him for the wisdom He gives us to know how and when to respond. As long as we continue to worship and fast and remain close to God, He will communicate to us through His Spirit. Praise God!

I studied the tendencies of two men this morning as I drank my coffee – Peter the Apostle and Herod the King. Peter was highly esteemed and respected in the early Church and among both Jewish and Gentile believers. King Herod was highly esteemed and given much power. He was well liked among the Jewish leaders as well, gaining their favor for his persecution of the early Christians and his order to kill the apostle James with a sword.

When Herod saw how much this pleased the Jewish people, he also arrested Peter (This took place during the Passover Celebration.) Then he imprisoned him, placing him under the guard of four squads of four soldiers each. Herod intended to bring Peter out for public trial after the Passover. – Acts 12:3-4

Herod was SO pleased with the praise and attention he received for himself when he put the apostle James to death that he craved more attention. How could he top this one? Arrest an even more popular apostle, one who had already been arrested at one point but had escaped – arrest Peter. Prove that he could accomplish what others could not! Arrest Peter and put so many guards on him that it would be impossible for him to escape this time.

Consider the timing of Peter’s arrest. Herod wanted the attention of as many of the Jewish people as possible so he arrested Peter during the Jewish Passover celebration with the intent of bringing him to public trial right after the Passover. Sound familiar? At the same time the traditional Passover lamb was to be slain, Jesus was crucified. If the Jewish people wanted a blood sacrifice to save them, Herod would give it to them through the death of Peter.

The night before Peter was to be placed on trial, he was asleep, fastened with two chains between two soldiers. Others stood guard at the prison gate. Suddenly, there was a bright light in the cell, and an angel of the Lord stood before Peter. The angel struck him on the side to awaken him and said, “Quick! Get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists. Then the angel told him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Now put on your coat and follow me,” the angel ordered.

Peter finally came to his senses. “It’s really true!” he said. “The Lord has sent his angel and saved me from Herod and from what the Jewish leaders had planned to do to me!” – Acts 12:6-11

If you have read this story so many times that you were able to read it just now without getting chills or experiencing any emotion, I invite you to go back and read it again. Let the reality of this moment in Peter’s life truly sink in and join me in praising God for one of the most miraculous moments recorded in Scripture. Now laugh with me and have an “in your face!” moment as we think of Herod’s reaction the next morning when he realized he had been defeated in his efforts to receive glory for himself. How angry and humiliated he must have been! So angry that he sentenced the guards to death and then fled to Caesarea to sulk.

[My sister-in-law showed a video of the story of Noah’s Ark in Kidzone yesterday and the children broke out in spontaneous applause when the ark landed safely on dry land. How pleased God must be when we read the Scripture with the heart and reaction of a child!]

While Peter was in prison, the church was earnestly praying for him (12:5). Peter went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many believers were gathered for prayer. Imagine their shock when they opened the door and saw Peter standing there. Scripture says they were “amazed.” Peter motioned for them to quiet down and then told them now the Lord had led him out of prison. He was quick to let them know that his escape was not about him but about God, not by his strength but by God’s power, mercy and grace! – (Acts 12:12-17)

In contrast, Herod is in Caesarea, dressed in royal robes and sitting on his throne. A delegation of people trying to win his favor from Tyre and Sidon are his audience and he is making a grand speech. The people gave him a great ovation, shouting, “It’s the voice of a god, not of a man!” (12:22) Just the attention and glory he craved! But God has never been impressed with man’s need for pride or our tendency to soak in the glory of men’s praise.

Instantly, an angel of the Lord struck Herod with a sickness, because he accepted the people’s worship instead of giving glory to God. So he was consumed with worms and died. – Acts 12:23

How much does God hate our pride? How angry does God get when we crave the attention and praise of others? Consider this – Herod killed the apostle James, whom God loved very much, and nothing happened. Herod arrested Peter with the intent to bring him to trial and God rescued Peter without bringing physical harm to Herod. Herod accepted the praise of men when they worshipped him as if he was a god and God struck Herod with a sickness that would lead to a painful and miserable death.

Oh great and wonderful God, only you are worthy of our praise and glory today and forevermore! Forgive us for our moments of satisfaction and pride in ourselves. May we crave only your attention and may you be pleased with our humility and service to you today. We love you! Amen.

Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean…I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right…” – Acts 10:28, 34-35

Peter, like all Jewish young men, had grown up with the false idea that Gentiles were impure – that God’s plan of salvation was only for the Jewish people. It took God Himself revealing His love for all people in a vision for Peter to understand that God does not show favoritism. There are a few things I noticed about Peter’s experience.

God spoke to Peter while Peter was praying to Him – if we want to hear from God, we need to spend time with Him. Peter had gone up on the roof to pray. It was during this time of separating himself and spending time with God in prayer that God was able to reveal to him some erroneous thinking that needed corrected.

The vision was of a large sheet being let down from the sky, full of all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. This group of animals included those that the Jewish people considered unclean and were forbidden to eat. Imagine Peter’s confusion when, in the vision, God told Peter to get up and eat the animals.

Peter’s reaction: “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”
God’s correction: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” – Acts 10:14-15

Like Peter, sometimes God has to tell us something multiple times before we get it. This vision from God was repeated three times and still Peter did not get it. God moves on to part 2 of His plan. The Holy Spirit tells Peter to go downstairs and go with the three men he has sent. These men took him to the home of Cornelius, a Roman officer – a devout and God-fearing man but also a Gentile. Now Peter gets it, now he understands. He is to no longer call one of God’s children unclean.

Peter preached the Good News to Cornelius, his household and friends, and the Holy Spirit came upon all of them. Peter and the Jewish believers with him were amazed that God’s gif tof the Holy Spirit was being poured out on the Gentiles also.

Don’t argue with God. When His presence is obvious in the lives of others, don’t look for reasons to criticize or exclude them. The Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?”

Do not worry about what other people think. When Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, he was criticized by the Jewish believers. Instead of weakening from their pressure, Peter told them what God had revealed to them and of how the Holy Spirit had filled the Gentile believers. The result – the Jewish believers stopped objecting and began praising God, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life” (11:18).

If Peter had not stood up for what he knew was right, others’ beliefs would not have changed. Because he was bold for Christ, their understanding of God’s love for everyone led to them sending missionaries to the Gentiles for the express purpose of their salvation. They went from seeing the Gentiles as unclean to seeing their need for a Savior and investing in their salvation by sending preachers to them.

Two of these missionaries were Barnabas and Paul. They stayed in Tarsus for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. And it was in Antioch that these new Gentile believers were first called Christians. Wait – the best part is coming! These new Gentile believers heard the predictions by the Spirit that a great famine was coming upon the entire Roman world. The believers generously sent relief to their new brothers and sisters in Christ in Judea. I love it!

Sometimes God teaches us things and corrects our wrong thinking, not just for the benefit of others, but also as part of a bigger plan to save us. Our God is complex and He is generous. He shows no favoritism. Do we? He does not look down on groups of people because of their ethnicity or background or sin – instead, He loves them. Do we?

The last two mornings my schedule has not allowed me time to write after my morning coffee with God so I thought I would take time on this quiet Saturday morning to share what I had in my coffee the last couple days.

After focusing on Stephen the Martyr, Philip the Evangelist and then Paul the Convert, I went to Bible Study on Wednesday night at Church and came across the following testimony of Paul’s. I think it fits well with the next few people introduced in the book of Acts and is worth sharing.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do his work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted his people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with faith and love that come from Christ Jesus.

This is a trustworthy saying, and everyone should accept it: “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners” – and I am the worst of them all. But God had mercy on me so that Christ Jesus could use me as a prime example of his great patience with even the worst sinners. Then others will realize that they, too, can believe in him and receive eternal life. All honor and glory to God forever and ever! He is the eternal King, the unseen one who never dies; he alone is God. Amen. – 1 Timothy 1:12-17

Paul describes himself as the worst sinner. His testimony is extreme and God used in powerful ways. But what about those of us who do not have a big story to share, whose transformation was still very real, yet less dramatic? This brings us to Aeneas the Paralytic.

Meanwhile, Peter traveled from place to place, and he came down to visit the believers in the town of Lydda. There he met a man named Aeneas, who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you! Get up, roll up your sleeping mat!” And he was healed instantly. Then the whole population of Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas walking around, and they turned to the Lord. – Acts 9:32-35

His story was not about what a wicked man he was, but about how he had suffered. The same God of mercy who forgave Paul and then used his story also had mercy on this unfortunate man and used his healing to turn two towns to the Lord.

Consider Tabitha the Seamstress (also known as Dorcas). Tabitha was a good person. She was always doing kind things for others and helping the poor. She made clothing for others and cared deeply for them. Her life was a stark contrast to Paul’s history of making life miserable for others. Two people, two very different backgrounds, both in need of the mercy of God and the salvation available through faith in Jesus Christ.

About this time she became ill and died. Her body was washed for burial and laid in an upstairs room. But the believers had heard that Peter was nearby at Lydda, so they sent two men to beg him, “Please come as soon as possible!”

The news spread through the whole town, and many believed in the Lord. – Acts 9:37-42

5 people, 5 different stories – all used by God in the lives of other people. Stephen gave his life and the result was the scattering of the believers, which brought about the widespread of the gospel. Philip obeyed the Lord and the Ethiopian eunuch was saved. Paul changed his ways and began one of the strongest evangelistic ministries in history. Aeneas simply allowed God to take his story of suffering and use it for His glory and the salvation of others. Tabitha’s reputation as a good and selfless person caused people to care enough about her death that her resurrection ended up changing their lives forever.

Don’t let anyone tell you that your story isn’t powerful enough to make the difference in someone else’s life. Don’t convince yourself that God would never use you. In fact, He plans to use you today. Are you ready? Are you willing?