Nobody Knows the Day and the Hour

Covenant with God

Signs of God's Covenant

The Rainbow

Matthew 24:36-44 The Message

³⁶ “But the exact day and hour? No one knows that, not even heaven’s angels, not even the Son. Only the Father knows.
^37-39 “The Arrival of the Son of Man will take place in times like Noah’s. Before the great flood, everyone was carrying on as usual, having a good time right up to the day Noah boarded the ark. They knew nothing—until the flood hit and swept everything away.
^39-44 “The Son of Man’s Arrival will be like that: Two men will be working in the field—one will be taken, one left behind; two women will be grinding at the mill—one will be taken, one left behind. So stay awake, alert. You have no idea what day your Master will show up. But you do know this: You know that if the homeowner had known what time of night the burglar would arrive, he would have been there with his dogs to prevent the break-in. Be vigilant just like that. You have no idea when the Son of Man is going to show up.

For Reflection

Christ, on His Father's command, entered the world not to destroy it but to save it. The second advent in which we live is the development and maturation of the Christian era.  The second coming is the full realization of the human potential under God and the completion of the Kingdom of God.  Let us hope that all will be acceptable in the eyes of God.

Pray

Pray that you will keep your focus on the vision that is God's will for all of human life.  Pray prayers of praise and adoration so that you will remember the promise of your sovereign God.  Pray for the realization of the Kingdom. 

"Be Fruitful, Multiply, Fill the Earth"

Covenant with God

Signs of God's Covenant

The Rainbow

Genesis 9:1-7 The Message

9 ^1-4 God blessed Noah and his sons: He said, “Prosper! Reproduce! Fill the Earth! Every living creature—birds, animals, fish—will fall under your spell and be afraid of you. You’re responsible for them. All living creatures are yours for food; just as I gave you the plants, now I give you everything else. Except for meat with its lifeblood still in it—don’t eat that.

⁵ “But your own lifeblood I will avenge; I will avenge it against both animals and other humans.

^6-7 Whoever sheds human blood,
        by humans let his blood be shed,l
    Because God made humans in his image
        reflecting God’s very nature.
    You’re here to bear fruit, reproduce,
        lavish life on the Earth, live bountifully!”

For Reflection

God is not concerned with reproduction only.  God selected Noah and his family to reset God's will for human life. It was, and still is, God's hope that the lineages of righteous people will help God establish worldwide reconciliation and the fulfillment of God's promise. If you are a God worshiper and a Jesus follower, how are you doing a God collaborator?

Pray
Pray so that your life reflects your love of God and your acceptance of Christ in a holy witness to the Resurrection.

People and Creatures Return to Earth

Covenant with God

Signs of God's Covenant

The Rainbow

Genesis 8:13-19 The Message 

^13-14 In the six-hundred-first year of Noah’s life, on the first day of the first month, the flood had dried up. Noah opened the hatch of the ship and saw dry ground. By the twenty-seventh day of the second month, the Earth was completely dry.
^15-17 God spoke to Noah: “Leave the ship, you and your wife and your sons and your sons’ wives. And take all the animals with you, the whole menagerie of birds and mammals and crawling creatures, all that brimming prodigality of life, so they can reproduce and flourish on the Earth.”
^18-19 Noah disembarked with his sons and wife and his sons’ wives. Then all the animals, crawling creatures, birds—every creature on the face of the Earth—left the ship family by family.

For Reflection

"The same hand that brings the desolation must bring the deliverance; to that hand, therefore, we must ever look." (Matthew Henry)
God never enacts what seems to be punishment without showing a path through grace to salvation.

Pray
Pray prayers of thanksgiving and praise to the living God.  Pray and listen to God's whispers that will guide you into a right relationship with God.  Pray that you will bear witness to the will of God in your life.

"Noah Found Favor with the Lord"

Covenant with God

Signs of God's Covenant

The Rainbow

Genesis 6:1-8 The Message

Giants in the Land

6 ^1-2 When the human race began to increase, with more and more daughters being born, the sons of God noticed that the daughters of men were beautiful. They looked them over and picked out wives for themselves.

³ Then God said, “I’m not going to breathe life into men and women endlessly. Eventually they’re going to die; from now on they can expect a life span of 120 years.”
⁴ This was back in the days (and also later) when there were giants in the land. The giants came from the union of the sons of God and the daughters of men. These were the mighty men of ancient lore, the famous ones.

Noah and His Sons

^5-7 God saw that human evil was out of control. People thought evil, imagined evil—evil, evil, evil from morning to night. God was sorry that he had made the human race in the first place; it broke his heart. God said, “I’ll get rid of my ruined creation, make a clean sweep: people, animals, snakes and bugs, birds—the works. I’m sorry I made them.”

⁸ But Noah was different. God liked what he saw in Noah.

For Reflection

God created men and women as sexual beings capable of procreating.  It seems that God gave each freedom to choose, not only their partners but also the freedom to live their lives as they wished.  I suppose God expected his creation to honor God. But, alas, humans chose to follow the seduction and delusions of self-determination and idolatry. This lead to God's disappointment.

And then there was Noah, a righteous man. Noah came from the lineage of Seth, not Cain.  So God decided to restore his creation in the manner of Noah.

Pray

Pray prayers of thanksgiving to God.  Pray that you will make choices that honor God. Pray that your words and deeds will lead others in the path Christ taught.  Pray that, like Noah, you will lead a God fearing life.

Gentiles Included By Spirit and Water

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Be Inclusive

Acts 10:44-48 The Message

44-46 No sooner were these words out of Peter’s mouth than the Holy Spirit came on the listeners. The believing Jews who had come with Peter couldn’t believe it, couldn’t believe that the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on “outsider” non-Jews, but there it was—they heard them speaking in tongues, heard them praising God.
46-48 Then Peter said, “Do I hear any objections to baptizing these friends with water? They’ve received the Holy Spirit exactly as we did.” Hearing no objections, he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.
Then they asked Peter to stay on for a few days.

For Reflection

No one can save another.  Only God saves.  Peter taught and prayed, and God covered the listeners with the cloak of the Holy Spirit.  These Gentiles accepted God's overture for salvation and received baptism. Salvation is God's gift to those who accept it.

Pray

Pray so that you can be more fully engrossed in each new day God creates for you. Pray for the Holy Spirit to fill your soul with the joy of the grace of God.  Pray to embrace whatever God's Grace requires of us to include, the stranger, the sick, the hungry, the poor, the unloved and those who are difficult to love.

Gentiles Hear and Accept the Gospel

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Be Inclusive

Acts 10:34-43  The Message

34-36 Peter fairly exploded with his good news: “It’s God’s own truth, nothing could be plainer: God plays no favorites! It makes no difference who you are or where you’re from—if you want God and are ready to do as he says, the door is open. The Message he sent to the children of Israel—that through Jesus Christ everything is being put together again—well, he’s doing it everywhere, among everyone.
37-38 “You know the story of what happened in Judea. It began in Galilee after John preached a total life-change. Then Jesus arrived from Nazareth, anointed by God with the Holy Spirit, ready for action. He went through the country helping people and healing everyone who was beaten down by the Devil. He was able to do all this because God was with him.
39-43 “And we saw it, saw it all, everything he did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem where they killed him, hung him from a cross. But in three days God had him up, alive, and out where he could be seen. Not everyone saw him—he wasn’t put on public display. Witnesses had been carefully handpicked by God beforehand—us! We were the ones, there to eat and drink with him after he came back from the dead. He commissioned us to announce this in public, to bear solemn witness that he is in fact the One whom God destined as Judge of the living and dead. But we’re not alone in this. Our witness that he is the means to forgiveness of sins is backed up by the witness of all the prophets.”

For Reflection

What could be a more compelling rationale for following the way of Jesus Christ? Peter is a witness among many to the resurrection. They and we now know that God lives and moves among us. And witnesses to God's will abound. And now, your witness is as powerful as Peters because you, too, have known Christ.

Pray

Make your life a living prayer. Pray that all that interact with you will see the Living God in all that you say and do. Pray so that your life can be a witness to the love and grace of God.

People Are Neither Unclean nor Profane

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Be Inclusive

Acts 10:9-20 The Message

9-13 The next day as the three travelers were approaching the town, Peter went out on the balcony to pray. It was about noon. Peter got hungry and started thinking about lunch. While lunch was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw the skies open up. Something that looked like a huge blanket lowered by ropes at its four corners settled on the ground. Every kind of animal and reptile and bird you could think of was on it. Then a voice came: “Go to it, Peter—kill and eat.”
14 Peter said, “Oh, no, Lord. I’ve never so much as tasted food that was not kosher.”
15 The voice came a second time: “If God says it’s okay, it’s okay.”
16 This happened three times, and then the blanket was pulled back up into the skies.
17-20 As Peter, puzzled, sat there trying to figure out what it all meant, the men sent by Cornelius showed up at Simon’s front door. They called in, asking if there was a Simon, also called Peter, staying there. Peter, lost in thought, didn’t hear them, so the Spirit whispered to him, “Three men are knocking at the door looking for you. Get down there and go with them. Don’t ask any questions. I sent them to get you.”

For Reflection

Peter had a problem.  His problem was that he had been a Jew.  In this case, Peters religion called for a strict adherence to the Mosaic law and all the other laws which followed them. His prejudices against the Gentiles would have prevented him from ministering to those considered unclean or who did not follow Kosher eating habits.

God intervenes in a dream to show Peter that the Christ event modified the Mosiac law and God showed Peter the meaning of Christ's birth, life, death, and resurrection. To accept God's grace and be saved from the seduction of the worldly wisdom one does not have to be a Jew nor does one have to adhere to Jewish tradition.

God loves us all.  God's will is that we all should live in the hollow of God's hands. Gods offer of reconciliation is open to all.

Pray

Pray prayers of thanksgiving to the living God.  Pray that when God's hand seems unpredictable and counter to your expectations that you will have unwavering trust in God's judgment.  Pray for all who understand the Gospel and accept it.  Pray that those who hear and do not accept God's saving grace will repent and return to become a faithful follower.

The Lord Meets Cornelius in a Vision

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Be Inclusive

Acts 10:1-8 The Message

Peter’s Vision

10 1-3 There was a man named Cornelius who lived in Caesarea, captain of the Italian Guard stationed there. He was a thoroughly good man. He had led everyone in his house to live worshipfully before God, was always helping people in need, and had the habit of prayer. One day about three o’clock in the afternoon he had a vision. An angel of God, as real as his next-door neighbor, came in and said, “Cornelius.”
4-6 Cornelius stared hard, wondering if he was seeing things. Then he said, “What do you want, sir?”
The angel said, “Your prayers and neighborly acts have brought you to God’s attention. Here’s what you are to do. Send men to Joppa to get Simon, the one everyone calls Peter. He is staying with Simon the Tanner, whose house is down by the sea.”
7-8 As soon as the angel was gone, Cornelius called two servants and one particularly devout soldier from the guard. He went over with them in great detail everything that had just happened, and then sent them off to Joppa.

For Reflection

Caesarea, what an unexpected place to find the first non-Jewish Christian.  Drawn to the Jews’ religion, the Roman Captian had adopted many Jewish habits and practices,  He also shared these rituals with members of his household of slaves and soldiers and helped people in need.  He had rejected the deity of Rome. God arranged a meeting with Peter so that this seeker of God, will be introduced to Jesus Christ.

Pray

Pray that all who seek to become righteous will find in Christ a path into a profound relationship with God. Pray for those whose prayers to God and acts of justice and kindness find full and conscious salvation. Pray prayers of thanksgiving for the living God who gives the light of truth to those who seek it. Pray that you will recognize the hand of God in a soul who is filled with piety and charity.

Jesus Heals a Centurion Slave

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Be Inclusive

Luke 7:1-10 The Message

A Place of Holy Mystery

7 1-5 When he finished speaking to the people, he entered Capernaum. A Roman captain there had a servant who was on his deathbed. He prized him highly and didn’t want to lose him. When he heard Jesus was back, he sent leaders from the Jewish community asking him to come and heal his servant. They came to Jesus and urged him to do it, saying, “He deserves this. He loves our people. He even built our meeting place.”
6-8 Jesus went with them. When he was still quite far from the house, the captain sent friends to tell him, “Master, you don’t have to go to all this trouble. I’m not that good a person, you know. I’d be embarrassed for you to come to my house, even embarrassed to come to you in person. Just give the order and my servant will get well. I’m a man under orders; I also give orders. I tell one soldier, ‘Go,’ and he goes; another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; my slave, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.”
9-10 Taken aback, Jesus addressed the accompanying crowd: “I’ve yet to come across this kind of simple trust anywhere in Israel, the very people who are supposed to know about God and how he works.” When the messengers got back home, they found the servant up and well.

For Reflection

Many Christians express an ideology of exclusivity.  That is, some believe that if one does not belong to a particular denomination, one is not afforded the promise of God or salvation.

Yet God's church is composed of many doctrines and styles of worship. As God has called people from all walks of life, from all faiths, from all nations and races, God's intentions are clear.   The Centurion's trust as shown by his recognition of Christ marks him as a faithful servant. It is that profound trust in God, that identifies one as a faithful servant. It is one's faith in God, not one's religion that saves.

Pray

Pray for the unity of the Church Universal.  Pray that you will find God's handiwork in all denominations.  Pray so that you can serve God in humility offering Christian hospitality to all peoples.

Paralytic Aeneas Healed in Lydda

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Preach

Acts 9:32-35 The Message 

Tabitha

32-35 Peter went off on a mission to visit all the churches. In the course of his travels he arrived in Lydda and met with the believers there. He came across a man—his name was Aeneas—who had been in bed eight years paralyzed. Peter said, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” And he did it—jumped right out of bed. Everybody who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him walking around and woke up to the fact that God was alive and active among them.

For Reflection

Did Peter heal Aeneas?  I think not.  God healed Aeneas because, in his witness to the Gospel, Peter was a living prayer.  Could it be possible that our lives could become the vehicle for spiritual and physical healing? If we are faithful and obedient followers and if called to do so, perhaps. All is possible in God.

Pray

Pray sincerely and often.  Pray so that your soul brims with the Holy Spirit.  Pray that you will be a faithful and obedient servant to God.

Saul in Tarsus; Jerusalem at Peace

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Preach

Acts 9:26-31 The Message

26-27 Back in Jerusalem he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him. They didn’t trust him one bit. Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He introduced him to the apostles and stood up for him, told them how Saul had seen and spoken to the Master on the Damascus Road and how in Damascus itself he had laid his life on the line with his bold preaching in Jesus’ name.
28-30 After that he was accepted as one of them, going in and out of Jerusalem with no questions asked, uninhibited as he preached in the Master’s name. But then he ran afoul of a group called Hellenists—he had been engaged in a running argument with them—who plotted his murder. When his friends learned of the plot, they got him out of town, took him to Caesarea, and then shipped him off to Tarsus.
31 Things calmed down after that and the church had smooth sailing for a while. All over the country—Judea, Samaria, Galilee—the church grew. They were permeated with a deep sense of reverence for God. The Holy Spirit was with them, strengthening them. They prospered wonderfully.

For Reflection

It is, I suppose, natural for one to hold in suspicion a person who has the kind of reputation that Saul had. Yet, some trusted him and protected him. But after Saul had been removed from the fray, (although not all minds were in sync), things seemed to settle down. After all, one cannot keep up the pace of threat without exhausting the cause.

One might say the developing Church was "at rest."  Both the Romans and the Jews had more to deal with than the small community of Christians.  Rest did not mean coast along.  The peaceful state gave an opportunity for unfettered growth.  The founding Christians practiced the Grace and preached the Gospel and in response, the number of converts multiplied.

Pray

Pray so that you can find quiet times in the pace of your life. Pray that in times of rest you remain alerted and active in the pursuit of a God centered life.  Pray, so that when little disturbs your life, worldliness will not seduce you.  Pray that when you rest you will continue to grow into grace.

Saul Proclaims Jesus in Damascus

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Preach

Acts 9:21-25 The Message

Plots Against Saul

19-21 Saul spent a few days getting acquainted with the Damascus disciples, but then went right to work, wasting no time, preaching in the meeting places that this Jesus was the Son of God. They were caught off guard by this and, not at all sure they could trust him, they kept saying, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem among the believers? And didn’t he come here to do the same thing—arrest us and drag us off to jail in Jerusalem for sentencing by the high priests?”
22 But their suspicions didn’t slow Saul down for even a minute. His momentum was up now and he plowed straight into the opposition, disarming the Damascus Jews and trying to show them that this Jesus was the Messiah.
23-25 After this had gone on quite a long time, some Jews conspired to kill him, but Saul got wind of it. They were watching the city gates around the clock so they could kill him. Then one night the disciples engineered his escape by lowering him over the wall in a basket.

For Reflection

Astonished is the only word that could describe the reaction of all that heard Saul preach. The Disciples were not sure that Saul could be trusted with the Gospel. Saul's success in preaching the word convincingly threatened the Jewish leadership.  It seems (even today) there are those whose lives are transformed by the hearing of the Gospel message and those to whom the message is threatening.

Pray
Pray for those who hear the word of God and are changed by it.  Pray for those who hear and do not open their souls to accept and follow the will of God. Pray for those who protect Gods messengers.

A Trustworthy Preacher and Teacher

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Preach

Titus 1:5-9 The Message

A Good Grip on the Message

5-9 I left you in charge in Crete so you could complete what I left half-done. Appoint leaders in every town according to my instructions. As you select them, ask, “Is this man well-thought-of? Is he committed to his wife? Are his children believers? Do they respect him and stay out of trouble?” It’s important that a church leader, responsible for the affairs in God’s house, be looked up to—not pushy, not short-tempered, not a drunk, not a bully, not money-hungry. He must welcome people, be helpful, wise, fair, reverent, have a good grip on himself, and have a good grip on the Message, knowing how to use the truth to either spur people on in knowledge or stop them in their tracks if they oppose it.

For Reflection

Paul speaks here of spiritual leaders. It is a list of qualities to use in evaluating the spiritual authenticity of church leaders and preachers (indeed, not a bad list to evaluate anyone). However, much credibility rides on the leader's message as well.  What are the fruits of a leader's message?  Does the leader accurately express the love of God? Do listeners demonstrate a more loving, just, forgiving behavior?  Have they grown into Grace?

Pray

Pray for the wisdom to honor God in all that you do. Pray for humility and obedience to the will of God.  Pray for wisdom, humility, and grace in all Church leaders

Saul's Mandate to Capture Believers

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Preach

Acts 22:1-5 The Message

22 1-2 “My dear brothers and fathers, listen carefully to what I have to say before you jump to conclusions about me.” When they heard him speaking Hebrew, they grew even quieter. No one wanted to miss a word of this.
2-3 He continued, “I am a good Jew, born in Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, but educated here in Jerusalem under the exacting eye of Rabbi Gamaliel, thoroughly instructed in our religious traditions. And I’ve always been passionately on God’s side, just as you are right now.
4-5 “I went after anyone connected with this ‘Way,’ went at them hammer and tongs, ready to kill for God. I rounded up men and women right and left and had them thrown in prison. You can ask the Chief Priest or anyone in the High Council to verify this; they all knew me well. Then I went off to our brothers in Damascus, armed with official documents authorizing me to hunt down the followers of Jesus there, arrest them, and bring them back to Jerusalem for sentencing.

For Reflection

When Paul spoke, he was talking in the common Hebrew, not the more formal Hebrew used in the scriptures. Here was a man who spoke the language of common folks in whom they could be confident.  Paul's confession also boosted their opinion of his credibility.  Notice that in his confession he suggested that he was following a well-accepted concept of God's will as interpreted by the Jewish religious establishment.  Thus, Paul distances himself from the Priests and aligns himself with the people.  Paul showed that he was living the life he advocated for them.

Pray

Pray that you will not be as blind to the truth as Paul had been.  Pray that you will embrace God's gift of the Gospel and read, hear and speak the language of the Way of Christ.

Simon Repents of Selfish Power Grab

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Break Down Barriers

Acts 8:14-25 Amplified Bible 

14 When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that [the people of] Samaria had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. 15 They came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit; 16 for He had not yet fallen on any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus [as His possession]. 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them [one by one], and they received the Holy Spirit. 18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this authority and power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” 20 But Peter said to him, “May your money be destroyed along with you, because you thought you could buy the [free] gift of God with money! 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart (motive, purpose) is not right before God. 22 So repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, this thought of your heart may be forgiven you. 23 For I see that you are [a]provoked by bitterness and bound by sin.” 24 But Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me both of you, so that nothing of what you have said will come upon me.”
25 So, when Peter and John had given their testimony and preached the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, preaching the good news [about salvation] in many Samaritan villages [along the way].

For Reflection

One cannot buy salvation.  It is a blessing from God, freely given to those who confess to the one true God.

The power to heal is in all of us.  All that is required for us to access such power is to acknowledge your sinfulness, deny sin the power to control your behavior, to love God with all your heart, mind and soul, and to love others as you love yourself.

Pray

Pray that the power of sin will not contaminate your soul.  Pray prayers of confession.  Pray for the courage to deny sin.  Praye for the wisdom to honor God in every action.

Converts in Samaria Baptized

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Break Down Barriers

Acts 8:4-13 The Message

3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!
9-11 Previous to Philip’s arrival, a certain Simon had practiced magic in the city, posing as a famous man and dazzling all the Samaritans with his wizardry. He had them all, from little children to old men, eating out of his hand. They all thought he had supernatural powers, and called him “the Great Wizard.” He had been around a long time and everyone was more or less in awe of him.
12-13 But when Philip came to town announcing the news of God’s kingdom and proclaiming the name of Jesus Christ, they forgot Simon and were baptized, becoming believers right and left! Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. From that moment he was like Philip’s shadow, so fascinated with all the God-signs and miracles that he wouldn’t leave Philip’s side.

For Reflection

What would ever make you want to join a movement that would cause the predominant prevailing religion to despise and threaten you?

Philip's compelling message was about freedom from religious oppression. Philip's message was about love. Philip's message was about justice. Phillips message was about hope and courage.

Pray

Pray that you will respond to God's call as Phillip did. Make your faith and your action unified, one compelling overture for freedom, peace, and hope.  Pray for the courage to practice your faith to the glory and honor of God.

Persecution Scatters the Church

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Break Down Barriers

Acts 8:1-8 The Message

Simon the Wizard

8 1-2 That [The stoning of Stephen] set off a terrific persecution of the church in Jerusalem. The believers were all scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. All, that is, but the apostles. Good and brave men buried Stephen, giving him a solemn funeral—not many dry eyes that day!
3-8 And Saul just went wild, devastating the church, entering house after house after house, dragging men and women off to jail. Forced to leave home base, the followers of Jesus all became missionaries. Wherever they were scattered, they preached the Message about Jesus. Going down to a Samaritan city, Philip proclaimed the Message of the Messiah. When the people heard what he had to say and saw the miracles, the clear signs of God’s action, they hung on his every word. Many who could neither stand nor walk were healed that day. The evil spirits protested loudly as they were sent on their way. And what joy in the city!

For Reflection

God gives all of us, including Saul, the freedom to choose. Saul chooses to defend his faith in a violent eradication.

But, rather than quelling the movement, his action spurred it on.  The love and courage of the Disciples drew converts and Christians were scattered to carry the Good News everywhere they went.

Evil was Saul's choice.  God was the choice of the faithful.

Pray

Praise God for the acts of the faithful to advance the Kingdom of God. Pray for those whose action and words bring others to understand and obey a loving, living God. Pray for the false teachers, who like Saul, are seduced by their religion into the idolatry of "being right" not righteous.

Good News for All Peoples

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Break Down Barriers

Galatians 3:23-29 The Message

23-24 Until the time when we were mature enough to respond freely in faith to the living God, we were carefully surrounded and protected by the Mosaic law. The law was like those Greek tutors, with which you are familiar, who escort children to school and protect them from danger or distraction, making sure the children will really get to the place they set out for.
25-27 But now you have arrived at your destination: By faith in Christ, you are in direct relationship with God. Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith wardrobe—Christ’s life, the fulfillment of God’s original promise.

In Christ’s Family

28-29 In Christ’s family there can be no division into Jew and non-Jew, slave and free, male and female. Among us you are all equal. That is, we are all in a common relationship with Jesus Christ. Also, since you are Christ’s family, then you are Abraham’s famous “descendant,” heirs according to the covenant promises.

For Reflection

God's plan for helping humans grow is progressive.  God lets us understand more and more as our maturity increases.

This process applies to all things, not just spiritual matters.  Our faith in God and our understanding of God's will grows with each experience.

Dressed in "an adult wardrobe" means that we have the obligation to permit ourselves to mature, spiritually.  It also means that we grow into Grace.  God's goal and, therefore, our destiny is to become more like Christ and fulfill God's will and promise.

Pray

Pray. Spend time in an intimate talk with God. Pray for wisdom. When old habits and former ideas of who you are and the nature of God is challenged, pray that you will not fear change.  Pray that you will use Christ's love, sense of justice, humility, willingness to forgive, and desire to heal as your standard for authentic Christian practice.

Jesus Heals a Canaanite Daughter

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Break Down Barriers

Matthew 15:21-28 The Message

Healing the People

21-22 From there Jesus took a trip to Tyre and Sidon. They had hardly arrived when a Canaanite woman came down from the hills and pleaded, “Mercy, Master, Son of David! My daughter is cruelly afflicted by an evil spirit.”
23 Jesus ignored her. The disciples came and complained, “Now she’s bothering us. Would you please take care of her? She’s driving us crazy.”
24 Jesus refused, telling them, “I’ve got my hands full dealing with the lost sheep of Israel.”
25 Then the woman came back to Jesus, went to her knees, and begged. “Master, help me.”
26 He said, “It’s not right to take bread out of children’s mouths and throw it to dogs.”
27 She was quick: “You’re right, Master, but beggar dogs do get scraps from the master’s table.”
28 Jesus gave in. “Oh, woman, your faith is something else. What you want is what you get!” Right then her daughter became well.

For Reflection

The Canaanite woman's first plea was for Christ to heal her daughter. It seemed as though she saw Christ as only one in a long line of healers.  But, Christ's reply would please the Israelites, and subtly move them to understand the narrowness of their faith and the breadth of God's healing message.

Christ's comment about dogs not only touched the attitude of the Israelites but also challenged the woman to reveal her understanding of Christ's sovereignty. It also showed her faith in the truth of Christ. Yes, Christ granted her prayer, but He also showed Israel how to love outsiders who confess their faith in Christ.

Glad to accept crumbs fallen from the table of God, the Canaanite woman recognized that she deserved nothing and in humility received grace.  God will give the greatest of God's blessings to those who see themselves as less than the least regarded soul.

Pray

Pray prayers of thanksgiving for the smallest gift from God. Pray so that the power, majesty, and grace of God will humble you. Pray, so that you will understand God's equal love for all people.

Steven Arrested and Stoned.

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Witness

Acts 6:8-15, 7:54-60 The Message

8-10 Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. But then some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him trying to argue him down. But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke.
11 So in secret they bribed men to lie: “We heard him cursing Moses and God.”
12-14 That stirred up the people, the religious leaders, and religion scholars. They grabbed Stephen and took him before the High Council. They put forward their bribed witnesses to testify: “This man talks nonstop against this Holy Place and God’s Law. We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the customs Moses gave us.”
15 As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn’t take their eyes off him—his face was like the face of an angel!
54-56 At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”
57-58 Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.
59-60 As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.

For Reflection

Sometimes the truth in the "Good News," is threatening.  And sometimes people who believe that they are defending God are seduced by the fear of change. Some will bear false witness and turn others against the Gospel and feel fully justified.  But no matter how many are falsely accused, how often trodden under, in spite of violent attempts to quench the flames of those who would witness to the living God, God flourishes.  Mercy, forgiveness, and God's justice persists.  Love conquers fear.  Love trumps hate. God's overture to live in God's household is never withdrawn, even to those who persecute God.

Pray

Pray prayers of praise to the sovereign God.  Pray prayers of thanksgiving.  Pray prayers of lament.  Pray prayers of intercession.  Make your life a living prayer.

First Converts Called to the Faith

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Witness

Acts 2:37-45 The Message

37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?”
38-39 Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
43-45 Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.

For Reflection

You have confessed Christianity.  You have dedicated your life to Christ.  Now what? Pray, Study Scripture, Strengthen your commitment through the fellowship of believers, forgive, act kindly, be humble, work for justice, live a righteous life.


Pray

Pray that you will respond to God's love for you and all humankind by your righteous deeds.  Pray so that your life becomes more intimately engaged in God's love.

The Holy Spirit Descends upon Disciples

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Witness

Acts 2:1-13 The Message

A Sound Like a Strong Wind

2 1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were thunderstruck. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
    Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
    Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
12 Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”
13 Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”

For Reflection

There is awesome power in the Holy Spirit.  In God anything is possible.  Have confidence in God.  Listen to that little voice inside you.  Live for the day when you will come face to face with that voice that whispers in your ear.

Pray

Pray often about all things.  Open your soul so that it overflows with the Holy Spirit. Pray for the courage to obey the Spirit that resides in you.

Matthias Chosen by God

God's Urgent Call
Calling of Prophets

Called to Witness

Acts 1:21-26 The Message
21-22 “Judas must now be replaced. The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension, designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection.”
23-26 They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two men you choose to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way.” They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles.

For Reflection

Peter proposed a motion for the group to select a replacement for Judas.  They prayed so that they would receive divine guidance and ensure God's choice was clear. The group of men did not call Matthias.  God called Matthias.

Pray

Pray that when God calls you will respond obediently.  Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit so that you might have an intimate relationship with God, the one who created you and who has now called on you to act in God's name.