Read: Acts 15:22-17:15
Every time there is a new move of God there is friction and a transition phase that is sometimes messy. They didn’t know what to do with all these Gentile believers. Some thought they should be circumcised and others thought they shouldn’t. Finally they decided that they should just not eat food offered to idols and to not eat the blood or meat from animals that had been strangled. This all seems foreign to us…we have our own set of rules we want people to follow that come to our churches.
Paul and Barnabas went back to visit the churches they had started and there was some contention in the leadership. We are human beings so there is always going to be troubles and challenges in relationships. We have to make our decisions based on what is best for the kingdom and do it with love. Paul ended up leaving by himself. Paul mentored a young man named Timothy. He encouraged Timothy to be circumcised to honor the Jews he was ministering to. Sometimes we should choose to lay down our freedom to honor someone else’s lack of maturity. Jesus did that many times in his life.
Paul saw many people come to faith in Christ. One of them was a wealthy lady named Lydia who brought the disciples into her home and met their needs. They cast out a spirit of divination from a young girl who brought her master much money. Her master became so mad that Paul had destroyed his dream of wealth that he slandered Paul and Silas and had them beat and thrown into prison. God had a plan for them there. They ended up winning the jail keeper and his whole family to the Lord. The next day they were set free.
They left for Thessalonia where there was so much dissension and spiritual warfare that they were dragged before the city council. They posted bond and escaped to Berea where the people were much more receptive to the gospel.
Lord, may this remind us that we are in a battle and many are apposed to our message but it is the truth.
Monday, November 14, 2016
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Sun.’s Devo - Love Never Fails
Read: Galatians 3:24-6:18; Acts 15:1-21
The law was our instruction and protected us until the covenant of faith arrived through Christ. The law was the old covenant but faith became the new covenant. In Christ, we are all on the same level.
Paul accused the Galatians of being slaves to gods that do not even exist. How true is that of us. We can be slaves of other people’s opinions, our own fears and inferiorities, a future we have only imagined. I have found that when I find myself traveling down the tunnel of “what ifs” and fear I end up in torment and the crazy thing is I get all worked up over things that don’t manifest. Then, I am left with my wrong judgments. I have to remind myself that love is the greatest power and it never fails!
Living in bitterness and offense is living under the law and it brings slavery and death. Living in love is living under grace and it brings life. In the first one you lose sleep, can’t eat, and become sick. In the second one you can laugh, breathe freely and live in health. Which one do you want? It’s a no-brainer but it is still a battle because our old nature goes for the law and our new nature strives for grace.
Lord, let us chose grace and faith every time!
The law was our instruction and protected us until the covenant of faith arrived through Christ. The law was the old covenant but faith became the new covenant. In Christ, we are all on the same level.
Paul accused the Galatians of being slaves to gods that do not even exist. How true is that of us. We can be slaves of other people’s opinions, our own fears and inferiorities, a future we have only imagined. I have found that when I find myself traveling down the tunnel of “what ifs” and fear I end up in torment and the crazy thing is I get all worked up over things that don’t manifest. Then, I am left with my wrong judgments. I have to remind myself that love is the greatest power and it never fails!
Living in bitterness and offense is living under the law and it brings slavery and death. Living in love is living under grace and it brings life. In the first one you lose sleep, can’t eat, and become sick. In the second one you can laugh, breathe freely and live in health. Which one do you want? It’s a no-brainer but it is still a battle because our old nature goes for the law and our new nature strives for grace.
Lord, let us chose grace and faith every time!
Saturday, November 12, 2016
Sat.’s Devo - Law Verses Grace
Read: Acts 14:21-28; Galatians 1:1-3:23
We have identified grace as being “God’s unmerited favor” but it is so much more than that. It is the ability to do through God what you can’t do by yourself. It is accessing God’s supernatural power. We can not do anything apart from God so all we do is through his grace. In Acts 14:26, the believers in Antioch entrusted Paul and Barnabas to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. They had opened the door to the Gentiles to bring salvation. God had given them the ability to do this.
Everywhere the new Christians went they faced opposition. After they got home they found out that their new church in Galatia had been fooled by people who came in and deliberately twisted the truth about Christ. Does this sound familiar? Paul assured them that the message he taught them didn’t come from human reasoning but by direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus had himself appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus and there was no way to reason that. These false teachers were trying to make sense of something that can’t be understood with the human mind. It has to be revealed to our spirit and accepted by faith.
Fourteen years after Paul’s conversion he went back to Jerusalem and found that people had sneaked into the church to take away their freedom and make them follow the law. Paul explained the question of the law and grace. God gave the law to show people their sin. God gave the law along with the promise of blessing. The law had power until it was fulfilled in Jesus. He became the curse of sin so that the we could have the promise. Jesus was the only one who lived a completely sinless life so the law ended with him because he fulfilled it. We need to live in the blessings!
Lord, help us to live in the blessings and see the truth, not the manifested evidence of the lie. We need the Holy Spirit to help us do that.
We have identified grace as being “God’s unmerited favor” but it is so much more than that. It is the ability to do through God what you can’t do by yourself. It is accessing God’s supernatural power. We can not do anything apart from God so all we do is through his grace. In Acts 14:26, the believers in Antioch entrusted Paul and Barnabas to the grace of God for the work which they fulfilled. They had opened the door to the Gentiles to bring salvation. God had given them the ability to do this.
Everywhere the new Christians went they faced opposition. After they got home they found out that their new church in Galatia had been fooled by people who came in and deliberately twisted the truth about Christ. Does this sound familiar? Paul assured them that the message he taught them didn’t come from human reasoning but by direct revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus had himself appeared to Paul on the way to Damascus and there was no way to reason that. These false teachers were trying to make sense of something that can’t be understood with the human mind. It has to be revealed to our spirit and accepted by faith.
Fourteen years after Paul’s conversion he went back to Jerusalem and found that people had sneaked into the church to take away their freedom and make them follow the law. Paul explained the question of the law and grace. God gave the law to show people their sin. God gave the law along with the promise of blessing. The law had power until it was fulfilled in Jesus. He became the curse of sin so that the we could have the promise. Jesus was the only one who lived a completely sinless life so the law ended with him because he fulfilled it. We need to live in the blessings!
Lord, help us to live in the blessings and see the truth, not the manifested evidence of the lie. We need the Holy Spirit to help us do that.
Friday, November 11, 2016
Fri.’s Devo - Opposition Arises
Read: Acts 12:6-14:20
I don’t know why Stephen had to die and Peter is miraculously set free from prison, but God has a reason in everything he does. When God starts moving in power and miracles, the darkness is exposed and dealt with. Herod rose up as the people’s choice and is labeled a god by the people. God humbles him with sickness to prove that he is no god.
I love the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch. There was Barnabas, who ended up traveling with Paul; Simeon who was a black man; Lucius, a Cyrenesse; Manean, the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas; and Saul. What a motley crew! After prayer and fasting, they sent Paul and Barnabas on a mission trip. John Mark went with them as well.
The first place they went was the island of Cyprus. Satan had his eyes on these men because they were invading his territory. The governor, Sergius Paphos became very interested in what Paul and Barnabas were teaching but Satan’s plant, Elymas attached himself to Sergius determined that he would not be swayed. The Holy Spirit in Paul rose up and he addressed the demon in Elymas, exposed it and called down blindness on him. He immediately became blind so that the governor could “see”.
This is when John Mark went back to Jerusalem and Paul and Barnabas continued to the island of Pisidia. There were many Jews as well as Gentiles who had converted to Judaism in the synagogue. They asked Paul and Barnabas to speak. Paul told them the whole history of the Jewish nation up to Jesus. They begged them to come back the next week and teach again. When they did, the Jews became jealous of the crowd and argued against their message. Paul told them that since they, the Jews had rejected their message, they would preach to the Gentiles. They quoted Isaiah 46:7 which says, “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted, but the Jews ran them out of town.
This same thing happened in Iconium and they ended up fleeing to Lystra and Derbe. In Lystra, God healed a man crippled from birth which got them stoned and dragged out of town for dead. The believers gathered around them and they were healed and went on to Derbe.
Each time they were persecuted, they were encouraged. Jesus had taught them not to look at the reaction of the religious, because they have hard hearts. But, the ones that were hungry would receive the message with joy which is exactly what happened.
Lord, give us eyes to see what is going on in the sprit so we won’t get discouraged, but have faith. God is moving in our nation and in his people!
I don’t know why Stephen had to die and Peter is miraculously set free from prison, but God has a reason in everything he does. When God starts moving in power and miracles, the darkness is exposed and dealt with. Herod rose up as the people’s choice and is labeled a god by the people. God humbles him with sickness to prove that he is no god.
I love the prophets and teachers of the church at Antioch. There was Barnabas, who ended up traveling with Paul; Simeon who was a black man; Lucius, a Cyrenesse; Manean, the childhood companion of King Herod Antipas; and Saul. What a motley crew! After prayer and fasting, they sent Paul and Barnabas on a mission trip. John Mark went with them as well.
The first place they went was the island of Cyprus. Satan had his eyes on these men because they were invading his territory. The governor, Sergius Paphos became very interested in what Paul and Barnabas were teaching but Satan’s plant, Elymas attached himself to Sergius determined that he would not be swayed. The Holy Spirit in Paul rose up and he addressed the demon in Elymas, exposed it and called down blindness on him. He immediately became blind so that the governor could “see”.
This is when John Mark went back to Jerusalem and Paul and Barnabas continued to the island of Pisidia. There were many Jews as well as Gentiles who had converted to Judaism in the synagogue. They asked Paul and Barnabas to speak. Paul told them the whole history of the Jewish nation up to Jesus. They begged them to come back the next week and teach again. When they did, the Jews became jealous of the crowd and argued against their message. Paul told them that since they, the Jews had rejected their message, they would preach to the Gentiles. They quoted Isaiah 46:7 which says, “I have made you a light to the Gentiles, to bring salvation to the farthest corners of the earth.” The Gentiles were delighted, but the Jews ran them out of town.
This same thing happened in Iconium and they ended up fleeing to Lystra and Derbe. In Lystra, God healed a man crippled from birth which got them stoned and dragged out of town for dead. The believers gathered around them and they were healed and went on to Derbe.
Each time they were persecuted, they were encouraged. Jesus had taught them not to look at the reaction of the religious, because they have hard hearts. But, the ones that were hungry would receive the message with joy which is exactly what happened.
Lord, give us eyes to see what is going on in the sprit so we won’t get discouraged, but have faith. God is moving in our nation and in his people!
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Thurs.’s Devo - The Conversion of Cornelius
Read: Acts 10:1-12:5
Racism has been around since the beginning of time. The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders thought they were better than everyone else so this elitism was in the hearts of all the Jews and Peter was no exception. God had to change his heart so he could be effective for ministry to the Gentiles and the world. To get Peter to shift in his thinking, God sent him Cornelius, a Roman army officer who was Italian. He had three strikes against him: he was not a Jew, he was a Roman officer and he was Italian. So God sent Peter a vision of a sheet with pictures of all sorts of unclean animals on it. He was told to kill and eat them which was a taboo in Jewish law. When Peter protested, God told him to never call something unclean that God had called clean. This vision appeared three times. Peter got the message and was spiritually prepared and physically attuned so that when Cornelius came to his house, he knew this was the Lord. He opened the door and opened the Word to him. He received it with joy and became a believer. Cornelius needed what Peter knew and carried and Peter needed Cornelius.
The experience with Cornelius changed Peter’s whole ministry and mindset. God will bring some very different people into our lives to break the prejudices we have. God wants to widen our capacity to love so he can widen our influence and ministry. Peter came against opposition in the church for doing what God told him to do because change is always hard on everyone. Peter’s obedience opened the door for Saul and Barnabas. It also caused a great tremble in the demonic forces. They started persecuting the apostles and James, Jesus brother, was killed. Peter was arrested and imprisoned because it was Passover. This means it had been a year since they crucified Jesus.
Lord, help us to change with what you are doing. Help us to lay down our opinions and choose to love.
Racism has been around since the beginning of time. The Jews, especially the Jewish leaders thought they were better than everyone else so this elitism was in the hearts of all the Jews and Peter was no exception. God had to change his heart so he could be effective for ministry to the Gentiles and the world. To get Peter to shift in his thinking, God sent him Cornelius, a Roman army officer who was Italian. He had three strikes against him: he was not a Jew, he was a Roman officer and he was Italian. So God sent Peter a vision of a sheet with pictures of all sorts of unclean animals on it. He was told to kill and eat them which was a taboo in Jewish law. When Peter protested, God told him to never call something unclean that God had called clean. This vision appeared three times. Peter got the message and was spiritually prepared and physically attuned so that when Cornelius came to his house, he knew this was the Lord. He opened the door and opened the Word to him. He received it with joy and became a believer. Cornelius needed what Peter knew and carried and Peter needed Cornelius.
The experience with Cornelius changed Peter’s whole ministry and mindset. God will bring some very different people into our lives to break the prejudices we have. God wants to widen our capacity to love so he can widen our influence and ministry. Peter came against opposition in the church for doing what God told him to do because change is always hard on everyone. Peter’s obedience opened the door for Saul and Barnabas. It also caused a great tremble in the demonic forces. They started persecuting the apostles and James, Jesus brother, was killed. Peter was arrested and imprisoned because it was Passover. This means it had been a year since they crucified Jesus.
Lord, help us to change with what you are doing. Help us to lay down our opinions and choose to love.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
Wed.’s Devo - The Church Spreads!
Read: Acts 8:1b-9:43
God uses persecution to spread the gospel often. In this case, God needed them to scatter and share the news to neighboring towns and cities. Phillip was one of the seven men that became a leader in the churches. He had fled persecution and went to Samaria where he preached the good news with signs and wonders following his ministry. When the apostles heard what was going on in Samaria they sent Peter and John to lay their hands on them so they could receive the Holy Spirit.
When God’s power starts manifesting it arouses interest in the spiritual world. Simon, the sorcerer realized that their power was more powerful than his so he became a believer. He was especially interested in their ability to lay hands on people and them receive the Holy Spirit. He tried to buy this power, because that is how it worked in his world. The apostles rebuked him and exposed his heart. Simon then repented. When we start moving in the power Jesus promised us, we will draw the attention of the New Agers, mystics and the likes. They are hungry to see the power of God just like we are. When they see it moving in us then they will be open to Jesus.
Saul was the church’s greatest enemy. He was set on shutting down this move of God. He went from house to house dragging believers out of their homes and throwing them into prison. He was on his way to get letters from the synagogues with permission to arrest all followers and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains when the power of God knocked him to the ground and blinded him. God asked him why he was persecuting him. Saul had a glorious conversion but had a harder time convincing the members of the new church that he was sincere.
Meanwhile, Peter raises Dorcus from the dead which causes many to come to believe in Jesus.
These are the stories we are hearing trickle in but God is going to multiply them in the future days. We are going to walk in this power in the days ahead because we have entered into the kingdom age where the kingdom of heaven invades the kingdom of earth. Get ready!
Lord, we are anticipating these days ahead with great excitement and joy. Manifest your power on the earth and bring a harvest of souls!
God uses persecution to spread the gospel often. In this case, God needed them to scatter and share the news to neighboring towns and cities. Phillip was one of the seven men that became a leader in the churches. He had fled persecution and went to Samaria where he preached the good news with signs and wonders following his ministry. When the apostles heard what was going on in Samaria they sent Peter and John to lay their hands on them so they could receive the Holy Spirit.
When God’s power starts manifesting it arouses interest in the spiritual world. Simon, the sorcerer realized that their power was more powerful than his so he became a believer. He was especially interested in their ability to lay hands on people and them receive the Holy Spirit. He tried to buy this power, because that is how it worked in his world. The apostles rebuked him and exposed his heart. Simon then repented. When we start moving in the power Jesus promised us, we will draw the attention of the New Agers, mystics and the likes. They are hungry to see the power of God just like we are. When they see it moving in us then they will be open to Jesus.
Saul was the church’s greatest enemy. He was set on shutting down this move of God. He went from house to house dragging believers out of their homes and throwing them into prison. He was on his way to get letters from the synagogues with permission to arrest all followers and bring them back to Jerusalem in chains when the power of God knocked him to the ground and blinded him. God asked him why he was persecuting him. Saul had a glorious conversion but had a harder time convincing the members of the new church that he was sincere.
Meanwhile, Peter raises Dorcus from the dead which causes many to come to believe in Jesus.
These are the stories we are hearing trickle in but God is going to multiply them in the future days. We are going to walk in this power in the days ahead because we have entered into the kingdom age where the kingdom of heaven invades the kingdom of earth. Get ready!
Lord, we are anticipating these days ahead with great excitement and joy. Manifest your power on the earth and bring a harvest of souls!
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Tues.’s Devo - The Birth Pains of Birthing the Church
Read: Acts 6:1-8:1a
When a church experiences sudden growth, it always brings different problems. Now the church was filled with people of all nationalities and flavors. The Greek believers came to the apostles and complained that their widows were not given the same treatment as the Jewish widows. They probably had a point, but the apostles were out of their expertise and out of patience. They realized they needed help so they decided to pick out mature believers that they could trust to take care of the malevolence committee. These men devoted themselves to prayer and study so they could lead and teach the people. They chose seven men who were full of God’s Spirit and wisdom to be the administrators of the church. Stephen was one of the ones chosen.
Stephen moved in signs, wonders and miracles and it wasn’t long before he became a threat to the organized church called the Synagogue of Freed Slaves. Since they couldn’t match his wisdom and the Holy Spirit inside him, they decided they would have to lie about him. Since Satan is the father of lies, he always resorts to that tactic. Stephen was arrested and stoned but not before he presented a fiery sermon reminding them of their history. He took them from Abraham to the present showing them how the rebellious hearts of their people had led them to kill all the people through the ages that God had sent them. To top it off, they had killed Jesus, God’s son when he came to earth. He told them that they deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though they received it from the hands of angels. This ticked them off for sure. God confirmed Stephen’s life and speech when the glory of God shined upon Stephen’s countenance. They killed Stephen just like they killed all the prophets and Jesus and laid his robe at the feet of Saul. It was as if Stephen’s mantle was being given to Saul at that moment. Satan took out Stephen but it cost him Saul.
Lord, help us to be bold like Stephen who thought the truth was much more important than his life. May we love our lives not unto death.
When a church experiences sudden growth, it always brings different problems. Now the church was filled with people of all nationalities and flavors. The Greek believers came to the apostles and complained that their widows were not given the same treatment as the Jewish widows. They probably had a point, but the apostles were out of their expertise and out of patience. They realized they needed help so they decided to pick out mature believers that they could trust to take care of the malevolence committee. These men devoted themselves to prayer and study so they could lead and teach the people. They chose seven men who were full of God’s Spirit and wisdom to be the administrators of the church. Stephen was one of the ones chosen.
Stephen moved in signs, wonders and miracles and it wasn’t long before he became a threat to the organized church called the Synagogue of Freed Slaves. Since they couldn’t match his wisdom and the Holy Spirit inside him, they decided they would have to lie about him. Since Satan is the father of lies, he always resorts to that tactic. Stephen was arrested and stoned but not before he presented a fiery sermon reminding them of their history. He took them from Abraham to the present showing them how the rebellious hearts of their people had led them to kill all the people through the ages that God had sent them. To top it off, they had killed Jesus, God’s son when he came to earth. He told them that they deliberately disobeyed God’s law, even though they received it from the hands of angels. This ticked them off for sure. God confirmed Stephen’s life and speech when the glory of God shined upon Stephen’s countenance. They killed Stephen just like they killed all the prophets and Jesus and laid his robe at the feet of Saul. It was as if Stephen’s mantle was being given to Saul at that moment. Satan took out Stephen but it cost him Saul.
Lord, help us to be bold like Stephen who thought the truth was much more important than his life. May we love our lives not unto death.
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