Day 167: Acts 10:24-48

“The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too.” - Acts‬ ‭10:45‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Go ahead and search the globe. You will not find a more diverse group of people on earth than Christians today. Spanning thousands of miles, languages, cultures, ways of life, and social standing, no other religion can touch Christianity’s appeal to the nations.

It has a lot to do with what happened here in Acts 10. Now, Jesus had predicted this would happen: Acts 1:8, Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-16. Still, the fulfillment of what He said was jarring to the Jewish Christians.

“God has welcomed ALL people into His family? This isn’t just about us?”

Long before Jesus declared His desire for the nations, we know that Abraham was given this kind of vision for his descendants.

God said, “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3)

The narrowing of God's plan to Abraham’s family was better positioning Him to make a play for all those on earth. God loves His family to be colorful and multicultural.

Doesn’t this excite you to be a Christian today?

"The Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter from Joppa were astounded by what they saw and heard: Gentiles, those 'lesser breeds without the law,' had actually received the same Holy Spirit as they themselves had received on believing the same message. How right Peter had been in his new insight into the impartiality of God as between people of one race and another!" - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (p. 217)

Day 166: Acts 10:1-23

“He was a devout, God-fearing man, as was everyone in his household. He gave generously to the poor and prayed regularly to God.” - ‭‭Acts‬ ‭10:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬

In the past four days, we’ve seen Luke introduce us to three unlikely disciples of Jesus: the African (chapter 8), the Persecutor (chapter 9), and the Commander (today’s reading).

Being of the profession of those who followed through on the crucifixion of Jesus, this may make Cornelius the most unlikely of the three to trust Jesus for salvation. Yet, when we see how he was living his life, it is evident that he was preparing himself for this moment. What better person could there have been chosen than this man to be the first non-Jew to confess Jesus as Lord and Savior?

This scene shows us that it takes more than good works to be saved, but it also shows us that good works can prepare someone to encounter the One who did the greatest work on the cross.

Good people (in the eyes of others) can never be good enough to enter into eternal life. All of us have sinned, and therefore all of us need regeneration.

There was hope for Cornelius. There is hope for the nations (Gentiles)! Just like we were challenged this week by the evangelistic efforts of Philip and Ananias, now we see Peter stepping up to share the Gospel. Can we add your name to the list of those who are brave enough to share the message of Jesus with others?

“For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” - Titus 3:3–7 (ESV)

Day 165: Acts 9:26-43

“So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.” - Acts‬ ‭9:31‬ ‭ESV‬‬

All of us, as Christians, have an obligation to attend, financially support, serve, and pray for a local expression of Jesus’ body (a church). When you pray for your local church, what are you asking God to do?

Too often, our prayers become superficial, asking God to merely make the church grow numerically. But what happens if the church isn’t prepared for a spike in numbers?

The verse above gives us a pretty good pattern of how to pray for our own churches and all those around the world.

1)  Peace - Father, drive disorder and division out of our midst.

2)  Build up - Father, increase the potential of this collection of Your people. Strengthen us.

3)  Walk in the fear of the Lord - Father, help us to worship You exclusively. Help our opinions to not drive what we believe.

4)  Comfort of the Holy Spirit - Father, as we experience the pain and disappointment of this world, speak words of comfort to our souls.

5)  Multiplication - God, when we are ready, open the floodgates and fill our buildings with people who are prepared to align their agendas with Your own.

In Jesus’ name, we pray, Amen.

"Though the Churches had peace, yet they were not drunken with delights and earthly joy, but, trusting to God’s help, they were more emboldened to glorify God." - Calvin, J., & Beveridge, H. Commentary Upon the Acts of the Apostles (Vol. 1, p. 394)

Day 164: Acts 9:1-25

“And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; “ - Acts‬ ‭9:18‬ ‭ESV‬‬

What a privilege for us to read today about the conversion of the most important man (arguably) to ever follow Jesus. It is so important that Luke finds it necessary to record the account three times (see Acts 22:1-16, 26:1-23).

Saul’s encounter with Jesus on this road is so intense that his retinas failed for three days. Here we also see that when Ananias prays for him, something like “scales” fall away from his eyes. The word for scales (lepis) appears only here in the New Testament, and it describes a thin layer (or flake) of substance.

Saul can now literally see, and for the first time, can see fully in a spiritual sense. He’s so convinced of Jesus’ Lordship that baptism is a must after an invitation from Ananias (see Acts 22:16).

Don’t get discouraged by those who have been slow to have any faith in Jesus. There is still hope for them. There is also hope for us. An expectation that we will, by faith (like Ananias), baptize many more into the name of Jesus Christ (see Acts 2:38).

"At this point the crucial initial transformation of Saul from a persecuting Pharisaic Jew to a zealous missionary for Christ is complete." - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles (pp. 319–320)

Day 163: Acts 8:14-40

“And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.” - ‭‭Acts‬ ‭8:38‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Everyone seems to love an origin story. How did this all begin? What was the catalyst to see this all take place?

By 2050, many experts believe that Africa will be the dominant continent for Christianity. In 1900, there were an estimated 6 million Christians in Ethiopia alone. By 2050, at the current Christian growth rate, there will be 100 million Ethiopian followers of Jesus. In the entire continent of Africa today, there are an estimated 685 million Christians.

This started with one Hellenistic Jew sharing the gospel with (and baptizing) one African.

In the first century, the common belief about Ethiopia was that it epitomized the ends of the earth. So, this work that Philip was doing was to fulfill what Jesus had commanded the early disciples to do in Acts 1:8.

Do you think you could do something like this? Do you have the confidence or the courage to share Jesus with someone the Holy Spirit keeps leading you towards?

21% of the United States today identifies as “none” when it comes to religious affiliation. We need you to go to them and to many others who have yet to say “yes” to Jesus. The challenge is to go find your chariot and ask God to give you the nerve to say something when it is time.

SIDE NOTE: Did you miss verse 37? Yeah, me too. The New Testament is made up of over 5800 Ancient Greek manuscripts. Some are earlier than others. None of the earliest manuscripts include verse 37, but as they copied Luke’s masterpiece, many included it in the later copies. Almost as if to say, “Look, before we baptize anyone, affirmation of belief in Jesus is paramount. We know Philip would have said this.”

Day 162: Acts 7:51-60, 8:1-13

“Then they cast him out of the city and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.” - Acts‬ ‭7:58‬ ‭ESV‬‬

Stephen laid down the hammer on these experts. His language was so offensive (uncircumcised would have really set them off) that these men covered their ears and screamed so as not to hear him any longer.

Many among us today are the same way. Hearing the truth is unappealing. The truth will never pamper us. Instead, it confronts us and shows who we’ve really become.

I can’t help but think there could have been a better way for Stephen to communicate, but there was no way to improve. He said what needed to be heard at that moment.

So many things happened as a result of his death. Christianity spread beyond the confines of Jerusalem. The young man named Saul in this scene will, in chapter nine, have his own vision of Jesus and go on to write half of the New Testament. What a strong and authentic witness for the gospel to all who saw this take place.

In this scene, we have the first Christian martyr. His life was not wasted but invested, to see many more come to faith in Jesus.

"The man who was to become the apostle to the Gentiles thoroughly agreed with the execution of Stephen. But, as St Augustine said, ‘The Church owes Paul to the prayer of Stephen.’ However hard he tried, Saul could never forget the way in which Stephen had died. Even at this early point, the blood of the martyrs had begun to be the seed of the Church." - Barclay, W. (2003). The Acts of the Apostles (3rd edition fully revised and updated, p. 71)

Day 161: Acts 7:30-50

“Did not my hand make all these things? Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest?” - Acts 7:49-50 ESV

The Jewish Temple was the epicenter of Jerusalem and their worship of Yahweh. Within its courts, they sang songs of praise, read the Tanakh (the law, prophets, and writings of the Old Testament), and offered sacrifices on the altar. It was actually the cultural norm of the time to consider the gods in the same way.

It was a theology of containment. This dirt, this city, this place, it is sacred. God's presence was considered to be there, which was equated with His divine favor. Everyone else was on the outside looking in.

Stephen quotes Isaiah 66:1-2, which is very similar to what Solomon prayed when they dedicated the Temple upon its completion, "But will God indeed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the highest heaven cannot contain you; how much less this house that I have built!" - 1 Kings 8:27

So, where is the best place to worship God? It is wherever you find yourself during the week. At work, at home, at church, on a walk, while swimming, or even at the salon. God is not contained. Everywhere we go, He is there for us to offer a prayer, meditate on His Word, or soak in His presence.

Everything Stephen said up to this point has been agreeable to these Israelite leaders. Tomorrow, things will turn violent.

"The point of all three of these verses is not that God’s presence can’t be found in the temple (clearly Acts 2–4 shows it can), but that God’s presence can’t be confined there, nor can God be controlled or manipulated by the building of a temple and by the rituals of the temple cultus or the power moves of the temple hierarchy. What is being opposed is a God-in-the-box theology that has magical overtones, suggesting that if God can be located and confined, God can be magically manipulated and used to human ends." - Witherington, B., III. (1998). The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary (p. 273)

Day 160: Acts 7:1-29

"And the patriarchs, jealous of Joseph, sold him into Egypt; but God was with him and rescued him out of all his afflictions and gave him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household." - Acts 7:9-10 ESV

Stephen, the former table-waiter, now finds himself faced with a problematic question surrounding the false accusations brought forth about him and what he was teaching. Led by the Spirit, he perceives it is time to let these religious elites know what following Jesus was all about.

Of all things to bring up, Stephen decides to launch into a Hebrew Bible lesson, spanning the history of Israel, starting with Abraham. Though we don't have time to unpack why he puts so much emphasis in today's reading on Abraham, Joseph, and Moses, I do want to point out the language he uses to describe Joseph's experience.

From a spoiled son to a purchased slave and then onto being a prisoner, Joseph endured his fair share of "affliction." In it all, God was at work, rescuing him and laying favor on him everywhere he turned. Yet, rescue and favor didn't come without the trials. He wasn't given a free pass from hardship. Instead, Joseph had to walk through the high waters:  “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” - Isaiah 43:2 NIV

Are you feeling any resistance in this world as you follow Jesus? That doesn't mean that God has left you. He is still rescuing you and giving you His favor. This isn't going to be easy, but God will put you into a place where you can have maximum influence in this dark world.

"The sons of Jacob sold their brother Joseph into slavery in Egypt. But God was continuously superintending the accomplishment of that one increasing purpose which he inaugurated when he called the father of the faithful out of Mesopotamia, and which was to find its consummation in the coming of Christ." - Bruce, F. F. (1988). The Book of the Acts (pp. 136–137)

Day 159: Acts 6:1-15

“But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.” - Acts 6:10 ESV

Rarely do we hear of someone who is so young and this eager. Usually, the expectation is that God will place us exactly where we want to be right away, and when this doesn't happen, disappointment sets in. This can also go the other way, where we see ourselves trapped in a role, doomed to cycle through its grasp to what we see as the end of our days.

Stephen's story is one that should encourage all of us, no matter what role we find ourselves in today.  He was one of the Hellenistic Jews chosen to make sure their widows were getting what they needed as they distributed food. So how does a guy go from being a food referee to verbally body slamming the greatest thinkers of his time and place?

There were two differentiating factors at play, and both are relevant in any position or role in which you might find yourself:

1) Wisdom

2) Speaking by the Spirit

Both are not characteristics we acquire through hard work. They are, as we spoke of yesterday, gifts. Are you sensing a theme in Christianity? We are worshiping a gift-giving God. He gives us what we need and when we need it to accomplish all He's asked us to do.

"Jesus had promised the help of the Spirit (Luke 12:12) and wisdom (Luke 21:15) to his disciples when they were called upon to defend themselves. The early church proved the truth of this promise." - Marshall, I. H. (1980). Acts: An Introduction and Commentary (Vol. 5, p. 138)

We are still proving the truth of this promise today as we step out in faith to share the Good News about Jesus. Take your small step today. Go the way of Stephen in your faithfulness to Jesus.

Day 158: Acts 5:1-42

"The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins." - Acts 5:30-31

These religious leaders are dumbfounded as to why the Apostles won't shut up. Their usual threatening hasn't worked as normally did. These men don't seem to be taking their orders from the same place as the other Jewish people. There is no stopping the supernatural impression of the Holy Spirit. What comes into us has to find expression in our lives no matter what the consequence.

The end of our reading for today shows one of those consequences (flogging), and it didn't seem to faze them.

What kind of gift do you get for someone who has everything? It is an impossible task. If there is no perceived need, no gift on earth will suffice. This is what the hierarchy of the Israelite faith was like in the first century. They didn't feel like they needed the gift of repentance (Luke 15:7) or any forgiveness (Acts 2:38). Yahweh had been pinned down to their own limits and expectations.

May we choose today to gratefully accept the gift of repentance and thus enjoy the burden-lifting power of forgiveness. Perhaps praying the following prayer and soaking in the final quote will be helpful as we close today.

"God, we come to You with open hands, needing your repentance and forgiveness. They are gifts that we never cease to desire and need. Thank you for being so generous. in Jesus' name, we pray, Amen." 

"Rather than suffering fearful intimidation, the apostles became even bolder. They considered it an honor to suffer 'for the Name' of Jesus." - Gaertner, D. (1995). Acts (Ac 5:41–42)