Acts

Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14 NIV

But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body. Philippians 3:20 NIV

I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:11-13 NIV

The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten with rods. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. When he received these orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Acts 16:22-25 NIV

Paul and Silas are in a Philippian prison, in the very innermost cell, fastened with their feet in the stocks all night, and they are praying and singing hymns to God. The other prisoners heard their prayers and singing. Why do you think these men were able to pray and sing while in this situation?

I think the book Paul later wrote to the church in Philippi has the answer. Paul and Silas had a Biblical and an eternal perspective. Paul and Silas knew God’s desire for them – was to share the gospel in any and all circumstances. For these men, it did not matter if they were preaching in a synagogue (Acts 14:1), beside a river (Acts 16:13), or in prison (Phil. 1:12-13). Their job was to proclaim the gospel of Christ in any circumstance. Later, when Paul was under house arrest in Rome, he said, “Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ. And because of my chains, most of the brothers and sisters have become confident in the Lord and dare all the more to proclaim the gospel without fear,” Philippians 1:12-14.

So, what about us? Have you found yourself in a difficult situation and just didn’t feel like praising God in the midst of it? I know I have, but I personally have found if I take a step back, – look at our faithful God – my perspective can change. Lamentations 3:21-26 says, “Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.”

The simple act of singing praise to our faithful God, whose love for us is unfailing can calm our spirit, realign our perspective and give us hope. Listen to this song– perhaps sing along, give God praise – rejoice in what Jesus offers to all.

By Grace Hunter

The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16:29-34

It took me a long time to understand the need to be baptized. If baptism in and of itself didn’t save you- just demonstrated a decision you already made- did it matter? It seemed like an “extra credit” thing that the overachieving youth group kids did. And I was not an overachieving youth group kid. It wasn’t until years later- and hearing a more robust explanation of baptism than I had before- that I realized its importance. While it’s true that the act of baptism doesn’t save, Jesus changes everything and he has changed me. Why not acknowledge and declare, to myself and others, all that he has done and that in him I am a new creation?

Over and over in the book of Acts, those who believe the good news about Jesus are often immediately baptized in the name of Jesus. We see it here, with the Philippian jailer and his family (v. 33), as well as the stories of Lydia (Acts 16:15), Philip and the Eunuch (Acts 8:38) and Cornelius and his household (Acts 10:48), as well as many others. Belief and acceptance of good news is followed by joyful action.

If you have already been baptized, spend some time today thinking about that day, why you were baptized, and the joy and celebration of that day. If you have not been baptized but consider yourself a follower of Jesus maybe it’s time to consider taking that step. If you are interested in baptism- even if it’s just in finding out more about it- you can let us know here.

By Jessica Rust

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone’s chains came loose. The jailer woke up, and when he saw the prison doors open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself because he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul shouted, “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here!” The jailer called for lights, rushed in and fell trembling before Paul and Silas. He then brought them out and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.” Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him and to all the others in his house. At that hour of the night the jailer took them and washed their wounds; then immediately he and all his household were baptized. The jailer brought them into his house and set a meal before them; he was filled with joy because he had come to believe in God—he and his whole household. Acts 16:25-34

When driving around town I have seen a bumper sticker with the message: “No Good Deed Goes Unpunished”. That thought brings to mind outrageous examples of twisted accusations and legal proceedings launched to stop Jesus followers from offering the Good News and serving the needs of the oppressed. 

The early part of Acts 16 describes Paul liberating a slave girl from the oppressive power of a fortune-telling demon in the name of Jesus. Because this act deprived her owners of income derived from the demon’s predictive powers, the owners launched a twisted and false accusation that Paul and Silas were leading an insurrection. The magistrates of Philippi then beat and jailed them without a trial. If that happened today, such a gross miscarriage of justice would make many of us angry! 

Instead of anger rising to the surface at such evil treatment, the above passage describes Paul and Silas praying and singing after their beating and imprisonment as well as remaining in jail when it was clear God had arranged an earthquake to release them. 

Why such counterintuitive behavior? The only explanation is Paul and Silas had learned to first seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance in every situation. Their obedience opened a supernatural path to lead their jailer and his entire household to salvation in Jesus.

Although each injustice carried out on those who follow Jesus arises from different circumstances, the Holy Spirit is faithful to guide us to fruitful purposes as we respond in the way of Jesus. 

Here are a few other situations recorded in Scripture that demonstrate one or more aspects of injustice toward godly, righteous people: 1) no crime committed, 2) false charges, 3) lack of a formal trial, 4) severe punishment/death/imprisonment in spite of no legal conviction:

• The prophet Jeremiah – Jeremiah 38
• John the Baptist – Matt 14:1-14
• Jesus – The last chapters of all the Gospels
• Stephen – Acts 6:8-15 and Acts 7:54-60
• Peter and John – Acts 4:1-17
• The Apostles – Acts 5:17-42
• James and Peter – Acts 12:1-19

Pick one of these situations and meditate on both the godly response of the righteous individual and the purpose God intended through their response to injustice.

By Kathleen Petersen

One day on our way to the place of prayer, a slave girl ran into us. She was a psychic and, with her fortune-telling, made a lot of money for the people who owned her. She started following Paul around, calling attention to us by yelling out, “These men are working for the Most High God. They’re laying out the road of salvation for you!”She did this for a number of days until Paul, finally fed up with her, turned and commanded the spirit that possessed her, “Out! In the name of Jesus Christ, get out of her!” And it was gone, just like that. When her owners saw that their lucrative little business was suddenly bankrupt, they went after Paul and Silas, roughed them up and dragged them into the market square .Then the police arrested them and pulled them into a court with the accusation, “These men are disturbing the peace–dangerous Jewish agitators subverting our Roman law and order.” By this time the crowd had turned into a restless mob out for blood. Acts 16:16-21 The Message.

At first it wasn’t a problem for the slave girl’s owners that she followed Paul and Silas and yelled words telling what the two of them were about. Maybe there would be money in it. The trouble started when Paul ordered the spirit to- in the name of Jesus Christ- get out of her. Everybody now knew what Paul and Silas were doing, but the owners could no longer make money on the girl’s psychic abilities. Competition for attention had killed their business, and would likely destroy the economy if allowed to continue. Paul and Silas and the power they brought were a threat, so the owners started a riot in order to get rid of Paul, Silas and their message.

Words have power for both good or evil, depending on who is using them and for what purpose. Scripture is full of ways words have been used for good or evil, as encouragement or as threats. And in every age, and certainly, in ours, the word, “CHANGE” is one of those powerful words.

In Acts 1:1-9:1-32, as the Holy Spirit came and the gospel of Jesus Christ was preached, huge changes happened in individuals, communities, the culture and started to spread into the world.

Go back through those chapters in Acts and pick one that encouraged or felt like a threat to you. Then look at one or more of the changes that have happened in your life as you follow Jesus and are learning to know his heart. How have you been encouraged or, perhaps, felt threatened? Using Psalm 139:23-24, go to the Lord, who knows you intimately and loves you deeply, and thank him for encouragement and talk with him about your felt threat.

By Carolyn Schmitt

Once when we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a female slave who had a spirit by which she predicted the future. She earned a great deal of money for her owners by fortune-telling. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are telling you the way to be saved.” She kept this up for many days. Finally Paul became so annoyed that he turned around and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!” At that moment the spirit left her. Acts 16:16-18

I can’t help but find humor in the scriptures, and this little story is yet another example of that. Here we see a demon-possessed woman recommending following Paul and Silas, shouting affirmation of their message. At first, one might think that this is a story about God’s power to cause the demon to do this; like an older sibling might grab the arm of a younger, then use it to smack them while saying, “Why are you hitting yourself?” God could do that to this demon, but there seems to be something more going on here.

Strangely, Paul is not thrilled by the marketing efforts of this afflicted girl. That begs the question: why, if she is speaking the truth? After all, she is speaking the truth!

There is some hidden motive for the actions of this demon through her. The only explanation is that her persistence is a distraction from what God is trying to accomplish in the town. The conclusion is that not all correct theology is well-spoken. This demon-possessed girl is right in her theology, but it was designed to distract. Paul has the wisdom to set her free from the influence of the distracting spirit.

The question for us is, can an over-emphasis on correct belief sometimes distract us from what God is doing in the world? The goal of Christianity is not to get all the facts right; it is to stay in step with God. The risk we run when we overemphasize theological correctness is that we lose the usefulness of truth. Correct theology is only good if it helps us live in the way of Jesus with the heart of Jesus.

Take a moment to reflect on the past few days. Was there a moment when you stood up for a belief while hurting someone? For me, this often comes in moments of conflict with a loved one—the desire to right often causes us to damage the relationships around us. If you have a moment like this, or recognize a tendency to speak the truth without love, pray a prayer of confession and ask God to help you speak his truth in a loving spirit.

By Aaron Bjorklund

You have searched me, Lord, and you know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you, Lord, know it completely. You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139:1-6

Many have undertaken to draw up an orderly account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. Luke 1:1-4

Who, What, Where, When, Why and How are sometimes called the 5W1H questions to ask when you want to gather information or solve a problem. So, HOW might that help us when we read the Bible. It seems to me that the easiest way I can explain it is to give my own experience reading and studying the Bible this way.

WHO? Me, Carolyn Schmitt.

WHY? I want to learn to know God, Father, Jesus, Holy Spirit in their relationship together and with us people.

HOW? By moving around in the scriptures and getting acquainted with the people through their stories. I want to know WHO they are, WHERE they are mentioned, WHEN they lived and WHAT their culture, landscapes, and actions were. Especially, I want to know about their interaction with God.

In our time I have the advantage of the written Word, the internet, and a multiplicity of written, audio and visual helps in the process of using the 5W1H words to find out information. Don’t know a word, a quote, a name? Just Google it and I’ve got it. But… HOW to move from information to life? I have to be willing to slow down; to imagine living in the time and at the walking pace of scripture. Then I need to be creative in using my ordinary day to live in relationship with WHO I’m learning to know.

Soon we will be through Halloween and Thanksgiving and into Advent, Christmas, Lent, Crucifixion, Resurrection, Ascension and Pentecost. The majority of these are special times for the church whose one foundation is Jesus Christ. In the process of Advent to Ascension, Jesus’ time on earth is about 6 months. There are clues in the whole Bible about the years Jesus lived before his baptism, especially Matthew 1:18-2:23, Luke 1:26-56 and Luke 2. Also Philippians 2:5-8 and Hebrews 4:14-5:10.

In Matthew 1:1-17 there are the names of 42 generations from Abraham to the Messiah, Jesus. Pick a WHO and learn about them, using the 5W1H questions. Imagine living in their time and culture. Think creatively HOW what you learn relates to the dailiness of your life, relationships and responsibilities.

By Carolyn Schmitt

*As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

“Who are you, Lord?” Saul asked.

“I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” he replied. (Acts 9:3-5)

*But the angel of the Lord called out to him from heaven, “Abraham! Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied. (Gen 22:11) 

*God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!”

And Moses said, “Here I am.” (Ex 3:4) 

*The Lord came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!”

Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (I Sam 3:10)

*…This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. (Acts 9:15)

*…God…set me apart from my mother’s womb and called me by his grace… (Gal 1:15)

This first telling of the dramatic call of Jesus on Saul/Paul’s life is familiar to readers of the New Testament…no wonder as it is repeated 2 more times in Acts and another in Paul’s letter to the Galatians.

Students of the Old Testament have also pointed out Jesus’ repetition of Saul’s name in Acts 9 reflects the same kind of intimacy, intensity and significance of God’s leadership call on three other faith pioneers: Abraham, Moses, and Samuel.

God’s choices for spiritual leadership sometimes seem odd. How could a man so vehemently opposed to God’s redeeming work through His Son Jesus qualify to be the leading representative of that redemption to the world outside first century Judaism?

Galatians 1:13-17 reveals God was at work in Paul’s life from the time he was conceived – not just at the point of his conversion. The repetition of Saul’s name when Jesus calls him from heaven marks Paul as a major leader in establishing God’s Kingdom.

So how did God prepare Paul for this new role? Galatians 1:14 reveals he was blessed with an extraordinarily adept intellect. Other sources inform us he was a student of the top Biblical scholar Gamaliel, one of three scholars of Judaism recognized as most influential to this day. He also was a Roman citizen brought up in a predominantly Gentile city. God could not have picked a better person to search the Old Testament scriptures and communicate the role of Jesus the Messiah to Jew and Gentile alike.

It’s also worth noting he was a “tough customer”. Anyone zealous enough to pursue followers of Jesus to send them to prison and even death was a single minded firebrand – someone who would not wilt under opposition once convinced of his mission.
Here’s my takeaway from these observations: God uses all of a Jesus follower’s life as preparation to further His Kingdom – both the commendable and deplorable elements.

Have you thought that past failures or a tarnished skill set would disqualify you or another Jesus follower from serving God completely? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal at least one way He intends to redeem or has already used those failures or skills to bring others into God’s Kingdom and glory to our Lord Jesus.

By Kathleen Petersen

In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:10-17

In Matthew 5, Jesus challenges us to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. At first, this teaching sounds incredibly humble and beautiful. After reading this story of Ananias above, the rubber meets the road. Loving our enemies is easy until you have an enemy. Saul is one of the greatest threats to the church and Ananias is a follower of Jesus. Here we have God challenging him to love Saul tangibly. I want us to think about the question; what do we do with the anxiety that often comes when trying to obey God?

This story is so helpful in answering that question. Ananias brings his doubt and fear to God in prayer. God is gracious and gentle in his dialogue with Ananias in this text. Perhaps that is part of the point of it all. Yes, God wanted to accomplish something through Ananias, but he also seems to use the tension to help Ananias grow and learn to listen to him.

What steps of obedience are on your horizon? Is there fear related to them? Are there questions that you have? Bring them to God today. I suspect that the conversation is one part of what God is after anyway.

By Aaron Bjorklund

For three days he was blind, and did not eat or drink anything. In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Yes, Lord,” he answered. The Lord told him, “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying. In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.” “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.” But the Lord said to Ananias, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to proclaim my name to the Gentiles and their kings and to the people of Israel. I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.” Acts 9:9-16 NIV

I need to confess that our passage in Acts 9 convicts me on the topic of prayer. Luke tells us that Saul fasted for 3 days and prayed after meeting Jesus on the road to Damascus. Ananias had a vision and a conversation with God about Saul of Tarsus. Ananias clearly expressed to God his reluctance to go talk with Saul who, “was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples,” Acts 9:1. Both the newly converted Saul and the faithful disciple Ananias made prayer a priority, took it seriously, and spent considerable time praying. I confess, for much of my life, prayer has not been a priority. Is prayer a priority for you?

In looking back at the previous passages we have studied in Acts Luke tells us that the believers did take prayer seriously. We are told, “they all joined together constantly in prayer,” Acts 2:14. Often Luke mentions the believers praying as a part of their daily life, (Acts 2:24, 31, 42, 6:4). Many of these situations involved either praying before making an important decision, or during a difficult or dangerous situation. I don’t know about you, but for me, prayer has not always been the first thing I do in a crisis. Yet this is what we observe in both Saul and Ananias.

If we look at key situations in Jesus’ life in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus prayed at his Baptism (Luke 3:21), all night before choosing his disciples (Luke 6:12), at the time of his transfiguration (Luke 9:28-29), and of course in Gethsemane – immediately prior to his arrest and crucifixion (Luke 22:41-45). Jesus, the sinless Son of God, who was fully God and fully man, made prayer a priority. I have to conclude – if Jesus needed regular, and sometimes extended, times of prayer with his Father, while he was here on earth then I must need to do the same. Do you agree?

For me, I had to discover a method and plan for prayer. Walking and praying and using a prayer journal to organize requests has helped me. Spend time praying in a different way this week. Try: walking and praying, designating a prayer room or area, using a journal to organize requests and answers, praying with a friend, or praying scripture for yourself or for another person. Psalms work well or Ephesians 1:17-20 or Ephesians 3:16-21.

By Grace Hunter

…On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. Godly men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him. But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off both men and women and put them in prison. Acts 8:1b-3

If you think back to the very beginning of Acts you may remember that Jesus gave the disciples a promise and a commission: “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” Acts 1:8). In Acts 2, the Holy Spirit came upon them, with the result that many in Jerusalem- even those originally from all around the world- heard the gospel and believed. Yet up until Acts 8 we have seen the church mainly stay in Jerusalem. Acts 8 is where this all changes. A great persecution, triggered by the death of Stephen in Acts 7, forces the believers to flee and from here on out in the story we mainly see the spread of the gospel around the Roman world as opposed to just what is happening in Jerusalem.

From here on out we will spend less time in Jerusalem and more time following the church as it spreads to Judea and the Mediterranean world at large, especially through Paul’s mission to the gentiles.

So why does this matter, apart from giving us context for this week’s passage of Acts 9? Sometimes we may be so familiar with the stories of Scripture, and, if you have been around church for a while, the story of Paul, that we fail to really see the big picture. The story of Paul’s conversion to Christianity is an amazing, miraculous story in and of itself but it also is part of God doing yet another new thing within this fledgling church which should also inspire our awe and praise. After all, the spread of the gospel throughout the Greco-Roman world will have ripple effects throughout the centuries that eventually lead to our church communities and our own knowledge of the gospel. God knows what he is doing as he sends his people out, even if it’s under duress.

Today, take some time to meditate on the spread of the gospel throughout the centuries, starting with the events of Acts. Thank God for the ways the gospel has spread that allowed you to hear and receive the good news and ask him how you can be part of its spread this week.

By Jessica Rust