God’s Grace and Power

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 3, 2021

God’s Grace and Power

But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.

Acts 6:10

Read: Acts 6:8-15 

The preacher and teacher, Fred Craddock, once noted that people don’t like two kinds of preaching: good preaching and bad preaching. Bad preaching is boring and painful to listen to. Good preaching brings forth the word of God which “is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12) This is the effect Stephen’s preaching had on some of his hearers. When they couldn’t win a debate with him, they resorted to the same tactic used against Jesus; they produced false witnesses.

When Stephen was arrested and taken before the Sanhedrin, Luke says they all “looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” (v.15) What did they see? When Luke told of people having encounters with angels, people were troubled or terrified. (Luke 1 & 2) Luke described Stephen as “a man full of God’s grace and power, (who) performed great wonders and signs among the people.” (v.8) I believe the people saw the manifestation of God’s grace and power, the infilling of the Holy Spirit, giving Stephen the radiance of confident humility as he fully trusted in God.

My Takeaway: Like many folks, I want to get along with people. I want to avoid conflict and controversy. Today’s passage is a reminder that because we live in a fallen world, when we stand with Christ, opposition will arise, especially in today’s cancel culture. I pray others will see in me, what the Sanhedrin saw in Stephen.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Choosing of the Seven

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

February 2, 2021

The Choosing of the Seven

“Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:3-4

Read: Acts 6:1-7   

Two parts of today’s passage stand out to me. First is the decentralized organization of the New Community of Believers. Yes, the apostles had a unique and particular role, but when the need for additional staff surfaced, the apostles allowed the entire group of disciples, men and women, to choose the new staff. They only choose men, as was the custom of their day, but all participated in the decision.

Secondly, the apostles affirmed their priority to give their attention to prayer and the ministry of the word. I remember when I first became a candidate for ordained ministry. I interviewed the senior pastor of a church and asked him to list his various duties and responsibilities, and then prioritize them. I next asked him to rank them by the amount of time he spent with each of his responsibilities. The reality was the least in priority were taking the most time. I found this to be true throughout my pastoral ministry. The only way to give sufficient time for prayer and sermon preparation was to work seven days per week.

My Takeaway: Early in our readings in Acts, we saw that ALL received the Holy Spirit and ALL were tasked with being witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus. We will see tomorrow that being chosen to lead the food distribution ministry didn’t relieve these men of their responsibility to be a witness for Christ.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

They Never Stopped

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

 February 1, 2021

They Never Stopped

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Acts 5:42

Read: Acts 5:27-42

Three verses stood out to me in today’s reading. First, in verse 29, the apostles respond to the orders they had received to stop teaching in the name of Jesus: “Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!” This reminds me of something Peter Marshall said:

“The choice before us is plain: Christ or chaos, conviction or compromise, discipline or disintegration. I am rather tired of hearing about our rights and privileges as American citizens. The time is come - it now is - when we ought to hear about the duties and responsibilities of our citizenship. America's future depends upon her accepting and demonstrating God's government.” (Reverend Peter Marshall, on being elected Chaplain of the U. S. Senate in January 1947)

The second passage is the last of verse 38 and verse 39. “For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” Grasping this truth, the missionary Hudson Taylor noted, “God's work done in God's way will never lack God's supply.” This truth is coupled with Corrie Ten Boom’s axiom: “You can never learn that Christ is all you need, until Christ is all you have.” God, grant us the wisdom to discern whether we are relying on human strength and ability, or the Holy Spirit.

My Takeaway: “They never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.” (v.42b) There are times when I grow weary, especially with the continuing conflict within the UMC. But Peter and the others never stopped, and by God’s grace, neither will I.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

 

The Apostles Meet Opposition

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

January 29, 2021

The Apostles Meet Opposition

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail and brought them out. “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

Acts 5:19-20

Read: Acts 5:17-26

As I read today’s passage, I remembered Paul asking for prayer for boldness to proclaim the Gospel while he was in prison. (Colossians 4) Paul didn’t ask his friends to go his bail, or break him out of jail. He asked for power to preach in his present circumstance. In today’s passage, an angel of the Lord broke the apostles out of jail. Then the angel directed them to go back to the place where they had been arrested “and tell the people all about this new life.”

I laughed a bit at that statement. This new life got the apostles thrown in jail! And as they continued to teach in the Temple, they would be arrested again! But in their old life, they didn’t have an angel of the Lord attending to them. In their old life, they didn’t perform many signs and wonders among the people, the sick, and those tormented by impure spirits were not healed.

My Takeaway: Not long before the events in today’s passage, Peter had thrice denied evening knowing Jesus. Then, filled with the Holy Spirit, after being twice ordered to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, after being arrested, Peter again places himself in harm’s way. This is the power of the Holy Spirit I ask God to manifest in my life. This is the love for Jesus that I ask God to form in my life.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Apostles Heal Many

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

January 28, 2021

The Apostles Heal Many

Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.

Acts 5:16

Read: Acts 5:12-16

The church, the New Community of Believers, continued to grow. Luke notes that the normal ebb and flow of people within the Temple were not participating as the Believers met in Solomon’s Colonnade, “but more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” (v. 14)

As I read today’s passage, I recalled what I wrote on January 19. A Bishop complained that he was not having the same impact in his ministry as did the first apostles. He said, “Everywhere Paul went, there was a riot. Everywhere I go, they serve tea.” In our churches, what is said is important, but what happens is also important. On Epiphany, Cheryl and I attended a worship service in an Anglican church. When the service was over, the priest met with us, He anointed Cheryl, and then he and I laid hands on her and prayed for her healing. (She is been experiencing a good deal of pain from degenerative disc disease.)

My Takeaway:  Luke described an extraordinary time as the Apostles were finding their footing. But it was not a time without consequences, as we will read tomorrow. For now, I want to tarry a bit longer in wonder of our God, for whom, nothing is impossible.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Ananias and Sapphira

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

January 27, 2021

Ananias and Sapphira

“What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”  When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.

Acts 5:4b-5a

Read: Acts 5:1-11 

This is not a popular passage. I don’t recall ever hearing  a sermon preached on this passage, or me preaching one. My first thought today as I read this passage was of Hebrews 12:28-29:

Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.” (See also Deuteronomy 4:24)

I noted previously that Luke invoked the covenant community of God’s people to describe the New Community of Believers. In this time of the birth of the New Testament church, it was vital to maintain the integrity of their witness. As the Apostle Paul would later note, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.” (Galatians 6:7)

Truthfulness is intrinsic to the character of a Believer. Truthfulness is not intrinsic to the character models of our culture. When our lives more closely resemble our culture, we turn our churches into associations with a Christian veneer.

My Takeaway: I absolutely believe Brennan Manning when he stated, “God loves us unconditionally, just as we are, not as we should be. Because none of us are as we should be.” I also believe God is a consuming fire. I also believe there are times when, as Luke stated in verse 11, great fear should seize the whole church.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The Believers Share Their Possessions

 Meditations on The Acts of the Apostles

January 26, 2021

The Believers Share Their Possessions

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.

Acts 4:33-34a

Read: Acts 4:32-37

The Old Testament describes what it will be like when the covenant people of God live together in community. Luke borrows a phrase from this description when he says of The Believers, “there were no needy persons among them.” (V. 34a, compare to Deuteronomy 15:4) I believe Luke’s intent is to show how this new community of believers, who had received forgiveness of their sins and new life in Christ, were living together as the covenant community God had intended.

This spirit of generosity and hospitality became a hallmark of the first century church. The church embodied what Steven Covey would describe as a Win/Win attitude in his Seven Habits of Highly Successful People. Covey said the basis of a Win/Win attitude is the belief that there is enough pie for everyone to have a slice. With this attitude it is unacceptable to win if the other person feels as though they lost.

My Takeaway: Luke introduces us to a specific person who modeled the spirit of generosity, Barnabas. We will see much more of Barnabas in the Book of Acts, as a person who shows us what it is like to make the life in Christ your way of life.

Sē’lah

<><  <><  <><  <><

(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2021 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.