Acts__11

Scripture

Acts 11:12

The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them.

Observation - What does it say?

Immediately following his mysterious vision from God, the three men sent by Cornelius came to the house where Peter was staying. He heard the Holy Spirit speak to him, commanding him to go with these men. So he did.

Understanding - What does it mean?

What stood out to me was the intimate relationship Peter had with the Holy Spirit. The Spirit spoke to him. Plainly. Clearly. Scripture doesn’t say, “Peter thought it might have been the Spirit speaking to him.” It was a matter of fact, because Peter had come to discern His voice.

And, the second side of the coin here is that Peter didn’t just hear, he obeyed. Jews didn’t associate with Gentiles, much less journey with them and step foot in their home. This would seem like an absurd thing for God to ask him to do. Yet, he didn’t question God and went.

Life Application 

Hear and obey.

I long to hear God’s voice more clearly. And, when God speaks I want to steward his voice well by obeying. How many times have I asked God to bless me to hear his voice, and yet how many times has he spoken clearly and, because of fear or what he was asking seemed too hard, I hesitated and ultimately disobeyed?

God, forgive me for the times you have spoken and I didn't obey! May your voice become more clear to me and grant me the faith to trust you, even when what you say doesn’t seem to make sense or to be what I would prefer. Make me like David, a man who will do everything you have in mind for me to do. In Jesus’ name, amen.

- Levi Thompson

Proverbs_15

Scripture  Proverbs 15:16-18 

16 Better is a little with the fear of the Lord, Than great treasure and turmoil with it.  Better is a dish of vegetables where love is, Than a fattened ox served with hatred.  A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, But the slow to anger calms a dispute. Observation-What does it say?  Solomon’s proverbs use sayings that show their point with deep contrasts, the second half of the saying being the antithesis of the first half.  The proverbs “reveal sound psychology and accurate observation of life” (Butterworth).  Furthermore, they demonstrate what life looks like when guided by wisdom instead of folly.  In these verses, Solomon expresses how having a little in peace is better than living in luxury that is coupled with strife.  Or, to quote a notoriously big rapper (pun intended), “It's like the more money we come across,The more problems we see.” Understanding-What does it mean?  For a long time, the holiday season brought me a great deal of anxiety.  Early in high school, my family split and my brother and I soon had to deal with going to multiple different locations and eating multiple meals for the holiday, whether it was Thanksgiving or Christmas, etc..  The magic of the holidays, and their ability to bring people together to celebrate was lost.  It actually got worse when I got married.  Two people, who come from divorced households, equals a lot of in-laws.  Oddly enough, the movie “Four Christmases” came out the same year we got married and I could totally relate.      The holidays often bring anxiety to people, so much so that hospitals experience a higher number of cardiac emergencies during the holiday times.  We are now deep into that season and we are traditionally gathering with relatives and avoid talking about two things, religion and politics.  But, this year we seem to not be gathering enough, talking about politics too much and could use a little more religion.  For a lot of people, we are in a season of having a little less than in years past.  It took me several years to look past the disappointment of my family and look to the real reason we celebrate, which is God’s faithfulness.  God was faithful to send His son and he continues to be faithful.  We may be in a season where we are weeping while we sow, but God will be faithful and we will reap in joy (Psalm 126).  When we seek the lord, He is faithful to meet us and renew our strength (Isaiah 40:27-31).  So even though we seem to be in a time with little, we have much when our peace is found in the Lord. Life Application  Jesus, help me to spread your joy to those around me in this season.  Help me to be a light on a hill for all to see.  Help me to rejoice in your faithfulness, despite being surrounded by what seems like a world of strife.  Thank you for your love and faithfulness in a world that is not faithful.      -Tyler Galloway

Acts__9

Scripture - What stood out?ACTS 9 

...Saul spent several days with the disciples in Damascus. 20 At once he began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God.Observation - What does it say?Acts 9 recounts Saul’s conversion and immediate thrust into ministry preaching Jesus as the Messiah. Saul who had mercilessly persecuted Jesus and his followers, is miraculously converted by Jesus with the help of the Holy Spirit.Understanding - What does it mean?I could probably write about the story of Saul of Tarsus who later became known as the apostle Paul for a very very long time. But what stood out to me about this chapter in Acts was how quickly Saul began to preach about Jesus. Not just anywhere either but in the synagogues where the same Jewish leaders, (where Saul himself!) were trying to root out and persecute and destroy Jesus followers!Saul began preaching after several days. This is what stood out to me in Amos 6:1 Woe to you who are complacent in Zion…Saul began proving to the Jewish leaders pretty much immediately after his conversion that Jesus was in fact the anointed one, the son of David, the son of God Himself.Life Application - How can I apply this to my life today?Lord it has been heavy on my heart lately, that I am not moving with enough urgency in all that you have asked me to do. I don’t know what to do differently because I get so caught up with the world. I know that my place in Your story is different from the apostle Paul’s but I also know I have grown complacent. Help me to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to me. Where do I need to improve? Where do I need to grow? Show me Lord the areas of my complacency, where I may be blind, and peel away the scales from my eyes. In the name of Jesus do I pray, amen.-kenneth lee