The Fulness of the Gentiles
Today’s Passages – Romans 11 – 13; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 136 – 140; Proverbs 28)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 51
Read the “1128 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Be Ye Transformed“; “What’s The Difference“
“For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.” – (Romans 11:25)
My preacher back in Texas used to share an illustration regarding Romans 11:25 that I thought was very profound. He said that he was on the lookout for the last Gentile that would be saved before God takes the Church up to Heaven. Dr. Gray is a tenacious soul winner and he believes that this verse teaches that there will come a day when the “fulness” of the Gentiles will be complete. He wants to be the one who shares the gospel with that last Gentile.
When Jesus came to this earth, He offered Himself to the Nation of Israel as their Messiah. Though many of the Jewish people received Him (and still do today), the nation rejected Him:
“He came unto his own, and his own received him not.” – (John 1:11)
Because Israel rejected their Messiah, God has temporarily refocused His attention on the Gentiles. The good news of salvation – the Gospel – has been flowing freely to the Gentile nations of the world for 2000 years; but it seems to be coming to a close. I believe we are very close to the time when God will pull out of this earth all those that have placed their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, via what we call the rapture. Christ is coming soon to take His Bride – the Church – back home to Heaven. Then God will once again turn His attention back on the nation of Israel; and someday Israel, as a nation, “will look upon [Him] whom they have pierced,” and will realize that they were wrong about Him.
“And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:” – (Romans 11:26)
However, until that time comes, we who are part of the Bride of Christ – the Church – are to “occupy,” or stay busy till He comes. We are to do our best to get the message of Christ to every person on the planet. Someday that last Gentile will be saved and Jesus will take us home. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.
Posted in Thoughts from Romans by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Compassion for People
Today’s Passages – Romans 8 – 10 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 131 – 135; Proverbs 27)
Read the “1127 Evening and Morning“devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh: 4 Who are Israelites; to whom [pertaineth] the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service [of God], and the promises; 5 Whose [are] the fathers, and of whom as concerning the flesh Christ [came], who is over all, God blessed for ever. Amen.” (Romans 9:1 – 5)
“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.” (Romans 10:1)
“But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Paul had a burden to reach all people with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He wanted to see them saved from their sins and on their way to Heaven. He loved all people and preached Christ to everyone, but he especially had a concern for the people of Israel. In chapter nine above, he made an incredible statement. He said that he was willing, if it were possible, to be “accursed from Christ,” if it could somehow save the Jewish people. Of course, it was not possible for Paul to exchange his salvation for theirs, but I think we see his heart concerning the people that he loves here.
I must confess that I have often had a more cavalier attitude toward those who are lost. I don’t ever remembering consciously wishing that I could go to Hell in the place of someone else. However, at the heart of the gospel there should be a willingness to sacrifice, because that is the nature of Christ. In Matthew 9:36 (above) we see Jesus’ compassion on Israel because of their lost condition. To be “moved with compassion” means that He wept over them. Christ is “not willing that any should perish” (2 Peter 3:9), and “will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.” (2 Timothy 1:4). Jesus, however, was the only One who could actually take our place, and He did so by dying on the Cross for our sins.
As we begin to think about the coming New Year, let us ask the Lord to help us be more compassionate, and have more of a burden for the lost world around us. There are so many people out there who need Christ and so little time left to reach them. I once heard a missionary say that everything we do as Christians we could do better in Christ’s presence in Heaven. However, the one thing that we cannot do after the Lord brings us home to Heaven is reach lost people with the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. That we can only do while we are still here. We need to get busy.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
Guided by Grace
Today’s Passages – Romans 4 – 6; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 126 – 130; Proverbs 26)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 47:1
Read the “1126 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:” (Romans 6:4-8)
Notice the words “are” and “shall” above, and compare them with the word “should.” The first two words indicate something that will happen without our help, and the word “should” indicates something that we can and “should” choose to happen. If we “are” saved, we (our old Adamic flesh) is dead and buried with Christ, and because of that, we “should” no longer live like it is still alive. God is doing a work in us whether we want it, or choose it. Our choice was made when we received the Lord Jesus Christ as our Savior. Now. a process has begun, and we will be conformed to the image of Christ, but we can also choose to yield ourselves to that process. The word “yield” is found four times in Romans 6 (twice in v. 13; also in vs. 16, and 19). Since our old man is dead and buried, and since someday the body of death will be completely destroyed, we “should” cooperate with the process and yield ourselves wholly to the will of God.
This is the process of sanctification. Justification is instantaneous and happens when we get saved, but sanctification is a process. Paul, having thoroughly proven his argument (in chapters 3 – 5 of Romans) that justification is purely an act of God’s grace, will now, beginning in chapter five, deal with the next logical objection. If we are under grace and not under the Law, are we free to sin? Since all of our sins are forgiven can we now do whatever we want to do? Has God now changed His attitude toward sin? There are many today who hold the position that grace frees us to live according to the desires of our flesh, and that any attempt to bridle the flesh is a form of legalism. Paul will refute that idea completely in this passage. Though we are free from the penalty of sin in Christ, we are not free to sin. Many churches have completely abandoned preaching against sin. Grace will teach us to live holy and separated lives:
“For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world;”(Titus 2:11-12)
“For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.” (Galatians 5:13)
The word “sanctification” does not appear once in Paul’s Letter to the Romans, but here in this chapter, Paul will begin to explain the process of sanctification in the life of a believer. Sanctification means to be “set apart” for God. It has to do with transformation, growth, and fruit-bearing. Verse 22 states:
“But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.” (Romans 6:22)
We had absolutely nothing to do with our salvation save believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, but we can take part in our sanctification by yielding to the will of God and being filled with the Spirit of God. Notice the words that indicate personal action on our part in this passage: continue (v. 1); live (vs. 2, 8); walk (v. 4); serve (v. 6); reckon (v. 11); obey (v. 12); yield (v. 13). Being under grace, does not permit us to violate God’s moral principles, but it does free us to live according to the Spirit of the law. There was nothing wrong with God’s law; the problem was with us. God has freed us from the penalty of sin and from the dominion of sin, and now we are free to let the Holy Spirit guide our lives by His grace.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Not Thankful?
Today’s Passages – Romans 1 – 3 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 120 – 125; Proverbs 25)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – 1 Timothy 1:17
Read the “1125 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness; 19 Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed [it] unto them. 20 For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: 21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools, 23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things. (Romans 1:18-23)
America has just celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday, which originated as a time where gratitude was expressed for all that God has blessed us with. Contrary to what you may have heard by those who are revising our history, the first Thanksgiving was established here on American soil by Governor William Bradford and the Pilgrims:
“To All Ye Pilgrims: Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.” (William Bradford, the governor of Plymouth Colony.)
The holiday of Thanksgiving has been a tradition in just about every culture thought throughout history. It originated as a celebration of the fall harvest, but before the civil war it was celebrated on various dates depending upon which state you lived in. In 1863, Abraham Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday, and affixed a permanent date – the final Thursday in November. Franklin Roosevelt changed the date to the fourth Thursday in November.
Thanksgiving for the Christian should not be just a one day remembrance; it should be an everyday occurrence. Our lives should be continual expressions of a heart of thanksgiving for the gift of salvation as well as for all of the other bonus blessings that God has bestowed on us. The Thanksgiving holiday for Christians should be the time that we remind ourselves to be thankful all the time, not only to the Lord, but also to the many people in our lives who have been a help to us.
Mankind, by nature, does not tend to be thankful, however. When we consider our reading from Romans 1 – 3, we see the Apostle Paul proving exhaustively the depravity of mankind, which seems to be increasing every day. Our world is becoming more and more evil as time moves forward. But notice how it all started. Way back in the beginning of the process mankind became unappreciative of all that God had done for them. “They glorified him not as God, neither were thankful.” To give glory to God means to shine light upon His goodness; it literally has the idea of making Him look good. He is always good, but we often fail to represent or manifest His goodness in our lives. And because we fail to see God as the Source of all goodness and blessing, we fail to appreciate Him for all that He is and all that He has done. We begin to take credit for things that were given to us. We are quick to complain when things are not going the way we want them to and we are quick to blame God for every tragedy that takes place in our lives, but when something good happens to us, we want to steal God’s glory, and claim it for ourselves. Once God is off the throne and man has replaced Him, it only goes downhill from there. Men become fools, and begin to do very foolish and wicked things.
I know that Thanksgiving, as a holiday, has passed, but let me encourage you to remember where your bread is buttered. Give credit where it is due. Thank God today, after the holiday, and be sure to continue to be thankful everyday.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
To Be Continued
Today’s Passages – Acts 26 – 28 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 116 – 118; Proverbs 24)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “1124 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
“23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging; to whom he expounded and testified the kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive: 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it. 29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves. 30 And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him.” (Acts 28:23-31)
There are many things that we can discuss from the reading this morning, but as I was contemplating the passage the Lord brought to my mind three main thoughts. First, I was encouraged by the fact that Paul kept moving forward even though he faced many obstacles, some of which were cause by his own mistakes. Paul was warned twice by the Lord not to go to Jerusalem (Acts 21:4; 11), and then when he arrived there Jesus personally appeared to him in a vision and told him to leave (Acts 22:18). Paul should not have gone to Jerusalem even though he was going for good reasons. As a result he ended up arrested by the chief captain, Claudius Lysius. He was then sent to Caesarea where he was detained for two years under Governor Felix and then Governor Festus. He then appealed his case to Caesar, which meant that he was going to have to travel to Rome where he would face many dangerous circumstances including a shipwreck and a bite from a poisonous snake. All throughout these journeys Paul is witnessing with both his words and his works about the saving grace of the Lord Jesus Christ. Eventually, he makes it to Rome where he has the opportunity to witness to many more people and also write many letters to the churches, including the four Prison Epistles that we have in our Bible. Paul never quit telling people about Jesus, even when things were going horribly for him.
My second thought from today’s reading comes from vs. 25 – 27 (above). Paul is quoting from Isaiah:
“9 And he said, Go, and tell this people, Hear ye indeed, but understand not; and see ye indeed, but perceive not. 10 Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and convert, and be healed.” (Isaiah 6:9-10)
“10 For the LORD hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered.” (Isaiah 29:10)
Jesus also quoted from this Old Testament prophet:
“15 For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.” (Matthew 13:15)
Notice that Paul and Jesus both state it a little differently than Isaiah. Jesus and Paul explain that the people are the ones who have closed their eyes. Isaiah words it in such a way that it almost appears that the blame for the people’s rejection is on God. However, Jesus and Paul both make it clear that it is the people who have closed their own eyes to the Truth of the Gospel.
My final thought from this wonderful Book of Acts has to do with the abrupt ending of it. It stops at Paul’s first imprisonment in Rome. We know that Paul will live on a few more years and will be imprisoned at least one more time, and will finally be put to death by Nero. Why does this Book seemingly end prematurely. I believe it is because the Book of Acts when never intended to give us a complete history of the New Testament church, nor even a complete history of Paul or any of the other Apostles. It only gives us the beginning of the story, but the Acts of the Holy Spirit in the world through believers was “To Be Continued.” It is continuing today through you, and through me.
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 3 comments.
A Clear Conscience
Today’s Passages – Acts 23 – 25; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 111 – 115; Proverbs 23)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Psalm 34:1 – 4
Read a previous post from this passage – “What Are You Waiting For?“
“And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.” – (Acts 24:16)
In our passage today, we see the great Apostle Paul standing before Governor Felix. The official accusation that was laid against him was by the religious leaders was that he was a “mover of sedition”, and that he “profane[d] the temple”. (Acts 24:3 & 4) The real beef that the nation of Israel had against Paul was that he was a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ, and that he taught that Jesus Christ was risen from the dead. Paul did not try to hide his faith in Christ and the resurrection. He boldly declared that Jesus Christ was the true Messiah, was God in the flesh, and that He had, in fact, risen from the dead. However, though Paul was bold in his conviction and preaching regarding the message of Christ, he was not guilty of what he was being accused of. He stated that he strove (exercised) to always have a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men.
Paul had a clear conscience. He loved the nation of Israel, and he wanted more than anything to see them come to faith in Christ. He preached the message of salvation boldly, which was exactly what God had called him to do. His first concern was to obey God. However, sometimes in obeying God, we will offend men; but we ought not go out of our way to be an offence to men. The message of a resurrected Christ was what offended the Jews. Though Paul did nothing to hurt the Jews, his message was nevertheless offensive to them.
God has called us to be light and salt to this world. We will offend God if we refrain from what he has called us to be. This world is getting more and more offended by Christians who are living in obedience to God’s call, but we must not let that stop us from telling them what they need to hear. If I have to choose between offending men and offending God, I must choose to offend men. However, it is not my desire to hurt men. I love people, and I will work hard (exercise myself) to be as loving and non-offensive to them as possible, but there will be times when my life and my message as a Christian will offend them. However, even when the world gets offended, I can still pillow my head with a clear conscience knowing that I did what God has told me to do.
Posted in Thoughts from Acts by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Feed the Flock
Today’s Passages – Acts 20 – 22 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 106 – 110; Proverbs 22)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Ephesians 4:32
Read the “1122 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “Farewell“
“For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.” (Acts 20:27-28)
“Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;” (1 Peter 5:2)
The message given to preachers by the Apostle Paul here in Acts 20:28 is to feed the flock. It is important to note that the preacher does not own the flock, but has simply been given a position of oversight by the One who purchased them, the Lord Jesus. Peter also tells us the same thing, and then adds some further qualifications for the one who would care for God’s flock. How does a preacher feed the flock? By preaching and teaching the Word of God.
1 First he must pray for God’s help and direction in selecting the right portions of Scripture to preach or teach. God will give the preacher wisdom as to what the particular needs of the people are.
2 Next, he must prepare. The preacher must immerse himself in the Scripture that he is preparing:
“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 )
The preacher must not only prepare by thoroughly understanding the text, but he must also prepare how the text is to be delivered. He must also select illustrations that will help the flock understand the principles contained within the text.
3 Thirdly, he much preach and teach with clarity and boldness. He must know that he is merely a messenger of God, and the message itself is from God. He must understand his authority, and claim the power that is available to him through the filling of the Spirit of God. Along with preaching the principles contained within the text, the preacher must be careful to guide the congregation in application, declaring how the Bible principles can be put to practical use in their lives.
Of course it goes without saying that the preacher must be in the Word of God on a daily basis, feeding on its truths, and applying the principles to his own life. He also needs to be fed himself by allowing others to preach the Word of God to him.
What an awesome privilege it is to serve the people of God by feeding them from the Word of God.
Posted in Thoughts from Acts by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
Repentance
Today’s Passages – Acts 17 – 19 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 101 – 105; Proverbs 21)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Matthew 6:33
Read the “1121 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read previous posts from this passage – “Mentoring” & “We Need the Bible“
“And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:” (Acts 17:30)
“Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” (Acts 2:38)
“Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;” (Acts 3:19)
“The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)
This word “repent” has been the source of much dispute among Christians for as long as I can remember. On the one end there are those that say that repentance is simply a changing of one’s mind, and on the other end there are those who say that repentance is reformation, meaning a change in behavior. Many would also add that repentance involves a mourning over past actions or a sorrow for sin. I really do not think, however, that the concept of repentance is all that difficult to understand. The first thing that we need to clarify here is that we are referring to repentance as it regards salvation. Obviously the word “repent,” as any other word, can be, and is, used in a variety of contexts.
One dictionary defines “repent” (μετανοέω – metanoeō) as: to think again, or to think afterwards, like an afterthought. When I trusted Christ as my Saviour, I had to re-think all that I thought I knew about Jesus and salvation. I previously thought that salvation was somehow dependent upon my good works, but I learned that I was wrong. So repentance certainly involves a change of mind, and in a simplistic, literal sense I would wholly agree with the definition of repentance as a changing of one’s mind.
However, repentance as it regards to salvation is so much more than just a changing of mind. There also is a change of attitude about sin. Before I was saved, I didn’t think sin was such a big deal. I tended to minimize sin, instead of considering myself “exceeding sinful.” God had to bring me under conviction, which caused me to see sin more like God sees it, rather than the way I had previously viewed it. Then, when I realized my guilt and understood the penalty that I deserved for my sin there was also a change of heart, a brokenness, a humility. Unrepentant sinners tend to justify themselves. I finally saw my sin from God’s perspective and there was guilt. I must also state here that I believe it is possible to have guilt without repentance. Esau was sorry, but he did not repent. Sorrow will bring a person to the place where he can repent though. Guilt does not always lead to repentance, but repentance regarding salvation always involves guilt.
Finally, I knew that salvation would involve a change in direction. Don’t get nervous. I am not saying that I believed I had to work my way to Heaven, but I knew that saved people lived differently than unsaved people did. I knew that the direction that I was previously going was wrong and I needed God to get me turned around. When I trusted Christ as my Saviour, He changed my direction. I have not perfectly followed His plan at all times but my desire is to stay within His will for my life, which was not even the slightest concern before I was saved.
So here goes. I am going to give you my best definition of the word “repentance.” Repentance as it regards to salvation is a change of mind, heart, and attitude that brings about a change in direction.
Posted in Thoughts from Acts by Phil Erickson with 2 comments.
Tenacity
Today’s Passages – Acts 14 – 16 (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read – Psalms 96 – 100; Proverbs 20)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture Song – Micah 6:8
Read the “1120 Evening and Morning“ devotion for today, by the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “In Tune with the Spirit of God“
“And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead. Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city: and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, and Antioch,” (Acts 14:19-21)
The Apostle Paul was a unique individual. He travelled to Iconium on his first missionary journey, and received intense persecution there, almost being stoned. He escapes to Lystra where he was stoned and left for dead, and then after preaching at Derbe he returns again to both Lystra and Iconium. If you look at the map of Paul’s first journey (below) you will notice that Paul did not have to go back to Antioch, where he started out, through those cities. He went out of his way to go back to the places where he was almost killed, and where he surely faced danger again. Why would he do that? Because there were people there that he needed to help. He didn’t let fear of almost certain persecution keep him from doing what God had called him to do. That is tenacity.
There are very few people today who are willing to face this kind of persecution in order to reach people with the gospel. In fact, there are not many who are willing even to sacrifice a little comfort in order to serve God. Today, we let the slightest excuses keep us from fulfilling the will of God. We need to get tough. We need a revival of tenacity in our churches today. A revival of people who are willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Posted in Thoughts from Acts by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.
What God Hath Cleansed
Today’s Passages – Acts 11 – 13; (Click on the references to listen to the audio – click here to view the text from the Blue Letter Bible website)
(Second Milers also read –Psalms 91 – 95; Proverbs 19)
Listen to this morning’s Scripture song – Joshua 1:8
Read the Evening and Morning devotions for today from the late Charles Haddon Spurgeon.
Read a previous post from this passage – “The Beginning of the Journey”
“1 And the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto them, saying, 5 I was in the city of Joppa praying: and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four corners; and it came even to me: 6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter; slay and eat. 8 But I said, Not so, Lord: for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. 9 But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 10 And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. 11 And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Caesarea unto me. 12 And the Spirit bade me go with them, nothing doubting. Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, and we entered into the man’s house: 13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; 14 Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ; what was I, that I could withstand God? 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life.” (Acts 11:1-18)
In the passage above, we read of Peter’s rehearsal of the events that took place in chapter ten, the first recorded conversion in the Book of Acts of a Gentile. Let me clarify that statement. Previously, in Acts eight, we read about a revival that took place in Samaria, which was populated by people who were of mixed Jewish / Gentile blood and had some connection to Judaism. We also saw the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch who was a Gentile by blood but was obviously a convert to Judaism because the passage tells us that when Phillip the evangelist finds him he was on his way back from Jerusalem where he was worshipping. The account given here in chapter eleven, however, is about a man, a Roman centurion, who was of Gentile blood and neither was he a Jewish proselyte. The Scripture tells, however, that he did have a fear of God (Acts 10:22).
There are a couple of things that I would like to pull from this passage.
1. Peter was very reluctant to speak to this Gentile because of some presupposed ideas of God’s attitude toward the Gentiles, which were wrong. God had to convince Peter three times through the illustration of eating the the unclean animals that it was OK for him to preach Christ to Cornelius. Peter was convinced that he was right and it took a lot for God to convince him otherwise. I wonder if there are things in our lives that we are sure that we are right about that maybe God wants us to change our minds about.
2. Even though God had convinced Peter that it was the will of God for Gentiles to be saved, there were still many within Peter’s circle of friends who were not happy about what Peter had done. Sometimes, it will take a while before other people recognize the will of God, but we must boldly stand against the crowd, if need be, and for what the Lord wants us to do.
3. When Peter and the other disciples envisioned the Kingdom and what Jesus was going to do, they did not see what had actually happened. The Romans were still in authority, the corrupt religious leaders were still in charge of Judaism, and now the door to salvation was opened to the Gentiles. This was not at all what the disciples expected (or wanted). Yet, God had other plans. Peter and the disciples had to abandon their ideas and accept God’s will. God has a will for your life as well, which may be radically different than what you want. Let me remind you that God’s ways are not only higher than our ways, they are also much better.
Let me give you an application and illustration that relates to this passage. Recently, there has been a teenage girl coming to our church who looks, dresses, and acts like a boy. In this transgender crazed society that we are living in, this should not be a surprise. Anyway, this young lady has been faithfully attending for a couple of months and has recently made a profession of faith in Christ. Our church has not said anything to her personally about the way she dresses, outside of what would be preached to the entire congregation about the subjects of transgenderism and homosexuality from the pulpit. We have just loved her and have been trying to teach her the Scriptures. I believe that God will work in this young lady’s life and conform her into what He wants her to be. My point about all this is that this particular young lady would have probably been my last choice if I had to select a person that God was going to save and transform into His image. I had to be reminded through this passage: “What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common.“
Posted in Devotions by Phil Erickson with 1 comment.