The Way —-> Christians

Dear God, I just finished working on the Sunday school lesson I’m teaching tomorrow on Acts 10:1-11:26. It is so interesting to see the whole thing from a macro level. The realization I kind of came to at the end was that you used a faithful Roman officer to set the stage for The Way for Jews to transform into Christians for us all. No one knew it at the time. Cornelius didn’t know it. Peter didn’t know it. the apostles back in Jerusalem who were agitated about what they heard about it didn’t know it. The Jewish people who went with Peter to Cornelius’s home didn’t know it. The people Cornelius gathered in his home to hear Peter’s words didn’t know it. The Roman soldier who accompanied Cornelius’s two servants to retrieve Peter didn’t know it. There are so many characters in this story and not one of them knew what you were doing on a larger scale. They were just in the moment and prayerfully making their way through each one as best as they could.

I’ll point out another thing. While it doesn’t say Cornelius was praying at the time of his angel visit, it does make a point to say that he “prayed to God always. And Peter had his vision from you, Holy Spirit, while he was intentionally praying. things just don’t happen unless we spend focused time with you. I don’t know if these prayer journals are giving me the pinnacle of what prayer time can be, but I am grateful for them for helping me to spend time with you in conversation and to learn from you. And sometimes I am wrong. Like Peter responding the Holy Spirit, sometimes my first response is, “No, Lord.” But you slowly burn off the chaff little by little so that I can become who you have for me to be.

Father, keep me in the moment. I don’t need to know what you are doing? Frankly, there is no way I can know. And I don’t really want to know. But I know I love you. I know I want to know you and your will for me. Your call on me. So help me to do that. Help me to do it in love. Help me to be exactly who you need me to be. And help me tomorrow as I visit with this Sunday school class and teach the lesson I believe your Holy Spirit has given me to teach. Prepare the way. Prepare hearts. Help me to know what to say and what not to say.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Matthew 18:15-17

“If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back. But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won’t accept the church’s decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
Matthew 18:15-17

Dear God, I heard someone refer to this passage recently, tongue in cheek, as their “Matthew 18 rights.”

I kind of had an experience like this lately where I asked to speak with a local church leader privately about something he was pursuing that concerned me. The great news is that this pastor, whom I believe truly loves you in a completely earnest way, is pursuing a line of theology that concerned me. But we have a good relationship, and I felt like we could talk about our disagreement constructively. I asked to meet with him, we had a great lunch, agreed on very little in terms of the specific topic, but then were able to leave still loving each other and assuming the best in each other. Like I said, I absolutely do not question his motives or his love for you. And I don’t think he questions mine. It’s just that, when it comes to this specific issue, we see your will and call on us differently.

I guess I’m relating it to this passage because I didn’t feel the need to publicly call this pastor out. My first reason is my respect for him. The second reason is kind of what I’ve been praying about earlier this week: I’m not 100% sure I’m right. I have my biases. He has his. I am “sure” I’m right. He is “sure” he’s right. Well, maybe we are. Maybe we are both hearing your call. And Maybe we aren’t. Maybe both of us are missing your call on us at some level. What I’m grateful for is that we both have hearts to completely serve and love you.

Father I was scheduled a few weeks ago to teach a Sunday school class at a church that, since that time, is going through a possible split over the LGTBQ+ issue. As I’ve worked on the story of Cornelius, Peter, and the Jerusalem apostles over the last two weeks, and as I continue to work on the lesson, my prayer is that you will infuse it with your presence, your words, and your will for the people who will hear the words I say. Use me. Remove me from the process. Love through me.

I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 11:19-26

Meanwhile, the believers who had been scattered during the persecution after Stephen’s death traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch of Syria. They preached the word of God, but only to Jews. However, some of the believers who went to Antioch from Cyprus and Cyrene began preaching to the Gentiles about the Lord Jesus. The power of the Lord was with them, and a large number of these Gentiles believed and turned to the Lord.

When the church at Jerusalem heard what had happened, they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw this evidence of God’s blessing, he was filled with joy, and he encouraged the believers to stay true to the Lord. Barnabas was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and strong in faith. And many people were brought to the Lord.

Then Barnabas went on to Tarsus to look for Saul. When he found him, he brought him back to Antioch. Both of them stayed there with the church for a full year, teaching large crowds of people. (It was at Antioch that the believers were first called Christians.)
Acts 11:19-26

Dear God, I was listening to the Holy Post podcast this morning, and one of the hosts was talking about a recent medical emergency in his family. This host likes to take stories that others tell from their lives and ask if they can make a sermon illustration out of it, so someone asked him if he could do that. He said something to the effect of, “I need some more distance from it before I can do that.” In other words, “Too soon.”

I mention this because the new, young, soon-to-be-named “Christian” church had no idea what was going on in the moment. The Holy Spirit was leading them step by step, keeping them on a need-to-know basis, and there was very little they needed to know. In fact, had the Spirit revealed everything to them at once they might have goofed it up somehow. No, they needed to struggle through it.

So why should I be any different? Why should I get to understand what you are doing in my life, my community, my country, and my world? You are so much bigger than me. I mean, even that sentence is a laughable understatement. You are timeless. You are all-knowing. I am just here doing what is in front of me. Help me to be okay with that. Give me your peace.

Father, I give you my heart today. I give you my work. I give you my love. I give you my inconvenience. Help me to be a blessing to your world. Help me to love others on your behalf today. Help me to call others to you. Help me to draw closer to you myself. I’m about to write over 100 letters to people who attended our event the other night. Help me to say what you want me to say for their sake, not mine. For your sake, not mine. For your glory, not mine. Quickly, I pray also for the father of a coworker who is having heart issues. I pray for the heart issues of a loved one in my own family. I pray for the family that is burying a woman today who suffered greatly, and now they are suffering even more. Oh, Father, in each of these situations, make this pain count. Heal bodies. Heal souls. Heal hearts. Heal wounds. And use all of this to draw each person involved closer to you.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 11:1-4, 18

Soon the news reached the apostles and other believers in Judea that the Gentiles had received the word of God. But when Peter arrived back in Jerusalem, the Jewish believers criticized him. “You entered the home of Gentiles and even ate with them!” they said. Then Peter told them exactly what had happened.

When the others heard this, they stopped objecting and began praising God. They said, “We can see that God has also given the Gentiles the privilege of repenting of their sins and receiving eternal life.”
Acts 11:1-4, 18

Dear God, it would be so much easier if I could just know when I am right and when I am wrong. I mean, really, how much am I wrong about right now in my opinions, theologies, or whatever that I am just sure I’m right?

It’s too bad these verses in Acts 11 get separated from the story in Acts 10 because taken as one narrative, it totally flips the intent of the story. If we just read chapter 10, we might think Cornelius is the protagonist of this story, but in reading the whole thing as one, we realize that Peter is really the protagonist. It is his journey we are tracking. We show his evolution on the issue of Gentiles (right after chapter 9 when we get the conversion of the biggest Gentile advocate of all, Paul), and then the influence he has on the believers back in Jerusalem.

I was talking with a local pastor the other day about the LGTBQ+ controversy in his church. It’s hit a divisive level to where there is a new church starting because of it and some of his members are leaving. And I know both sides are just sure they are right about this. They are just sure they know you Jesus or any of the apostles would respond if they were here to make the same decisions. It could be that if it had been anyone less than Peter himself explaining the acceptance of Gentiles into your kingdom, this would have been the cause of the first recorded split in the Christian church.

I attend Catholic Church with my wife. There is a lot of the theology I agree with. There is a little of the theology I don’t agree with. Am I right or wrong? I don’t know. But I know the Catholics I worship with appear to really love you. And I really love you. So as long as we are truly pursuing you and your Holy Spirit, I will count our disagreements as meaningless.

Father, I am sorry for when I have been wrong. Well, let me put it this way: I am sorry for the times I’ve been wrong and then judged others through my ignorance. I don’t pretend to know your heart on all of these issues. I can only look at my life, evaluate the level to which I am striving to keep myself in right relationship with you, and then encourage others to do the same. And then to love my neighbors as myself as I go. So thank you. Thank you also for getting me through last night. Thank you for answering my prayers. Thank you for touching lives both in that room and then through the work we will do with the patients because of the resources people shared with us. You are amazing, God.

I pray to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 10:44-48

Even as Peter was saying these things, the Holy Spirit fell upon all who were listening to the message. The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles, too. For they heard them speaking in other tongues and praising God.

Then Peter asked, “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” So he gave orders for them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with them for several days.
Acts 10:44-48

Dear God, tonight is the night. The nonprofit for which I am the director is having its fundraising dinner tonight for 280 guests, and I am nervous. I guess the question is, what am I nervous about? I have a few choices:

• Will we raise enough money?
• Will people have a good time?
• Will those there like me?
• Will the board members there be impressed with me?

These are the wrong things to be nervous about, but I confess it is where my heart can go very easily. Will it be a success on paper and touch my insecurities?

My wife asked me last night how she could pray for me, and I confessed all of this to her—not that she didn’t already know. Then I asked her to pray that your Holy Spirit would envelop the room. That you would touch hearts. That you would inspire people to love you more and love their neighbors as themselves. That I would decrease and the people there would only see you. That you will change lives.

I see this passage from Acts 10 and I realize Peter was in a lot the same position I am in. He is the carrier of the message. He is the human channel for you to use. But what it’s really about is making way for the Holy Spirit to move and work. Even the Jews who traveled with Peter were amazed and changed. You touched every life in that room that day including Peter’s.

Father, I guess I will start with me. Please touch my life tonight. Change me. Teach me. Use me as your channel to love others. Be glorified in my words. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be pleasing to you, oh, Lord. For your glory, not mine. My utmost for your highest. Let your Holy Spirit touch each heart in that room tonight, including mine. Oh, Lord, my Lord, I know you hear my cry. Let this night make a difference in lives there tonight, but also beyond into our community and world.

I offer all of this to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 10:39-43

“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Acts 10:39-43

Dear God, there is a part of Peter’s speech that I’m realizing this morning has always bothered me. It’s not what he said, but the fact that what he said is, indeed, accurate. Jesus did not appear to the general public after his resurrection. He didn’t appear to Caiaphas. Pilate. Herod. That’s interesting. That’s an interesting decision on your part. Why did he not appear to people like that? Even to Caesar himself. Why this seemingly covert plan?

Wow, as I’m thinking about this I think I am getting the answer. And maybe the answer is influenced by my own bias when it comes to Christian Nationalism and such, but if Jesus had revealed his resurrected self to powerful people, would they have used their power to coerce people into believing in Jesus, worshipping Jesus, etc. Instead, he revealed himself to the powerless. Those who were incapable of abusing others with their power.

I reminds me of your decision to send your angels to reveal Jesus’s birth to the shepherds instead of the local high priest or Bethlehem/Jerusalem church leadership. Why did you choose to reveal yourself to the powerless instead of the powerful? Is it possible the powerful cannot be trusted with the knowledge of your revelation?

Father, I can gripe and complain all I want when it comes to others abusing their power, but I need to not take my eyes off of the times when I abdicate mine. I miss opportunities to offer you to those who are hurting around me. I miss opportunities to share my faith with others. I miss the opportunity to pray for others like I should. So while I am concerned about those who are abusing power, or even seeking power so they can abuse it, I am offering myself to you in repentance and asking that you help me to love others with your love. See others with your eyes. Hear others with your ears. And know others with your knowledge. Help me to know what to say, what not to say, and when to say or not say it. Oh, how I love you. Help me to share that love with others.

I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 10:37-38

“You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Acts 10:37-38

Dear God, I started to cover more verses this morning, but verse 38 kind of stopped me. Peter’s description of Jesus’s activities in this world was that he did good and healed all who were oppressed by the devil. What an interesting summation of Jesus’s earthly activities pre-crucifixion. Of course, he left some things out like teaching and revealing you to us. Also challenging the church authorities. But it was including Satan specifically that made me wonder if I don’t need to do that more as I pray for people, including myself.

I was at a National Day of Prayer meeting last night, and while I was praying silently while others prayed, I was taking a bit of an inventory of the tragedies and hard things I had witnessed or heard about during the week. I know of two children in our local schools whose mother died by suicide on Sunday after a very complicated life (I’ll keep what I learned to myself and not type it here for her privacy’s sake). I talked with a grandmother who has relocated her life a couple of times to help her daughter care for her two children because the daughter has had drug issues. The list seemingly goes on and on. There’s so much brokenness. So much addiction. So much pain. I forget who is behind it all. I forget who is whispering anger, hatred, indignation, bitterness, self-righteousness, fear, etc. into people’s ears. It’s Satan and his demons. Yes, I believe in spiritual warfare. I believe there are powers and principalities of this world and then there are the angels and my Triune God on the other side. I believe that sometimes I am completely in tune with you and experiencing the fruit of your Spirit, and then there are other times when I give in to the self-indulgence of my rights, my opinions being right and others wrong, and the need to feel superior to others. I give in to fear and let it motivate me. I create idols that I look to for my peace instead of you and you alone.

Father, Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. You came to give me life. I pray for those in my sphere who are really struggling right now. I am running their names through my head. They are looking for you. They just don’t know they are looking for you. Help them to find you, whether through me or someone else you raise up to be in their lives. Heal hearts. Oh, Father, redeem the pain I’ve seen or know of just from this week. Oh, Jesus, heal. Oh, Holy Spirit, comfort and counsel.

I offer this prayer to you, Father, in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 10:34-36

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
Acts 10:34-36

Dear God, I just wanted to stop here with Peter’s response because it made me think of something: How do I define the “Gospel?” I think Peter sums it up in these three sentences:

• God shows no favoritism
• In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right
• There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

I was speaking with someone yesterday about after-life, what it looks like and such. One of the things I said was that, after looking at the Parables of Jesus and what he said about the Kingdom of Heaven, it became clear that there will be a sorting. The cut-line is a little vague to me, and I am not sure how to define it, but that’s not a responsibility you gave me. You gave me the responsibility to represent you to the world and call the world into your Gospel: your Good News.

Father, I was able to visit with a few people yesterday about you. It was interesting to have had my prayer yesterday morning about the mission fields of Portland and then the one within which I already live. Then you gave me some opportunities to share you with some really precious and great people about whom I really care. So thank you for that. Thank you for loving me and teaching me. Thank you for looking beyond my ignorance and seeing my heart. It really is for you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 10:30-33

Cornelius replied, “Four days ago I was praying in my house about this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon. Suddenly, a man in dazzling clothes was standing in front of me. He told me, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your gifts to the poor have been noticed by God! Now send messengers to Joppa, and summon a man named Simon Peter. He is staying in the home of Simon, a tanner who lives near the seashore.’ So I sent for you at once, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.”
Acts 10:30-33

Dear God, I love how grateful Cornelius is: “…and it was good of you to come.” For this Roman captain to be so humble in front of Peter is impressive. A life submitted to you is humble. Am I that humble?

I was also thinking about how I would have felt if someone like Cornelius said to me, “Now we are all here, waiting before God to hear the message the Lord has given you.” At this point, Cornelius doesn’t know about Jesus. He has no idea what message he’s in for. For all he knows, Peter is just a Jewish prophet who will be your mouthpiece to him. But if we read ahead, what we know is he’s about to experience something he never imagined. But that’s tomorrow’s story.

There is so much wonder in this story. Cornelius and the men who are helping him, as well as the rest of his family, are in wonder at what is going on. Peter is in wonder at what is going on. You are breaking paradigms everywhere and at all levels. What joy! What bliss!

I don’t know if this has anything to do with anything, but I was listening to a former pastor, John Mark Comer, who now helps people with spiritual formation speak yesterday. It was on the Russell Moore podcast. He was describing living on the West Coast, both in Los Angeles and in Portland, Oregon. He described Portland as possibly the most liberal city in the nation. There was part of me that started to wonder if I wouldn’t like living there. NOT because I am liberal—far from it—but because It would be an opportunity to stand out as a witness for you. In my current deep red-state environment, I sometimes find myself actually pushing back against conservatism because I think it is going to far in trying to take advantage of its majority and imposing its will on others who do not agree. It doesn’t feel like what Jesus would do. But if I were in an environment where being a conservative is a severely minority position, I might find myself feeling free to just love others and spread your “gospel” to them. Could yesterday have been the first time I was ever attracted to a mission field?

However, as I thought about it more, I got to thinking that the religious environment Jesus was in was not that dissimilar to the one in which I currently live. He wasn’t converting the non-believers. He was convicting the churched but spiritually dead.

Father, I will encounter many Corneliuses today throughout my day. And I’m no Peter, but I might be as close as some of them experience. Give me your words for them. Give me your love for them. Give me your patience. Give me wisdom and words. Give me insight and action. Give me courage. And help me to simply rest in you. You are my vine. Help me, Holy Spirit, to fully attach my vine to the Father, Jesus, and You.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

 

Acts 10:21-29

So Peter went down and said, “I’m the man you are looking for. Why have you come?”

They said, “We were sent by Cornelius, a Roman officer. He is a devout and God-fearing man, well respected by all the Jews. A holy angel instructed him to summon you to his house so that he can hear your message.” So Peter invited the men to stay for the night. The next day he went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Joppa.

They arrived in Caesarea the following day. Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. As Peter entered his home, Cornelius fell at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter pulled him up and said, “Stand up! I’m a human being just like you!” So they talked together and went inside, where many others were assembled.

Peter told them, “You know it is against our laws for a Jewish man to enter a Gentile home like this or to associate with you. But God has shown me that I should no longer think of anyone as impure or unclean. So I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. Now tell me why you sent for me.”
Acts 10:21-29

Dear God, I love Peter’s willingness to change his mind here. He has grown so much in his role as a leader. It reminds me of a concept I heard about yesterday for the first time that I hadn’t heard before: “power over” vs. “power with.” Peter was used to a “power over” model (we all are) that authorized the person with power over someone else to use it. All of the way up through Peter’s attack on the servant of the high priest and cutting off his ear in the garden and then denying Jesus, Peter only had a paradigm for exercising power over things.

But Jesus brought a new model: “Power with.” This, as I understand it from listening to the Voxology podcast yesterday is your power exercised in conjunction with and to benefit others. Jesus used the power to heal others, exorcise demons, and forgive sins. He taught a new way of using authority.

Bringing it back to this story, Peter is now a much humbler man even though he has more authority in the church, “The Way,” than he ever has. He is using “power with” to love go with Cornelius’s servants and take your Holy Spirit to them. He is humble. He is learning.

I struggled yesterday with whether or not to write a letter to the editor on a topic that concerned me, but I could not get comfortable with anything I was writing. Then I started to wonder what my motives were. Does the community need to hear my opinion on this issue? Is there a part of me that wants to throw my hat into the ring for my own self-aggrandizement? I still don’t know the answer to these questions, but I did feel like I should abandon it because I was not being called to do it.

Father, thank you for the example of Peter’s character arc. And I know that he isn’t done. He and Paul will have conflict and Paul will call him out for something he disagrees with later. And Peter will admit he’s wrong. So help me today to lead the organization where I work, but to lead with a “power with” and not a “power over.” Help me to lead how Jesus lead. Help me to love how Jesus loved. Teach me like you taught Peter. Use me to bless the world around me with your power so that your kingdom might come and you will might be done on this earth.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen