There were two verses that struck me as I read these chapters. They were both in chapter 14. Verse 10 when Paul called to the lame man, who had been crippled in his feet since birth. And Verse 20 after Paul was stoned.
In the first one my version reads that Paul looked straight at the crippled - not avoiding him in the least bit - and "realized he had faith to be healed". He could tell by looking at the man that he was believing he would be healed! "And so he called to him in a loud voice, "Stand up!" And the man jumped to his feet and started walking." Now that is faith. No hesitation - no one laying hands on him or encouraging him to believe - just someone calling to him to "stand up"!!! His immediate response was to "jump" up!! It wasn't just Paul's obedience to look at the man and then call to him, but it was just as much or maybe even more, the faith of the crippled man to respond to the call of Paul. Crippled since birth - so he didn't even know how to walk!! And he JUMPS UP! That is acting on what you believe.
In verse 20, what I noticed is that "the believers" gathered around Paul after he had been stoned. I believe the reason he got up was because of the believers. You just don't realize how many times the "gathering around" of believers causes someone that is down and injured - stoned, in this case - to get back up on their feet and walk back into town - to the place they had just been taken from and stoned. That's why you should never feel badly about sharing your problems and letting people stand by you and suppor you. Believers need each other to survive!!! God made it that way. BUT WHAT YOU MUST REMEMBER is that you have to get back on your feet and walk back into the battle until it is finished. The battle Paul faced with the leaders of the church continued - but each time he needed the believers to stand by him they were there - even if it was just in prayer.
Who are you standing by? Who are you praying for? Who are you believing with? Be a "believer" for someone you know!!!
Now - someone comment on chapter 15!!!
2 comments:
What spoke to me in chapter 15 was the power of the Holy Spirit bringing unity, encouragment and joy to the church leaders and, ultimately the church, who - for a moment - were caught in the all-too-human condition of disagreement.
The power of the Holy Spirit purified their hearts in faith, worked many miracles and flowed prophetically. I love the OT passage that James quoted about the Gentiles being saved -- it's like the quotation of that passage and the observation of miracles being done threw a bucket of Holy Spirit water on the fire of these leaders' contentions about circumcision and salvation!
What a lovely, peaceful, unified atmosphere and tone enveloped the church after the Holy Spirit's inclusion in their discussions!
"Then it pleased the apostles and elders..."
"It seemed good to us, being assembled with one accord..."
"For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us..."
And then the church was released, too, to grow and be strong -- "When they had read it, they rejoiced over its encouragement."
Awesome. A powerful reminder to me to seek after a lifestyle that flows in the Holy Spirit -- at church, certainly, but also within the walls of my home ... where unity is the path my husband and i walk ... and where my children are strengthened and grow.
Purpose and boldness every day. Wow. I want to live each day ON PURPOSE. Sometimes I wonder what it will take to shake me... to shake my city... to shake my country... to shake my world... I feel so complacent (sp?)compared to these chapters of Acts. I want to be radical! Does it take constant persecution or hardship to become radical? I sure hope not. I want to live that way even when all around me seems quite hunky dory, you know?
The reason is that there is a city surrounding me that looks all hunky dory but is actually dying... diseased in sin... hurting...
Really, what the Lord has been showing me through these passages is that having a LOVE for people and the way of the Lord will help me live in purpose and boldness. Lord, teach me your love! But I also need to make sure I am seeing things with the Lord's eyes, not my own. If the disciples looked at the world with natural eyes, they would not maybe have had that drive, initiative, boldness. But through the Lord's eyes... things sure look different... Truth is revealed. And that is emboldening. (sp?) Does someone want to get me a dictionary? hehe
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