Sign, Sign, Everywhere a Sign
The Holy Spirit was active in a mighty way during the church’s first century. The Holy Spirit revealed and confirmed the message of the kingdom as well as directed men to specific areas of work. The Holy Spirit directed the church at Antioch to send Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey (Acts 13:2, 4).
How did the Holy Spirit communicate with those brethren?
Did He make the sun break through the clouds at just the right time to give them a sign? People are always looking for a sign. They see the “face of Jesus” in the clouds, in the bark of a tree, even in their bologna sandwiches! Bobby prayed that God would direct him to the best job. He was choosing between car sales and carpentry. Later that day, he jumped into his old clunker…and the engine started right up with no spluttering at all! He felt God was speaking to him telling him to go into car sales. Most signs men and women “see” today are of this nature. But this was not how the Holy Spirit spoke in the New Testament.
Did the Holy Spirit give them a nudge in the right direction? I have many friends who say they have been “led by the Spirit” to do this or that in their life. When it comes down to it, what they mean by “led” is they got a strong feeling one way or the other. Kathy was in the store “making groceries,” as they say here in Louisiana. As she shopped, she noticed a young lady who was having trouble with her 3-year-old son. Kathy felt she should talk to this girl about godly discipline. Later, Kathy explained to her friends that the Holy Spirit led her to that conversation. “I just felt led to talk to her,” she said. Perhaps we could be nudged in this way – I don’t know. But this was not how the Holy Spirit spoke in the New Testament.
Man's Communication
What the Holy Spirit DID was this: He communicated very clearly with words. Yes, He spoke words to the brethren at Antioch. The Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). The elders of the church and the prophets of the church did not see a sign or “feel led” by the Holy Spirit. They WERE led – no question. It was not vague or open to interpretation. There was no guess work.
And I want us to understand: this is the way God always communicates to man! When God wants to tell us something, He does so in a clear, objective manner. When He communicates with us, we are not left wondering if God really spoke or not – we KNOW God spoke. He communicates with words, with language.
The Holy Spirit communicates with us today the same way as He did during the first century. He speaks clear words. His messages are obvious. He speaks through prophets. The only difference today is that all of God’s words are WRITTEN DOWN for us. God is the ultimate master communicator, and we CAN understand what He says. Ephesians 3:4: “When you read you can understand my insight into the mystery of Christ.”
What do you think?
May God bless us in the understanding of His word,
Nathan
Ruins of Herod's Palace
There were many Herods. If my history is correct, here is a brief summary of some of the Herods during the New Testament period leading up to our Herod in Acts 12.
Herod the Great is the one who ordered the extermination of all male children killed in Bethlehem, two years old and younger, in an attempt to do away with the Christ child. He was a crazy man at the end of his reign and attempted to kill everyone who looked at him funny for fear that they were trying to take his throne. He even killed most of his children to stay possible rebellion. Herod the Great died around 4 BC.
Herod Archelaus (also called Philip in Matthew 14:3) is the Herod who took the throne after Herod the Great died (when Joseph and Mary came back from Egypt) in Matthew 2:22. Archelaus married Herodias, who would later leave him for his brother, Herod Antipas.
Herod Antipas is the Herod who killed John the Baptist. Jesus called him “that fox” in Luke 13:31-32.
Herod Agrippa I (not to be confused with Herod Agrippa II in Acts 25-26) is our character in Acts 12. Now that God was multiplying His divine kingdom, Herod chose sides between the Jews and the Christian by killing the apostle James (Acts 12:2). Since this pleased the Jews, Herod captured Peter, perhaps because he seemed to be the “ring leader” of this Christian movement, and prepared to execute him, too.
The Holy Spirit contrasts two powers in Acts 12. On the one hand we see Herod the king fighting against the Lord’s kingdom. Herod believes he can do anything he wants. He has no care for God or any man. In fact, as the people of Tyre and Sidon chant, “The voice of a god and not a man” (Acts 12:22), Herod magnanimously accepts the adoration. He was willing to be considered a god in the eyes of the people. Do you remember what Peter did when Cornelius bowed before him? He said, “Stand up; I too am just a man” (Acts 10:26). But Herod was full of himself.
On the other hand we see the power of God. God is in control of this world, and He is a jealous God (Exodus 20:5). God is the ONLY one who deserves adoration and acknowledgment as Deity. And He has every right to glorify His own name and punish those who raise themselves up against Him. God struck Herod with worms. This is not a fun way to die, either. It hurts. Other historical sources say Herod was actually carried off the stage dying of these things…as if God didn’t waste any time! That certainly would fit with the events in Acts 12.
Hey, look – the god-man is suddenly dying. The one who has been attacking the Christians is in pain. The killer has now become God’s target.
“But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied” (Acts 12:24). Men rise up, fall, and are forgotten (the picture above is of the ruins of Herod’s palace – nothing left of the splendor of man). Persecutions come to nothing after a while. But God’s word and God’s kingdom endure forever!
God bless,
Nathan
Surprise from Above
We love the stories of men and women in impossible situations, near death, saved in the last hour. We should really love the Bible, then, because it’s full of those kinds of stories! We should really love the Lord, then, because He’s the One who saves.
Peter, I’m sure, loved the Lord greatly after an angel broke him out of prison. The event, recorded in Acts 12, seems surreal at first. An angel appeared suddenly in the prison cell with Peter, and Peter’s chains simply fall off. The angel struck Peter in the side and said, “Get up quickly!” There was no, “Hi, Peter, I’m an angel sent by the Lord to break you out of here…now here’s the plan…” Peter, thinking it was all a dream, quickly dressed and followed the angel past two sets of guards. The prison gates swung open without a touch. And Peter was free – just like that! It was only after he was standing a
lone in the street outside the prison that Peter realized, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting” (Acts 12:11).
Peter was surprised by the Lord’s salvation. He wasn’t even expecting it, or at least he never expected to be saved in such an exotic manner!
Peter wasn’t the only one surprised. A bunch of disciples had been praying together in the home of Mary, mother of John Mark. Peter found them there praying, but they wouldn’t believe it was really Peter standing outside their gate. They were surprised by the Lord’s salvation, even though they had been fervently praying for it.
Grace in Amazing Places
We might ask if we really should be surprised when the Lord acts in marvelous ways to save us from various afflictions. Do we demonstrate a lack of faith? We can see from this event in Peter’s life that, although we ask the Lord to intervene and help, we just don’t always know HOW God will work (or even IF He will choose to work) for us. God surprises us all the time because He works outside our little worldview. He does many things we wouldn’t expect. Who would have expected God to sacrifice His own Son to deliver us from the worst possible situation – eternal damnation? Someone coined the phrase: “Surprised by Grace.” We can’t help but be overwhelmed when God acts.
It is so comforting to realize that God works for His children! Like Peter, it’s often AFTER God has brought us through some grave situation that we can look back on the path we took and see His salvation at work. While we walk the road of affliction, we simply trust. After God delivers, we pour out our thanksgiving! Praise be to our awesome God who loves us and gave Himself for us.
Praise the Lord today,
Nathan
An Encourager
Do you consider yourself to be “good”? Would you use that word to describe yourself? Do you think GOD would call you “good”?
Barnabas was blessed by God in this special way – God called him “a good man” (Acts 11:24). Notice two quick things about this good man:
1. His main purpose in life was to encourage. His real name was Joseph, but the apostles nick-named him Barnabas, “son of encouragement” (Acts 4:36). Are there any sons or daughters of encouragement around? Are you one? Am I? What does an encourager do? Specifically, Barnabas rejoiced with the brethren when he saw the work of the Lord prospering, and he encouraged the brethren to remain true to the Lord with a resolute heart (Acts 11:23). The seed for his encouraging nature must have been strong faith. He believed…and he shared his faith with others – probably with a big smile on his face.
2. His encouraging attitude led many to the Lord. As a direct result of his encouragement, the church at Antioch flourished and prospered. “Considerable numbers were brought to the Lord” (Acts 11:24). This attitude of encouragement fostered real growth! You can imagine unbelievers looking at all the joy and unity of the Antioch church and just wanting to be part of something like that. Also, the brethren at Antioch would be energized by this attitude to go out and share this faith with others.
There’s a lot of power in the right attitude and focus. There’s a lot of good one good man, or one good woman, can do in the kingdom. Are you that encourager? Then encourage with all your might! See the kingdom prosper as the attitude of faith, hope, and trust pervades the church.
We need a few good men.
God bless,
Nathan
Teach a Man to Fish
There may be several reasons God led Peter the long way. Yesterday’s post asked the question, “Why didn’t God just come out and tell Peter directly that He wanted Peter to baptize the Gentiles?” Instead, God took a more indirect approach.
1. God gave Peter a principle. God might have told Peter, “Go, baptize Cornelius.” Peter could have gone, baptized, and considered it a “special case.” But Peter learned a principle here: God considered the Gentiles clean, and so should the Jews. This opened the door of the Kingdom to ALL Gentiles. God taught Peter to fish, so to speak (give a man a fish, feed him for the day; teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime). Peter didn’t have to keep coming back to God in every Gentile case and ask, “Lord, is it okay to baptize THIS Gentile family?”
2. God wanted Peter to get comfortable with the idea. Peter might have had a conscience issue eating with Gentiles, so God didn’t force him into the situation with no warning. God got Peter thinking about it first so he would understand it REALLY IS okay to eat with Gentiles and teach them the gospel of Christ. That’s a loving approach, isn’t it? I find it comforting to know that God is concerned about us in this way. Don’t you think we ought to be concerned about each other like this, too? Sometimes men need to be led into an understanding.
Through it all, we understand a higher principle. God CAN and DOES teach us principles which He expects us to apply. God has not plainly told us everything in one-line sentences. God never said…
…don’t drink alcohol…
…don’t gamble…
…don’t commit suicide…
…don’t abort a child…
…assemble on the first day of the week…
…and many more. God never said those things in so many words, but we understand the PRINCIPLES which apply in these cases. It’s a good thing to find out what is pleasing to the Lord (Ephesians 5:10), however God teaches us.
God bless,
Nathan
Following the Trail
I just want to know…why didn’t God just say, “Peter, I want you to start preaching to the Gentiles now”? Instead, it’s like God laid a trail of clues for Peter to follow. He laid out several pieces of evidence to create a complete picture.
1. God gave Peter a vision of an object like a great sheet full of animals (Acts 11:5-10). He told Peter to “kill and eat.” Isn’t that cryptic? The principle was clear, at least: “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” But Peter did not know how to apply the principle at first.
2. God told Cornelius to send some men to get Peter (Acts 11:11, 13-14).
3. God told Peter to go with those men (Acts 11:12).
4. God baptized Cornelius and his family with the Holy Spirit right in front of Peter as confirmation (Acts 11:15-16).
God did a lot of work to bring Peter and Cornelius together. But why didn’t God just tell Peter what He wanted? God COULD have said, “Peter, I’m now going to bless the Gentiles in Jesus Christ just like I have blessed the Jews. Go preach to Cornelius and baptize him just as you would a Jew.” Wouldn’t that have been clearer?
What do you think? Why do you think God did it this way?
Nathan
Is It My Fault?
We sing, “They crucified my Lord, laid Him in the tomb…” Then we sing, “I’m the one who shouted ‘Crucify!’ I’m the one who made His cross so high…” Which one is it? Am I responsible for crucifying Jesus Christ of Nazareth? Or is it someone else’s fault?
There is at least one striking DIFFERENCE between Peter’s preaching to the Gentiles and his sermons to the Jews. It seems whenever Peter preached to the Jews he was always saying, “YOU killed Jesus of Nazareth! You are responsible for the death of the Son of God! Repent!” (Acts 2:36; 3:13-15; 4:10; 5:30). In Acts 10:39 Peter DID speak of Jesus’ crucifixion, but he didn’t put the blame on Cornelius: “They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.”
Literally and specifically, the Jews were responsible for crucifying the Lord. They shouted “Crucify Him!” They said to Pilate, “His blood be on our heads and on the heads of our children!” Pilate washed his hands in the presence of the people and said, “You see to it – I’m not responsible for this Man’s death.”
So there is a big debate about who really killed Jesus. Was it the Romans? Don’t you know the Jews didn’t have the power to crucify anyone? Jesus was killed through capital punishment – by the Roman empire. So, technically, it was the Romans’ fault. But they never would have crucified Jesus unless those Jews hadn’t been causing a scene. They really just let the Jews have their way. So it was the Jews’ fault.
But not Pilate’s, because he declared himself innocent, right? Wrong! Pilate was the one in power, and he allowed it. No matter what he claimed to the contrary, Pilate is to blame.
I’m just like Pilate sometimes. The whole debate over who really killed Jesus is immaterial, really. Jesus went to that cross WILLINGLY. He was the One who was really in complete control. Even as we see Him at His weakest point (physically), we sing, “He could have called ten thousand angels!” The Bible actually says 12 legions of angels, which would have been MORE than 10,000 – and one angel would have been plenty to deliver Jesus from that blood-thirsty crowd. But Jesus allowed it to happen. Why? Because He wanted to forgive the sins of every man and woman on earth.
As much as it’s technically correct to say, “They crucified my Lord,” it’s also technically correct to admit, “I’m the one who stood and watched Him die. What have I done!? I’m the one…” It was for MY sins that Jesus so willingly died. What love He had for ME. What love He had for YOU. As much as individuals hate it sometimes, this gets personal. But in the realization that I’m actually responsible for the death of Jesus Christ, so also is the realization of the GREAT LOVE He has for me…and you.
May we revel today in the love of Christ and remember not to sin!
Nathan
Kill and Eat!
As a good Jew, Peter had never eaten an unclean animal in his life. Then, in Acts 10:9-16, God presented him with a great sheet full of unclean animals and commanded Peter to “kill and eat.” There are a number of thoughts which come to my mind.
1. I wonder what PETA would say about this?
For all you vegetarians out there, I’ll respect your health habits, but I won’t respect you telling me that it’s wrong to kill and eat. God said to do it. In fact, He makes it clear in this passage that killing and eating is good and clean.
2. Was God tempting Peter to sin against his conscience?
In Romans 14:14-15, Paul wrote, “I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself; but to him who thinks anything to be unclean, to him it is unclean. For if because of food your brother is hurt, you are not longer walking according to love. Do not destroy with your food him for whom Christ died.” Peter certainly considered these animals to be unclean, so why was God pushing him to kill and eat? Wouldn’t that have offended his conscience? God does not want us to go against our consciences, but He wants us to CHANGE our consciences to conform to the truth. We humans sometimes push another to change his or her conscience because we just know our way is right…and it just might not be. It might be that our brother has the right way of thinking. God’s way is always rig
ht, and it’s perfectly good and proper for Him to push us toward truth.
3. This was really not about eating meat; it was about God’s choice.
All Men are Welcome
There was a spiritual message embedded in the sheet vision (pun intended 
). God was using this idea of unclean animals to get Peter to understand a principle. The Kingdom of Christ crossed boundaries Peter hadn’t yet crossed. Peter’s mind needed to be expanded to see how great the Kingdom was to be. He needed to experience new freedoms in Christ. This vision was preparing him to open his mind (and heart) to the “unclean” gentiles. God had chosen these Gentiles in Christ, just as He had chosen the Jews in Christ.
God is the Master Teacher, and His use of visual aids is stunning. Peter didn’t get the message right away – in fact, he resisted each time he was told to “kill and eat.” But when those Gentiles came knocking on the door and told him that God had arranged a meeting between him and Cornelius, THEN the pieces fit in his mind. As he began his sermon to Cornelius and his household, Peter said, “I most certainly understand now that God is not one to show partiality, but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.” (Acts 10:34-35) The Kingdom is open to all.
He got it! God chose ALL men who fit the spiritual criteria – fear God and keep His commandments (Eccl. 12:13) – regardless of nationality or any other earthly characteristic. I’ll tell you why that’s so awesome – because that means you can KNOW, with absolute certainty, that YOU are acceptable to God!
God bless,
Nathan
Praying for Salvation?
If the example of Paul was not enough for us, now Luke writes of Cornelius and his family. Many of the same lessons we learned in Paul’s conversion come back to us, perhaps with even more emphasis. The fact Cornelius was a Gentile is also new instruction for us who have been reading of only Jews and Samaritans (part Jews) entering into the Kingdom of Christ.
Notice how Cornelius was saved:
1. He was not saved by simply BELIEVING in God (Acts 10:2). Cornelius worshiped the true God, feared Him, and obeyed Him. But he still needed something more.
2. He was not saved by his great WORKS (Acts 10:2). Cornelius gave many alms to the people. Jesus often talked about our duty to give to the poor. This was righteous activity. But all the righteous actions in the world will not save a man. Something more is necessary.
3. He was not saved by constant PRAYER (Acts 10:2). Remember Paul prayed for three days and was still a sinner. Cornelius prayed constantly to God…and God heard his prayers (Acts 10:4). Yet God sent Peter to his house because there was more involved in salvation.
4. He was not saved by an ANGEL (Acts 10:3). You’d think the angel could have explained the gospel message to Cornelius, but that is not God’s plan. Can you think of a time when God preached the gospel through the mouth of an angel? Angels helped get the messenger to the hearer, but angels never preached the gospel. God has a specific plan for that – it is through the mouths of men the gospel is spread!
5. He was not saved by the HOLY SPIRIT falling on him and making him speak in tongues (Acts 10:44-47). Surely that was a marvelous event! God’s power coming upon a person in such a way is truly amazing. But Peter (who also was full of the Holy Spirit) still recognized the need for Cornelius to be saved through baptism!
Water Baptism
6. He WAS saved God’s way (Acts 10:47-48). This is the way every individual is forgiven of his sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). Cornelius obviously believed in the word, and he obeyed it in baptism. Just like everyone else, he had sins – and baptism is the process God gave by which He forgives those sins.
So – have YOU followed God’s way to salvation?
There are many today who baptize, but their purpose in baptism is NOT for the forgiveness of sins. They do not baptize INTO Jesus (Galatians 3:27; Romans 6:3). They say, “Baptism is an outward sign of an inward grace,” which, in “normal talk,” means that we are baptized to show that God has already saved us. This is not the picture we get from the New Testament! I believe these teachers are leading many to their doom, because they preach a false gospel. What they preach does not match God’s teaching in the Bible. Their teaching is based upon many years of human tradition, rooted in what we call “Calvinism” today, where God saves you first and THEN you respond to Him. The Biblical picture is this: God CALLS, we RESPOND in faith His way, and then He SAVES us.
Man’s plans have absolutely no power to save. Let’s trust in the Biblical plan, God’s plan
God bless,
Nathan
Do you believe in miracles?
Finally, after discussing Stephen (Acts 6:8-7:60), Phillip (Acts 8), and Saul (Acts 9), we return to Peter’s story at the end of Acts 9. It’s as if there was a pause in his story, and now Luke hit the play button so we can continue.
Right off the bat, we find Peter still engaged in mighty miracles. First he healed Aeneas who had been paralyzed and bedridden for years (Acts 9:32-35). The result of that healing was a jump-start for the kingdom of God in Lydda and Sharon, towns to the west and north of Jerusalem.
Second, Peter raised Tabitha from the dead (Acts 9:36-43). I have always pictured Tabitha as an older woman…I guess because she ministered to the widows. But I could not find that detail in my reading today. All it says is that fell sick and died. She could have been any age! Perhaps Tabitha was a young woman. She easily could have been. Again, the result of the miracle was that “many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:42).
Most miracles of healing had a level of compassion to them. Jesus healed out of compassion, and so did His disciples. But the main purpose of the miracles was not to heal the world of sickness, to rid the world of disease, or to make life easy for everyone. The purpose of the miracles was always in service to the Kingdom of Christ. And they accomplished that purpose. Many believed; many were added to the Lord. Why don’t we have miracles today so we can believe? We do! We have all those signs and wonders recorded for us in the New Testament by eyewitnesses.
To believe or not to believe
John expressly said, “Many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31). We read these today and we have a choice: to believe or not to believe…that is the question.
Do you believe Jesus actually gave Tabitha life after she had died? Do you believe Jesus healed a man after years of being paralyzed? MAINLY, do you believe Jesus rose from the dead Himself? Those questions determine faith. The Bible lays these miracles out as historical, real events of the past. Do you believe in the evidence presented? If you don’t believe in these miracles, you might as well not believe in anything else recorded in the Bible, either. It’s all tied together; it’s all presented as fact. You can’t pick and choose without being entirely subjective. God has laid it on the table – take it all or leave it alone!
So tomorrow we discuss Acts 10.
May God bless our reading and understanding of His word,
Nathan