Resource Manager Posted April 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 26, 2017 26 April 2017 Deuteronomy 12Ecclesiastes 5 Acts 2 "EVERYONE WHOM THE LORD CALLS TO HIMSELF" What sort of person is the Lord seeking to call? As we completed reading Peter's speech on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2 today this familiar question surfaced again. It was a remarkable speech before this great crowd intrigued to hear all these Galileans speaking in their own languages. Peter quoted from two different Psalms and the prophet Joel to show that the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, their real Messiah, had been foretold. Of course we only have the essential kernel of his speech, as the record says, "and with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them saying, 'Save yourselves from this crooked generation.'" [Acts 2:40] All generations are "crooked" to differing degrees - but today we live in one that is extremely so! Now, did all those who heard Peter save themselves? Peter had previously said, "the promise is for you and your children and for all who are afar off, everyone one whom the Lord calls to himself" [Acts 2:39]. This was the promise that was made to David; Peter had quoted his Psalm [Acts 2:28] "You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence" Back to our question, did all those who heard Peter act to save themselves? Acts 2:41 tells us, "So all those who received his word were baptised." It is essential for those who hear (or read) to receive into their hearts the word, realizing what it means for them personally – and so be motivated to act. We are reading in Deuteronomy of those who heard Moses final stirring messages before he died – they received his words and so entered the promised land and were faithful in their lives. The initial effect on those who received Peter's words and were baptised was that they "devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and prayers" [Acts 2:42]. This is still the effect on those who perceive and receive wonder of the inspired scripture message. Our thoughts then go to those most moving words in Hebrews, "let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast to the confession of our hope without wavering … all the more as you see the day approaching." [Hebrews 10:22,23,25] convinced, in faith, we are among those "whom the Lord calls to himself."-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted April 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 27 April 2017 Deuteronomy 13; 14Ecclesiastes 6Acts 3; 4 "FOR THE LORD YOUR GOD IS TESTING YOU" Today's Deuteronomy reading brings to our attention an aspect of God's dealings with us we need to understand and appreciate. This final message of Moses, we are finding very interesting: in a number of places it contains lessons very appropriate to our days. Moses warns the people to beware of simply following some person who forecasts correctly about a "sign or a wonder" and it "comes to pass." [Deuteronomy 13:1-2] For if such a person "says, 'Let us go after other gods … and let us serve them' you shall not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer of dreams." [Deuteronomy 13:3] And then Moses makes a point we may struggle to appreciate. Moses says, "For the LORD your God is testing you, to know whether you love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul." Our immediate question might be – why does God need us to do that? We do not uunderstand this as meaning that God makes this happen, rather that he allows this to happen and he has a good reason for allowing it. When the people entered the promised land they faced many challenges and had to fight many battles, their faithfulness to their God was tested, they had to prove themselves by their trust in God as they went to conquer the idol worshipping nations with all their humanly attractive bad and immoral behaviour. These were situations they encountered before they crossed the Jordan and some of them died because they failed the test. Moses exhorts them, "You shall walk after the LORD your God and fear him and keep his commandments and obey his voice, and you shall serve him and hold fast to him." [Deuteronomy 13:4]. They (and we) would not need to hold fast if there were no situations which threatened to pull us away from him; that tested our faithfulness. Today there are a multitude of such situations. But what is the quality of faith if it is not tested? Can you identify when there have been times in your life when the Lord has been testing you? How close are qwe now in 2017 to crossing the Jordan? The miracles we are reading about in Acts are such that they defy any possibility that human cleverness was involved. Today we read of a man so lame from birth that he had to be carried each day and laid at the Temple Gate. He was more than 40 years old and Peter and John said to him, "In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. Peter took him by the right hand and raised him up and immediately he …" [Acts 3:6]. The reaction of the people gave the disciples a wonderful preaching opportunity, but the reaction of the priests was quite the opposite [Acts 4], they failed this testing. The Bible message is there in every language for all to read, but nearly all, in 2017, are failing the test. Can you sense God testing you? Are you passing the test? -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted April 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 28 April 2017 Deuteronomy 15Ecclesiastes 7Acts 5; 6 "WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAN MEN" The above statement was made by Peter and the Apostles when they were brought before the council. They were told "We strictly charged you not to teach in this name" [Acts 5:28]. The council then then warned the Apostles, saying, "you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us." How short is the human memory when there are things they prefer to forget! In Matthew 27 we read of how Pilate "washed his hands saying, 'I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.' And all the people answered, 'His blood be on us and on our children!'" [Matthew 27:24-25] We wonder when the world experiences the wonder of Christ's return – whether there will be a denial of having ever believed in evolution! Let us ponder what we are about to read in Ecclesiastes, "God will bring every deed into judgment, with every secret thing, whether good or evil" [Ecclesiastes 12:14]. Also Paul's words in Romans 2:16 of "that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus." How soon now!? In Acts 5 today we read how Peter, through the power of the Holy Spirit, knew that Ananias and Sapphira were telling lies [Acts 5:4] about how much money they had acquired through selling land. They both died because, said Peter, "You have not lied to man but to God." Our world abounds with liars! Oh, very few will admit to lying, they just "bend" the "truth" to suit the occasion! This spirit can affect us – if we are not fully committed to serving our Lord, for "We must obey God" The failure to do this - started at the very beginning, causing Adam and Eve to tell lies to their Creator. In the Kingdom era "Satan" will be "bound" [Revelation 20:2] and the saints will be able do this because they will then have "the powers of the age to come" [Hebrews 6:5] and people will find they "must obey God" or they will suffer the fate of Ananias and Sapphira. Because we truly "know" God's word we "must obey God" today. Finally, how relevant to these scriptures are the words of Moses to Israel we read today in Deuteronomy 15 "the LORD will bless you in the land …. if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD" [Deuteronomy 15:4-5]. Let us meditate on the appropriateness of these words for us for we "hear" his voice through His word! Let as make sure we "hear" it every day.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted April 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 29 April 2017 Deuteronomy 16Ecclesiastes 8Acts 7 "YOU STIFF-NECKED PEOPLE" Stephen's speech (in Acts 7) before the Jewish Council is a history lesson! Why? For what purpose? He reviews all that had happened since the time of Abraham. But the members of the Council would have known their history? But was it just academic knowledge to them? Had they failed to draw lessons for themselves from it? Yes! - and the same failure is evident today! As we read the chapter we see Stephen is tracing the things God had instigated since he called Abraham from his homeland in Ur. The lesson is clearly that his people should be aware and, as a result, be awake to the actions of God, If they do this, they will respond in faith. The same challenge faces us today! Stephens' lesson then looks at the experiences of Joseph in Egypt when God acted and miracles occurred. Next there are the incredible events when they leave Egypt - and more drama at Mount Sinai and the 10 commandments are given and a tabernacle created. Following this there is the establishment in the land under Joshua - and the dramas in the days of David. Stephen's final point is the great Temple built by Solomon, which was rebuilt by Herod just before the time of Christ, 46 years of work! His audience evidently gloried in the sense of prestige the Temple gave them in the eyes of the people. The tragedy is that the thinking of his audience was focused on themselves and not on their Creator. God is far far greater than just a being that dwells in a temple. The climax of Stephen's speech is to quote Isaiah, "Heaven is my throne and earth is my footstool" [Acts 7:49]. That was the climax of the history lesson, the aim of which was to portray the real lessons for them - of the relationship with God that they should have learned from the failures in history. Stephen suddenly challenges them, "You stiff necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit (God in action) as your father's did …" [Acts 7:51] He accuses them, you "betrayed and murdered … the Righteous One" [Acts 7:52] What brave words … and now they murder Stephen, but that event was in time to be the catalyst in the conscience "of a young man named Saul" [Acts 7:58] who was to become a "chosen vessel" and lead to an incredible life of dedication, "for all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose" [Romans 8:28]. This is the lesson of Scripture as we trace the outworking of these events. Can you see God working in your life when – and since - you were "called"? Or, maybe it hasn't happened yet! Are you seeking for it to happen – or are you among "the stiff-necked people"? Let us read God's word every day – regularly praying – being ready to co-operate with your Creator - and His Son – who sacrificed his life – for you? His sacrifice was for all who sincerely seek – from their hearts - a relationship with the Creator.-------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Resource Manager Posted April 30, 2017 Author Report Share Posted April 30, 2017 30 April 2017 Deuteronomy 17Ecclesiastes 9Acts 8 "… AND TO THE END OF THE EARTH" We should be familiar with the words of the Lord's Prayer that Jesus taught his disciples ... "thy will be done on earth" Our readings today show us how God creates situations to see that his will is carried out - when men neglect to do so! The last thing that Jesus said to his servants before he ascended into heaven was that they were to be his witnesses "in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the earth" [Acts 1:8]. They had witnessed in Jerusalem very effectively. A great congregation had resulted but it brought its own problems so 7 deacons had been appointed so that the 12 Apostles could concentrate on "prayer and the ministry of the word" [Acts 6:4]. Consider how attempts were soon made to carry out the commission to preach further afield. With the stoning to death of Stephen there was a big change. No doubt many had expected Stephen to experience some dramatic deliverance as had happened with the Apostles earlier. There would be much heart searching because that did not happen. Now we read there was "a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem and they were all scattered and went about preaching the word" [Acts 8:4] This preaching resulted in conversions in Samaria with men and women being baptised after they had heard "the good news about the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ" [Acts 8:12] Peter and John came down from Jerusalem "and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit" [Acts 8:15] which implies that the Apostles had special authority in this and no one else, so that the ability to pass on the powers of the Spirit ceased when they died. The chapter ends with another baptism – an Ethiopian who "had come to Jerusalem to worship" – so he already knew of the true God. God's spirit made Philip link up with him. God was seeing that His will was being done. God was causing "all things to work together for good" [Romans 8:28] – that is for the good of God's plan and purpose: the grieving relatives of Stephen may have seen it in time from that perspective. Now let's consider our perspective! The gospel is now going, in these last days, to the end of the earth via the wonder of the internet! What an exciting time in which to live! But also a very challenging time! What facilities of travel there are! Consider the opportunities to open up the full wonder of the original gospel! It now reaches everywhere, but is there any real faith and heartfelt conviction among the readers and hearers? A heart searching question! Remember what Jesus said about the last days? "Nevertheless, when the Son of man comes, will he find faith on earth?" [Luke 18:8] That is, genuine faith, evidenced by the commitment and actions of those who possess it. -------- DC Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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