Month: May 2016

The next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the housetop about noon. Acts 10:9 HCSB

God desires to have a relationship with each of us and to pray to Him. Prayer is our way to communicate with the God of the universe. What an awesome opportunity! Some people and some religions view prayer as an obligation or duty rather than a privilege. Many recite scripted prayers, but that is not what God desires. He wants us to come and just talk to Him as we would to an old friend on the phone. Our prayers do not have to be fancy or laden with eloquent words.

Peter went up on the rooftop to pray. It was common in his day for homes to have a flat roof or an upper room. Evidently it was a common occurrence for Peter to go somewhere to be alone and pray. He was following Jesus’ example, who often retreated to a place where He could focus on sharing His concerns and feelings with His heavenly Father without any distractions.

Challenge: How is your prayer life? Are you spending time each day in prayer outside of your prayers at the meal table? God desires your fellowship and wants to hear your concerns and thoughts. Find a place where you can get away from distraction and spend some time praying to God. Keep a journal of your prayer requests and you will be surprised how often God answers your prayers and provides what you need. Pray for your needs and the needs of others. Always pray that God’s will be done in every situation, even if it is not what you might desire.

He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her alive. This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. Acts 9:41-42 HCSB

I can remember where I was and what I was doing when the planes crashed into the twin towers in New York City on 911. It was a tragic story as both buildings collapsed as a result of the heat from the flames. That was all that anyone talked about that day. The common question was, “Have you heard . . .” Bad news travels fast as people begin to talk about it. The same is true of good news.

That is what happened in Joppa. The good news of Dorcas being brought back to life by Peter became known throughout Joppa. Everyone was talking about it. As a result of much discussion, many people believed in the Lord. God is always in the business of drawing people to Himself. He wants to have a personal relationship with people. This miracle helped bring people to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Challenge: Just imagine if all believers began to talk about the Good News of Jesus Christ in their communities, their families, and everywhere they went. Soon the message of salvation through Jesus Christ would be known by everyone. In America we assume that everyone has heard about Jesus, but many do not know about the Good News. At least 80-90% of people in most communities do not attend church on a regular basis. There are many who need to know Jesus as Lord. Pray that God will help you become bolder in sharing the Good News with others.

Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up. Acts 9:40 HCSB

Jesus raised three people from the dead while here on earth. Someone coming back to life is an unusual occurrence. There have been stories of people coming back to life after a brief time of death on the operating table or in a bed in a hospital. Dorcas had been dead for several hours. They had washed her body and laid her in the upper room. Some of the disciples walked three hours to Lydda to get Peter and then walked back to Joppa. There was no mistake that Dorcas was dead. Jesus waited several days before going to Lazarus. Lazarus was already in the tomb when Jesus brought him back to life. It seems that God wants everyone to understand that it is through His power that the person has been raised to life.

Peter had observed all three people Jesus had raised from the dead. In this case, Peter followed the same procedure as Jesus did with Jairus’ daughter (See Mark 5:41). He even used the same phrase, “Get up” after speaking her name. No believer can raise a person from the dead by his own power. Life comes from God and God alone. God chose to raise Dorcas from the dead so people might believe in His power and the power of His Son, Jesus Christ, who not only brought people back to life, but Himself came back to life and lives today. All of the people Jesus and Peter raised from the dead eventually died again. Jesus did not die again. He lives eternally in heaven.

Challenge: As a believer, you have power over death. The Bible states that for a person to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord (See 2 Corinthians 5:8). All believers are assured that they will live forever in heaven where there is no more pain, suffering, sickness, or death. Praise God for giving you power over death and giving you eternal life in heaven.

So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. Acts 9:39 HCSB

I have conducted several funerals. At some funerals there have been only a few family and friends gathered to express their grief and remember the one who has died while at others there has been a large group of family and friends. Some funerals have been held at a church because the chapel at the funeral home could not hold the number of people who have come to pay their respects. It is natural to have a large crowd when a child or young adult has died unexpectedly or has been killed in an accident. At other times the large crowd is because the person who has died has had such an impact on so many people.

When Peter arrived there many widows that were crying. They all had garments and stories of how Dorcas had helped them. In New Testament times the widows did not have a way to support themselves and had to depend on others for food, shelter, and clothes. Obviously, Dorcas had compassion on the widows and made clothes for them. She was remembered for her great kindness and generosity.

Challenge: Have you ever wondered how many people will attend your funeral and what will be said about you by those who conduct the funeral? Have you ever wondered what impact you will have on the lives of those with whom you come in contact each day? How will you be remembered? What legacy will you leave behind? Pray that God will show you how you can use your life to make a difference in the lives of others.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity. In those days she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who begged him, Don’t delay in coming with us.” Acts 9:36-38 HCSB

A man at our church had seemingly had a heart attack and we had called 911 to secure emergency help for him. It was probably only about 10 minutes, but it seemed like the ambulance was slow in getting to the church to provide the much needed help. When it is necessary to call 911, an immediate response is expected.

Some of the disciples knew that Peter was in Joppa which was about a three hour walk from Lydda. Evidently, some of these disciples had seen the miracles that Peter had done and believed he could bring Tabitha back to life. In the Old Testament, both Elijah and Elisha raised boys to life, thus proving they were men of God. The New Testament records that Jesus raised the widow’s son, Lazarus, and Jairus’ daughter from the dead. Peter had just healed a paralyzed man and certainly the disciples believed that Peter could perform the same miracles that Jesus had done. Consequently, they begged Peter not to delay but to come quickly with the hope he could bring Tabitha back to life.

Challenge: There are times when people need our help. We may not be able to heal a paralyzed person or bring someone back to life, but we can provide a meal for a family that is grieving the loss of a loved one. We can sit with someone while their loved one is in surgery. We can express concern and compassion when a person receives bad news. We can pray with people as they struggle with the many challenges of life. Don’t delay, move quickly, and minister to those who are hurting and need to know that someone cares.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which is translated Dorcas. She was always doing good works and acts of charity. Acts 9:36 HCSB

I have known people over the years who seem to look for ways to help others. They often go without things themselves just so they can minister to and help others. Some people just seem to have a sixth sense to pick up on conversations and other clues to know when someone has a need. There is a Christ-following family in Murfreesboro, Tennessee that faithfully expresses this type of love for others. They often give sacrificially just so they can meet a need. This family recently gave a car to another family who did not have reliable transportation to take their children to school activities, ballgames, and lessons.

Tabitha, better known as Dorcas, was known for doing acts of kindness and ministering to people in need. She was like a superhero who promptly responds to a crisis and “saves the day”. In some churches the Sunday School classes select names for their classes and often a ladies’ class will select Dorcas as the name for their class because they want to be characterized by extending kindness and acts of charity to others.

Challenge: What reputation do you have? For what are you known? Would others says you are a person who is known for doing good works and helping others who are in need? Pray that God will use you to minister to others.

At once something like scales fell from his eyes and he regained his sight. And after taking some food, he regained his strength. Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some days. Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.” Acts 9:18-20 HCSB

Some people encourage new believers to wait until they are fully grounded in their faith and have a full understanding of what it means to follow Jesus before sharing the Good News with others. Many times new believers are the best people to share the Gospel message because they are excited about their new faith and want to share it with others. They usually know some lost people, whereas seasoned believers may surround themselves with Christian friends and often have few friends who are lost and need Jesus.

Saul did spend some time with the believers in Damascus to learn more about Jesus, but he did not wait to go and tell others about Jesus. He went to the synagogue and boldly proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God. This is something he would have completely denied before his conversion. Not only had Saul had his eyes opened physically, he also had his eyes opened spiritually to the truth of the Gospel that Jesus was the promised Messiah.

Challenge: Ask God to open your eyes to new ways to share the Good News with those you encounter each day. Pray for boldness as you proclaim the Gospel message to those who need to know Jesus as Lord and Savior.

So Ananias left and entered the house. Then he placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you can regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 9:17 HCSB

We all have faced difficult situations or even feared for our safety as a result of having to encounter someone. Dale Carnegie said, “Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.”

Ananias was afraid of facing Saul because he had heard that Saul was coming to Damascus to arrest the believers and take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. He could have stayed at home but he got out and obeyed God’s command. Ananias lovingly greeted Saul as “Brother” and then restored his sight. Additionally, he showed Saul how he could be saved and be filled with the Holy Spirit.

Challenge: It is not easy to face our fears and show love toward those who hate us, but we must follow Jesus’ example and command to love and accept one another regardless of past experiences. Who do you know that you need to accept and love even though they have hurt you or others in some way? How can you show Christ’s love toward that person?

But the Lord said to him, “Go! For this man is My chosen instrument to take My name to Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. Acts 9:15 HCSB

I took guitar lessons for about a year and learned enough to be able to play some basic chords which enabled me to play for youth ministry gatherings. I have jokingly told people that a good youth minister back in the 1970’s had to know how to play “Kumbayah” around the campfire. The guitar was an instrument I used in ministry to students.

Paul was to be the instrument that God used to take the message of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, kings, and the Israelites. God can use anyone in ministry to others if he is willing to follow God’s call on his life. Some are called to be teachers, some are called to be deacons or committee members, and others are called to be full-time ministers in the church.

Challenge: God wants to use you. Are you willing to be used as an instrument by God to minister to other people? Pray that God will show you where you can best be used to have the greatest impact for His kingdom. Kumbayah means “come by here”. Listen to “Kumbayah” on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iBlJxWLmlU

As he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul. Why are you persecuting Me? Acts 8:3-5 HCSB

I accepted Christ as my Lord and Savior when I was 10 years old while living in the West end of Louisville, Kentucky. It was a Wednesday night and I was at church. I told my father, who was the pastor, that I needed Jesus in my life. We went home from church and after talking to my parents about what it meant to accept Jesus as Lord, I knelt at the living couch with my mother on one side and my father on the other and we all three prayed. When I prayed to receive Jesus into my life, I had a very emotional experience and began to cry. Every conversion experience is different and many people do not have an emotional experience. Some people have a very quiet experience.

Saul, later to be called Paul, had a very unique conversion experience. He was brought face to face with the risen Christ. Sometimes God uses spectacular events to capture the attention of those who need to know Christ as Lord. Some people say that you must experience conversion in a particular way, but the right way is whatever way God uses to bring a person to an understanding of his need for Jesus Christ. Later, Paul refers to his conversion experience as the start of his new life in Christ (see 1 Corinthians 9:1 and 15:8).

Challenge: Have you had a conversion experience? If not, talk with your pastor about how you can be saved and have eternal life. If you are a believer, share your conversion experience with someone today, preferably with someone who needs to know Christ as Lord.