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Acts 5-6 January 21, 2009

Posted by Sparky in Acts, NT - Other.
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Scripture:

 

Acts 5:38-39 – “In the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”

 

Observation:

 

Praise God for the wisdom of Gamaliel. The verses above are from a speech that this member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish council, gave in response to the crisis brewing because of the apostles’ actions in Jerusalem. He compared their movement to two others that had failed due to leaders being killed and then the followers dispersing after a while. Hoping that the same would happen with Jesus’ disciples, he encourages the Sanhedrin members to leave them largely alone, and see what happens. Maybe this was short-sighted (but hey, we can praise God for that!), but the last line of the speech is so perceptive. If God is determined to do something, no human can even hope to stop it.

 

Application:

 

How can this be applied? I think it’s in the area of prayer that we can use this lesson – if we’re seeking God’s will in our lives and the lives of those around us, and our prayers line up with his will, then they are very worthwhile indeed. As a Christian of many years, I have gone through times when I thought prayer was a total waste of time, just a boring activity that I had to go through. I’ve also had times when I’ve really seen its power – those times get forgotten so easily! When we join our prayers to God’s determination to get certain things done, then we will see those prayers answered.

 

Prayer:

 

Lord, may my prayers match up with your will for my life and the people I pray for. Help me to remember the times when I’ve really seen prayer work, and believe that you listen and act, no matter what I see around me or what I hear from others. Help me to increase my faith in You.

1 Corinthians 11-12 March 23, 2008

Posted by Sparky in 1 Corinthians, Epistles.
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Scripture:

1 Corinthians 11-12

Selected verses: “Now I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. … In the Lord, however, woman is not independent of man, nor is man independent of woman. For as woman came from man, so also man is born of woman. But everything comes from God.”

Observation:

Between and around these verses Paul presents some seemingly antiquated and almost certainly culture-specific teaching about long and short hair, and covering or not covering the head for men and women. But the frame and the context in the passage is the understanding that whether male or female, we all ultimately depend on God entirely, and need to seek to follow His directions. Paul’s hierarchy is clear: God – Christ – man – woman, which presents a challenge to both men and women. How do we find our place in that chain in the most appropriate way, following God’s ultimate direction as embodied in the person above us in the chain?

Application:

For me, seeking to hear God’s voice and follow His will as a husband and father is not easy, especially when the wife I love is coming to trust less and less in the truth of God. I certainly haven’t lived up to that call faultlessly in the past, but I am absolutely committed to doing God’s will to the best of my ability. Knowing what it is would be a good place to start, and when we ‘see in part’, we have to go on our faith in Him on that score too.

Prayer:

Father, help me to seek your will more regularly for myself and my family, and increase my faith, Lord.