Acts 5-6 January 21, 2009
Posted by Sparky in Acts, NT - Other.Tags: Acts, disciples, doing God's will, Gamaliel, Jesus, Jews, prayer
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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.
Romans 11-12 December 15, 2008
Posted by Sparky in Epistles, Romans.Tags: doxology, Epistles, Israel, Jews, Paul, praise, Romans
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Scripture
Romans 11:33-36
Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!
How unsearchable his judgments,
and his paths beyond tracing out!
“Who has known the mind of the Lord?
Or who has been his counselor?”
“Who has ever given to God,
that God should repay him?”
For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.
Observation
What’s interesting to me about this passage is less the content than the context in which Paul writes this. He has just completed a section in chapter 11 all about the Jews, how they fit into God’s plan for salvation, and how the Gentiles are not to look down on them because they havn’t yet understood the truth about Jesus. What seems to happen is Paul sort of write himself up into a frenzy of praise just thinking about the way God has planned it, and can’t help but let out this doxology. He then calms down a little and goes into how, therefore, the Gentile believers ought to live worshipfully in every way, so as to be a shining light and an example to Israel.
Application
A few things:
- I wonder whether I have ever worked myself up into praise through thinking about God’s orchestration of events, in the same way that Paul does here. Possibly I am too English and unemotional (an accusation I have heard once or twice from certain people near me), or possibly I could do with just letting some praise out a bit more forcefully now and again.
- I too, as a Gentile, need to follow Paul’s advice about not being haughty re: the Jewish faith. If it weren’t for the nation of Israel, at least as it was in the 2,000 years or so before Christ, I wouldn’t be here writing this today. I don’t have nearly enough knowledge about the current nation of Israel to try to apply the passages to that situation, and I’m not sure they even do apply – Paul is writing much more about faith than about any geographical notions.
Prayer
Help me, Lord, to praise you when I am in wonder about what you do! And help me to do it fearlessly, boldly, and unhindered – this is the maker of the Universe I’m praising, so it’s worth getting worked up! And teach me how to regard Judaism correctly, without pride or judgmentalism, but with humility and gratefulness.
