September 2, 2021 – Acts 11:27–12:25

“The very night before Herod was going to bring him out, Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison. Suddenly an angel of the Lord appeared and a light shone in the cell. He tapped Peter on the side and woke him, saying, “Get up quickly.” And the chains fell off his wrists. The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt and put on your sandals.” He did so. Then he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.” Peter went out and followed him; he did not realize that what was happening with the angel’s help was real; he thought he was seeing a vision.After they had passed the first and the second guard, they came before the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them of its own accord, and they went outside and walked along a lane, when suddenly the angel left him.Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hands of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.” As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark, where many had gathered and were praying. When he knocked at the outer gate, a maid named Rhoda came to answer. On recognizing Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed that, instead of opening the gate, she ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she insisted that it was so. They said, “It is his angel.” Meanwhile Peter continued knocking; and when they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed. He motioned to them with his hand to be silent, and described for them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. And he added, “Tell this to James and to the believers.”Then he left and went to another place.” Acts 12:6-17

I love the response of Rhoda – she hears Peter’s voice and is so overjoyed to hear him that she runs to tell the others – but in her joy she forgets to open the door. Did you ever get so surprised by something or someone you just forgot how to react? Sometimes we have a reaction to an experience, or a person, or an encounter, or even the Word of G-d made manifest in our lives through Jesus Christ where we lose ourselves in sheer joy. And in the midst of that joy we forget how to act.

What has given you great joy this week? How have you responded to that joy? Has G-d touched you or surprised you or come to you in the most unexpected way this week? We must always be aware of the presence of G-d, for G-d will surprise us as well – often when we least expect it. And when G-d does, let’s hope we remember to say thanks.

Let Us Pray,

Lord, you often surprise us with your love, your mercy and your Grace. And often we forget to say thank you. Give us the eyes to see your love, and the voice to give you thanks. Amen.

Pastor Dave

September 1, 2021 – Acts 11:1 – 26

“Now the apostles and the believerswho were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also accepted the word of God. So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believerscriticized him, saying, “Why did you go to uncircumcised men and eat with them?” Then Peter began to explain it to them, step by step, saying, “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. There was something like a large sheet coming down from heaven, being lowered by its four corners; and it came close to me. As I looked at it closely I saw four-footed animals, beasts of prey, reptiles, and birds of the air. I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’ But I replied, ‘By no means, Lord; for nothing profane or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’But a second time the voice answered from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call profane.’This happened three times; then everything was pulled up again to heaven. At that very moment three men, sent to me from Caesarea, arrived at the house where we were. The Spirit told me to go with them and not to make a distinction between them and us.” Acts 11:1-12

Peter has a vision, and it takes him some time to figure out what it means: he wants to know desperately what G-d is trying to say to him. Isn’t it nice to know that even for the disciples, those closest to Jesus, even they did not always understand the things they were experiencing in the name of Jesus? Isn’t it good to know that occasionally G-d was speaking to them, but it took them time to understand what it all meant? Of course, over time they had a chance to understand what G-d was saying to them. 

Has this been your experience as well? Does your understanding of G-d’s will in your life slowly increase or occasionally change? Isn’t the discernment process a series of revelations and periods of contemplation – and this process repeats itself over and over again during the vast majority of our lives? Peter had a “Aha” moment – and this experience propels him to a greater understanding of G-‘s will for all people.

Let Us Pray,

Lord, increase my understanding of your will for me and my life today. Help me to have “A-ha” moments like Peter – and Grace-filled moments like the other Apostles. Amen.

Pastor Dave