SCRIPTURE: Acts 11
OBSERVATION/APPLICATION:
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. [John 17:20-21] Through Jesus, the dividing wall of hostility between Jew and Gentile is torn down, and now we can be one – for through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. [Ephesians 2:11-18]. These readings show the heart of God, Jesus and the Spirit, to bring all nations together as one.
We do not always get this. We naturally separate and socialize with those most like us. We avoid those that are different (what that means will be different from person to person). We may have rationalizations that we use to justify ourselves, but often at root it is lack of love and respect. But that goes against the Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus and of God that is in us pushes beyond the barriers we erect, and spills over into the lives of people outside our circles. Those who were scattered, preached to the Jews only, but the Spirit prompted some to talk to the Greeks. The Spirit warns of a coming famine, and the result is that believers of every culture and background rally together to support their Jewish brothers and sisters. In fact, they give with amazing generosity (see 2 Corinthians 8:1-5, where we read of the Greek response).
Through Jesus, a new season has begun, and the Jews are not the only chosen people of God. The old covenant code is no longer in effect, and God’s family includes people of all nations. Thus is fulfilled the original promise of God to Abraham, that through him every nation on earth world be blessed [Genesis 12:1-2]. Jesus’ desire is to seek and to save the lost, to restore all people back to God’s family. In His prayer, He anticipates those that will be reached through the apostles. And in Acts 11, through the spreading church, He blesses them with multiple non-Jewish converts. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord. [Acts 11:21].
This is still God’s heart today, still Jesus’ prayer today. How inclusive am I? How intentional am I about reaching beyond my cliques? Am I full of the Spirit, Who is prompting me to reach out to others? Do I see people through eyes of faith, not as those who are different from me but at those who are one with me in Christ.
PRAYER:
Lord, give me a heart that loves people regardless of who they are or what they are like.
I was drawn to verse 16,
“Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentance that leads to life”
So I asked myself, who in my community do I consider a “gentile” or “unholy” or “undesirable to go and talk with”? I listed a few places where I might have some judgemental thoughts towards – the casino, the bars, yoga classes, karate classes …
Then I went to town to do some errands. Returned a book at the library and saw a familiar bicycle latched to the stand that was covered with billboard political doomsday signs on it. I have seen this bike a number of times at the library and always wondered about the person riding it. I went in and was very easy to connect the owner of the bike inside – he was wearing a sweater with political doomsday writing sewn on it! He was busy using one of the computers. I checked my book in and walked out to my car. “Hmph! What a nutcase!” I mused to myself. Then the Lord splashed me with a bit of cold water “If he is a nutcase, how come he is not afraid to lose face in his community about something he strongly believes in – go and talk to him”
“Oh, come on Lord, you’re not serious?” “Anyways, I am a girl and I shouldn’t talk to strange men” Nice excuses, especially not holding any water after the Lord reminded me of the prayer I posted yesterday.
“Ok, Lord. Give me the words and please, please protect me!”
So I go into the library. Walk over to the man at the computer, kneel down to his level and ask him if I could talk with him for a few minutes. He took one ipod ear phone out of his ear and said “sure”. So we went to the window seats of the library and spent the next 20 minutes talking.
I told him that I often saw his bike at the library and that I could never quite understand the messages he wrote on it. I asked him how he could have the courage to stand up and make such a visible claims to something he believed in. I asked him what exactly did he believe in? I asked him to describe God … (just had to sneak that one in!).
What he told me shocked me. I still do not understand the language that he uses but I believe it has something to do with his brother committing suicide and what he feels caused that on his brother. He is involved in following politics. He goes to the political meetings. But beyond that is where he lost me. He believes in the spiritual battlefield between good and evil spirits. But the focus of his conversation was about politicians and the church using “channelling” to “murder” others. I asked him if he thought politicians and the church was actually “murdering” physically or spiritually and he responded “both!” His response about describing God was that God was a concept used by politicians and the church – God is a scam. He was quite cordial and I think he was quite surprised that I was willing to listen to his point of view. We shook hands and I thanked him for spending the time to talk. He went back to his computer and I went back to my car…. and I prayed for him. I prayed that Jesus Christ would reveal himself in a real and powerful way to him and release him from any dominion in the spiritual world that was not of Christ. I prayed this in the powerful name of Jesus Christ.
Please pray for Cures (he changed his real name to this). There are many things that hold people all around us. The challenge that holds in my mind now is that I did not mention the name of Jesus once to him. I was asking about what he believed in – he did not ask what I believed in. This is the part about opening myself to others that gets me confused – have I missed the point about talking to him if I don’t even mention Jesus?
And the disciples were called Christians for the first time. The Jesus followers were called Christians. And there was no distinction among them – whether Gentile, Jew or Greek or . . . They/We are all Christian by name that that’s who we are. We must let the Spirit do His work through us and among us so that we see clearly and not with coloured glasses. I need to make sure that God uses me as a stepping stone and not a stumbling block for those new to the faith. I need to be inclusive and not exclusive. Lord, may the love of Jesus tie us together.
Bind us together Lord
Bind us together
With cords that cannot be broken
Bind us Together Lord
Bind us together
Bind us together with love
There is only God
There is only one King
There is only one body
This is why we sing