Scripture Focus: Acts 9:13-14
“Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard many reports about this man and all the harm he has done to your holy people in Jerusalem. And he has come here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

Reflection: Glorious Unimportance
By Robert Hillier

Growing up, I enjoyed playing sports even though I have never been the most athletic person. Effort? I had that. Athleticism and raw skill? Not as much. This meant playing positions that didn’t bring a lot of glory. I never took the winning shot or threw touchdowns, but I rebounded and blocked for those who did. There wasn’t a lot of glory around it, and the times that I was most noticeable were when I failed.

In Acts 9, it is easy to focus on Paul’s incredible transformation from persecuting Christians to preaching in synagogues within a span of twenty verses. We are rightly amazed that God can and will transform anyone for His glory. The rest of Acts recounts Paul’s ministry. That being said, it is easy to overlook Ananias. God called him to a seemingly dangerous and unglamorous job of healing a man known for zealous persecution of Christians. Ananias’s reluctance is understandable. What if if he had disobeyed the call? What would become of Paul’s church planting, ministry, and letter writing? Would it have come about at all? 

It would be overly bold to think one person’s disobedience could subvert God’s plan but think about what comes from Ananias’s obedience. Ananias doesn’t get the glory, preaching time, or write half of the New Testament like Paul does. But like the offensive lineman who blocks so that the quarterback can throw the touchdown or the church custodian who makes sure that the sanctuary is clean for Sunday, Ananias’s simple obedience is crucial and pays dividends. Often workers behind the scenes go unnoticed as long as the job is done. 

The reality is that God can do incredible things through our simple obedience to his commands and we may never know the outcomes. We don’t know whether or not Ananias knew what Paul and his ministry came to be. When results aren’t seen, it is easy to become discouraged in our obedience. However, we can always have faith in God’s plan and that our obedience to His call and command will never go to waste.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Greeting
You are my hope, O Lord God, my confidence since I was young. — Psalm 71.5

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 51 (Listen – 4:35)
Acts 9 (Listen – 6:05)

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 52 (Listen – 2:46) Acts 10 (Listen – 5:49)
Isaiah 53 (Listen – 2:39) Acts 11 (Listen – 3:52)

Read more about Eating With Enemies
When Christ leads us into the heavenly city, we will find ourselves dining and worshiping with people we harmed or who harmed us.

Scripture Focus: Acts 8:4-8
Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went. Philip went down to a city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah there. When the crowds heard Philip and saw the signs he performed, they all paid close attention to what he said. For with shrieks, impure spirits came out of many, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed. So there was great joy in that city.

Reflection: The Gospel for All
By Kingsley East Gibbs

By Acts 8, the church was persecuted and scattered. Stephen had just been martyred (Acts 7.59-60), and Saul breathed threats and murder against God’s disciples (Acts 9.1-2). The early church had much to fear. Today, there are places where Christians are persecuted, harassed, and threatened. Even those of us who don’t fear for our lives because of our beliefs may still feel isolated, belittled, or afraid to share the gospel. The apostles in Acts demonstrate a way for all Christians to respond to God’s commission.

Rather than hiding their faith, the church in Acts preached the word wherever they went to whomever they encountered. The apostles didn’t pick and choose who needed the gospel. Jesus did not call them to judge who gets to hear the word of God. Rather, Jesus sent the disciples to the ends of the earth to share his word with all people (Acts 1.8). This included Samaritans, people on whom the disciples previously wanted to call down fire (Luke 9.54-55).

Obeying Jesus’ teaching that the God of the Jews is for all people, Philip shared the gospel in unimaginable places with unlikely people. For instance, the Old Testament forbade sorcery like Simon’s because it was associated with deception, idolatry, and the demonic. Eunuchs were also excluded from the Jewish Temple. However, Jesus opened the door for all people to live in communion with God, and the apostles shared the gospel with those who were explicitly excluded from Jewish life. Even a sorcerer and a eunuch were invited into the kingdom of God and baptized.

After each of these baptisms, however, Simon and the eunuch had opposite responses. Simon tried to buy the Holy Spirit, while the eunuch left rejoicing and is credited by church tradition with spreading the gospel in his country. 

Jesus commissioned his followers to share the gospel with everyone, not to control how it was received or dictate who should hear it. We too are called to take the gospel to the ends of the earth—to all people—those excluded by religious groups, adored by society, ostracized by communities, and everyone in between. Because the gospel is for all.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness. — Psalm 29.2

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 50 (Listen – 2:09)
Acts 8 (Listen – 5:10)

Read more about Not for Sale
Peter’s response calls out the sin in Simon’s heart, the attitude that divine power can be acquired for a price.

Scripture Focus: Acts 7.57-58
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul. 

Reflection: The Wrong People
By Bridget Jack Jeffries

If you had to place a bet on whom God would use most to build up His kingdom based only on the first six chapters of Acts, you’d be smart to bet on Stephen. 

The book of Acts introduces Stephen to us as “a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit” (Acts 6.5), as well as “full of God’s grace and power” (6.8). This was a man who even “performed great wonders and signs among the people” (6.8), a man who rhetorically annihilated all who opposed the gospel because of “the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke” (6.10). 

Moreover, Stephen seemed like a kindred spirit to Isaiah, who wrote, “Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name. He made my mouth like a sharpened sword” (Isaiah 49.1–2). Stephen knew God’s call and allowed Him to fashion his mouth into a sharpened sword for His kingdom.

It might have been Stephen who spread the gospel throughout Asia Minor and Europe. It might have been Stephen who wrote 13 of the 27 books in the New Testament. Surely Stephen won’t need to die at the end of Acts 7! Surely God’s arm won’t be too short to save him! 

But Stephen did die. And instead of Stephen, God called a sinful man who had given full approval of Stephen’s death (Acts 8.1): Saul of Tarsus, later known as Paul the Apostle. It would be Paul who spread the gospel throughout his world. It would be Paul who wrote much of the New Testament. 

Do you admire Stephen, but have trouble relating to him? You’re not alone; Paul himself struggled with feeling unworthy (1 Corinthians 15.9-10). Many of us have felt like we’re the wrong people to build up God’s kingdom. We’ve led a past that contains divorce or addiction or sins that we think make us unworthy, and we let that past stop us from pursuing God’s kingdom with our whole hearts. We hold back on sacrificing our whole selves on God’s altar because we know how imperfect that sacrifice will be. 

We shouldn’t hold back. It’s okay that we’re imperfect because Christ has already been the perfect sacrifice for our sins (Hebrews 10.14). That’s why God doesn’t just use the Stephens. He uses the Tamars (Matthew 1.3). And the Rahabs (Matthew 1.5). And the Pauls. 

If we’ll let him, God will use us, too. 

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Open my lips, O Lord, and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.
Had you desired it, I would have offered sacrifice, but you take no delight in burnt-offerings.
The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit; and a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. — Psalm 51.16-18

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 49 (Listen – 4:55)
Acts 7 (Listen – 8:49)

Read more about The Last Shall be First
Paul’s intention seems to be to humble himself, making himself as unimportant as possible.

Scripture Focus: Acts 6.1-7
“In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, ‘It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.’ This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them. So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.”

Reflection: The Overflowing Plate
By Christian Englert

Regardless of vocation, a busy person will face temptation to add more to a full plate that cannot hold any more food. We see things that look luscious, healthy, and fulfilling. Taking on one more task in the kingdom of God might seem like a no-brainer. But we all have a limited capacity, and we need to be humble enough and wise enough to delegate to faithful people those things that we can’t fit on our plates. 

In the passage for today, the apostles felt the pressure of neglecting one task for another. If they focused on attending the tables, their teaching would suffer. So, they wisely sought people that could help with waiting on tables. They did not just seek out any group of people though. 

Rather, the apostles intended for a specific group of servers to be chosen. They were to be wise and “full of the Spirit.” That phrase is significant because Scripture states that the fruit of Spirit is “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5.22-23) Those who are in Christ carry this Spirit and its fruits in them. Therefore, by choosing those “filled with the Spirit,” the apostles ensured those being served would experience these fruits and the nature of God.

When food continues to be piled on a full plate, eventually the plate will overflow. The same is true with schedules. They can become overbooked; resulting in overlooked tasks and compromised health. Even the most important thing we have to do in a week might be at risk of being done poorly, because the time required to complete it has been taken away.

When tempted to add to an already full plate, know that it is wise to ask for help. However, make sure you pay great attention to the person you choose to provide assistance. Are they someone who has the ability to complete the task at hand? Are they someone that is known to be reliable? This can be a difficult tension to manage but God will guide us in the process. Ask God for direction and watch for him to place the correct people in your path.

Remember that all things are to be done as though you are serving God, even when it takes a village to complete them.

Divine Hours Prayer: The Call to Prayer
Bless the Lord, you angels of his, you mighty ones who do his bidding, and hearken to the voice of his word.
Bless the Lord, all you his hosts, you ministers of his who do his will.
Bless the Lord, all you works of his, in all places of his dominion. — Psalm 103.20-22

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 48 (Listen – 3:39)
Acts 6 (Listen – 2:35)

Read more about Faith Requires Humility
One reason faith is so difficult for today’s culture is that we devalue humility. And faith cannot exist without humility

Scripture Focus: Acts 5.29-32
Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.”

Reflection: Costly Obedience
By L.E. Mulford

In this short speech, Peter emphasizes obeying God in opposition to obeying the Sanhedrin. This was highly offensive to them because they viewed themselves as the spokesmen for God and did not differentiate between obeying their interpretation of the Old Testament Law and obeying God. 

Jesus did not follow the Sanhedrin and yet perfectly fulfilled the Law (Matthew 5.17). If God does not desire that we follow the 600+ legal requirements found in the Old Testament, as Galatians 2.16 demonstrates, what then does obedience to God look like?

If faith is our trust in God, obedience to God in doing good works is the natural expression of that trust. We are not meant to earn our faith through obedience, but rather to demonstrate our faith through obedience. James 2.17 goes so far as to say that faith without works is dead. 

In modern times, we don’t usually wrestle with the idea that we are bound to the laws of the Old Testament or to its Levitical priesthood. However, there are other unwritten laws and sometimes even religious leaders in our modern culture that many of us feel compelled to obey. So how can we discern whether our obedience is towards God or towards the power structures and the patterns of our culture—even our religious culture?

As with most things, we can look to the example of Jesus. What did his obedience cost him? What has my obedience cost me?

Jesus’s obedience took him to death on a cross (Philippians 2.8). 

What may be harder for each one of us to answer is this: have I obeyed even when it hurts? It might cost my bank account, my privacy, my personal space, or my rights. Can I love God and my neighbor by obeying God even when it doesn’t make earthly sense? If I have faith, and if I trust Him, then I can. 

The love of Jesus took him to the cross to die. He asks us to take up our own cross in obedience daily, to live every day by dying to our own rights, and to love and serve our neighbors. 

Does your love for God and your faith in Him give you the freedom to obey Him—even when it hurts?

Divine Hours Prayer: The Request for Presence
Let them know that this is your hand, that you, O Lord, have done it. — Psalm 109.26

Today’s Readings
Isaiah 47 (Listen – 2:52)
Acts 5 (Listen – 6:49)

Read more about Between Gerizim and Ebal
The tribes standing on Gerizim would pronounce the blessings that would come from obedience…