Reading

Acts 17:22-31

Devotion

Peace be with you!

If you are anything like me, you have certain sentimental things that you keep because they hold memories of the past. I have Lolly, the doll the hospital gave me when I was born. I have a cross with a girl praying that has hung above my light switch ever since I can remember, even with all of the moving I have done throughout my life. I have the cross my church gave me for confirmation. I have the wooden bunny Nathan gave me on our first date twenty-some years ago. I have the post card my mom sent me my first week of college twelve years ago. I have several cards mentors, family members, and friends have sent me over the years. Each of these items holds a special place in my heart. These items remind me of the individuals who have supported me throughout my lifetime. Even though treasured items can sometimes be blessings, at times they can become idols in our lives. Even religious items can come to be such idols. We see this to be true in our reading for today.

Paul makes an appeal to the Athenians to look around and examine their relationship with God the Father. The Athenians are highly educated group of people who know the Old Testament and the story of Jesus Christ. The Athenians are artists by trade who have created masterpieces telling the Biblical stories and representing “an unknown god.” Paul commends the Athenians for being religious, yet he questions their intentions. Are the Athenians worshipping the one true God? Or are they worshipping other gods? Why do they need a whole city filled with masterpieces of their religious faith?

Paul points to the shrines that the Athenians have built with their human hands. Paul reminds the Athenians God is Lord of heaven and earth and is not limited to the shrines (Acts 17:24) and does not need to be served by human hands (Acts 17:25). God is the one who made our ancestors’ and our existence possible (Acts 17:26). God controls our movements, our speech, and our existence; he controls time and places. The inscription to “an unknown god” does not honor the God Paul knows and loves. God is known to us in all we do and in the actions of others. Our God is a known God.

Therefore, Paul calls the Athenians to repent for worshipping their idols over the one true God. The Athenians need to repent to God. They need to bring him their brokenness; only in this way can they come to be in a relationship with the God who sent his Son into the world to rise from the dead (Acts 17:31). We are called into a relationship with God who surpasses any limits we set for him. He is a God who knows no boundaries.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for creating the time, the boundaries, the lives of individuals, and the space for us to live in the world. Create in us a clean heart. Remind us to honor the boundaries you set for our existence. Thank you for surpassing our limits. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What sentimental objects do you hold onto? How do these objects limit God’s presence in the world?
2. How do you worship the one true God?

Reading

Acts 7:55-60

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The devil challenges our relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit through brutal acts of injustice. Watching a loved one suffer from cancer, especially when it is terminal, is difficult beyond any imagination. God did not create us to make us suffer – that is the work of the devil. This week a five year-old identical twin, Ben, died after suffering for four months from Stage IV glioblastoma, a brain cancer. His mother, Mindy, blogged throughout the journey and kept her focus on God’s will. The blog entry about the night Ben entered heaven reflected all of the emotions Mindy and her husband are going through – the sadness of never seeing their son on earth again, the joy of knowing Ben is in heaven and no longer in pain, and the anxiety of having to tell his identical twin, Jack. Fortunately Jack noticed Ben was missing and took comfort in knowing Ben, his twin and first friend, was in heaven with Jesus. Mindy writes,

You see, heaven makes all the difference. Because God conquered death, He paved the way for us to be with Him forever. In eternity. Because we serve a Living God who loves us even more than we can imagine, we can have confidence in His ability to care for our loved ones after they take their last breath. Because of heaven, I know that I will be reunited with my Benjamin again someday. And so will Jack. And the rest of us that love Jesus.

Mindy’s words are a true testament of faith as she leans on God the Father for comfort. Ben is in a better place – free of pain.

The devil has been working against God the Father since before creation. When Jesus walked on earth, the devil tempted him for forty days in the wilderness. After Jesus conquered death and ascended into heaven, two groups emerged – the Jewish authorities who rejected Jesus as the Messiah and the apostles who witnessed and experienced Jesus’ ascension after he gave them the Holy Spirit. Stephen is one of the seven men chosen by the twelve disciples to share the good news with other communities (Acts 6:1-6).

Before our reading, Stephen had just finished delivering a sermon to the Jewish authorities who rejected Jesus as the Messiah. Stephen outlined the Jewish heritage to show how the Israelites have a long history of rejecting God’s prophets and leaders. The Israelites believed they were better off in Egypt than in the wilderness – even though in the wilderness, they were with the Lord and headed to the Promise Land. The Israelites rejected the Ten Commandments Moses delivered from God and made their own idols. The Israelites have killed other prophets in the past for speaking God’s message and judgments. The Jews rejected Jesus’ good news and killed him for speaking blasphemy, and therefore they reject Jesus as the Messiah. Stephen challenged the Jewish authorities about where God is really presence. The Jewish authorities believed God lived within the walls of the temple, but Stephen stated that God is present everywhere — including when the Israelites were in the wilderness for forty years. God is not confined to a building but is readily available to everyone everywhere.

In our reading today, we see that the Jewish authorities do not like what Stephen is saying. They believe Stephen is speaking blasphemy against God the Father. The good news of Jesus Christ breaks down everything the Jewish authorities believe is true. Their foundation would be broken down if they accepted the good news. Not only that, but the good news challenges their political views and how they would influence the local politics.

The Jewish authorities just cannot let Stephen go on spreading this “blasphemy,” so they take the necessary actions to stop him: they stone him to death. The brutal act makes us squirm in our seats; after all, Jesus warned us this would happen. Stephen is the first of many martyrs. There are still martyrs today who are killed for believing in the good news of Jesus Christ. For instance, just this week news broke about Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag, a young pregnant mother who was sentenced to death by a Islamic judge for converting to Christianity and marrying a Christian husband. The brutal acts against Christians do not end with the Bible but continue into the present.

Stephen is not afraid to die. He looks towards heaven and sees Jesus standing ready to lift him up (Acts 7:56).

Whether our lives end in martyrdom, are cut short by a devastating illness, or last until old age, one thing is certain: we all die. Stephen understands this life on earth is temporary and not the end. Jesus promises death is not the end, but life continues in heaven with the promise of eternal life from God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

As the Jewish authorities stone him to death, Stephen echoes Jesus’ dying words by saying, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59 NRSV). Stephen puts his life in God’s hands, because he knows he is going to join God in heaven. Before he dies, Stephen also prays for Jewish authorities, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them” (Acts 7:60 NRSV). Stephen understands this is an act of the devil, and his reward is waiting in heaven.

Like Stephen, Ben, the five year-old identical twin, falls victim to the devil’s curse of death and dies fighting for the good news. Like Stephen, Meriam Yahya Ibrahim Ishag is being killed for standing up for her faith. Like Stephen, we threaten the traditions of the authorities and face being caught between the devil and God. Like Stephen, we stand with God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit and will not give in to the devil’s demands. Like Stephen, we hold on to the promise of eternal life in heaven with the Triune God –Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for giving us the hope of eternal life, no matter how our time on earth ends. Help those who are experiencing suffering for their faith and especially provide strength and hope to our sister Meriam Ibrahim. Be also with Mindy Sauer and Ben’s whole family and comfort all who mourn. Thank you for the rich promises you give us because of Jesus. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What encounters with death have you had that made you struggle with faith?
2. In what way do Jesus’ death and resurrection provide you with comfort in those situations?
3. Write a letter on Meriam Ibrahim’s behalf to repeal the Islamic ruling to have her hung for her religious convictions. Information as to where to send the letters can be found here.

Reading

Acts 2:42-47

Devotion

Peace be with you!

The early apostles devoted themselves to building a strong community centered on Jesus Christ, the Messiah. The apostles lived as Jesus had taught them – a simple life. They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with those in need (Acts 2:45). The apostles took care of those who needed extra tender love and care.

I wonder what God thinks of his disciples today I wonder what God thinks of disciples who allow people to remain homeless, allow the disabled to remain uncared for, allow children to go hungry, and allow [whoever “it” is] to continue to suffer. Christians often say the homeless are too lazy to work. Others say the disabled belong in institutions. Yet each individual has a reason for needing extra care and love. The young women who is homeless may be hiding from an abusive ex-husband. The elderly man who is disabled maybe a war veteran. We are so quick to judge and so slow to listen to the story behind a life that is broken. As Jesus’ followers, it is our calling to tend to the needs of the less fortunate.

As a person who has cerebral palsy, I understand the importance of a community, which works together for the common good. On the average day, I have three to five people coming in and out of my home to help me. The first personal caregiver comes at ten in the morning and is with me four to six hours depending on what I need during the day. She feeds me breakfast and lunch, helps me with shopping, does light housecleaning, and gets me to my appointments. Usually Kim, my step-dad, joins me for breakfast to see if I need his help with anything, such as fixing [whatever “it” is] I broke the night before or running an errand for me. The second personal caregiver comes around five o’clock to feed me dinner and [whatever “it” is] I need set up or organized for the night. Then there are the young man who cleans the pool once a week and my brother who mows my yard twice a week. I also have a landscaper who comes periodically to check on my plants. Although my color-coded planner is overwhelming, I am at ease with the constant flow of people in and out of my home.

Depending on others for daily survival comes naturally to me, and it is also what Jesus teaches us to do in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:3-13). The early disciples embody this by selling all of their possessions and taking care of those who need extra love and care. The apostles understand the importance of taking care of their own, because everyone needs help and love. It should not matter if you are homeless, disabled, or poor, because we are all children of God.

As Christians, we are to live in a community with each other and love and care for one another. This was important to the early apostles. They spent their days in the temple (Acts 2:46a) studying scripture and worshipping God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. At night, the apostles gather for dinner and break bread together (Acts 2:46b). Gathering as community builds relationships among neighbors, even between individuals you would not expect to get along. A community takes cares of its people.

There is no greater joy than gathering around a table with friends and family members and sharing a meal. In my family, dinnertime always involves laughter and loud talking with hands flying. No matter what kind of day you had, you can always count on dinnertime being entertaining, especially with my mom who enjoys finding the comedy in life. Even as an adult, I still love having dinner with my mom, because 1) I get a good cooked meal, and 2) I am able to discuss the day’s challenges with her and get her insights. Discussing your daily challenges with individuals who uphold the same morals helps keep things in perspective and keeps you grounded.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for blessing us with a community in the family of God. Gather us into your community where individuals love and care for one another. Lead us to welcome others into our community. Thank you for loving and caring for us as your children. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.) You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. What communities are you a part of?
2. Who do you gather with to share a meal?

Reading

Acts 2:14a, 22-32

Devotion

Peace be with you!

When was the last time you were excited to tell people about big news–[whoever “it” was]? Maybe you just got engaged. Maybe you just found out you were going to be a father. Maybe your daughter took her first step or said her first word. Maybe your best friend woke up from a coma. No matter what the news is you are excited to tell everyone you meet about it, because you cannot hold it in. I remember being so excited to find out my childhood best friend, Nathan, is still alive and painting amazing pictures. For most people my age, reconnecting with a childhood friend is exciting, not miraculous, but for me having Nathan back in my life is a miracle. See, Nathan has Leigh’s dystonia, causing his whole body to be paralyzed and preventing him from speaking more than a few words. All Nathan can do is turn his head, move his left arm, talk with his eyes, and speak a few words. A cold can send Nathan to the intensive care unit. It is truly a miracle for Nathan to be alive and painting amazing pieces. I could not be around anyone in the weeks following finding his mom on Facebook without telling them about Nathan.

The disciples cannot hold in the good news: the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The words of Psalm 16:8-11 have come true (Acts 2:25b-28):

I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will live in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One experience corruption. You have made known to me the ways of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence.

The things of this world do not corrupt Jesus—he was sinless. God the Father does not abandon Jesus in Hades after he suffers and dies on the cross, but he raises him up to new life. God the Father never truly abandons Jesus physically as well as psychosocially. The news of Jesus’ resurrection is nothing like anything the world has witnessed. It is a miracle.

Not only that, God the Father uses the corruption of the world to carry out his glorious plan. The crowd (you and I) decides Jesus’ fate on the cross. We yell out, “Crucify him, crucify him!” every time we sin and go against God’s wishes by doing the devil’s work. We repeatedly say those words because we live in a broken world. Yet God the Father repeatedly raises Jesus (and us) up to new life, because God’s power cannot be held down (Acts 2:22-24).

The power of God’s plan causes the apostles to have faith in the Triune God. God the Father conquers death through Jesus’ crucifixion, death, resurrection, and ascension. The apostles believe and know God’s love has the power to protect them, provide for their every need, and lead them to where he needs them to be. This news is exciting for the apostles, because there is something more than the darkness in the world. Jesus Christ is the apostles’ light in the world. The apostles hang onto the promise of the good news of Jesus’ resurrection and ascension.

My colleague and dear friend, Rebecca Florence Miller, wrote a blog post as to why a decline in the “Christian Nation” may be good thing for the faith. Rebecca states,

[W]hen we are culturally dominant [a Christian Nation], it can be oh so easy to hide the junk in our lives. It can be easy to stay in our little Christian huddle, our church club. It can be easy to think that our Bible pounding is actual devotion to God rather than a prideful attempt to stay at the top of the heap. It can be easy to skate by and pretend we have an active, growing faith when we are actually just going through the motions and trying to impress others.

Rebecca continues by saying when Constantine declared Roman Empire a Christian Nation, true discipleship began to decline. Christendom led to many abuses within the Church, especially during the Inquisition and the Crusades. And some individuals continue use the church for their personal gain today.

However, as Christendom declines, true discipleship is on the rise. If you are a disciple, you understand and believe Jesus emptied himself on the cross for your sins. As a disciple, your life is about serving Jesus Christ, not yourself. Discipleship is a selfless occupation for the sole purpose of serving God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Not only that, as a disciple, you are beyond thrilled to share the good news with others who do not know God yet, because he protects, provides, calls and leads, and gives you eternal life. Nothing else matters.

As I listen to the excitement behind Peter’s words, I find myself trying to remember the last time I was excited to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection—the excitement behind God’s love and grace. Do I have similar enthusiasm to share the good news as I did when I found out Nathan had defeated the odds and was still alive? Lately, I have been wondering how I can get that excitement back. I am finding God is tweaking my call to write these devotions by making them more personal with stories of my own healing experiences. God is also calling me to educate others about disabilities, especially cerebral palsy, and about how individuals with disabilities can be a productive, important part of society. With God’s guidance, I feel my own excitement for the good news growing again.

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for Peter’s excitement for the good news and his example of discipleship. Help us to be true disciples of our risen Savior. Remind us Jesus’ resurrection about your love, grace, and promise of eternal life—it is not about us. Swell our hearts with your love, so we can feel excited again. Thank you for calling us back to you. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please answer the following reflective questions in the comments below. Please agree to disagree and be respectful to each other. (If you have not already done so, please also take a moment, to sign the behavior covenant by commenting on it.)  You can answer as many questions as you would like.

1. Share a story of the last time you couldn’t keep some good news to yourself.
2. How are you excited to share the good news of Jesus’ resurrection?
3. What does discipleship mean to you?

1 Photo: Nathan with his painting entitled “Migration of the Trumpeter Swan.”

Readings

Matthew 28:1-10

Devotion

Peace be with you! The Lord is risen! Alleluia!

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary go to the tomb early in the morning the day after the Sabbath (Matthew 28:1) to prepare Jesus’ body for a proper burial. Suddenly there is an earthquake as an angel descends from heaven and rolls away the stone from the tomb (Matthew 28:2).

We all know how much earthquakes—literal and symbolic—change people’s lives: their environment, their interrelationships, and how they live day-to-day. When I got divorced, I had to adapt to living alone, finding my group of friends again, and taking care the house. My foundation was shaken. I did not know whom I could trust and who just wanted information. My divorce changed my perspective on my life. Similarly, Jesus’ resurrection changes our lives. We change the way we live as we begin to follow Jesus Christ as his disciples. This gives us as a new identity as God’s children.

The resurrection is a pivotal change in history. It introduces a new way of life for individuals as disciples of Jesus Christ. The resurrection allows individuals to be in a relationship with the God the Father. The world Jesus rises from is not the same as it was when he entered it. God sends his light into the world and offers us forgiveness for our sins.

When we accept the light God offers to us, we experience psychosocial and spiritual healings. The light brings God into the world in a physical form, so we could get to know God the Father. Now two thousand years later we still have the light in the world as we continue to have a relationship with Jesus Christ. We continue to live with the light.

The angel says to Mary Magdalene and Mary, “Do not be afraid; I know that you are looking for Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for he has been raised, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples, ‘He has been raised from the dead, and indeed he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him.’ This is my message for you” (Matthew 28:5-7).

Just as the angel sends Mary Magdalene and Mary to go and tell, we are to go and tell others about Jesus’ resurrection. We are a part of the announcement, that proclaims Jesus’ crucifixion, death, and resurrection and that frees us from our sins.

The gift of reconciliation is for all individuals who come into a relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. On the way, Jesus sends Mary Magdalene and Mary to Galilee to say, “Go and tell my brothers to meet me in Galilee” (Matthew 28:10).

Jesus reconciles with his disciples who fled when he was arrested. Jesus forgives his disciples, because he understands the hostility they would have experienced. Jesus understands his disciples are only humans. Jesus forgives both his disciples and us, and he reserves a spot in heaven for us. Jesus is the ambassador between God the Father and us. Jesus gives us an opportunity to be in a relationship with God the Father.

After my divorce, I found out I had a lot more friends than I thought. Individuals who did not come around while I was married started coming around when I got divorced. My relationships with others continue to blossom because my ex-husband is no longer around. I also started to learn amazing things about myself—how I like boiled eggs more than fried eggs, how I enjoy sending cards to friends each month, how organized and neat I am, how I enjoy exercising a few days a week, and more. I also found a church where I feel called to be apart of, which helped to bring me back into the Christian community. I have grown closer to the Triune God, because I can be apart of a church community without feeling as though I am going behind anyone’s back. The church community also uses my gifts and talents, which fulfills my sense of belonging and calling. My personal resurrection happened as a result of a bad relationship ending. I got a whole new perspective on life.

So go and tell the good news that Jesus Christ is risen!

Thanks be to God!

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank you for overcoming death for us, so we can be in a relationship with you. Help us to go and tell the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. Lead us into new life with you. Thank you for loving us. Amen.

Reflective Questions

Please feel free to answer the reflective questions through comments.  Please agree to disagree and be respectable to each other. Please take a moment, if you have not already, to sign the covenant.  You can answer all or just one of the questions.

1. Why does the resurrection matter to you?
2. How have you experienced a resurrection in your life?