by Sal Huckel
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Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting (Acts 12:11).
ReadActs 12:1-17
If you haven’t read the beginning chapters of Acts up to this point, it would be worthwhile doing so today over lunch or a cuppa. We may be familiar with the main parts of this account of Peter being rescued from high-security imprisonment. However, putting it into context, we learn that this has occurred as part of an extraordinary series of events since Jesus’ death and resurrection. Miracle after miracle, the imprisonment and miraculous release of the apostles (Acts 5) and the martyrdom of Stephen after his amazing testimony in a trial similar to that of Jesus. Saul is converted and begins his ministry. It is only a matter of time before more apostles are martyred. The believers have prayed for boldness to proclaim the gospel (Acts 4:23–31). Is this Peter’s time? No, it is not. He experiences what he feels is surely a vision and yet is miraculously freed from his chains.
Peter has gone from miracle to miracle and continues zealously for the Lord to bring even the Gentiles to faith in the Lord Jesus.
We know that martyrdom awaits Peter. He knows it too. He doesn’t know when, but this time is not his time.
It is challenging and confronting for some of us to accept that ‘staying alive’ is not the goal of the Christian life. As we read in Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we press on toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus (Philippians 3:14).
We have in our hands amazing accounts of the strong faith of the early church. We know that the ‘Acts of the Apostles’ are truly the acts of the Lord Jesus, working through them. While we live in very different times, we press on to the same prize. Until we are indeed called to be with Christ Jesus, in whatever manner he chooses, we must continue living daily in our baptism, growing deeper in our knowledge of him and following in obedience wherever he leads.
Lord, we praise you for the mighty works of your hand, establishing your church and desiring all people to be saved and turn to you. Thank you for the gift of your Holy Spirit through my baptism and the new life I have in you. Through the power of your Holy Spirit, may I follow you in obedience until it is my turn to meet you face to face. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
by Sal Huckel
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Jesus said to Philip, ‘Where are we to buy bread, so that these people may eat?’ He said this to test him, for he knew what he would do (John 6:5b,6).
Read John 6:1–21
If you have ever given a juice box to a small child, you know they are filled to the brim and that, within seconds of handing it to a toddler, their immediate squeeze of the box will go everywhere. I fixed this by telling them I was ‘just taking the top off first’. As our family grew, so did my little ‘freebie’ drink and I could give six children a drink without buying one for myself! The older children knew exactly what I was doing when I still ‘took the top off’ theirs long past the age of needing to avoid spillage. This has progressed to the dinner table. Last week when my husband was away, and all six children (some now young adults) were home, I served six dinners instead of seven – only to be asked where my plate was. This has happened before, and we know the drill. I took a polite spoonful of rice and beef chilli off each plate, and all seven dinners still looked perfect – this time with some for me. You never would have known!
I pondered this experience and the loaves and fish miracle. My version is simple ‘mum economics’, though of course the Lord provides through those. However, no matter of mum economics could feed 5000 people with the loaves and fish from one lunch as we read in all four gospels.
Jesus’ question to Peter was to test him. Jesus already had in mind the miracle, but he was testing Peter’s trust and knowledge. I have two thoughts today on this passage. Firstly, we cannot underestimate or discount the miracles of God – and we cannot do them on our own strength. Secondly, it might seem crazy to give the very little we have to the Lord, for his kingdom work. ‘My plate isn’t enough to share’, or ‘I can’t give much so it’s pointless me giving anything’. Let us remember that what we give to the Lord, he multiplies as he chooses. It might be a loaves-and-fishes miracle. Or it could be a home-style beef chilli or juice box miracle in which the smaller sums work together for a larger effect. Consider your time, your talents – and your dollars. How can we contribute our little, or a little more, to the Lord’s work?
Lord God, you are our ‘Jehovah-Jireh’, God our provider. You allow us to participate in your kingdom work. Help me to be a good steward of all that you generously provide to me, and to be willing to contribute to your work. Help me to trust you and to consider those around me who may also need to share in what I have, whether I can only give a little, or whether it be a little more. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Sal is married to Pastor Matthew Huckel and they live in Victoria with their six children. Music, theology, literature, and languages are passions the family share and explore together. Sal loves writing, speaking and walking to the beach at every opportunity.
by Pastor Glenn Crouch
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The Lord is trustworthy in all he promises and faithful in all he does (Psalm 145:13b).
Read Psalm 145:10-18
I have heard the Psalms referred to as Jesus’ hymnbook or as his prayer book. This book was so important to the early church that it is quoted in our New Testament more than any other Old Testament book. Sadly, until about 10 years ago, I didn’t take the book seriously. Sure, I had read all 150 of the Psalms many times and I have my favourites, but the psalter came alive when I was advised to pray them. When I read them as my prayer to my Lord, and then built on that prayer all that has been revealed through Jesus.
In our passage today, we have the basis of a prayer of praise. Read the passage again, then use it as a prayer to your heavenly Father. Then build on that with what Jesus has revealed. So, for example, the following prayer is based on the section quoted above:
Father, you are trustworthy. You keep all your promises, and you are faithful in all of your actions. You promised Israel a Messiah. You promised a seed that would crush the head of the serpent. These and so many more promises, you faithfully fulfilled in and through your dear Son, Jesus. My faith is so feeble compared with your faithfulness – help me to trust you, help me to keep my focus on my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
See how you fare with the other verses in our passage today. It can be very helpful to write them down. Why stop with this passage? Through Scripture, the Holy Spirit can give us words when we struggle to pray.
Faithful Father, forgive me for not spending more time talking with you. Through your Holy Spirit, open your word to me. I want to know you better. I want to love you better. Help me see Jesus more clearly. In his name I pray. Amen.
by Pastor Glenn Crouch
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Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul (Acts 11:25).
Read Acts 11:19–30
Barnabas, this man from Cyprus (Acts 4:36,37) is worth looking into. Why not check him out on Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barnabas – and don’t forget to check the Bible references given.
Following the situation with Cornelius, which we have been looking at for most of this week, reports come in that in the city of Antioch (in Syria), there were those sharing the gospel with Gentiles and that the church there was expanding – with both Jews and Gentiles. So, this needed investigation and Barnabas is chosen for the task. Notice (verse 23) that he was pleased with what he found and encouraged them to continue to remain true to the Lord.
Barnabas did not only encourage with words. He set off for Tarsus to grab Saul (who will become better known by his other name of Paul) and brought him to Antioch. This is not a trivial task – check out a Bible Atlas and see where these cities were! We see here the Holy Spirit at work. We know all that he will do through Paul (Saul) and it started by Barnabas fetching him from Tarsus so that they could work together in Antioch.
The Holy Spirit cannot be contained. The Jerusalem church did not seek out Cornelius – nor did they seek out the Samaritans, nor the Ethiopian. They did not decide to start a church plant in Antioch. Rather the gospel could not be contained, and they had to play catch up. The Holy Spirit helped them with that as well – through Philip, then Peter and now Barnabas.
Are you open to the Holy Spirit working in you? You can be his instrument in your home, your work, your school, your community – wherever you may find yourself. Join with me in desiring to be like Barnabas and be full of the Holy Spirit and faith.
Gracious Father, thank you for including me in your kingdom. Help me to be your instrument in the task of bringing heaven to earth. Fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit, so that I may not only better serve you but that I may also be an encouragement to all whom I encounter. Not by my strength, but by yours. In the power of my Lord Jesus name, I pray. Amen.
Glenn is the Pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also looks after St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Karen and he have been married since 1985 and have two grown sons – and have recently become grandparents.
by Pastor Glenn Crouch
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, ‘So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life’ (Acts 11:18).
Read Acts 11:1–18
It seems what happened at Cornelius’ house (as we read earlier this week) spread like wildfire and consequently, when Peter and his colleagues returned to Jerusalem, they were not greeted with enthusiastic inquiries. No, they received criticism – it almost appears that they were put on trial. As we may struggle with change, it seems it wasn’t any easier for the very first church.
As Peter had stood up several times already in this book, so now he stands up and gives an account of the work of the Holy Spirit to his fellow members of the Jerusalem church. While it is perfectly reasonable that those in Jerusalem wanted Peter to give an account of all that had happened in Caesarea (and Joppa), it is disappointing that things started with criticisms and accusations. This is a good reminder that the church today is still a family of sinners – yes, we are forgiven, justified, redeemed, and reconciled – but we still mess up.
Not only do we as individuals need to use the Scriptures as a mirror to see how well we are loving God and loving our neighbour but our congregations and our church organisations need to do this as well. Peter and Paul will later have a conflict over eating with Gentiles (Galatians 2) and the first recorded church council (Acts 15) will look at this issue again. So, if we see that the first Christians – many of whom knew Christ and who all had direct access to the apostles – struggle to determine God’s will, it’s not that surprising that we still struggle.
It is worth noting that our text today ends with the church praising God.
Lord of our salvation, grant me your patience and wisdom as I deal with fellow believers with whom I have disagreements. Help me to keep my focus on my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and all that he has achieved for all of us. In his mighty name, I pray. Amen.
Glenn is the Pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also looks after St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Karen and he have been married since 1985 and have two grown sons – and have recently become grandparents.
I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism (Acts 10:34b).
Read Acts 10:34-48
Have you noticed that in many paintings, Jesus often doesn’t look like he is from the Middle East? A few years back I saw a wonderful painting of the crucifixion in which Jesus and all those involved were from Papua New Guinea. I think you can guess the nationality of the artist. I believe it is important that we embrace the fact that Jesus lived, died, and rose again for all those in our culture (including you and me!). The Bible teaches that God became one of us, and adopting Jesus into our culture is one of the ways to proclaim this.
However, this can lead to problems if we overlook that the gospel is for ‘all nations’, not just my nation. We see this with Peter and his colleagues. After Peter’s sermon, which was eagerly anticipated by the Gentile listeners, we have a wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit. These people did not need to give up their Roman ways and become Jews. They put their trust in Jesus, received the Holy Spirit, and were baptised. They were as fully Christian as any in the Jerusalem church.
Our God so loved all of us – regardless of age, ethnicity, gender, etc – that he sent Jesus to live the life of obedience that we all fail to live; to carry all of our sins upon the cross so that we all rise to life eternal through his resurrection.
This is probably a good time to examine ourselves (and our churches) to make sure that we are not excluding those who are different from us. For those of different backgrounds within your congregation, maybe you can find ways in which you can celebrate and experience that difference. Look into ways you can support organisations that spread the gospel, in word and deed, throughout different countries.
Father, you are our creator, sustainer, and redeemer. May any barriers to the spread of your gospel be removed. Through your Holy Spirit help me to show your love to my friends and family, as well as to those who have different backgrounds. Help me to see people as you see people. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Glenn is the Pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also looks after St John’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Karen and he have been married since 1985 and have two grown sons – and have recently become grandparents.
We are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us (Acts 10:33b).
Read Acts 10:17–33
Yesterday we saw the Holy Spirit preparing Peter to bring the gospel into a Gentile’s home. However, the Holy Spirit was already at work in Cornelius back in verse 2. As we start today’s passage, the men Cornelius had sent (following his encounter with the angel of the Lord) arrive, as Peter ponders his vision. Cornelius had responded to the Holy Spirit by being devout and giving generously. He responded to his encounter with God by sending the men to Peter. How will he respond when he hears the gospel?
Peter arrives and enters Cornelius’ house, showing that the repeated vision has made an impact on the apostle. He discovers not only that Cornelius and his household are waiting for him, but that the centurion has invited family and friends to be there. For Cornelius seeking the Lord was not a solo adventure, rather it was something to share with those around him. I get the feeling that Peter was quite surprised at the size of the crowd of Gentiles waiting to hear from him.
As a pastor, I am blessed to have many in my congregation who respond as Cornelius does in verse 33. We should be coming to our time of worship acknowledging that we are in God’s presence, eager to hear what the Lord has commanded the preacher (or lay reader) to tell us. Encourage your pastor or lay reader by letting them know of your eagerness to hear the Lord through them.
Perhaps like Cornelius we too could invite family and friends to come with us?
O Lord almighty, increase my desire to enter into your presence so that I may hear your word, that I may sing your praises and that I might enjoy the fellowship of fellow believers. Give me the courage and the words I need to invite others to come with me. I need your help to do this. In the mighty name of Jesus. Amen.
Glenn is the Pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also looks after St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Karen and he have been married since 1985 and have two grown sons – and have recently become grandparents.
by Pastor Glenn Crouch
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
The voice spoke to him a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean’ (Acts 10:15).
Read Acts 10:1–16
In Acts 8, we saw that the gospel was breaking down barriers: Samaritans were welcomed into God’s kingdom, and an African was now a follower of Jesus (and we can imagine what the Holy Spirit would do through him when he got home). This week, we will see the lengths the Holy Spirit will go through to bring the gospel to the Gentiles (which, for most reading this, is ‘us’!). The Ethiopian continued home and thus was not a part of the church that was growing in Israel. That church was completely Jewish. So, how was the gospel going to be spread to the non-Jews, if the Jewish Christians could not associate with them (for example, share a meal, enter their homes, etc.)?
In today’s reading, we see that Peter has a big problem with this. Did you notice how many times the Lord had to send him that vision? Peter needed to move well out of his comfort zone to fulfill what Jesus had commanded in the Great Commission (Matthew 28:18–20), which was to go and make disciples of all nations – not just the Jews.
There wasn’t a meeting held in those early days to discuss how they were going to proclaim the gospel, let alone how Gentiles were supposed to ‘fit in’ to the church. Did they need to become Jews first? Were there to be two separate gatherings? We really don’t understand what a big step this was for Peter and the church – but the Holy Spirit did and was already at work!
Perhaps it is a good time to examine ourselves – examine our church – to see whether there are things we are declaring to be ‘impure’ that God has made clean.
Gracious and forgiving Father, do not let me be a barrier when it comes to the spread of your gospel. Rather help me to hear your Spirit within me, and to follow him. Persist with me as you did Peter. Help me, Lord, in Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Glenn is the Pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also looks after St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Karen and he have been married since 1985 and have two grown sons – and have recently become grandparents.
Start or finish every day in God's word
by Pastor Glenn Crouch
Click here to download your printable verse to carry with you today.
As soon as they got out of the boat, people recognised Jesus (Mark 6:54).
Read Mark 6:30–34,53–56
Our section from Mark’s Gospel bookends the feeding of the five thousand and Jesus walking on the water. Though these miracles are wonderful stories that show us who Jesus is, they are not our focus today. Rather we are looking at the people who are chasing after Jesus.
Imagine yourself as one of those in the crowd. You are eager to hear Jesus’ words as you’ve heard about the authority with which he speaks – how his very words change people. Perhaps you or a family member (or friend) need healing, and if you can just bring this need to the attention of Jesus then all will be well – or maybe just get close enough to touch his cloak. It is hardly surprising that crowds formed wherever Jesus went.
Through prayer and Scripture, we have access to Jesus today. Through baptism, we die with Jesus in his death and are raised with him in his resurrection. As we receive holy communion, we receive his body and his blood.
But do we chase after these things? Are you drawn to Jesus? Do you seek out others so that you can pray to him together? Do you cross great distances to hear the gospel preached and to share at his table? We have easy access to the Bible on our phones – are we using them to learn more about Jesus?
I think we need to look again at those people in the crowds. We need to hunger after Jesus. We need our churches, our prayer meetings, and our Bible studies to be overflowing. We need to listen afresh to the Holy Spirit as he draws us to Jesus!
Heavenly Father, you have supplied me with an abundance of resources, yet I barely use them. Through your Holy Spirit, make me like those in the crowds – make me desperate to follow Jesus. I know I need to spend more time in your word, in prayer, in fellowship – help me! In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.
Glenn is the Pastor of St John’s Lutheran Church in Esperance and also looks after St Paul’s Lutheran Church in Kalgoorlie-Boulder. Karen and he have been married since 1985 and have two grown sons – and have recently become grandparents.