Hearts Cleansed by Grace
Acts 15:1-11 (WEB) 1 Some men came down from Judea and taught the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised after the custom of Moses, you can’t be saved.” 2 Therefore when Paul and Barnabas had no small discord and discussion with them, they appointed Paul and Barnabas, and some others of them, to go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders about this question. 3 They, being sent on their way by the assembly, passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, declaring the conversion of the Gentiles. They caused great joy to all the brothers. 4 When they had come to Jerusalem, they were received by the assembly and the apostles and the elders, and they reported everything that God had done with them.
5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who believed rose up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to see about this matter. 7 When there had been much discussion, Peter rose up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that a good while ago God made a choice among you that by my mouth the nations should hear the word of the Good News and believe. 8 God, who knows the heart, testified about them, giving them the Holy Spirit, just like he did to us. 9 He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. 10 Now therefore why do you tempt God, that you should put a yoke on the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? 11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, just as they are.”
I have heard all of my life that the gospel is simple. Yet, there are those still today who do not read the Bible because it is too complex, and others who insist that we add to the gospel message all sorts of rules to prove our devotion to Jesus. But these are not 21st century problems. Indeed, today’s scripture shows that the apostle Peter clarified the matter by reminding the early church fathers who objected that we are saved not by the law but by faith. So why is this still an issue?
Perhaps we have forgotten the most important thing: For God so loved the world, He gave His only Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. We are each a part of “whosoever,” which means the blood Jesus shed almost two thousand years ago still covers us today. We cannot earn it, we cannot pay for it, we do not deserve it, yet God’s plan still gives salvation to “whosoever will.”
May we continue to share Jesus in His fullness, telling the old, old story that never changes, and why should it?
In the name of the Father and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Tell Me the Story of Jesus
By Fanny Crosby
Lyrics
1. Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart ev’ry word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.
Tell how the angels in chorus
sang as they welcomed His birth,
“Glory to God in the highest!
Peace and good tidings to earth.”
Refrain:
Tell me the story of Jesus,
write on my heart ev’ry word;
tell me the story most precious,
sweetest that ever was heard.
I HAVE REDEEMED YOU
Isaiah 43:1-4 (NKJV) 1 But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob,
And He who formed you, O Israel:
“Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by your name;
You are Mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you.
When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned,
Nor shall the flame scorch you.
3 For I am the LORD your God,
The Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I gave Egypt for your ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba in your place.
4 Since you were precious in My sight,
You have been honored,
And I have loved you;
Fear not, for I have redeemed you. These are some of the things God does NOT mean when he says these words;
- Do not be afraid, I will tolerate your sin
- Do not be afraid, there is no judgment nor hellfire
- Be very afraid, I will not lift you up in the waters, nor shield you in the fires
- Be very afraid, I am constantly watching to catch you doing something wrong
When God says, I have redeemed you, He means “I have heard your cries of repentance and I have bought you back from sin and death, I have gone before you, I will never leave you.”
When God says, “I have redeemed you,” He means that Jesus paid the price for your sin. He means that “I require holiness, but you cannot be holy. So I sent my very own Son to take your place. Believe on Him—trust in Him—follow Him.”
May we know, believe and understand that the God of the universe knows our names, He sees our struggles, our lives and and we are His. So, pray without ceasing, believe without doubting, and love without limits.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
God’s Amazing Grace
40 Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
3 A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord[a];
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.[b]
4 Every valley shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
5 And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
“Oh, how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, oh how I love Jesus, because He first loved me.” And, oh how I love this 40th chapter of Isaiah.
First, God wants to assure His people that their exile is almost over. Why were they in exile? Disobedience. Idol worship. When we turn away from God and try to find answers anywhere else, we, too, will find ourselves in exile.
Secondly, we see the hope of our salvation—Jesus! We see that Isaiah looked through time as though he was turning a page in a book and saw Jesus, both as our Savior and our King.
May we take the time during this Christmas season to celebrate the baby in the manger, to honor the One born to die for our sins, and to glorify our coming King.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Acts 13:4-12 Barnabas and Saul on Cyprus
4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews. And they had John to assist them. 6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came upon a certain magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus. 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence, who summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God. 8 But Elymas the magician (for that is the meaning of his name) opposed them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith. 9 But Saul, who was also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked intently at him 10 and said, “You son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, full of all deceit and villainy, will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? 11 And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and unable to see the sun for a time.” Immediately mist and darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking people to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the proconsul believed, when he saw what had occurred, for he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.
I am sometimes shocked by how often and in how many ways the enemy tried to stop the gospel. In this instance the governor sent for Paul to hear the gospel message. But a magician attempted to prevent the official from speaking with Paul. However, Paul, filled with a boldness that comes only through the Spirit, literally stopped the man in his tracks.
One of the lessons we can learn from this passage is that the gospel will not be stopped. The Holy Spirit still empowers us today to be bold even in the face of opposition as we share Christ with others.
May we go out today in the power of the Spirit and share Jesus with someone who needs Him.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Acts 13:1-3 Barnabas and Saul Sent Off
1 Now there were in the church at Antioch prophets and teachers, Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen a lifelong friend of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 3 Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.
Do you ever consider what it would have been like to know Paul when he first started spreading the gospel? Trained and ordained not by men, but by Jesus, Paul began his first missionary journey in Antioch, in southern Turkey along with Barnabas, already an established leader in the church.
I grew up in in the age of tent revivals, where evangelists would travel from town to town and pitch huge tents filled with folding chairs. The preacher yelled out the Scripture, added some fire and brimstone, and if the Holy Spirit didn’t draw you to the kneeling rails, the fear of eternity in hell did.
In contrast, Paul, well educated and trained, strategically planted churches in urban areas near ports where the gospel spread quickly. And did you notice one vital part of Paul’s preparation that is all too often missing today? Before beginning their journey Paul and Barnabus, along with others, fasted and prayed.
Replacing a meal with prayer is a way to help us draw near to God. When we have an urgent need, approaching God with such humility and sacrifice can enable us to better receive His guidance.
May we purpose in our hearts to seek out God with intention and devotion so that we can hear from the Holy Spirit and accomplish His will.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen
Seeking Holiness 