May 31

Acts 7

In chapter 6 Stephen was one of the group appointed to take care of the food distribution. He ends up dying as a martyr after sharing his faith. God may give us gifts to take care of a task, like the distribution of food, but there are moments when God calls us to serve in a manner that has nothing to do with our gifts. We are the right person in the perfect moment to serve God. I think this is what happens to Stephen. His role is to serve food, but God needs him to bear witness to how God had acted through Jesus.

May 29

Acts 6

Acts 6:1-6 represents a huge shift for the church. The 'twelve' or the apostles were providing all the leadership for the church. But as they grew problems began to arise such as issues with the distribution of food. They made a decision to bring others into leadership rather than try to control everything themselves. If they had determined to control everything, the church would have been limited in its ability to grow. By inviting others into leadership, the potential of the church's growth was unlimited.

May 28

Acts 5

The story of Ananias and Sapphira is a powerful story filled with many questions. Ananias and Sapphira were not required to give all that they had to the church. Why did they lie about their actions? Why did Ananias die when he was confronted with his lie? When Peter confronted Sapphira about the lie, why did he say they would carry her out as her husband? Why weren't Ananias and Sapphira offered forgiveness or a second chance to speak the truth? It is little wonder that "great fear seized all who heard what had happened."

There is not another story like this in the New Testament. Obviously, this was not the norm in the early church. Maybe this story is included to teach us about our relationship with God. God calls us to live a different way, a way that moves away from sin, because sin destroys our lives. The dramatic aspect of this story clearly points out God call to us to live in the truth.

May 26

Acts 3

Reading this passage, with today's culture in mind, it's a little strange to learn how Peter reacts to the people's awe and surprise when he heals the man who could not walk.

The crowd is amazed at what they see, they know that some kind of miracle has been performed. It would have been so easy for Peter to take the credit, to be the hero, to be worshipped. One of the first things he says in his address to the crowd is this, though: "Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?" He immediately gives the credit and the glory and the honor to God.

Do you notice all the roles that God plays in your life? When things are going well...when they are going poorly? It's easy to give ourselves the credit when things are on the up, we don't tend to think about God's place in things until the bottom falls out. We should be like Peter-always giving God the glory-for everything, good or bad.

-Jenni

May 25

Acts 2

Can you imagine being among those present when the Lord's presence came upon them? I think it is symbolic of how God works in our world. He does not limit himself to one group (those from Galilee), instead He is able to reach and communicate with everyone. His power transcends language and cultural barriers, He does not see us by our race or our heritage, He sees us solely as His creation. Joel foretold that the Lord would give his spirit to everyone, and that is what He did. I am continuously amazed at how scriptures fulfill themselves. I think this is a powerful passage that shows God's true power and love. He does not discriminate based on worldly boundaries, and He does not reserve His salvation and grace-it is for everyone who is willing to ask for it.

-Jenni

May 24

Acts 1

"It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority"

How often do I want to know WHEN something will happen? When a prayer I prayed will be answered? I probably wonder too much about this. It is easy to do when we are waiting for God to answer us in the way we want Him to, but that is not always the case. Often, He answers in ways we don't expect, so we really cannot say when exactly this happens.
In this instance, his followers want to know when He would give the Kingdom back to Israel. And wouldn't you know, as soon as He tells them not to worry about what only the Father knows, He ascends into Heaven.
I think this is true testament to the fact that we never know when God will answer us. We are assured that He always hears us, and He always works for our good, we just have to remember that it might not be on our time or on our schedule.

-Jenni

May 22

Matthew 25:14-30

God grants each of us with our own talents and abilities. He expects us to use these things for His good and for His kingdom, after all, we are the body of Christ. It is so easy to act like the third servant and not doing anything with what we have, just keep it hidden-that's a safe, foolproof way that we know we will end up with what we began with. But what about the other two servants? They took a risk, they used what they were given and were blessed with much more. God is calling each of us to use what He has given us for His glory, that is the only way which we will find ourselves blessed with more. It is hard to do this, for me at least. Who are you? Do you harvest what you've been given, or do you bury it for safekeeping? Are there different situations in which it is easier to do one over the other?

-Jenni