Read Acts 5:12‐16 slowly and prayerfully. What words or phrases stand out for you?
Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
Reflect
What is the last sign and wonder you have witnessed? In your life? In your faith community? In our Annual Conference?
Why were believers being added more than ever?
How might you and your congregation better position yourself to be instruments of God’s healing?
Respond
Engage in an act of healing with Holy Spirit power and alleviate someone’s suffering today.
Pray that God might bring someone into your life today that needs some kind of healing or relief from suffering. Pray for the courage and insight to respond so that the healing power of the Holy Spirit shines more brightly.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Monday, May 16, 2011
Acts 5:1‐11
Read Acts 5:1‐11 slowly and prayerfully. What words or phrases stand out for you?
But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3‘Ananias,’ Peter asked, ‘why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!’ 5Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear
seized all who heard of it. 6The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
7After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter said to
her, ‘Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.’ And she said, ‘Yes,
that was the price.’ 9Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the
Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry
you out.’ 10Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her
dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear seized the whole church
and all who heard of these things.
Reflect
Why is this story included at this point in the story of the early church?
What’s the big deal?
How transparent and truthful are you when it comes to your participation in the church?
Respond
Identify an area of your life that needs to be more transparent and truthful so that God is clearly more central. Do one thing today that can move you in that direction.
Pray for the Spirit to guide your every action so that you might shine forth God’s truths more brightly.
But a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property; 2with his wife’s knowledge, he kept back some of the proceeds, and brought only a part and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 3‘Ananias,’ Peter asked, ‘why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and to keep back part of the proceeds of the land? 4While it remained unsold, did it not remain your own? And after it was sold, were not the proceeds at your disposal? How is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You did not lie to us but to God!’ 5Now when Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. And great fear
seized all who heard of it. 6The young men came and wrapped up his body, then carried him out and buried him.
7After an interval of about three hours his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8Peter said to
her, ‘Tell me whether you and your husband sold the land for such and such a price.’ And she said, ‘Yes,
that was the price.’ 9Then Peter said to her, ‘How is it that you have agreed together to put the Spirit of the
Lord to the test? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry
you out.’ 10Immediately she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in they found her
dead, so they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11And great fear seized the whole church
and all who heard of these things.
Reflect
Why is this story included at this point in the story of the early church?
What’s the big deal?
How transparent and truthful are you when it comes to your participation in the church?
Respond
Identify an area of your life that needs to be more transparent and truthful so that God is clearly more central. Do one thing today that can move you in that direction.
Pray for the Spirit to guide your every action so that you might shine forth God’s truths more brightly.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
I Peter 1:13-25
Read 1 Peter 1:13‐25 slowly and prayerfully. What words or phrases stand out for you?
13Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ 17If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you.
Reflect
What does it mean to be holy?
What is the relationship between being purified and love?
How genuine and deep is your love for others in your church?
Respond
Make one adjustment in your thinking and behavior that allows you to be more disciplined and hopeful as described in verse 13.
13Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when he is revealed. 14Like obedient children, do not be conformed to the desires that you formerly had in ignorance. 15Instead, as he who called you is holy, be holy yourselves in all your conduct; 16for it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’ 17If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. 24For ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, 25but the word of the Lord endures for ever.’ That word is the good news that was announced to you.
Reflect
What does it mean to be holy?
What is the relationship between being purified and love?
How genuine and deep is your love for others in your church?
Respond
Make one adjustment in your thinking and behavior that allows you to be more disciplined and hopeful as described in verse 13.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Catch Fire in 50 Days
Read Acts 4:32‐37 slowly and prayerfully. What words or phrases stand out for you?
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). 37He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Reflect
Are you of one heart and mind with other believers?
What is the relationship between being filled with the Holy Spirit and the believers unity, sharing of possessions and powerful testimony?
How might you express your generosity more extravagantly?
Respond
Do one simple thing that brings your faith community a step closer to being of “one heart and soul.”
OR
Demonstrate your extravagant generosity today.
Now the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common. 33With great power the apostles gave their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all.
34There was not a needy person among them, for as many as owned lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold. 35They laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. 36 There was a Levite, a native of Cyprus, Joseph, to whom the apostles gave the name Barnabas (which means ‘son of encouragement’). 37He sold a field that belonged to him, then brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
Reflect
Are you of one heart and mind with other believers?
What is the relationship between being filled with the Holy Spirit and the believers unity, sharing of possessions and powerful testimony?
How might you express your generosity more extravagantly?
Respond
Do one simple thing that brings your faith community a step closer to being of “one heart and soul.”
OR
Demonstrate your extravagant generosity today.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Bible Study for Catch Fire in 50 Days
Acts 3:11‐16
Reflect
According to Peter, what was his role in the healing of the beggar?
What is the main content of Peter’s message?
What does it mean to do something “in the name of Jesus”?
Respond
Be on the lookout for what Jesus wants you to do today in His name.
Pray for God to reveal to you who God wants you to bless today to keep the fire of the Spirit’s
movement burning.
Reflect
According to Peter, what was his role in the healing of the beggar?
What is the main content of Peter’s message?
What does it mean to do something “in the name of Jesus”?
Respond
Be on the lookout for what Jesus wants you to do today in His name.
Pray for God to reveal to you who God wants you to bless today to keep the fire of the Spirit’s
movement burning.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Please see Devotionals
Hi Everyone - there will be a break from entries in the Bible Study Online portion. But we will be posting some devotionals for the Lenten season. God bless you!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Amos 6-7
An added note on Amos 5:4-5. ‘Seek me and live, but do not seek Bethel, and do not enter into Gilgal or cross over to Beersheba.’ This involves a word play on two meanings of the verb darash, “seek.” Originally it was the word used of having going to a prophet or seer or priest trying to getting divine answer or decision. (Ex 18:15; I Sam 9:9 I Kings 3:11) The word came to be used also in a deeper sense of a longing for God, rather than just for something God could give. “Live” is also used here in more than physical existence, instead speaking of life lived richly in the right relationship to God.
6:9 – And if ten men remain in one house... This is a realistic account of the horrors of an epidemic related to a siege. Or, as the class brought up, the kinds of epidemic that occurs with any number of natural disasters.
Imagine the emotional impact of being the lone survivor in the household and understanding this to be the judgment of God. “Hush! We must not mention the name of the LORD.”
6:11 – may be referring to the earthquake (mentioned at the beginning of he book)
6:12 – earlier in the book came a series of “of course” type questions. Now are two similar questions, but these of “of course not,” questions. The corruption of injustice in Israel is completely unnatural
You who rejoice in Lo-debar – a word play - The place name of Lo-debar is similar to the Hebrew lo dhabhar, which means a “thing of naught.”
Karnaim – (KJV translates as horns) is also the name of a town, probably Ashteroth-karnaim of Genesis 14:5 in the same region. Karnaim means horns, symbols of power – Deut 33:17 – Scholars speculate that these two relatively insignificant locations was for the sake of the word play upon their names.
Verse 14 – The main body of the oracles of Amos conclude here. Some scholars think verse 14 might even have been by the editor who collected them together soon after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the words here being a summary of what happened, a vindication of everything Amos had proclaimed.
Amos 7 begins a series of visions. They are autobiographical and are spoken in the first person. The visions constitute Amos’ call to be a prophet and his preparation for it. He may have written/recorded this part of the story after he returned to Tekoa.
The first is of locusts descending. Anyone who may have read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s account of the locusts, may have some feel for the horror of watching your food and work being gobbled by tens of thousands of hungry insects. Amos asks God to relent, not because Israel deserves it, but simply based on God’s pity, saying the Israel is, after all, too small to bear it. God relents (does not here forgive).
Another vision comes of fire, and again Amos asks God to relent. This is followed by a brief account of the high priest of Bethel in Israel writing to King Jeroboam and accusing Amos of being too hard on the people and predicting death to the king. Amos’ response to the priest is harsh, which is not difficult to understand. After all, the priest as a religious leader should be the one leading the reform in Israel, bringing justice.
Amos then tells of another vision, of God standing by a house built with a plumb line and holding a plumb line. The plumb-line is an ancient architectural tool used to determine a straight and therefore sturdy wall.
The plumb-line reference is commonly quoted from Amos. Ironically, it is a mistranslation. The original text had to do with a wall of tin and God holding tin in hand. The exact meaning and purpose of this is a challenge to understand 2800 years later. An earnest medieval translator came up with the plumb-line translation. Although scholars know it is incorrect, the plumb-line is used in almost all translations. And, after all, it is an wonderfully apt mistranslation. The fact that the people were not and still are not living by God’s “plumb-line,” i.e. God’s standards, is irrefutable.
A fun challenge would be to come up with our own personal paraphrase, trying to use double-word meanings or puns in the same way that Amos did. (One translator suggested a silver wall, holding silver while everything shivered.)
6:9 – And if ten men remain in one house... This is a realistic account of the horrors of an epidemic related to a siege. Or, as the class brought up, the kinds of epidemic that occurs with any number of natural disasters.
Imagine the emotional impact of being the lone survivor in the household and understanding this to be the judgment of God. “Hush! We must not mention the name of the LORD.”
6:11 – may be referring to the earthquake (mentioned at the beginning of he book)
6:12 – earlier in the book came a series of “of course” type questions. Now are two similar questions, but these of “of course not,” questions. The corruption of injustice in Israel is completely unnatural
You who rejoice in Lo-debar – a word play - The place name of Lo-debar is similar to the Hebrew lo dhabhar, which means a “thing of naught.”
Karnaim – (KJV translates as horns) is also the name of a town, probably Ashteroth-karnaim of Genesis 14:5 in the same region. Karnaim means horns, symbols of power – Deut 33:17 – Scholars speculate that these two relatively insignificant locations was for the sake of the word play upon their names.
Verse 14 – The main body of the oracles of Amos conclude here. Some scholars think verse 14 might even have been by the editor who collected them together soon after the fall of the Northern Kingdom, the words here being a summary of what happened, a vindication of everything Amos had proclaimed.
Amos 7 begins a series of visions. They are autobiographical and are spoken in the first person. The visions constitute Amos’ call to be a prophet and his preparation for it. He may have written/recorded this part of the story after he returned to Tekoa.
The first is of locusts descending. Anyone who may have read Laura Ingalls Wilder’s account of the locusts, may have some feel for the horror of watching your food and work being gobbled by tens of thousands of hungry insects. Amos asks God to relent, not because Israel deserves it, but simply based on God’s pity, saying the Israel is, after all, too small to bear it. God relents (does not here forgive).
Another vision comes of fire, and again Amos asks God to relent. This is followed by a brief account of the high priest of Bethel in Israel writing to King Jeroboam and accusing Amos of being too hard on the people and predicting death to the king. Amos’ response to the priest is harsh, which is not difficult to understand. After all, the priest as a religious leader should be the one leading the reform in Israel, bringing justice.
Amos then tells of another vision, of God standing by a house built with a plumb line and holding a plumb line. The plumb-line is an ancient architectural tool used to determine a straight and therefore sturdy wall.
The plumb-line reference is commonly quoted from Amos. Ironically, it is a mistranslation. The original text had to do with a wall of tin and God holding tin in hand. The exact meaning and purpose of this is a challenge to understand 2800 years later. An earnest medieval translator came up with the plumb-line translation. Although scholars know it is incorrect, the plumb-line is used in almost all translations. And, after all, it is an wonderfully apt mistranslation. The fact that the people were not and still are not living by God’s “plumb-line,” i.e. God’s standards, is irrefutable.
A fun challenge would be to come up with our own personal paraphrase, trying to use double-word meanings or puns in the same way that Amos did. (One translator suggested a silver wall, holding silver while everything shivered.)
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