ALL CHANGE
Opening Prayer
As I read about the experiences of men, women, and children in your Word, Father, show me what I can learn from them for my own walk with you.
Read ACTS 11:1–18
Peter Explains His Actions
11 The apostles and the believers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God. 2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticized him 3 and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.”
4 Starting from the beginning, Peter told them the whole story: 5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision. I saw something like a large sheet being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came down to where I was. 6 I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles and birds. 7 Then I heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.’
8 “I replied, ‘Surely not, Lord! Nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’
9 “The voice spoke from heaven a second time, ‘Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.’ 10 This happened three times, and then it was all pulled up to heaven again.
11 “Right then three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea stopped at the house where I was staying. 12 The Spirit told me to have no hesitation about going with them. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 13 He told us how he had seen an angel appear in his house and say, ‘Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. 14 He will bring you a message through which you and all your household will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came on them as he had come on us at the beginning. 16 Then I remembered what the Lord had said: ‘John baptized with[a] water, but you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.’ 17 So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”
18 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.”
Footnotes
- Acts 11:16 Or in
- Acts 11:16 Or in
New International Version (NIV)Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
Recall times when the way that you see things has changed.Peter may have changed his thinking, but some of the leaders in Jerusalem hadn’t. Peter no doubt expected criticism about his time in Caesarea—and he got it (v. 2). Old habits and old understandings die hard. But listening to what God had done, these leaders saw that change was coming. It would be easy from our perspective to criticize them—and in his letters Paul had quite a bit to say about those who refused to change their way of thinking—but how often do we stick with our own attitudes even when God is calling us to change?
We could benefit from cultivating an attitude open to change. Keep an open mind. There is always the possibility that the way we have always seen things may be wrong or that God may be doing something new. Listen carefully. Rather than dismissing Peter, believers listened to his account. When we disagree, listening to others is important. Look at what God is doing. If that goes against what we think, then we may have to change. Have a big heart. They didn’t like what was happening, but they saw it as God’s doing and praised him. Let’s be generous even when things don’t go the way we would like.
Apply
Are there changes happening in your church life that you find difficult? Pray that God will help you to see the right way forward.
Closing prayer
Thank you, Holy Spirit, for leading me. Help me to follow, especially when you call me to things that are new or different for me.
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