“Then after fasting and praying they laid their hands on them and sent them off.” – Acts 13:3

What a terrific example! The church in Antioch was worshiping, fasting, and praying. The Holy Spirit told them to set Barnabas and Saul (Paul) apart for special work. And the church did, right then and there. They finished fasting and praying, then they laid on hands and off they went!

No lengthy period of planning. No long process of further discussing what God had revealed. No coordination process. Simple, immediate obedience. It’s as beautiful as it is remarkable.

Are we willing to do the same today? Surely some are, but for the most part we seem much, more “deliberate” in obeying God’s call. We take our time. We consider our cost. Sometimes we indulge our doubts and fears.

Were things easier or less complicated then? Perhaps in some ways, but certainly not overall. Surely we’d agree that it’s easier to travel and arrange logistics today. Many of the hazards of that day are much diminished now. Finances and some job skills are more portable than ever.

The challenge is really one of commitment. When God speaks, are we willing to act decisively? Even when it’s hard, risky, or completely new and different (as it was in Antioch)? The challenges of advancing God’s Kingdom in our 21st century world require the same fidelity and flexibility demonstrated by the Christians of Antioch in the 1st century. Will we reshape our personal walk with Jesus and our church life to more nimbly follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?

“A gentle tongue is a tree of life,
but perverseness in it breaks the spirit.”
– Proverbs 15:4

What a power we carry around inside our mouths!!! When our words are gentle, they are a source of bountiful life, nourishment, and refreshment to others. When our words are perverse, ungodly, harsh, cruel, malicious, gossiping, or false they can break the precious spirit of people made in the image of God. People for whom Christ died…

Think about this proverb, and decide what you want to be – a tree of life or a breaker of spirits. Having a gentle tongue doesn’t mean you have to agree with everything or affirm whatever someone else says or does. A gentle tongue can be firm, loving, honest, caring, and truthful. It can disagree respectfully, lovingly, and firmly. It can validate and affirm relationships and human dignity without validating or affirming things contrary to God’s will, teaching, or design.

A gentle tongue presents the truth of the Gospel and the teachings of God’s word in a way that is loving and more likely to be heard. It literally speaks life into someone spiritually broken or dead.

Gentleness of tongue should be the desire of every Christian, because gentleness is part of the Fruit of the Spirit. Gentleness should naturally flow out of our ever-deepening relationship with Jesus Christ. Indeed, a spirit-breaking tongue should be considered a warning sign that something is wrong with our walk with Jesus! So, which kind of tongue do you have and which kind do you desire?

“When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, ‘Stand up; I too am a man.'” – Acts 10:25-26

Our culture loves celebrities! It seems to many that everything sounds better and wiser coming from a famous leader, expert, or scholar. This is certainly true in contemporary American Christian culture. Vast empires have been built on the teaching and preaching of celebrity Christians. While many of these leaders humbly and faithfully serve God, others have badly missed the mark. At all times, both leaders and followers must remember that like Peter, they are only human and unworthy of worship.

When leaders or followers lose sight of the fact that every human is flawed, weak, prone to temptation, and made strongly only through Christ working in them, disaster awaits! Accountability gets lost, humility disappears, and dependence on Christ is forgotten. When appreciation turns toward idolatry, people get pointed away from Christ and toward a human who will inevitably fail them.

Only Jesus is worthy of worship! It is good to appreciate hard-working Christian leaders and teachers, but Jesus must always be our one and only Lord and King. Every Christian leader and teacher – regardless of the size of their flock or following must consistently point people to Jesus as the solution and satisfaction for their deepest hungers and hurts. If that isn’t happening, it’s time to return to the simple word of Peter, “Stand up; I too am a man.”

“And the voice came to him again a second time, ‘What God has made clean, do not call common.'” – Acts 10:15

The vision Peter received in Joppa was a critical moment God used to prepare his stubborn heart to welcome non-Jewish people into the church! While he originally thought it was only about food, he quickly learned that what God had always promised was really true – He desires to draw to Himself a family comprised of people from every nation, language, and tribe! Every person who believes in Jesus is made clean and we do NOT get to call them common!

That was a hard concept for established church members from “proper” Jewish backgrounds like Peter. It can still be a hard concept for us today. God desires for many to be saved from all walks of life, all places of birth, all races, all backgrounds, all social statuses, and all prior life experiences. God’s grace offered through Christ isn’t limited to people who look a certain way or act a certain way. Rather, He’s seeking to save the lost and welcome them all into His family and His church. Like Peter, we must be constantly open to God’s working in the hearts of those different from us, so that we may be as welcoming as Jesus Himself!

“And he said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And he said, ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do.'” – Acts 9:5-6

Isn’t it amazing how Jesus can instantly transform His most determined enemy into His most world-changing Apostle? Saul (aka Paul) was zealous for God but hated Jesus – until he met Him!. In that moment, Saul was utterly changed, a new creation in Christ. The persecutor of the church became the planter of many churches.

May Paul’s example be a wonderful encouragement for us to never give up on those opposed to Jesus. We must be diligent and faithful to pray for those opposed to the Gospel, to pray for those opposed to Christianity, and to pray for those opposed to or persecuting the church.

Only Jesus can transform enemies into allies in a heartbeat! Throughout history, some of His most faithful evangelists and ministers were once fervent opponents. Thus we remember that nobody is too far gone in this life to be redeemed and transformed by Christ’s grace and mercy. May Jesus once again do a mighty work in this world, changing many of those opposed to Him and His Word into enthusiastic proclaimers of life and hope in Him!