Acts – Timothy West

How to gain Christ, give you life to Him and Go!

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The call to serve Christ will not be easy.

The word of God shows us that Paul began to learn that pain, struggles and oppression awaited him in the next town he was visiting!

And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. (Acts 20:22, 23 ESV)

As Paul I too want to be lead by the spirit and even though the cost may be great, I want to be totally willing to lay aside the concerns of the flesh in order to share the Gospel.

The Holy Spirit can speak to us and tell us about things to come. Don’t worry if you are not sure who is speaking here (I think we sometimes don’t think the Holy Spirit can tell us it’s going to be tough). The word tells us that many times it won’t be easy and we need to learn this as disciples of Christ as sometimes we think its all going to be comfy and cushty!

Then Paul says possibly the most amazing line of one who is fully committed to making Christ known!

But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. (Acts 20:24 ESV)

We can learn from this hugely – reading this inspires me because I too want to live like this, totally committed to making Christ Know. Reality is it won’t be easy and it’s all very well to say yes yes yes – no now we need to actually live it!

Luke the evangelist wrote ( it is very interesting that Luke almost certainly wrote the Acts of the apostles and so it’s brilliant to see unity in both Luke and Paul’s heart about what Jesus taught) about the huge cost of being a disciple. It’s not an easy walk!

Jesus said “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. (Luke 14:26, 27 ESV)

Finally I leave you with Paul’s writings from Phillipians. Brothers and sisters even though Christs call may be hugely challenging the reward is Christ Himself.

We gain Christ as we go for Christ!

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith— that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead. (Philippians 3:7-11 ESV)

My dear friends as you read this I pray that you get a glimpse of eternity and the need to live for Christ wholeheartedly, totally sold out for His Cause. Lets give, lets go, all for Jesus Sake!

21/04/2013

Prayer and giving to the poor! Bible Study Acts 10 Part 1

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Bible study on Acts 10

Part 1 Read Acts 10 – Verses 1-8

The first thing to say is that God speaks in visions, dreams and even through angels! Scripture shows us that He can speak so clearly like this. God is the same yesterday today and forever and so we can and must expect God to keep speaking like this in these days!

Cornelius was a upright respected man. He was a God fearing man and a man that prayed to God continually. He gave to the poor and was well spoken off!

So when ever I read of angelic visitations like this I ask myself what was the reason for it. How is that Cornelius was so blessed to Recieve this. I’m not saying there is a formula to see angels I’m just interested in the context at which they visited.

Cornelius is for us a good role model in how we must be pressing in to God and walking righteously in our lives.

“Noun 1.alms-giving – making voluntary contributions to aid the poor”

a devout man who feared God with all his household, gave alms generously to the people, and prayed continually to God……..And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to hear what you have to say.” (Acts 10:2, 22 ESV)

So Cornelius encounters and Angel of The Lord. It’s so overwhelming he thinks is The Lord himself. It must have been terrifically terrifying as he tells us. Simply amazing.

1) The very first thing The angel does is affirms him and his dedication and commitment to prayer and giving to the poor. This indicates to me that we must be doing this first and foremost part of our culture and way of living before The Lord. God was pleased with these prayers and offerings and they had ascended to heaven as a memorial before God. This shows us that God hears our prayers and sees our generosity to the poor. The awesome thing here is that its memorial before the Lord he doesn’t forget It. Verse 4. So it’s clear that prayer and giving is a key to part of Gods supernatural workings.

2) The angel tells him to send for Peter and gives him explicit detail as to where he is. So God is precise when he speaks. It was the names and the location which would have been more then enough to find them! He really is exact and precise.

3) The important part now is that Cornelius obeys and actions this immediately. He doesn’t hang around. How often does God speak to us and we procrastinate and not action and do what he has told us?

So in this small Chunk of Scripture there is so much we can take from it.

How can we be upright men and women of God in this day and age much like Cornelius?

Who is with me in committing daily to prayer and providing for the poor?

02/04/2013