Day Twenty

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 4:32-37 and selected extracts from Deut. 15

32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. 36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.

…there need be no poor people among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today…7 If anyone is poor among your people in any of the towns of the land the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward them. 8 Rather, be openhanded and freely lend them whatever they need…10 Give generously to them and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward those of your people who are poor and needy in your land.

I experienced Acts-4-style generosity just last week when my car needed repairing and someone immediately offered me theirs to use until I could get it fixed.

• In what ways have you experienced the generosity of others during this last week? Thank God for those things.

If you have a bit longer :-)

• Are there some possessions that you have that you are more willing to share than others? Why is this? Should we be willing to literally share everything or is it okay to have some things that we don’t allow others to use/borrow?
• Is there anything of Acts-4-style generosity that you could engage in this week?

Day Nineteen

If you have 5 minutes!

Acts 4 records the first time that some of the disciples are imprisoned for their faith. Sadly, this has also been the experience of many Christians from that time on.

Read the reflections of a guy called Jonny, who decided to spend 24 hours in solitary confinement to raise awareness of the plight of Christians who are imprisoned for their faith.[1]

Over the BLACKOUT weekend I decided to do a 24 hour sponsored solitary confinement – no food, no drink, no outside communication, no internet, no Bible, no toilet. Before entering my prison cell (a shed at the bottom of a friend's garden) I hadn't thought much about what the experience would be like; I just knew that I wanted to – I needed to – do something. Make a stand, push some boundaries, raise some support. I started by reading some memoirs by Asia Bibi, a sister imprisoned and sentenced with the death penalty under Pakistan's blasphemy law. The book is in French, but it didn't take much more than my GCSE standard to pick up words like "fatigue", "agonie", "cruelle" and "souffre". I was saddened, inspired, challenged. Asia Bibi is an emblem of injustice. She's in it for the long term, not just 24 hours. Why? Because she follows Jesus, and she won't deny it. As I drifted to sleep I could hear stray fireworks and faded traffic, what would a prisoner in a North Korean labour camp hear? What would an inmate in the notorious prisons of Iran hear? Sobbing? A beating? Nothing? Being a November night there was a constant chill, but nothing that my hoody and socks couldn't fend off. What would it be like in an Eritrean shipping container in the middle of the desert when the sun disappears? I will never forget the words of Helen (who was locked in these very shipping containers): "If I could sing in prison, imagine how you can use your freedom for God's glory!" Just imagine.

As daylight penetrated the gaps in the blinds, I sat and reflected – my mind dancing from thought to thought, unable to stay put. "I'm missing a football match." But what would they be missing? Family. Education and occupation. Everything. I had with me some letters of encouragement from the past few years. They really were so encouraging! In just the short time I had been cut off, I could feel it, I hated it. These letters gave life. I can only imagine what they must do for persecuted prisoners.[2] Guessing the time is a strange thing. It's only ever a glance down at my phone or an ask of a passer-by away. I started to think about what it would be like waiting; waiting to be dragged out, waiting to be tortured, waiting to be killed. Or maybe, just maybe, waiting to be released. To feel the sun on your face, to dwell in the embrace of a loved one. To taste your favourite foods again.

 I was reminded by the words of Psalm 46: "Be silent, and know that I am God... The Lord Almighty is here among us." Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised when we hear of miraculous releases, imprisoned believers being strengthened by visions, or guards coming to know Jesus, or believers using their own clothes to clear up the crap in fellow prisoner's cells. God is still God. His grace is enough.

 Philippians 2:4 also came to my mind. I didn't know it by heart (challenge one), but as I later came to read, it states: "Don't think only about your own affairs, but be interested in others, too, and what they are doing." (challenge two) How quick I am to think of myself. But this faith, this walk with Jesus, is a community thing. The most important thing is to love God and love others. It's upside-down thinking. Hebrews 10:24 says, "Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of love and good deeds." Yes! Let's scheme and get into some holy mischief![3] Time passed as I prayed and pondered. Silence is a strange thing, my stomach grumbles seemed surround-sound, but were soon drowned out by the uprising of fireworks. I started to think about Egypt, Libya, Syria, Yemen and the other nations undergoing tense revolution. Will it be better, will it be worse? I was comforted by a phone call just days earlier with friends in Egypt, hearing of ongoing ministry. Toiling for the Kingdom.

Darkness descended, another day was closing. I was almost done. But for persecuted believers around the world, what next? Well, I believe there is hope. And I believe we can be torch-bearers of this hope."If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honoured, all the parts are glad." (1 Cor. 12:26) We're in this together. Join with us, and refuse to live in a world that doesn't care.

If you have a bit longer :-)

Spend some time praying for Christians who are currently imprisoned for their faith and their families. For help with this, you can visit: www.opendoorsuk.org

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[1] See https://www.facebook.com/notes/open-doors-youth/blackout-experience/390516919985

[2] You can write letters of encouragement right now! Visit http://www.opendoorsuk.org/resources/letter/  

[3] Shane Claiborne

Day Eighteen

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 4:23-31

23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against his anointed one.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.

I used to work at a life skills centre for young people who were unable to access either work or further education. This was rewarding work but definitely had its ups and downs. One particular down I remember clearly: we had lost control; there were chairs being turned over; raised voices; accusations that we’d never done anything to help them, we didn’t care, everything we did was wrong and so on! For someone who’s not a conflict fan (in that I find it uncomfortable rather than I don’t think it has any value!), I was way out of my comfort zone – what was happening was what I had, for some time, feared and now there it was, playing out with no seeming way to calm things down.

The next day, I attended the teaching course I’d been taking and this week it was the turn of the mini-teach: a 20-minute slot in which we could teach anything we wanted to the rest of the group. Sometime back, I’d decided to teach something from the Bible and had been dreading it for weeks: What will people think? Will it go terribly? Will people be offended? And yet, when it came to it I had an amazing sense of peace; however badly it went, there was no way it was going to be as difficult and uncomfortable as the previous day’s events! And so, for that brief moment, I felt a fresh freedom. I’d faced one of my worst fears and survived. In comparison this mini-teach seemed like a breeze!

Now, sadly, this sense of freedom didn’t last too long but it did teach me a lot. The age-old classic really is true: the best way to overcome your fears is to face them! (Although being true doesn’t necessarily make this any easier!!!)

The reason I say all of this is that, when I picture Peter and John going back to the others and reporting on what had happened, I get the sense that rather than knock the confidence out of them, their brush with the authorities has spurred them on. They’ve faced their first set back, survived (even come out on top!) and are ready to go again.

• Are there difficulties that you’ve faced that God has used for good in some way? What does this show us about God? Does the fact that God can use even difficulties for good mean that these difficulties are any less difficult (if that makes sense!)?
• How do you feel when you have opportunities to share your faith in Christ with others? Does the emotion of fear factor into this at all? If so, maybe we can imitate the disciples by asking God to grant us boldness in this.

If you have a bit longer :-)

Pray for people you know who don’t know of God’s love in Christ and ask God to help you show or say something of him to them this week.

Day Seventeen

If you have 5 minutes!

Read Acts 4:5-22 and Luke 20:1-8

5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.” 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name given under heaven by which we must be saved.” 13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” 18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.

1 One day as Jesus was teaching the people in the temple courts and proclaiming the good news, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, together with the elders, came up to him. 2 “Tell us by what authority you are doing these things,” they said. “Who gave you this authority?” 3 He replied, “I will also ask you a question. Tell me, 4 John’s baptism—was it from heaven, or of human origin?” 5 They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Why didn’t you believe him?’ 6 But if we say, ‘Of human origin,’ all the people will stone us, because they are persuaded that John was a prophet.”7 So they answered, “We don’t know where it was from.” 8 Jesus said, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I am doing these things.”

There are some obvious parallels here between the experience of the disciples and that of Jesus before them. It is firstly significant that Luke mentions Annas and Caiaphas – two men strongly connected with Jesus’ unjust trial (John 18:12). Secondly, as with Jesus before them, the disciples’ authority is questioned and – again like Jesus – their answer renders their accusers speechless (Acts 4:14 cf. Luke 20:7). Further, as v. 19 shows, they are adept at using questions!

• Conrad Gempf has written a very insightful book called “Jesus Asked?” – which you can check out in podcast form for FREE!!![1] Do any of Jesus’ questions stand out to you as being particularly effective and/or pertinent? In terms of engaging with people who have different beliefs to your own, do you think as carefully about what questions you could ask as you do about what answers you can provide?

It seems odd that the religious leaders should feel so aggrieved by this man’s healing and the message of the resurrection of the dead; surely both are good news?

• Why do you think they were unhappy about these things? Is their behaviour a challenge or warning to us in any way?

If you have a bit longer :-)

• Why do you think both Jesus and the disciples were asked about the source of their authority/power? Are there ever situations in which we may want to ask this question?

About the disciples, Max Lucado writes:

They aren’t the same men. Oh, I know they look like it. They have the same names. The same faces. The same mannerisms. They look the same. But they aren’t. On the surface they appear no different. Peter is still brazen. Nathanael is still reflective. Philip is still calculating. They look the same. But they aren’t. They aren’t the same men you read about in the last four books. The fellows you got to know in the Gospels? These are the ones, but different. You’ll see it. As you read you’ll see it. In their eyes. You hear it in their voices. You feel it in their passion. These men have changed…[2]

The religious leader’s are astonished at Peter and John’s courage; this same Peter who, just weeks earlier, had denied even knowing Jesus.

• In what ways has an encounter with the risen Christ changed you? Do we reflect on this enough? Why is it important to do so?

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[1] http://conradgempf.christian.net/ja/podcast-page.htm

[2] Max Lucado, “Acts,” pg. vii.

Day Sixteen

If you have 5 minutes (well, maybe 10!)

Read Acts 4:1-4 and Revelation 12

1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.

1 A great and wondrous sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who “will rule all the nations with an iron scepter.”[a] And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days. 7 And there was war in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: “Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. 12 Therefore rejoice, you heavens and you who dwell in them! But woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short.” 13 When the dragon saw that he had been hurled to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child. 14 The woman was given the two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly to the place prepared for her in the wilderness, where she would be taken care of for a time, times and half a time, out of the serpent’s reach. 15 Then from his mouth the serpent spewed water like a river, to overtake the woman and sweep her away with the torrent. 16 But the earth helped the woman by opening its mouth and swallowing the river that the dragon had spewed out of his mouth. 17 Then the dragon was enraged at the woman and went off to make war against the rest of her offspring—those who keep God’s commands and hold fast their testimony about Jesus.

There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. (CS Lewis, “The Screwtape Letters”)

I play hockey and before each game our coach gives a team talk within which he points out some of our opposition’s strengths and weaknesses: “Number 9 has scored 10 goals already this season so we need someone to stick on her at all times. Last time we played them, their left defender was weak, so let’s attack hard down that side” and so on. However, this critique of the opposition, while an important part of his talk, is never the main focus. Rather, our coach spends the majority of the time reminding us of our strengths (and – to a lesser extent – weaknesses) and instructing us on any particular strategies we are to employ during the game.

John Stott notes that, while earlier on in Acts we are presented with an almost idyllic picture of the early Christian community, it is not long before opposition is encountered. Behind this opposition – although only not explicitly mentioned until chapter 5 – is the unseen reality of Satan who, Stott argues, employs three main weapons: violent persecution; moral compromise (e.g. 5:1-10) and the danger of exposure to false teaching (6:1-4 – from which we could also add disunity and strife amongst the believers). We should, he goes on, therefore read Acts and Revelation side by side: “Both tell much the same tale of the church and its experience of conflict, but from a different perspective. Luke in Acts chronicles what unfolded on the stage of history before the eyes of observers; John in the Revelation enables us to see hidden forces at work.”[1]

However, while it is important to be aware of Satan and his strategies – as it helps us to deal more wisely with them – it is, as CS Lewis points out (and Stott would concur), unwise to focus too much on this! Further, here, as elsewhere, the opposition causes harm to particular individuals but cannot stop the spread of the church at large, which – on the contrary – continues to grow.

• Thinking about the equal and opposite errors that CS Lewis describes (denying/ignoring the existence of Satan versus over-focusing on him), which are you more inclined to and why? Is there anything you could/should do to rectify this?
• Are there any areas in your life now where you face opposition? What form does this take? What (and/or who) has God given you to help you overcome this opposition/persevere through it?

If you have a bit longer :-)

Read Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

One morning last week, I received a text from a friend who had felt prompted by the Spirit to pray for me and asked if there was anything in particular I’d appreciate prayer for; which was great because there was!

• Who could you hold up in prayer today? Are there regular people who you have committed yourself to pray for? Is there anyone you could drop a note to, letting them know that you’re praying for them?
• When away from our family and friends overseas, it can be particularly encouraging to know that people back home are praying for you. Look at the list of OHers currently living overseas[2] and choose one or more of them to pray for today. If there’s anything particular you pray for, or any notes of encouragement or Bible verses that you want to send to them, let me know and I’ll pass these on.

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[1] See John Stott, “Acts,” pgs. 88-89.

[2] The Annecy Team (the McKnights, Ali, Vicky, Georgie, Aaron & Yannick); Si Surge in Spain; Emma in Australia; Paul, Benj and Esther in Cambodia; Gav in China; Gill in Morocco; Si Guillebaud in Berundi.