Acts 11:22-23 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts. When the church leaders in Jerusalem heard about the rapid growth of the church in Antioch, they had lots of questions. Because the church in Jerusalem was strongly Jewish in character, there were some who were deeply suspicious of what was going on in Antioch. Their concern was that the followers of Jesus should follow the Old Testament law. They needed to send someone who would be able to understand the non-Jewish background of most of the new converts in Antioch and who could give them plenty of encouragement. They made a very good choice when they selected Barnabas. Barnabas was well known for his gift of encouragement. When we first meet Barnabas in Acts 4:36-37, Luke notes that his name means “son of encouragement”. That particular gift was crucial at this moment. If one of the other leaders from Jerusalem had visited Antioch and demanded that they should all follow the Jewish law, it could have been incredibly destructive. When Barnabas got to Antioch, all he could do was rejoice! In his joy, he encouraged the church to keep it up and to stay true to the Lord. Making good appointments was crucial in the early Church, and it still is today. We need to pray that God will raise up an army of wise and godly encouragers. Question Who has been the greatest encourager in your Christian life? Prayer Loving God, thank you for all those to whom You have given the special gift of encouragement. Amen

Acts 11:2-3 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers criticised him and said, “You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them.” Criticism always stings. It must have been so hard for Peter to face a barrage of criticism when he returned home to Jerusalem. God had given him a vision and opened his eyes to a new world in which He wanted to welcome everyone to Himself, whether or not they were Jews. How discouraging it must have been to face up to his critics, but we can learn a lot from the way that he did so. Peter would have fully understood where his critics were coming from because, before his recent revelation, he would have been saying exactly the same things himself. So he patiently went through his testimony. Peter’s hearers in Jerusalem were silenced by his story and offered no further objections. Instead, they praised God and acknowledged that he was now willing to accept even the Gentiles. It's never pleasant being criticised, but the best response is to do exactly what Peter did. He gave a calm and thoughtful account of his experiences, explaining how he had come to his conclusion. His moving testimony soon won over his critics. It is always a bad response to be defensive and, worst of all, to be rude. We all need to pray for the wisdom, strength and grace to handle all criticisms, however sharp they may be. In that way, God is honoured and people are built up. Question What have you learned from this story about how you could handle criticism in the future? Prayer Lord, please give me Your wisdom so that I may always respond to criticism with love, thoughtfulness and grace. Amen

Acts 10:44-45 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. This has often been described as the Gentile Pentecost. When the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples in Jerusalem, it was on the occasion of a major Jewish festival. But Jesus made it clear that the good news belonged to the whole world, so it was necessary for it to be firmly established that the Holy Spirit was poured out upon non-Jews. That’s exactly what happened here, to the great astonishment of the Jewish believers who had accompanied Peter. Peter had already learned that God has no favourites and that the doors had been flung open to non-Jews. However, there were many Jews who still struggled to believe that God would do such a thing. The book of Acts tells us how the good news of Jesus moved from its Jewish beginnings in Jerusalem all the way to Rome at the heart of the mighty Roman empire. It wasn’t a simple or straightforward journey, but ultimately nothing could stop the progress of the gospel because it belonged to the whole world. As we meet people today, we need to remind ourselves that the good news is God’s message of love to everyone. His desire is to pour out His Holy Spirit on everyone. Question What would it look like if God poured out His Spirit on the people you meet today? Prayer Lord God, I open my heart to Your Holy Spirit. Give me your wisdom and strength as I live for You today. Amen

Acts 10:34-36 Then Peter began to speak: “I now realise how true it is that God does not show favouritism but accepts from every nation the one who fears him and does what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.” This might not sound revolutionary, but we need to understand that Peter’s world had just been turned upside down. He had been brought up with the Old Testament idea that it was only the people of Israel whom God had chosen to be a special people. The Jews had been given very clear rules about what they should and shouldn’t eat. However, Peter had just had a vision in which he had been told to do the unthinkable. He’d seen a large sheet containing all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles and birds and had been told to eat any of them. His response was exactly the right one for any Jew: he said no. But then the voice said to him, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and then the penny dropped. God was telling him that the good of news of Jesus was no longer limited to the Jews. The doors had been flung open to the world. The Christian Church must always have its doors open to everyone. That’s what Jesus came to do. The moment we confine it to a narrow group of people, we have fundamentally missed the point. Question Is your church welcoming to every kind of person? If not, what could you do to make it so? Prayer Lord Jesus, thank you that Your arms are always open to everyone. Amen

Acts 10:1-2 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment. He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly. Cornelius is a fascinating character. He wasn’t a Jew and neither was he a follower of Jesus. He was a God-fearer, and the most positive things are said about him. He was generous, prayerful and willing that God should use him on this crucial mission to meet up with Peter (v5). Peter was a faithful Jew and struggled to imagine that God could work outside the Jewish nation. Cornelius was going to be the means of helping Peter to see God’s greater plans. It’s interesting that centurions occur on a number of occasions during Jesus’ ministry. It was the centurion on duty for Jesus’ crucifixion who concluded: “Surely he was the Son of God!” (Matthew 27:54). When I was young, I got the impression that there were two kinds of people: people who loved God and others who hated Him. But it’s not as simple as that. The Bible introduces us to many people who were not signed-up believers, yet in whose lives God was powerfully at work. Let’s give thanks that God is at work in the lives of many people who know nothing of the Bible or Jesus. We will definitely want to share with them the good news of Jesus, but we shouldn’t be surprised when we find that God is already working in their lives. Question Can you think of anyone you know who is not yet a Christian, but in whose life God is clearly at work? Prayer Dear Lord, thank you that You are at work in so many people’s lives. Amen

Psalm 127:1 Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain. The psalmist isn’t merely talking about house building in this famous psalm. He is talking about everything we build – a life, relationship, family, organisation, city or society. There is no point in building anything without God, because it is bound to fail. Throughout the Bible we are introduced to people who tried to go it alone. Adam and Eve are the supreme examples, but they were in fact merely setting the pace for a succession of people who felt they knew better than God and who tried to build their lives without Him. Jesus’ teaching about the vine is very similar to this verse. He concludes “apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). We simply weren’t created by God to act independently of Him. It doesn’t work. This psalm is entitled a psalm of Solomon, and he was supremely a builder. He had the privilege of building the awesome temple in Jerusalem and, at first, things went well. However, he didn’t remain faithful to God and was particularly disobedient in his sex life. God had warned him that he shouldn’t marry foreign wives because they might turn his heart away from God, and that’s exactly what happened, with disastrous consequences for him and the kingdom. The point is clear. We need to make sure we invite God to be the builder of our lives from day one, and then make sure that we keep close to Him as we continue to build. Question What does Solomon’s life teach you? Prayer Loving Father, thank you that You love me so much that You want to bless every part of my life. Amen

Psalm 126:5-6 Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy. Those who go out weeping, carrying seed to sow, will return with songs of joy, carrying sheaves with them. If you know anything about farming, you will know that it is hard work, but just imagine how incredibly tough it was in the psalmist’s day without the help of modern machinery. Planting was back-breaking work, but year by year the farmer would sow his seed with the confidence of knowing that, one day, there would be a harvest. We cannot be sure, but it seems as if this psalm was written in celebration of the return from exile. After years in Babylon, the people finally had the opportunity to return to their homeland. They’d had a tough time but now, at last, they were able to return to their beloved Jerusalem. Of course, we would all choose to avoid the tears and struggles. We would like to find a quick route to blessing, and if we find one, we shouldn’t turn it down! However, experience shows that normally the times of restoration and blessing follow after times of challenge and difficulty. Perhaps that was what was in James’ mind when he wrote: “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance” (James 1:2-3). Question What experience do you have of sowing in tears and reaping with joy? Prayer Lord God, thank you that You are with me all the time and that as I pass through tough times, I can be completely confident that You will bring me to a place of blessing and restoration. Amen

Psalm 125:1-2 Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion, which cannot be shaken but endures forever. As the mountains surround Jerusalem, so the LORD surrounds his people both now and forevermore. I love these Psalms of Ascent, which the pilgrims used as they travelled to Jerusalem. In this particular psalm, we almost get the feeling that we are travelling with them as they gaze at the mountains around Jerusalem. Even the mountains themselves spoke to them of the security that they had in God. I don’t find it surprising that Christians throughout the centuries have found pilgrimages helpful as a way of encouraging them to focus on God. The psalmists were always incredibly honest about the threats of life. There never seemed to be a shortage of enemies, and there were also internal threats and doubts. However, the psalmists were confident of their God, and time and again they spoke about God as their rock, fortress and high tower. The threats might have been real and scary, but God was always stronger. I am repeatedly struck by the speed with which people’s lives can change. It might be a heart attack, a road accident, a business collapse or the breakdown of a relationship. However strong one might be, such challenges are shaking moments. They test whether our foundations are secure or not. The psalmists’ world would have looked completely different from our own, and yet we share a similar need to be secure. We need to know that when the worst happens, God will still be by our side. Question In what ways does God’s security bless your life? Prayer Lord God, I thank you that You are my rock and that I can always be confident in You, however tough life might be. Amen

Psalm 124:8 Our help is in the name of the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. I wonder if you ever have “what if” conversations. You know the sort of thing: “What if I’d had a different career? What if I’d gone to a different school? What if we’d moved to a different town?” In this psalm, David reflected on an even bigger question: “What if the Lord had not been on our side?” As the pilgrims made their way up to Jerusalem, he encouraged them to think about how terrible life would have been without God. It might seem a strange thing to do, but perhaps all of us, from time to time, should stand back from life and just imagine what it would be like if God had not been with us. This should fuel two responses. Firstly, it should strengthen our gratitude for all that God has done for us. It is so easy for us to take God for granted, especially if we have been Christians for many years. But there is a second reason why it is good to have “what if” thoughts: they can help us to focus our thoughts and prayers on those around us who do not know the Lord. They live their days without the security of knowing God’s love and care. Let’s allow our “what if” thinking to spur us in our prayers for them. Question What would your life be like if you hadn’t given your life to Christ? Prayer Loving God, thank you for the security that You have given me, for time and eternity. Amen

Acts 9:27 But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He told them how Saul on his journey had seen the Lord and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus. Friends are a precious gift, and we all need them. Saul found himself in a delicate position when he visited Jerusalem for the first time after his conversion and he desperately needed a really good friend. His visit came a couple of years after his encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus, and many people in Jerusalem would have remembered what kind of man he used to be. Barnabas took it upon himself to introduce Saul to the apostles. This was a crucial moment and Barnabas, whose name meant son of encouragement, was just the friend Saul needed. We all face difficult times in life, and those are the moments that reveal who our true friends are. The fair-weather friends rush for cover at such times. They are nowhere to be seen. However, true friends stand with us whatever the circumstances. I’m sure you, like me, can immediately think of people who have shown that kind of solid friendship. The most wonderful example of friendship in the Bible was between David and Jonathan. They lived with constant danger and appalling pressures but, right to the end, they were completely faithful to one another. Thank God for the amazing gift of friendship! Question In what ways have friends been a blessing in your life? Prayer Loving God, help me to be like Barnabas by being faithful and encouraging to my friends. Amen