Good weekend to you my “Walking with Jesus” friends,
When you watch the news summaries of what is happening around the world simultaneously are you amazed? What really astounds me when I watch global reports, is considering the fact that God is watching all of it happen in real-time and at the same time God knows the future of each of those newsworthy events, and every person involved in each!
In the past few days in Acts 9 we’ve been looking closely at the radical transformation of angry Pharisee named Saul of Tarsus being transformed into a passionate follower of Jesus Christ! As I left you yesterday, we were watching Saul sail away from the coastal city of Caesarea heading to his hometown of Tarsus. Saul was in desperate need of some extended time in a safe place to think, pray and seek to understand from God what had happened to him in Damascus, Syria and Jerusalem!
With the very next verse Dr. Luke wants us to understand many other things of significance were happening with the apostles of Jesus and he invites us to focus now on Peter’s adventures.
Acts 9:32-35 tells us Peter had been traveling around visiting in other towns some of the Jesus followers who had believed Peter’s Pentecost day message. They had trusted Jesus and been baptized but then had been caught in the persecution which followed Stephen’s execution and had fled Jerusalem. (Acts 8:1)
As Peter had been empowered by the Holy Spirit to bring healing to a cripple at the Temple gate Beautiful recorded in Acts 3, so in Acts 9:34 Peter does the same thing with a crippled man in the town of Lydda! Naturally word spread about this miracle and many people trusted in Jesus, as they had in Jerusalem.
Acts 9:36 introduces us to another coastal town of Joppa, about 64 kilometers south of Caesarea, and another woman in need of God’s help. Her name was Tabitha. Dorcas was her Greek name, and she was a much-loved follower of Jesus. She’s described as “always doing good and helping the poor”. Statements like that cause me to pause and consider what my reputation is with people? And what about you my friends? When people use only a few words to describe you or me, what do they say?
Tabitha fell sick and died. The record says: “Lydda was near Joppa; so, when the followers of Jesus heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, ‘Please come at once!” (Acts 9:38) I wonder if Peter immediately was reminded of a time when Jesus was urged to come quickly because His friend Lazarus was very ill?
Remember that story in John 11? In Peter’s case it appears he wasted no time in going with these messengers and as they hurried along the road, I’m sure Peter was praying, asking God what God wanted to do with Peter’s involvement in this situation. Pause.
Have you learned the importance of praying when you are asked for help? Have you learned God knows far more about the situation than you do and God is ready to lead you to say and do the right things as you respond to a request for help? Have we learned the danger of NOT inquiring of God and simply rushing in to try and help with our limited wisdom and resources?
As Peter arrived, he found a scene so similar to what Jesus and His disciples had found when they arrived in Bethany, remember? (John 11:17-19) Tabitha was dead and mourners had gathered grieving their loss, for she was dearly loved. (Acts 9:39) They took Peter to the room where Tabitha’s body was being prepared for burial and Peter asked to be alone. All Peter could do was pray.
We don’t know what Peter prayed, but we do know he was led by the Holy Spirit to speak to Tabitha’s dead body, inviting her to get up. Suddenly her eyes opened and she sat up, fully alive! The record says: “Peter called for the believers, especially the widows, and presented Tabitha to them alive!” (Acts 9:40,41) Now put yourself in this scene my friends and as you watch the jubilation, the euphoria, how do you explain what just happened?
Dr. Luke who wrote this record was not present as an eyewitness, but we are safe to assume, as he writes in Luke 1:3, that he had carefully investigated. As a medical doctor, can you imagine the questions Dr. Luke asked to be sure he understood accurately what happened in both these miracles in Lydda and Joppa? Doctors do not take medical miracles lightly… do we?
Luke tells us “This became known all over Joppa, and many people believed in the Lord Jesus. Peter stayed in Joppa for some time with a tanner named Simon.” (Acts 9:42,43) Now why would Luke tell us this interesting detail of who offered Peter lodging for a while and what Simon’s job was? May I give you three thoughts?
1. First, by Peter staying in Joppa for a while can you imagine the vast number of people, he now had opportunity to tell about Jesus?
He must have been busy from early morning to late at night telling the stories of his time and relationship with Jesus, and all he had learned from Jesus!
2. Second, this tanner had the same name as Peter, Simon. Remember that was Peter’s given name. Peter was a ‘nickname’ Jesus had given Simon. (Luke 1:42)
I have no doubt the two Simon’s stayed up late into the night, every night, talking about Jesus and the dramatic difference Peter was now as compared to the Simon he once had been.
3. Third, God needed Peter to be there, in Joppa, and ready for his next Holy Spirit assignment.
Messengers would be coming soon looking for him and Peter both needed to be located and ready for what those messengers were going to lead Peter into. Tomorrow we’ll look at that, because it is world changing!
For today let’s take some time to reflect… WHY does God have you right where you are right now? WHAT is God wanting you to learn as God prepares you for what He has as a next opportunity for you? Peter made good use of his time in Joppa, are you and I making good use of our time preparing for what only God knows is next?
The ‘lessons learned’ notes will help you dig more deeply into this wonderful part of Scripture and the worship song I’ve found for today is a group of Asian young people inviting us to ‘Prepare the Way’ for God to do great things. And I’ll be here Monday morning, waiting for you!
Today’s Scripture: Acts 9:32-43.
Choose below to read or listen.
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Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
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Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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