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February 15, 2018

Acts 11:20-21

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus. The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

New International Version (NIV)

                  Charles Spurgeon preached, “One of the greatest obstacles the Christian religion ever overcame was the inveterate prejudice that possessed the minds of its earliest followers.” Can you believe that the early believers struggled with prejudice? How did they learn it? God had always told his people to be a light to other nations, but along the way, as they loved God less and less, they loved other people less and less as well.

                It could happen to us. The centrifugal forces of culture push our souls farther from God and each other. We begin to divide over things which should not separate us. Something within us makes us love those who are like us. At its worst, prejudice leads to belittling others, resenting them and casting aspersions on them.

                What is the cure? God broke through Peter’s prejudice with a vision and a knock at the door. Cornelius’s men came to take Peter back to tell this gentile centurion the story of Jesus. When he and his household and friends followed Christ, it threw some of the earliest believers for a loop because of their prejudice against gentiles. But Peter told them that God had given the gentiles the Holy Spirit just as he had them. Later disciples entered into Antioch and preached to Greeks as well as Jews. Once again God blessed his church as they broadened their hearts.

               In our day there is still much mistrust between races and also of people from other countries. Last week a wonderful group of African-American pastors in Galveston along with members of their churches welcomed me warmly into their fellowship to lead them in a study for five consecutive nights. As long as I live I will not forget their kindness to me. The Church of Jesus Christ is interracial and international. What we have in common in Christ transcends and supersedes all the factors which would divide us.   Tozer said if you tried to tune 100 pianos to each other you would produce chaos and cacophony. But if you tuned them all to the same tuning fork, they would all be in tune. Let’s tune our lives to Christ whose pitch is always perfect. Then watch what happens between us!

Pray with me:

Gracious Savior, thank you for your inclusive love. We divide over so many unimportant things. Today let your magnanimous love transform our hearts and minds so that we no longer fear others who are different. Let us live with hearts of hospitality toward all. Heal our brokenness and forgive our anger at others. Release us from misconceptions and resulting mistrust. Let your love for us guide our attitudes toward others, we pray. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

This year we focus our Every Day with Jesus readings on Jesus’ story. With references to Tallowood's Read Through the Bible in 2018 daily reading plan, let's focus our undivided attention on Jesus and follow where he lead. He will not fail. Neither will we!
Joyfully,
Duane

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