Consider the specificity with which God spoke to Philip, Saul and Ananias in Acts 8:26-9:19. First Philip had an angel tell him to go to a certain road. Then the Holy Spirit told him to go over to a particular chariot. Paul, not even a believer in Jesus, heard Jesus speak to him: "Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do" (Acts 9:6). And then Ananias heard the Lord tell him to go find Paul in "the house of Judas on Straight Street" (Acts 9:11). Ananias had the temerity to have a little back-and-forth conversation because he didn't want to do it! What boldness he had to argue with God. For reflection: How clearly do I hear God speak to me? Do I only "sense" that he is saying this or "feel" that he is saying that? Let us pray. Jesus, just as you spoke clearly to Philip, Saul and Ananias, I ask you to speak clearly to me. If I'm going to do your specific will in my life, I need to hear your specific directions. Open my ears to hear you every day.
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In the Washington, DC area where I live I often pass people begging on the street corners. They have signs that say "unemployed" or "veteran" and then the sign usually has "God bless you." The social service agencies in this area tell us we should not give to the people on the street. Agencies would rather get them into the social service system so that they can help them more long term. Knowing that doesn't make it any easier to pass by the "street people" especially when it is obvious that they have some physical disability. In Acts 3:1 - 4:13 we have the story of what happened when Peter and John decided not to pass by a crippled beggar. What did they do? "Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, 'Look at us!' So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them." No doubt Peter and John had passed by this man many times on their way into the temple to pray. But this time they stopped to actually look at him and for him to actually look them in the eye. Then Peter proclaimed the word of healing to the man by saying, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." Peter gave him something much more precious than the money he was hoping to receive. Peter gave him a new life. And then Peter touched him. "Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God." For reflection: Who do I pass by and not notice? Can I look them in the eye? How can I share God's love with them? Can I touch them? People are waiting for us to notice them, to touch their lives with healing. Let us pray. Lord of Abundance, Lord of Healing, you have given me so much, help me to share your good news, your healing, your touch. In my last post I compared Pentecost to being hit by a freight train or a tornado. I wasn't trying to be prophetic, but this week in the U.S. we have a graphic example of what being hit by a tornado means. If you have been watching the news reports, the people of Oklahoma realize that what is gone is their "stuff" their "things". Those things can be replaced. What they mourn, of course, is the loss of life. Let's return to the disciples at Pentecost. Their normal, everyday lives are now gone. Peter doesn't go back to fishing; Matthew doesn't go back to being a tax collector. Instead, they can now speak in other languages as needed, preach to great effect, work miracles, and heal people. But the price is being hounded, whipped, imprisoned and killed. These are not normal lives for the likes of fishermen and tax collectors. They are now, as Paul says, ". . . a new creation. The old has gone, the new has come" (2 Corinthians 5:17). That is the power of the Holy Spirit, the power of Pentecost. For reflection: Do I want that sort of change in my life? Am I willing to let go of the old in order to have the new? If I were one of the people in Oklahoma who lost their home, what would be most important to me now? Let us pray. Lord Jesus, inspire us to be whatever help we can to the people who have lost everything or to other people around us who are in need. Bring the people of Oklahoma consolation and peace and the energy to begin again. Open me to change. Open me to more of the Holy Spirit's work in my life. I grew up in "tornado country" - the area of the U.S. where every spring we hid from tornadoes. Friends of my family had railroad tracks through their farm and whenever a freight train came through we kids would run to put our ear to the ground next to the tracks. The ground shakes and the roar drowns everything else. When you hear people say the sound of a tornado is like the sound of a freight train, they are telling the truth. They sound exactly alike. It is a fearsome noise. At Pentecost the disciples heard the sound of a violent wind. I imagine this to be like the noise of a tornado. "It filled the whole house where they were sitting" (Acts 2:2). Based on our knowledge of the disciples since the death of Jesus, and the noise of a tornado, one would expect the next sentence to be: And they were afraid. But it's not. Instead Luke says, "Divided tongues, as of fire, appeared among them, and a tongue rested on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages, as the Spirit gave them ability" (Acts 2:3-4). They got hit by the freight train, the tornado of God. We've been following mainly Luke's and John's accounts of the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection. Matthew chose to include only one appearance after Mary Magdalene and the other women see Jesus as they are on their way to tell the disciples that Jesus is risen. Matthew seems to condense the appearances to the disciples into one: "Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go (through the message given to the women). When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted (Matthew 28:16-17). More than on the fact of an appearance by Jesus, Matthew's focus is on Jesus' message. "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20). With the creation of the internet it is now possible to "go to all nations" with the gospel in a way it never was before. The Manna Prayer website has only been in existence for a year but I have heard from people in nations around the world, even Muslim nations. But you can't baptize or truly disciple someone over the internet. That has to be done in person. For reflection: How can I help to fulfill the mandate given to the disciples? Let us pray. Jesus, we pray for the safety of all those who are spreading your good news around the world. In honor of the National Day of Prayer for the United States, I'm posting the song Stand by John P. Kee. Pray and enjoy.
A reader suggested the following song to go with yesterday's post. An excellent choice. Enjoy. When Jesus appeared to the disciples, showed them his wounds, and ate fish as proof that he was alive, somehow Thomas was not with them. Despite the eyewitness accounts of the others, Thomas was not convinced that Jesus had risen. "Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe it," Thomas exclaimed (John 20:25). Fast forward a week. All of the disciples had locked themselves into the same house as before, but this time Thomas is present. Jesus once again materializes before them and says, "Peace be with you!" Jesus knows what Thomas has said about touching him, so he urges Thomas, "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe." For reflection: Watch this video from tale2tell (under 7 minutes) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPO2unN31lc As we continue to examine the appearances of Jesus after his resurrection, we see Jesus confirms the story of the two travelers by appearing to the whole group of disciples in Jerusalem while they are still talking about these mysterious happenings. Jesus simply appears among them (Luke 24:36; John 20:19; Mark 16:14) even though they are in a locked room for fear of reprisals by other Jews. Thinking they are seeing a ghost, they are both startled and frightened. Jesus tells them not to be afraid and shows them the wounds on his hands and his feet. "Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have" (Luke 24:39). In their amazement they still do not believe, so Jesus eats some broiled fish to prove to them that he is real. For reflection: When have I locked myself away because of fear? What does/did it take to prove to me that Jesus is really risen from the dead? Let us pray. Jesus, I want to put away my fear of others and my fear of you. I want to believe that you really rose from the dead and not care what others think of me because of that belief. "When he (the stranger) was at table with them, he took bread, gave thanks, broke it and began to give it to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized him (Jesus), and he disappeared from their sight" (Luke 24:30-31). I don't know why the travelers didn't recognize Jesus or why Jesus should keep them from recognizing him. Maybe it was because he wanted their full attention while he explained to them the prophecies pertaining to himself. But the travelers, filled with this information and excited by seeing for themselves that Jesus had indeed risen from the dead, ran the 7 miles back to Jerusalem to tell the 11 apostles that they had seen the Lord. What a tale they had to tell. For reflection: Would I ever run 7 miles to tell someone something? Am I still excited about Jesus? Who have I told about Jesus? Let us pray. Jesus, I thank you that someone told me about you. Restore in me that first excitement of knowing you. Help me to find the right words to tell people about you and what you mean to me. |
AliceI started this website and blog on May 1, 2012. I am a Catholic who has been in ministry for many years. I first developed what I would call a close relationship with Jesus in the early 1970s. Ever since then I have been praying with people for healing and other needs. It is because I have seen so many of these prayers answered that I am so bold as to offer to pray for you individually through this website and phone line. Archives
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