Church Without Shoes

26 “Fellow children of Abraham and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this message of salvation has been sent. 27 The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.28 Though they found no proper ground for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. 29 When they had carried out all that was written about him, they took him down from the cross and laid him in a tomb. 30 But God raised him from the dead, 31 and for many days he was seen by those who had traveled with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to our people.
32 “We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors 33 he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is written in the second Psalm:
“‘You are my son;
today I have become your father.’

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Passing Relationships

Eric Paul
Church of the Nazarene – Holualoa HI

Observation: I sit on the board of the local non-profit Comunidad Latina de Hawaii. We seek to build a welcoming community and create opportunities for immigrant communities to connect, integrate, and contribute to the wider community. The other day, I attended a meeting with an individual trying to connect the various social issues together. He described himself as a left wing Bernie delegate and an agnostic fatalist. He began to blame “those” Christians for the rise of Trumpism and the spread of fear. He then asked me what I do.

“I’m a pastor,” I replied.

He was clearly taken aback. “I’ve never met a Christian interested in more progressive issues before. How have you come to care about immigrant rights?”

And here, like Paul in Antioch, I had an opportunity to share the Gospel message of God’s reconciling love. I confessed that the church often has been blind to the plight of the poor and oppressed, but that the life of Jesus sought justice for the world.

After those very short sentences, I was interrupted and the conversation never flowed back. But I recognized an opening with an agnostic who is not afraid to ask questions, who engages freely, and was open to my presence.

Action: Sometimes, prayer is the best action. I will not see this person regularly. But I do know the Spirit goes before me, with me, and after me to tender the lives of our neighbors. May it be so with this man.

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were astonished that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God.
Then Peter said, 47 “Surely no one can stand in the way of their being baptized with water. They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.”48 So he ordered that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Proclamation – Passing Relationships – Permanent Relationships

Josh Mann
Fox Island Alliance Church – Fox Island WA

Observation: Peter is just preaching, like he has many times. Just saying the things he’d prepared to say, to a particular group, at a particular place and time. And in this instance, something significant, probably even atypical, considering how many times — Peter essentially stops, and wants to press in on the place where God’s power is moving in these peoples’ lives.

Action: Sometimes when I’m sharing, a story, my testimony, or a word, something happens in that space. It becomes a moment, and a person, where God is doing a significant work. I want to be perceptive to that and meet that person there and facilitate that particular thing moving forward. I will look for an opportunity this week, to pull short my agenda and press in when it seems God’s power is at work through my interaction.

34 So Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), 37 you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. 39 And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, 40 but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. 43 To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Preparation – Proclamation – Power

Craig Dale
Antioch Church on the Rock – Antioch CA

Observation: Peter could have had no better prepared audience for this message. Here we see Peter proclaiming the gospel and while still speaking, the power of the Holy Spirit fell on all who heard the word. Once those present had been giving the opportunity to hear the message, they responded and God sealed their faith with the gift of the Spirit.

Action: Who are the God prepared people in my life? Of those far-from-God, am I ready and willing to share the Good News? Even those that don’t look or act like me? Is this attitude an ever present reality in my life?

23 Then Peter invited the men into the house to be his guests.
The next day Peter started out with them, and some of the believers from Joppa went along. 24 The following day he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell at his feet in reverence. 26 But Peter made him get up. “Stand up,” he said, “I am only a man myself.”
27 While talking with him, Peter went inside and found a large gathering of people. 28 He said to them: “You are well aware that it is against our law for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile. But God has shown me that I should not call anyone impure or unclean. 29 So when I was sent for, I came without raising any objection. May I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius answered: “Three days ago I was in my house praying at this hour, at three in the afternoon. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts to the poor. 32 Send to Joppa for Simon who is called Peter. He is a guest in the home of Simon the tanner, who lives by the sea.’ 33 So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to tell us.”

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception – Power

Peter Foster
Mt. Diablo High School – Concord CA

Observation: Peter recognized that God was at work in his heart and someone outside his comfort zone was seeking and desiring him to be present in his life. So he went.

Action: How often, during my daily life, is Jesus at work in the lives of those around me? How often do I hear or see an invitation into a life outside my comfort zone? This day, I am going to look for a person that the Lord has placed in my path – outside my comfort zone. I will respond to this seeking heart in confidence knowing that the Lord is already up to something. I just might be the answer to an unanswered prayer.

As He went along, He saw a man blind from birth. 2His disciples asked Him, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”

3“Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him. 4As long as it is day, we must do the works of Him who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work. 5While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” 6 After saying this, He spit on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. 7“Go,” He told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam” (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.

8His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?” 9Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.” But he himself insisted, “I am the man.” 10“How then were your eyes opened?” they asked. 11He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.” 12“Where is this man?” they asked him. “I don’t know,” he said.

13They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Perception

Roger Bird
The Bridge – Allegan MI

Observation: The disciples discounted this man because of their preconceived religious ideas about God’s character and where He might choose to work. They missed God’s heart and only saw this man as a theological problem to be discussed, rather than a beloved son who needed to be loved and healed, and ushered into the Kingdom of God.

Action: Am I missing God’s heart? What beloved son or daughter am I bypassing today because something in me has already decided that God couldn’t possibly be working there? Starting today I will walk with my spiritual eyes open, prayerfully perceiving where God might be at work, and then joyfully, courageously, and intentionally joining Him there.

8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”
9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.”

Big View: Person of Peace
Small View: Presence

Carlos Montoya
Valley Christian Church – Concord CA

Observation: Zacchaeus wanted to see Jesus, but stayed out of sight. Instead Jesus “found” him. His readiness to repay those he cheated is proof that his conversion was real. This was the fruit & and not the requirement of his salvation.

Action: At times I play hide and seek with God – hiding when I feel unworthy. Today I will not put conditions on when I can spend time with Him, but seek Him just as I am, remembering that I live under His grace and not the law.