Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Equal Opportunity" by Charles Tillman Sr. for Tuesday, 27 December 2016 with Scripture: Acts 10:17-29

Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "Equal Opportunity" by Charles Tillman Sr. for Tuesday, 27 December 2016 with Scripture: Acts 10:17-29
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"Equal Opportunity" by Charles Tillman Sr.
Acts 10:17 Kefa was still puzzling over the meaning of the vision he had seen, when the men Cornelius had sent, having inquired for Shim‘on’s house, stood at the gate 18 and called out to ask if the Shim‘on known as Kefa was staying there. 19 While Kefa’s mind was still on the vision, the Spirit said, “Three men are looking for you. 20 Get up, go downstairs, and have no misgivings about going with them, because I myself have sent them.”
21 So Kefa went down and said to the men, “You were looking for me? Here I am. What brings you here?” 22 They answered, “Cornelius. He’s a Roman army officer, an upright man and a God-fearer, a man highly regarded by the whole Jewish nation; and he was told by a holy angel to have you come to his house and listen to what you have to say.” 23 So Kefa invited them to be his guests.
The next day, he got up and went with them, accompanied by some of the brothers from Yafo; 24 and he arrived at Caesarea the day after that. Cornelius was expecting them — he had already called together his relatives and close friends. 25 As Kefa entered the house, Cornelius met him and fell prostrate at his feet. 26 But Kefa pulled him to his feet and said, “Stand up! I myself am just a man.”
27 As he talked with him, Kefa went inside and found many people gathered. 28 He said to them, “You are well aware that for a man who is a Jew to have close association with someone who belongs to another people, or to come and visit him, is something that just isn’t done. But God has shown me not to call any person common or unclean; 29 so when I was summoned, I came without raising any questions. Tell me, then, why did you send for me?”
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Have you met Cornelius? Much like the centurion mentioned in Matthew 8 cited by Jesus for his great faith, Cornelius was a noble man of high moral and ethical character. Cornelius was in charge of a regiment of about 100 men.
Cornelius was apparently a convert to the Jewish faith, though he did not practice all the rules and regulations of the Jewish faith. We know that he was “devout and God-fearing” (v. 2) a generous giver and a man who “prayed to God regularly” (v. 2).
Cornelius had taken steps toward knowing the true God. In the person of Christ, God had already made steps toward Cornelius. God invited Cornelius to reach out to the apostle Peter, who would give Peter a life-changing message!
God is no respecter of persons; He is a God of equal opportunity. God revealed to Peter that those He had cleansed were made pure, regardless of race, gender, color, or ethnicity. At the foot of the cross we are all equal–children of the King! Hebrews 11:6 tells us that God “rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Hear the words of Isaiah 55:6: "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near." -------
Hymn for Today: "At The Cross"; refrain by Ralph E. Hudson
1. Alas! and did my Savior bleed, 
and did my Sovereign die? 
Would he devote that sacred head 
for sinners such as I? 
Refrain: 
At the cross, at the cross, 
where I first saw the light, 
and the burden of my heart rolled away; 
it was there by faith I received my sight, 
and now I am happy all the day.
2. Was it for crimes that I have done, 
he groaned upon the tree? 
Amazing pity! Grace unknown! 
And love beyond degree! 
Refrain: 
At the cross, at the cross, 
where I first saw the light, 
and the burden of my heart rolled away; 
it was there by faith I received my sight, 
and now I am happy all the day. 
3. Well might the sun in darkness hide, 
and shut its glories in, 
when God, the mighty maker, died 
for his own creature's sin. 
Refrain: 
At the cross, at the cross, 
where I first saw the light, 
and the burden of my heart rolled away; 
it was there by faith I received my sight, 
and now I am happy all the day. 
4. Thus might I hide my blushing face 
while his dear cross appears; 
dissolve my heart in thankfulness, 
and melt mine eyes to tears. 
Refrain: 
At the cross, at the cross, 
where I first saw the light, 
and the burden of my heart rolled away; 
it was there by faith I received my sight, 
and now I am happy all the day. 
5. But drops of tears can ne'er repay 
the debt of love I owe. 
Here, Lord, I give myself away; 
'tis all that I can do. 

(Refrain: 
At the cross, at the cross, 
where I first saw the light, 
and the burden of my heart rolled away; 
it was there by faith I received my sight, 
and now I am happy all the day.
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Thought for Today: James 4:8 Come close to God, and he will come close to you. Clean your hands, sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded people!
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Please Pray: For faculty and students as they prepare for Christian ministry in India .
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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "In Touch" by Charles Tillman Sr. for Monday, 26 December 2016 with Scripture: Acts 10:1-16
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"In Touch" by Charles Tillman Sr.
Acts 10:1 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a Roman army officer in what was called the Italian Regiment. 2 He was a devout man, a “God-fearer,” as was his whole household; he gave generously to help the Jewish poor and prayed regularly to God. 3 One afternoon around three o’clock he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God coming in and saying to him, “Cornelius!” 4 Cornelius stared at the angel, terrified. “What is it, sir?” he asked. “Your prayers,” replied the angel, “and your acts of charity have gone up into God’s presence, so that he has you on his mind. 5 Now send some men to Yafo to bring back a man named Shim‘on, also called Kefa. 6 He’s staying with Shim‘on the leather-tanner, who has a house by the sea.” 7 As the angel that had spoken to him went away, Cornelius called two of his household slaves and one of his military aides, who was a godly man; 8 he explained everything to them and sent them to Yafo.
9 The next day about noon, while they were still on their way and approaching the city, Kefa went up onto the roof of the house to pray. 10 He began to feel hungry and wanted something to eat; but while they were preparing the meal, he fell into a trance 11 in which he saw heaven opened, and something that looked like a large sheet being lowered to the ground by its four corners. 12 In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, crawling creatures and wild birds. 13 Then a voice came to him, “Get up, Kefa, slaughter and eat!” 14 But Kefa said, “No, sir! Absolutely not! I have never eaten food that was unclean or treif.” 15 The voice spoke to him a second time: “Stop treating as unclean what God has made clean.” 16 This happened three times, and then the sheet was immediately taken back up into heaven.
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To be devout is to love God and to try to please Him. What a wonderful description Luke uses in Acts 10:2 to give his readers a vivid picture of Cornelius. He reminds his audience of the believers’ responsibility to live in such a way as to please God! This must be the goal of every Christian.
Additionally, we find a social element to the gospel. Cornelius “gave generously to those in need” (v. 2). America is a land of plenty. Even the poor in America live better than most people in countries like Haiti and Guatemala. It’s easy to become desensitized to the poor we see daily. You see them with signs in their hands and sad looks on their faces. Yet they often go unnoticed when they occupy the pew behind you at Sunday morning services.
Cheerful givers happily give of their resources to support the ministry of their churches, especially to those who have little. Before welfare, food stamps, and AFDC (now TANF), people relied on the church. Where does the church get its resources? The church relies on the generosity of the congregations. Ask God to help you give both cheerfully and generously to support kingdom work and those in need!
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Hymn for Today: "Come and Dine" by C. B. Widmeyer
1. Jesus has a table spread
Where the saints of God are fed,
He invites His chosen people, “Come and dine”;
With His manna He doth feed
And supplies our every need:
Oh, ’tis sweet to sup with Jesus all the time!
Refrain:
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now,
2. “Come and dine.” The disciples came to land,
Thus obeying Christ’s command,
For the Master called unto them, “Come and dine”;
There they found their heart’s desire,
Bread and fish upon the fire;
Thus He satisfies the hungry every time.
Refrain:
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now,
3. Soon the Lamb will take His bride
To be ever at His side,
All the host of heaven will assembled be;
Oh, ’twill be a glorious sight,
All the saints in spotless white;

And with Jesus they will feast eternally.
Refrain:
“Come and dine,” the Master calleth, “Come and dine”;
You may feast at Jesus’ table all the time;
He Who fed the multitude, turned the water into wine,
To the hungry calleth now,
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Thought for Today: Luke 9:13 But he said to them, “Give them something to eat, yourselves!” They said, “We have no more than five loaves of bread and two fish — unless we ourselves are supposed to go and buy food for all these people!”
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Please Pray: For the development of Christian leaders in India.

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Reflecting God - Embrace Holy Living from Wordaction of The Global Church of the Nazarene Publishing House in Kansas City, Missouri, United States "My Light, My Deliverer" by Darlene Harvey for Sunday, 25 December 2016 with Scripture: Isaiah 42:1-9
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"My Light, My Deliverer" by Darlene Harvey
Isaiah 42:1 “Here is my servant, whom I support,
my chosen one, in whom I take pleasure.
I have put my Spirit on him;
he will bring justice to the Goyim.
2 He will not cry or shout;
no one will hear his voice in the streets.
3 He will not snap off a broken reed
or snuff out a smoldering wick.
He will bring forth justice according to truth;
4 he will not weaken or be crushed
until he has established justice on the earth,
and the coastlands wait for his Torah.”
5 Thus says God, Adonai,
who created the heavens and spread them out,
who stretched out the earth and all that grows from it,
who gives breath to the people on it
and spirit to those who walk on it:
6 “I, Adonai, called you righteously,
I took hold of you by the hand,
I shaped you and made you a covenant for the people,
to be a light for the Goyim,
7 so that you can open blind eyes,
free the prisoners from confinement,
those living in darkness from the dungeon.
8 I am Adonai; that is my name.
I yield my glory to no one else,
nor my praise to any idol.
9 See how the former predictions come true;
and now new things do I declare —
before they sprout I tell you about them.”
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Today as we celebrate the birthday of the King, we read Isaiah 42, a prophecy about of the Messiah. We see that it is titled, “The Servant of the LORD,” declaring Him to be “a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles”–meaning the whole world. It goes on to say that the Servant will open the eyes of the blind, free captives from prison, and release from the dungeon those who “sit in darkness.”
Perhaps as you read this devotional today, Christmas is not what you expected it to be. You may feel like a captive in a dungeon. This captivity could be unrealized dreams, deferred hope of some longing, some darkness of depression, or addiction—either yours or a loved one’s. This Scripture reminds us that Jesus is the Light. We’ve all heard about “the light at the end of the tunnel.” Jesus is that Light.
Don’t give up praying or hoping for freedom from captivity for you or a loved one. All things are possible with Jesus. Keep on believing, trusting, and praying because your King is your deliverer. Your one and only King is holding your hand and will guide you out of darkness into light.
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Hymn for Today: "O Little Town of Bethlehem" by Phillips Brooks
1. O little town of Bethlehem, 
how still we see thee lie!
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep 
the silent stars go by.
Yet in thy dark streets shineth 
the everlasting Light;
the hopes and fears of all the years 
are met in thee tonight.
2. For Christ is born of Mary, 
and gathered all above,
while mortals sleep, the angels keep 
their watch of wondering love.
O morning stars, together
proclaim the holy birth,
and praises sing to God the King,
and peace to all on earth.
3. How silently, how silently
the wondrous gift is given!
So God imparts to human hearts
the blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
but in this world of sin,
where meek souls will receive him still
the dear Christ enters in.
4. O holy Child of Bethlehem,
descend to us, we pray.
Cast out our sin and enter in;
be born in us today.
We hear the Christmas angels
the great glad tidings tell;
O come to us, abide with us,

our Lord Emmanuel.
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Thought for Today: John 8:12 Yeshua spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light which gives life.”
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Please Pray: That many people in India will come to know Yeshua the Messiah and receive the fullness of the Ruach HaKodesh.
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