The Great Plains of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Monday, 15 May 2017

The Great Plains of Wichita, Kansas, United States Daily Devotional for Monday, 15 May 2017
Today please be in prayer for

Amy Bowers
abowers@greatplainsumc.org
Yorgensen-Meloan-Londeen Funeral Home & Home Care & Hospice
Flint Hills District

Kurt Cooper
kcooper@greatplainsumc.org
Emporia State University Campus Ministry
Flint Hills District 

Justin Jamis
jjamis@greatplainsumc.org
Kansas State University Campus Ministry
Flint Hills District

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This Week's Lectionary
5th Sunday of Easter – White or Gold
Acts 7:55-60
Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16
1 Peter 2:2-10
John 14:1-14
Today's Scripture: Acts 7:55 But he, full of the Ruach HaKodesh, looked up to heaven and saw God’s Sh’khinah, with Yeshua standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look!” he exclaimed, “I see heaven opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!”[Acts 7:56 Psalm 110:1]

57 At this, they began yelling at the top of their voices, so that they wouldn’t have to hear him; and with one accord, they rushed at him, 58 threw him outside the city and began stoning him. And the witnesses laid down their coats at the feet of a young man named Sha’ul.

59 As they were stoning him, Stephen called out to God, “Lord Yeshua! Receive my spirit!” 60 Then he kneeled down and shouted out, “Lord! Don’t hold this sin against them!” With that, he died;

Psalm 31:1 (0) For the leader. A psalm of David:

2 (1) In you, Adonai, I take refuge;

let me never be put to shame;

in your justice, save me!

3 (2) Turn your ear toward me,

come quickly to my rescue,

be for me a rock of strength,

a fortress to keep me safe.

4 (3) Since you are my rock and fortress,

lead me and guide me for your name’s sake.

5 (4) Free me from the net they have hidden to catch me,

because you are my strength.

15 (14) But I, I trust in you, Adonai;

I say, “You are my God.”

16 (15) My times are in your hand;

rescue me from my enemies’ power,

from those who persecute me.

17 (16) Make your face shine on your servant;

in your grace, save me.

1 Peter 2:2 and be like newborn babies, thirsty for the pure milk of the Word; so that by it, you may grow up into deliverance. 3 For you have tasted that Adonai is good.[1 Peter 2:3 Psalm 34:9(8)]

4 As you come to him, the living stone, rejected by people but chosen by God and precious to him, 5 you yourselves, as living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be cohanim set apart for God to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to him through Yeshua the Messiah. 6 This is why the Tanakh says,

“Look! I am laying in Tziyon a stone,

a chosen and precious cornerstone;

and whoever rests his trust on it

will certainly not be humiliated.”[1 Peter 2:6 Isaiah 28:16]

7 Now to you who keep trusting, he is precious. But to those who are not trusting,

“The very stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone”;[1 Peter 2:7 Psalm 118:22]

8 also he is

a stone that will make people stumble,

a rock over which they will trip.[1 Peter 2:8 Isaiah 8:14]

They are stumbling at the Word, disobeying it — as had been planned. 9 But you are a chosen people,[1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:20; Deuteronomy 7:6; 10:15] the King’s cohanim,[1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6; Isaiah 61:6] a holy nation,[1 Peter 2:9 Exodus 19:6] a people for God to possess![1 Peter 2:9 Isaiah 43:21; Exodus 19:5] Why? In order for you to declare the praises of the One who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God’s people; before, you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.[1 Peter 2:10 Hosea 2:25(23)]

John 14:1 “Don’t let yourselves be disturbed. Trust in God and trust in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many places to live. If there weren’t, I would have told you; because I am going there to prepare a place for you. 3 Since I am going and preparing a place for you, I will return to take you with me; so that where I am, you may be also. 4 Furthermore, you know where I’m going; and you know the way there.”

5 T’oma said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you’re going; so how can we know the way?” 6 Yeshua said, “I AM the Way — and the Truth and the Life; no one comes to the Father except through me. 7 Because you have known me, you will also know my Father; from now on, you do know him — in fact, you have seen him.”

8 Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” 9 Yeshua replied to him, “Have I been with you so long without your knowing me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father; so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Don’t you believe that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me? What I am telling you, I am not saying on my own initiative; the Father living in me is doing his own works. 11 Trust me, that I am united with the Father, and the Father united with me. But if you can’t, then trust because of the works themselves. 12 Yes, indeed! I tell you that whoever trusts in me will also do the works I do! Indeed, he will do greater ones, because I am going to the Father. 13 In fact, whatever you ask for in my name, I will do; so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me for something in my name, I will do it.

John Wesley's Notes-Commentary: Acts 7:55-60

Verse 55

[55] But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

But he looking steadfastly up to heaven, saw the glory of God — Doubtless he saw such a glorious representation, God miraculously operating on his imagination, as on Ezekiel's, when he sat in his house at Babylon, and saw Jerusalem, and seemed to himself transported thither, Ezekiel 8:1-4. And probably other martyrs, when called to suffer the last extremity, have had extraordinary assistance of some similar kind.

Verse 56

[56] And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

I see the Son of man standing — As if it were just ready to receive him. Otherwise he is said to sit at the right hand of God.

Verse 57

[57] Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

They rushed upon him — Before any sentence passed.

Verse 58

[58] And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

The witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man, whose name was Saul — O Saul, couldst thou have believed, if one had told thee, that thou thyself shouldst be stoned in the same cause? and shouldst triumph in committing thy soul likewise to that Jesus whom thou art now blaspheming? His dying prayer reached thee, as well as many others. And the martyr Stephen, and Saul the persecutor, (afterward his brother both in faith and martyrdom,) are now joined in everlasting friendship, and dwell together in the happy company of those who have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

Verse 59

[59] And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

And they stoned Stephen, invoking and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit — This is the literal translation of the words, the name of God not being in the original. Nevertheless such a solemn prayer to Christ, in which a departing soul is thus committed into his hands, is such an act of worship, as no good man could have paid to a mere creature; Stephen here worshipping Christ in the very same manner in which Christ worshipped the Father on the cross.

Psalm 31:1-5, 15-16

Verse 1

[1] In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust; let me never be ashamed: deliver me in thy righteousness.

Ashamed — Of my confidence in thy promise.

Deliver me — According to thy faithfulness and goodness.

Verse 5

[5] Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.

My spirit — My soul or life; to preserve it from the malice of mine enemies.

For — Thou hast delivered me formerly, and therefore I commit myself to thee for the future.

O Lord, … — Who hast shewed thyself so, in making good thy promise.

Verse 15

[15] My times are in thy hand: deliver me from the hand of mine enemies, and from them that persecute me.

My times — All the affairs and events of my life, are wholly in thy power.

1 Peter 2:2-10

Verse 2

[2] As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:

Desire — Always, as earnestly as new born babes do, 1 Peter 1:3.

The milk of the word — That word of God which nourishes the soul as milk does the body, and which is sincere, pure from all guile, so that none are deceived who cleave to it.

That you may grow thereby — In faith, love, holiness, unto the full stature of Christ.

Verse 3

[3] If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious.

Since ye have tasted — Sweetly and experimentally known.

Verse 4

[4] To whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious,

To whom coming — By faith.

As unto a living stone — Living from eternity; alive from the dead. There is a wonderful beauty and energy in these expressions, which describe Christ as a spiritual foundation, solid, firm, durable; and believers as a building erected upon it, in preference to that temple which the Jews accounted their highest glory. And St. Peter speaking of him thus, shows he did not judge himself, but Christ, to be the rock on which the church was built.

Rejected indeed by men — Even at this day, not only by Jews, Turks, heathens, infidels; but by all Christians, so called, who live in sin, or who hope to be saved by their own works.

But chosen of God — From all eternity, to be the foundation of his church.

And precious — In himself, in the sight of God, and in the eyes of all believers.

Verse 5

[5] Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.

Ye — Believers.

As living stones — Alive to God through him.

Are built up — In union with each other.

A spiritual house — Being spiritual yourselves, and an habitation of God through the Spirit.

An holy priesthood — Consecrated to God, and "holy as he is holy." To offer up - Your souls and bodies, with all your thoughts, words, and actions, as spiritual sacrifices to God.

Verse 6

[6] Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

He that believeth shall not be confounded — In time or in eternity. Isaiah 28:16.

Verse 7

[7] Unto you therefore which believe he is precious: but unto them which be disobedient, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner,

To them who believe, he is become the head of the corner — The chief corner stone, on which the whole building rests. Unbelievers too will at length find him such to their sorrow, Matthew 21:44. Psalms 118:22.

Verse 8

[8] And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offence, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed.

Who stumble, whereunto also they were appointed — They who believe not, stumble, and fall, and perish for ever; God having appointed from all eternity, "he that believeth not shall be damned."

Verse 9

[9] But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light:

But ye — Who believe in Christ Are - In a higher sense than ever the Jews were. A chosen or elect race, a royal priesthood - "Kings and priests unto God," Revelation 1:6. As princes, ye have power with God, and victory over sin, the world, and the devil: as priests, ye are consecrated to God, for offering spiritual sacrifices. Ye Christians are as one holy nation, under Christ your King.

A purchased people — Who are his peculiar property.

That ye may show forth — By your whole behaviour, to all mankind.

The virtues — The excellent glory, the mercy, wisdom, and power of him, Christ, who hath called you out of the darkness of ignorance, error, sin, and misery.

Verse 10

[10] Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.

Who in time past were not a people — Much less the people of God; but scattered individuals of many nations. The former part of the verse particularly respects the gentiles; the latter, the Jews.

John 14:1-14

Verse 2

[2] In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

In my Father's house are many mansions — Enough to receive both the holy angels, and your predecessors in the faith, and all that now believe, and a great multitude, which no man can number.

Verse 4

[4] And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

The way — Of faith, holiness, sufferings.

Verse 5

[5] Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

Thomas saith — Taking him in a gross sense.

Verse 6

[6] Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

To the question concerning the way, he answers, I am the way. To the question concerning knowledge, he answers, I am the truth. To the question whither, I am the life. The first is treated of in this verse; the second, John 14:7-17; the third, 14:18, etc.

Verse 7

[7] If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

Ye have known — Ye have begun to know him.

Verse 10

[10] Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

I am in the Father — The words that I speak, etc.-That is, I am one with the Father, in essence, in speaking, and in acting.

Verse 11

[11] Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Believe me — On my own word, because I am God.

The works — This respects not merely the miracles themselves, but his sovereign, Godlike way of performing them.

Verse 12

[12] Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

Greater works than these shall he do — So one apostle wrought miracles merely by his shadow, Acts 5:15; another by handkerchiefs carried from his body, Acts 19:12; and all spake with various tongues. But the converting one sinner is a greater work than all these.

Because I go to my Father — To send you the Holy Ghost.

Today's Devotional
2 Corinthians 5:17-212 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is united with the Messiah, he is a new creation — the old has passed; look, what has come is fresh and new! 18 And it is all from God, who through the Messiah has reconciled us to himself and has given us the work of that reconciliation, 19 which is that God in the Messiah was reconciling mankind to himself, not counting their sins against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore we are ambassadors of the Messiah; in effect, God is making his appeal through us. What we do is appeal on behalf of the Messiah, “Be reconciled to God! 21 God made this sinless man be a sin offering on our behalf, so that in union with him we might fully share in God’s righteousness.”Link to GBOD Devotional
Contact Information
Great Plains Episcopal Office
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Wichita, Kansas 67207, United States
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info@greatplainsumc.org
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