Author: missionspaul

The process of change.
Acts 9: 40

“Peter sent them all out of the room; then he got down on his knees and prayed. Turning towards the dead woman, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter she sat up.”

Copying Jesus who would send people out of the room before he healed them, Peter does exactly the same thing.
When you have an idea of something good happening then the last thing you need is a room full of weepers whose only thought is negative. So get rid of the distraction.

Peter then shows his reliance on Jesus and not himself by kneeling and praying. We don’t know what he prayed. But sometimes a person’s position is more important than what is prayed. Peter was on his knees of surrender.

Them Peter tells Tabitha to do what she could not do, because she was dead. Leaders have to reverse the trend. They have to stand up and declare the opposite. When people say it cannot be done, sometimes leaders have to say it can.

When it’s over
Acts 9: 39
“Peter went with them, and when he arrived he was taken upstairs to the room. All the widows stood around him, crying and showing him the robes and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.”

When your life is over what will you have left behind?
For Dorcas, it was the things she had made with her hands, robes and other clothing.
For Dorcas, it was a group of crying widows. Most likely the women she was good to and perhaps the poor she had helped.
What have you made? What have you produced in your life? Go on, look around, be thankful for the abilities God has given you that you have used for the good. Keep on using your gifts and skills for one day you will leave them.
Who have you invested in? Who will stand crying because they grieve for you? Go on, name them, people you have spent time with, encouraged, strengthened, given to. Keep on pouring into these people for one day you will leave them and they will be there reflecting on your life.

Call
Acts 9: 38

“Lydda was near Joppa; so when the disciples heard that Peter was in Lydda, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Please come at once!”

Recently a film has been released that was popular in my youth.
“If there’s something strange in your neighbourhood
Who you gonna call? (ghostbusters)”

Do you have someone you can call?
Would you call them if you had?
Dorcas is dead, the disciples hear Peter is close by, so they send 2 men, presumably 2 are more convincing than one.
Some people won’t look to anyone for help.
Some people don’t have anyone they can turn to.
Pride. Hurt. Ignorance. Don’t let anything stop you calling out for help.
Some circumstances are bigger than you can handle yourself.
It is not a sign of weakness that you have called for someone.
So today, do it, maybe a Pastor/leader, family member, friend, call them. “I need you. Today.”
So who you gonna call?

Acts 9: 37
“About that time she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upstairs room.”

Sometimes the good people who do good have bad things happen to them, as did Dorcas.
She died. She was ceremonially washed. She was placed aside.
The important 3 words in this verse are the first three.
A really good person and servant of the Church died during that time. What time? The time of seeing Peter on mission.
The missionary often comes across bad things happening to people.
The missionary sees sickness and death.
The missionary lives in a groaning world.
But if it all goes wrong for you then rather it be when it is time for mission. If you are a Dorcas then look around for your Peter.
Today you may be on mission wherever that may be, in your neighbourhood or further afield, friend, Dorcas will be there. It is about that time.

Acts 9: 36

“In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which, when translated, is Dorcas), who was always doing good and helping the poor.”

Joppa famously known for the place where you run away from God’s mission (ie Jonah!) is where the ‘gazelle’ lived (meaning of Tabitha/Dorcas).
This lady wasn’t running from God’s call but was following Him, a disciple of Christ known for always doing good and helping the poor.
We will find out a little more soon but what does this verse tell us of her?
She had vision. Clearly living amongst the disadvantaged she wasn’t blind to the needs of her community.
She had compassion. Stirred by the needs she had to do something.
She was motivated. She didn’t just do this once, she was always doing good.
Today may God open your eyes to see.
Today may your heart be broken for the broken.
Today may you not give up until those around you are helped.
Don’t run from the mission God has called you to, but be the follower of Christ in the mission to people.

Acts 9:35
“All those who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.”

Give them something to see.
If all you have is words well, frankly, that just isn’t enough.
If all you have is the ability to create a spiritual atmosphere, then again it is just not enough.
The world needs to see Jesus.
All living in Lydda and Sharon saw the paralytic not being paralysed anymore because Jesus had healed him.
Whatever the world sees, it may be a healing, or it could be your love, compassion, forgiveness and kindness or many other things, they need to see that it clearly comes from Jesus to influence and impact people that are loved by God. They need to see this.
Sadly, some only see the opposite of these things. They see politics, divisions and religious duty that is devoid of power.
They need to see Jesus.
What will you do today that will demonstrate Jesus?

Acts 9: 34

“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and tidy up your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up.

So when Peter found the paralytic he launched into a healing ministry. He said, “I will pray for you.” He said, “Let me place my hands on you, believe for your healing as I minister to you.”
No, Peter didn’t do any of the above at all.
He unequivocally made Jesus the centre of the conversation. It would be Jesus and nothing to do with Peter. Jesus heals you. Now that takes faith for sure. But it also takes a surrendered heart from a leader.
Leaders need to get out of the way.
It is not about us.
It is about Him.
When He is in the way more and more then maybe we know more of what He is going to do. Maybe it is easier to say, “Jesus heals you” when He is all encompassing and all important.

Acts 9:33

“There he found a man named Aeneas, a paralytic who had been bedridden for eight years.”

In Greco-Roman mythology, Aeneas was a Trojan hero. But not this man. He was no Trojan hero, he was a bedridden man. His past was better than his present and there was no hope for the future. Aeneas lived in the shadow of his namesake, but he couldn’t do what others could do, never mind the hero.
I am sure he felt lost, forgotten and hopeless.
However, Peter found him.
The Church needs to find the lost today.
There are people who are paralysed in many ways and unless the Church comes to them life is over.
These people are not popular, high-brow, noble people in society. In fact for some no one knows where they are. They are away from the publicity. They are bedridden, they are in homes behind closed doors.
The Church will never find Aeneas inside their buildings, because he cannot get to them. He is in bed.
Who will you find today?

Acts 9:32
“As Peter travelled about the country, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.”

With no introduction Peter is back on the scene.
And what is he doing?
The leading apostle at that time is not too big to visit the saints.
He is not too burdened by the pressures of leadership to prevent him going to the saints.
He is not so focused on the lost he doesn’t have time to visit the found.
Saints need visiting.
Saints need attention.
They need encouragement.
This is the norm.
Shepherds go to the sheep.
Christ the Great Shepherd visited.
The Christian ministry is not solely about growth, but it is about consolidating what has grown.
In short leaders who are called Pastor need to pastor. That has to be the expectation. That has to be the right thing to do with no exception or justification for not doing so.

Acts 9: 31

“Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was strengthened; and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in numbers, living in the fear of the Lord.”

Then, after Saul had gone, peace came.
The threats stopped because Saul was gone.
The Church became stronger, grew larger and was generally in better shape and all this happened after Saul had gone.
Does this mean that sometimes when a significant person is removed then the season changes? That can be so true. But in this situation we would be presuming at the best.
Persecution stopped probably because of Saul’s conversion for he was the main instigator of clamping down on the Christians.
Secondly, yes he was sent away and his straight talking debating stopped and this also reduced the persecution.
But thirdly, maybe it was just other distractions that were happening in the nation that meant the Jews didn’t chase the Christians so much. Some of the historians agree together that the nation at that time was itself coming under threat from at least Egypt but also other enemies. People began to think more of the safety of their own nation and its future and their attention came off the Christians.
It would appear then that God may allow a nation to be shaken, to be changed politically, financially, culturally and for the sole purpose of His Church, to give it the freedom to grow and expand. So now ask yourself what has been happening in your nation? Any change?!! It could be leading to a move of the Holy Spirit upon the Church.