Daily Devotional for December 22, 2015
Acts 10
Scripture:
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 the Gentiles. 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues and praising God. Then Peter said, 47 “Can anyone keep these people from 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.
Observation:
Have you ever attended a service where the Holy Spirit moved mightily in the middle of the sermon? Something like that happened when Peter was sharing in the house of Cornelius.
While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message (Acts 10:44).
In obedience to an angel, Cornelius had sent men to find Peter. While they were on their way, God was preparing Peter’s heart to accept their invitation. When Peter entered the house of Cornelius, he not only met the man, he also found a large number of people gathered to hear everything the Lord had commanded him to share.
Peter reminded the people of what they had already heard about Jesus. In the midst of his presentation, the people were filled with the Holy Spirit. Peter’s response was to order everyone to be baptized. That is the story of how God started the church in Caesarea. It began with a man whose prayers and gifts to the poor had risen to God as a memorial offering.
Application:
- Personal Application: God will often move when we least expect it. As a Spirit-empowered man, we must be aware, attentive, and responsive to those moments.
- Family Devotional: Read this chapter to your family. Ask them if anything spoke to them as you read. Talk about their answers and show them that one important aspect of this chapter is that God will sometime interrupt our life and do something supernatural. Be aware and attentive to those moments. Pray for them.
Prayer:
- Personal Prayer Focus: Ask the Lord to help you see interruptions as an opportunity to observe Him working in the hearts of those around us.
- Family Prayer Focus: Pray that your family will not get so caught up in routine and schedule that they miss what God may want to do in a particular moment.
Three-Year Reading Plan for Sunday, December 20 – Sunday, December 27:
- Sunday, December 20: Acts 8
- Monday, December 21: Acts 9
- Tuesday, December 22: Acts 10
- Wednesday, December 23: Acts 11
- Thursday, December 24: Acts 12
- Friday, December 25: Acts 13
- Saturday, December 26: Acts 14
- Sunday, December 27: Acts 15
—TOM GROOT is National Director of Men’s Ministry and Christian Education. Connect with Tom on Facebook or Twitter @TomGrootJr.
Portions of this devotional are adapted from God’s Word for Today, November 19, 2013.
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