Author Archives: John D. Willome

“And we apostles are witnesses of all he did throughout Judea and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Then God allowed him to appear, not to the general public, but to us whom God had chosen in advance to be his witnesses. We were those who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. And he ordered us to preach everywhere and to testify that Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. He is the one all the prophets testified about, saying that everyone who believes in him will have their sins forgiven through his name.”
Acts 10:39-43

Dear God, there is a part of Peter’s speech that I’m realizing this morning has always bothered me. It’s not what he said, but the fact that what he said is, indeed, accurate. Jesus did not appear to the general public after his resurrection. He didn’t appear to Caiaphas. Pilate. Herod. That’s interesting. That’s an interesting decision on your part. Why did he not appear to people like that? Even to Caesar himself. Why this seemingly covert plan?

Wow, as I’m thinking about this I think I am getting the answer. And maybe the answer is influenced by my own bias when it comes to Christian Nationalism and such, but if Jesus had revealed his resurrected self to powerful people, would they have used their power to coerce people into believing in Jesus, worshipping Jesus, etc. Instead, he revealed himself to the powerless. Those who were incapable of abusing others with their power.

I reminds me of your decision to send your angels to reveal Jesus’s birth to the shepherds instead of the local high priest or Bethlehem/Jerusalem church leadership. Why did you choose to reveal yourself to the powerless instead of the powerful? Is it possible the powerful cannot be trusted with the knowledge of your revelation?

Father, I can gripe and complain all I want when it comes to others abusing their power, but I need to not take my eyes off of the times when I abdicate mine. I miss opportunities to offer you to those who are hurting around me. I miss opportunities to share my faith with others. I miss the opportunity to pray for others like I should. So while I am concerned about those who are abusing power, or even seeking power so they can abuse it, I am offering myself to you in repentance and asking that you help me to love others with your love. See others with your eyes. Hear others with your ears. And know others with your knowledge. Help me to know what to say, what not to say, and when to say or not say it. Oh, how I love you. Help me to share that love with others.

I offer this prayer to you in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

“You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee, after John began preaching his message of baptism. And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Acts 10:37-38

Dear God, I started to cover more verses this morning, but verse 38 kind of stopped me. Peter’s description of Jesus’s activities in this world was that he did good and healed all who were oppressed by the devil. What an interesting summation of Jesus’s earthly activities pre-crucifixion. Of course, he left some things out like teaching and revealing you to us. Also challenging the church authorities. But it was including Satan specifically that made me wonder if I don’t need to do that more as I pray for people, including myself.

I was at a National Day of Prayer meeting last night, and while I was praying silently while others prayed, I was taking a bit of an inventory of the tragedies and hard things I had witnessed or heard about during the week. I know of two children in our local schools whose mother died by suicide on Sunday after a very complicated life (I’ll keep what I learned to myself and not type it here for her privacy’s sake). I talked with a grandmother who has relocated her life a couple of times to help her daughter care for her two children because the daughter has had drug issues. The list seemingly goes on and on. There’s so much brokenness. So much addiction. So much pain. I forget who is behind it all. I forget who is whispering anger, hatred, indignation, bitterness, self-righteousness, fear, etc. into people’s ears. It’s Satan and his demons. Yes, I believe in spiritual warfare. I believe there are powers and principalities of this world and then there are the angels and my Triune God on the other side. I believe that sometimes I am completely in tune with you and experiencing the fruit of your Spirit, and then there are other times when I give in to the self-indulgence of my rights, my opinions being right and others wrong, and the need to feel superior to others. I give in to fear and let it motivate me. I create idols that I look to for my peace instead of you and you alone.

Father, Satan comes to steal, kill, and destroy. You came to give me life. I pray for those in my sphere who are really struggling right now. I am running their names through my head. They are looking for you. They just don’t know they are looking for you. Help them to find you, whether through me or someone else you raise up to be in their lives. Heal hearts. Oh, Father, redeem the pain I’ve seen or know of just from this week. Oh, Jesus, heal. Oh, Holy Spirit, comfort and counsel.

I offer this prayer to you, Father, in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

Then Peter replied, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel—that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.”
Acts 10:34-36

Dear God, I just wanted to stop here with Peter’s response because it made me think of something: How do I define the “Gospel?” I think Peter sums it up in these three sentences:

• God shows no favoritism
• In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right
• There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

I was speaking with someone yesterday about after-life, what it looks like and such. One of the things I said was that, after looking at the Parables of Jesus and what he said about the Kingdom of Heaven, it became clear that there will be a sorting. The cut-line is a little vague to me, and I am not sure how to define it, but that’s not a responsibility you gave me. You gave me the responsibility to represent you to the world and call the world into your Gospel: your Good News.

Father, I was able to visit with a few people yesterday about you. It was interesting to have had my prayer yesterday morning about the mission fields of Portland and then the one within which I already live. Then you gave me some opportunities to share you with some really precious and great people about whom I really care. So thank you for that. Thank you for loving me and teaching me. Thank you for looking beyond my ignorance and seeing my heart. It really is for you.

I pray all of this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen

⁹ The next day as Cornelius’s messengers were nearing the town, Peter went up on the flat roof to pray. It was about noon, ¹⁰ and he was hungry. But while a meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw the sky open, and something like a large sheet was let down by its four corners. ¹² In the sheet were all sorts of animals, reptiles, and birds. ¹³ Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat them.”

¹⁴ “No, Lord,” Peter declared. “I have never eaten anything that our Jewish laws have declared impure and unclean.”

¹⁵ But the voice spoke again: “Do not call something unclean if God has made it clean.” ¹⁶ The same vision was repeated three times. Then the sheet was suddenly pulled up to heaven.

¹⁷ Peter was very perplexed. What could the vision mean? Just then the men sent by Cornelius found Simon’s house. Standing outside the gate, ¹⁸ they asked if a man named Simon Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ Meanwhile, as Peter was puzzling over the vision, the Holy Spirit said to him, “Three men have come looking for you. ²⁰ Get up, go downstairs, and go with them without hesitation. Don’t worry, for I have sent them.”

Acts 10:9-20

Dear God, it’s easy to make Cornelius the protagonist of this story, but I think it’s really the journey you have Peter on. But before I get into that, I had another thought about Cornelius yesterday while I continued to ponder this story: He got an angel visit! That’s amazing. This Yahweh-worshipping Gentile got an angel visit. Amazing! Jesus’s blood is truly for us all.

So the next part of the story is for Peter to evolve. Is there another way you could have gotten him to where you wanted him to be in terms of thinking of Gentiles as part of your kingdom? Maybe. But I think this one is the most powerful because it met him where he was and then took him where you wanted him to go. Was he “sinning” before his vision and then words from the Holy Spirit? No. But he was ignorant and blind. He didn’t know everything you know. He was learning. Working out his faith with fear and trembling. And this story starts from his perspective from the time he took to pray. He didn’t get this Holy Spirit communication from walking around and talking to people. He got it from setting aside time to get alone and pray to you.

Father, I am reminded of the movies line from Shadowlands when C.S. Lewis is quoted as saying, “I don’t pray because it changes God. I pray because it changes me.” I’m not trying to change you, Father, Jesus, or Holy Spirit. I’m not trying to align your will to mine. But I am trying to align my thinking to your thinking. I am trying to see the world the way you see the world. I am trying to love the way you love. And I am trying to come along side you and lend my heart and prayers to the work you are doing in the world, both for those I know and love and those I don’t know. So move through me. Love through me. And unleash your will on this earth. Use me however you wish to.

I pray this in Jesus and with your Holy Spirit,

Amen