Acceptable to Him
June 1, 2020
We’ve been praying that in the “in-between time” from Jesus’ resurrection to His ascension (40 days) sandwiched between Passover and Pentecost (50 days) that Jesus would do again what He did with His disciples then, this time with seeking Muslims during Ramadan (30 days) – that He would show Himself to them as the resurrected Son of God “by many proofs… and speaking about the Kingdom of God” (Ac 1:3). This past Thursday was Shavuot, (Feast of Weeks, Lev 23:15-21, which we celebrate as Pentecost on Sunday), and this portentous time is completed.
Shavuot commemorates when Moses received the Torah on Sinai. God chose THAT DAY to pour out the Spirit first on those who were gathered and waiting for Him, then on a crowd of diaspora Jews in Jerusalem for this obligatory festival, and the church was born among Jewish followers of Yeshua (Jer 31:33-34, Ac 2, 2 Co 3:3, 6). But Jesus had already announced His intention to bring in “other sheep that are not of this fold…So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (Jn 10:16).
It wasn’t long until the Lord sent Peter to a Roman household after showing him clearly in a vision that “in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him” (Ac 10:34-35). This vision helped him to overcome the legal prohibition (Gal 3:23-29) against entering a Gentile home. He entered and preached the Gospel to the “many persons gathered” there. To the amazement of Peter’s believing companions, the Holy Spirit interrupted his sermon and poured Himself out on them all (Ac 10:27-29, 34-48).
These days, the Gospel can be preached in any home through the Internet, without someone having to make the effort to travel. Neither is the Holy Spirit limited at all by people isolated in their homes. Do we have the faith to believe Jesus has been revealing who He is to Muslims seeking truth, peace and righteousness? That He has been speaking to them of His Kingdom? That He will pour out His Spirit on these sheep of another fold, and they will call on His name and be saved (Ac 2:21)?
Faith as small as a mustard seed (smaller than the period at the end of this sentence) is enough. Activate the faith you’ve got and pray!
Lord, You said, “I will build My [ekklesia] and the gates of hell will not prevail against it” (Mt 16:18). You said, “[Your] house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples” (Isa 56:7, Mk 11:17). Forgive us for building our way. Pour out Your Spirit on US so we become Your house of prevailing prayer. Prepare us to let go of human traditions and hold onto Your command to disciple nations and baptize them (Mk 7:8-9, Mt 28:19-20, Ac 10:47-48) so that we can welcome Muslims, not into “our church”, but into Your house.
You said in the last days You would pour out Your Spirit on all flesh, and everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved (Joel 2:28, 32, Ac 2:17, 21). You said anyone who fears You and does what is right is acceptable to You. We believe You. Increase our faith as we pray. Pour out Your Spirit on Muslims! We believe that those who fear You and do what is right WILL call on Jesus’ name and be saved.
You told Your disciples “the Gospel must be proclaimed to all nations”, and to not worry about what to say even when arrested and brought to trial, but to “just say whatever is given you at the time, for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit” (Mk 13:10-11). Help us listen to the Spirit and be filled with YOUR courage (not ours) to become effective disciplers for the Muslims flooding into Your Kingdom (2 Ti 1:7).