This has to be one of the most inspirational chapters in the book of Acts for me. Every time I read it my admiration for the early disciples, especially Peter and John, go through the roof. These two had transformed from being timid at times, to other times boastful, while other times impetuous to become to great evangelist on a mission to transform the world. Yet, here we find them meet with a great host of opposition from the Jewish people and leaders. At this pivotal point in history they could have chosen to abandon ship, forsake the mission, and return to a life of great comfort. Instead, they dug down deep and found the strength of the Holy Spirit and preach yet another powerful sermon to the religious leaders on the foundation beliefs of Jesus Christ, which they rejected and crucified. Although they are arrested, held overnight and commanded not to speak or preach in the name of Jesus again they stood tall and gave a their great confession. They did not cower under the pressure of conformity nor cowardice. Instead they cried, "Whether it's right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." In our vernacular they simple said, "Not gonna happen!" Oh that we could have such a close and intimate fellowship with Jesus that we the critics try to silence us from speaking the name of Jesus we boldly say, "Not gonna happen!"
As the chapter continues we see where Peter and John are released and they return to the remainder of the disciples. In this they joined together to, once again, PRAY! Do you notice that the early formation of the church took the matter of prayer with great sincerity and did not seek to move forward without any direction from their Leader, Jesus Christ. They did not pray, "Lord take away the opposition, smooth our paths, or make our job easier." Instead, they prayed for the ability to speak God's message with great boldness. In the midst of their prayers, because they were prayed with sincerity, urgency, and fervor the presence of the Holy Spirit overwhelmed the place causing the very building to shake and once again filling the people with the Holy Spirit empowering them to do even greater things.
In the closing section we find that the people, as a result of being filled with the Holy Spirit began to take their eyes off of themselves, their desires and self-promotions, attending to the needs of one another. They had a compassion and love for each other like no other time before. They provided for the needs of one another, they were of one mind and accord, they did not allow anyone to go without a need being met! They were the epitome of the Church!
Lessons to Glean:
1. When faced with opposition, do not lose heart, PRAY!
2. When faced with an uncertainty, PRAY!
3. When we surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit, everything about who we are changes!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Acts 3
When we move into Chapter 3 we see a continuation of what has been taking place from the beginning, people praying. While the scripture does not outright saying that Peter and John were going to the temple to pray, it does tell us that they were going there at the “Hour of Prayer.” There is little doubt in my mind that these men are going about their daily lives in a constant state of prayer. The world as they have known it has changed and they now seek God constantly because they do not know any other way to turn. Formerly, they had Jesus there each moment teaching and guiding them. However, they now face a life alone. I am reminded of how many times I have spoken with church members who have lost a loved one, whether father, mother, or spouse, and they acknowledge the difficulty of day-to-day operations. They state their condition of uncertainty because that loved one who has now passed was their counselor, their sounding board, and/or their confidant. Imagine the lives of these men, whom for the last 3 years have had the greatest counselor, teacher, sounding board, and/or confidant of all time yet now He is no longer at their beckon call, so they think. So what do they do? PRAY!
As they approach their destination, they are met with a divine moment. Divine moments are those times when God places someone or something in our paths to either teach or encourage us but also to use as a method of showing His glory, might, and power. In this case, the divine moment was a man who had been lame since birth. Through the Power of the Holy Spirit in the name of Jesus, Peter and John brought healing to this man, this act of healing providing a platform for these weak men to showcase the power of God. In addition, this allowed Peter to deliver his second great sermon, here in Solomon’s Colonnade. Peter, the brash and ashamed disciple now the bold and apologetic (defensive), disciple states with great boldness and authority, “This Jesus, WHOM YOU CRUCIFIED, is the One who has made this man whole. So you should repent of your actions and seek His forgiveness determining to live for Him.” Go Peter, preach it with unashamed and unapologetic boldness!
Lessons from Chapter 3
1. Prayer must be constant to drive away self-doubt, self-help, and self-centeredness.
2. Only through the Power of God can we change from inadequate and inconsistent followers of God to Empowered Ones Proclaiming the His greatness.
3. We are commanded to speak with boldness and clarity the message of saving grace through Jesus Christ to an unregenerate world.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Acts 2
To the great amazement of the early church they saw for the first time the power of the Holy Spirit displayed in their lives. In verse four we read that after being filled with the Holy Spirit they received the ability to speak in other languages. This feat gave the disciples the ability to spread God's holy Word to those who had gathered in Jerusalem from other nations. This divine intervention not only empowered the disciples to share the Word but it displayed the might of God to both the early disciples and to those who had gathered in Jerusalem for Pentacost. At this point I have to stop and ask myself, "What task has God given me which I might question, wondering from where the ability, resources, or support will come?". "Lord, please forgive me for the doubts and disbelief I often harbor as to WHAT You can and cannot do!".
As we go farther into chapter two, we read the greatest sermon ever delivered, aside from the Sermon on the Mount. Peter, once impetuous and ashamed, now stands and boldly delivers a message that doesn't hold back any punches. He is an equal opportunity offender as he tells of the Holiness of Jesus and of His divine nature to the demise of the Jewish leaders and people. Peter brings the message to a close by stating in verse 36' "Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!" This closing statement from Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit caused the people to ask, "What will it take for us to be forgiven, what must we do?" To which Peter replied with great certainty, "Reverse your course!" Through this we again see the power of the Holy Spirit displayed as 3,000 people were saved and the church was united seeking to learn more by devoting themselves to God's teachings through the apostles. Because they submitted themselves to the teachings of the apostles and did not seek to usurp their desires on the church, God blessed the church, grew the church, and enjoyed the great fellowship with the church.
I wonder, do we come to the church each week with the same intensity and seeking heart asking questions such as: What must I do to align with God's desires? What is God asking me to do? Am I willing to submit to the Word of God, regardless of what it might cost me or ask of me?
Lessons from Chapter 2
1. When God initiates an assignment, no obstacle of man or this world can prevent His will from being accomplished!
2. Even though we offend God greatly, His forgiveness is offered to each of us and He desires to give us mighty blessings when we are submissive and seeking of Him.
3. The blessings of God are beyond our comprehension but within our grasp though submission and prayer.
As we go farther into chapter two, we read the greatest sermon ever delivered, aside from the Sermon on the Mount. Peter, once impetuous and ashamed, now stands and boldly delivers a message that doesn't hold back any punches. He is an equal opportunity offender as he tells of the Holiness of Jesus and of His divine nature to the demise of the Jewish leaders and people. Peter brings the message to a close by stating in verse 36' "Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!" This closing statement from Peter, inspired by the Holy Spirit caused the people to ask, "What will it take for us to be forgiven, what must we do?" To which Peter replied with great certainty, "Reverse your course!" Through this we again see the power of the Holy Spirit displayed as 3,000 people were saved and the church was united seeking to learn more by devoting themselves to God's teachings through the apostles. Because they submitted themselves to the teachings of the apostles and did not seek to usurp their desires on the church, God blessed the church, grew the church, and enjoyed the great fellowship with the church.
I wonder, do we come to the church each week with the same intensity and seeking heart asking questions such as: What must I do to align with God's desires? What is God asking me to do? Am I willing to submit to the Word of God, regardless of what it might cost me or ask of me?
Lessons from Chapter 2
1. When God initiates an assignment, no obstacle of man or this world can prevent His will from being accomplished!
2. Even though we offend God greatly, His forgiveness is offered to each of us and He desires to give us mighty blessings when we are submissive and seeking of Him.
3. The blessings of God are beyond our comprehension but within our grasp though submission and prayer.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Acts 1
Well today is the first official day of the blog on the book of Acts. As per usual, it has been a very unusual day for me. Ordinarily I will post each morning to the blog. However, today I had to travel to Atlanta for a series of meetings with NAMB which began tonight. Therefore, today's review had to wait until late this evening.
As I have read over the first chapter of Acts several times, like many of you, my favorite part of the chapter is verse eight. Jesus is preparing to ascend into Heaven and wants to give His disciples one final word of encouragement. What a great word it was! "You shall receive POWER after the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Jesus is reaffirming the first followers that He is not leaving them alone or helpless. His intention is to continue to give them the necessary strength to face a monumental task ahead of them, missions. These rag tag men are to be His missionaries to carry the Gospel to all the parts of the World beginning at home and spreading out. I can't help but think of the task He is laying before First Baptist Florence of developing a balanced strategy to be on mission locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. But at the very thought of this task, I must admit that it can be overwhelming and intimidating. The part which is reassuring is that Jesus has offered that same word of encouragement to each of us to face the mission before us; you shall receive POWER after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Thank you for those words of encouragement to continue to pursue the High Calling.
As we go a little farther in the chapter, we read where the angel of the Lord appeared to the disciples after Jesus had ascended and asked them a simple question, "What are you doing standing around looking at the clouds?" (paraphrased) In the words we have heard before, "Don't just stand there, get busy!" What the Holy Spirit is emphasizing is that Jesus does not expect us to stand by idly waiting for His return. He has given us a task, be His missionaries to the ends of the earth! We must get busy.
While the end of the chapter deals with the replacing of Judas of Iscariot, the operative passage is found in verse 14. "All of these (the disciples) were continually united in prayer along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers." The early formation of the church recognized they must stand grounded in the divine communication with the Father, which Jesus had demonstrated to them continually. They understood they would receive the POWER from the Holy Spirit but they did not want to misunderstand or misuse that POWER. Too often we are guilty of running head first into OUR plans not taking the time to seek the Father's will meticulously and submissively.
Let us remember the take aways from Chapter One.
1. Our assignments are precipitated by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
2. We must not stand around looking heavenward without seeking to share His offer of hope to an unregenerated world.
3. Only through a constant effort of united prayer can we hope to hear, understand, and fulfill the Father's wishes.
Go Be A Blessing to Others for Jesus,
Pastor Ric
As I have read over the first chapter of Acts several times, like many of you, my favorite part of the chapter is verse eight. Jesus is preparing to ascend into Heaven and wants to give His disciples one final word of encouragement. What a great word it was! "You shall receive POWER after the Holy Spirit has come upon you." Jesus is reaffirming the first followers that He is not leaving them alone or helpless. His intention is to continue to give them the necessary strength to face a monumental task ahead of them, missions. These rag tag men are to be His missionaries to carry the Gospel to all the parts of the World beginning at home and spreading out. I can't help but think of the task He is laying before First Baptist Florence of developing a balanced strategy to be on mission locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally. But at the very thought of this task, I must admit that it can be overwhelming and intimidating. The part which is reassuring is that Jesus has offered that same word of encouragement to each of us to face the mission before us; you shall receive POWER after the Holy Spirit has come upon you. Thank you for those words of encouragement to continue to pursue the High Calling.
As we go a little farther in the chapter, we read where the angel of the Lord appeared to the disciples after Jesus had ascended and asked them a simple question, "What are you doing standing around looking at the clouds?" (paraphrased) In the words we have heard before, "Don't just stand there, get busy!" What the Holy Spirit is emphasizing is that Jesus does not expect us to stand by idly waiting for His return. He has given us a task, be His missionaries to the ends of the earth! We must get busy.
While the end of the chapter deals with the replacing of Judas of Iscariot, the operative passage is found in verse 14. "All of these (the disciples) were continually united in prayer along with the women, including Mary the mother of Jesus and His brothers." The early formation of the church recognized they must stand grounded in the divine communication with the Father, which Jesus had demonstrated to them continually. They understood they would receive the POWER from the Holy Spirit but they did not want to misunderstand or misuse that POWER. Too often we are guilty of running head first into OUR plans not taking the time to seek the Father's will meticulously and submissively.
Let us remember the take aways from Chapter One.
1. Our assignments are precipitated by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
2. We must not stand around looking heavenward without seeking to share His offer of hope to an unregenerated world.
3. Only through a constant effort of united prayer can we hope to hear, understand, and fulfill the Father's wishes.
Go Be A Blessing to Others for Jesus,
Pastor Ric
Saturday, March 26, 2011
First Post
Welcome to my blog. In the next 28 days I will be blogging about a chapter from the book of Acts. This is a part of a challenge to get more of the church to have a daily quiet time. We cannot expect to know God much less draw closer to Him without spending time each day reading His Word and communicating with Him through prayer and meditation. Through this experience my prayer is that we will grow deeper in our Walk with God and closer with our fellow Church family.
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