God Speaks
The Church is Born and Begins to Function
Verse of the Day: [Just before His ascension into heaven, Jesus said to His disciples:] “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:7-8 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Acts 1
Reflection: The book of Acts was written to inform Theophilus (who may or may not be a real person) about what happened among Jesus’s followers after He ascended to heaven. They were to stay in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit came and remained on them. Then, they would be able to go from there to Judea, Samaria, and the ends of the earth as witnesses for the Kingdom of God. After He ascended, two angels assured them that He would return. The remaining eleven were part of a group of about 120 people who met together and were constantly united in prayer. At that time Peter exhorted from the scriptures that they should choose a person to take the place of Judas, which they did. First, they listed the qualifications, narrowed the field to two men, prayed (verses 24 and 25), and then they cast lots. This may seem strange to us who are used to casting votes, but it does eliminate personal opinions, preferences, personalities, and pressures: it leaves the choice up to God. All we have to do is accept the results as they did.
Prayer: Dear LORD God, thank You for Luke writing this account so that we can study how the church (the kingdom of God) developed after Jesus’s resurrection and ascension. Lord Jesus, may I and other believers so love You in word and deed that we earn the nickname Theophilus–God-lover. Thank You, Jesus, for meeting with and instructing Your followers for those first forty days after Your resurrection. May we carry on the work and teachings You started while we earnestly anticipate Your return. May I not plunge ahead in my own strength but wait on Your Holy Spirit’s empowerment and direction. May we grieve over the bad decisions of ungodly leaders but look to You for who should take their place. May we do this in an environment of corporate prayer. Show us Your choice for all positions, especially of those of leadership. Father, help us to serve You faithfully even when we know that some among us may have wrong motives, like Jesus did with Judas. I pray this in the name of Jesus the Christ. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will look for specific ways to show my love for God by obeying Him and loving His other children. Then, I will do them with the assistance of the Holy Spirit.
- I will show my love for God by reading and studying His loving instructions–the Bible.
- I will cooperate with others in spreading the good news of the kingdom of God locally, provincially, nationally, and to the ends of the earth.
- I will set my own opinions aside and seek to follow God’s direction in a particular situation within my community.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.
Acts 2
Reflection: Acts chapter 2 recounts the birthday of the Church, when the Holy Spirit of God breathed Life into the body of believers. This unified and empowered them to take the good news of the kingdom of God from Jerusalem to the ends of the world. The presence of the Holy Spirit is how Jesus would be with them until the end of the age. It all happened on the fiftieth day after Passover when Jewish people from all over the world were gathered in Jerusalem to celebrate “Shabuoth, the commemoration of the revelation of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai–called also Pentecost.”* While followers of Jesus were meeting for prayer, three notable things occurred: the sound of a rushing mighty wind and the appearance of tongues of fire and tongues of speech. Then Peter preached the first sermon to explain to the gathering crowd what was happening. During the sermon Peter quoted or referred to three passages in the Hebrew bible (Joel 2:17-21; Psalm 16:8-11; and Psalm 110:1) with which his hearers would have been familiar. Peter’s words had such an impact that many in his audience asked, “What shall we do?” He told them to repent and be baptized in Jesus’s name, and about 3,000 did so. Verses 42-47 tell how these precious people’s lives and actions were changed.
* Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, Tenth Edition.
Prayer: May Your Holy Spirit, O God, fill us, Your disciples, in such obvious, miraculous, and unexplainable ways, that everyone, no matter where they come from, gives only You the credit. May Christian pastors and leaders be so led by You and familiar with the Scriptures that they can quote them to explain what is happening in the current events of our day. May all believers take courage and continually point others to Jesus, telling clearly who He is and what He has done for us. May everyone that God is calling to Himself respond to our confident and certain witness. May they repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins and receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. May we, Your followers, devote ourselves to these: the apostles’ teaching (scripture), fellowship (meeting together), breaking of bread (communion), and prayer (talking things over with You, LORD–both privately and corporately). May we unselfishly, with glad and generous hearts, share with others this same good news as well as our possessions, our homes, our food, and our very lives. May we be continually praising You, LORD God, and finding favor with all the people. In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will acknowledge that I have the very Spirit of God indwelling me from the time I first believed in Christ.
- I will humbly ask God to fill me with His Spirit so that I can correctly reflect Him in my daily life.
- I will look for and thank God for the evidence (fruit) of the Holy Spirit working in my life. (See Galatians 5:22-25)
- I will share the good news of Jesus Christ and Holy Spirit with someone whose first language is not the same as mine.
Acts 3
Reflection: The author of this blog sees this chapter as an example of how a Christ-centered healing ministry should go. Peter and John were on their way to a prayer service at the Temple. They were aware of the needs of the people around them, especially the poor and needy. They saw beyond the man’s obvious need (crippled) and perceived need (money). But when the beggar looked at them for money, Peter gave him something far better: healing and salvation in Christ. This healing caused the man to be so thankful that he worshiped the LORD. Peter took the need to explain the man’s behavior as an opportunity to expound the Gospel. After Peter and John’s ministry to him, there was such a change in the man’s life (walking and leaping and praising God) that an explanation was necessary. Peter’s focus was not on themselves but on Christ. He is the one who died and rose again to bring healing and salvation. Jesus was the One people should praise. Peter explained that it is only by faith in the name of Jesus that people are healed and saved. Peter was not shy in pointing out the people’s sin in crucifying their Messiah. His explanation was based on the Scriptures, looking both back and forward. His preaching was meant to be a blessing and turn them back from their sinful ways.
Prayer: Dear loving Father God, thank You for healing this crippled man and using Peter’s explanation to draw many to faithful lives in Christ. Please help me to be faithful to participate in corporate prayer. I need to be aware of the needs of those around me. Each individual is beautiful in Your sight. Every individual we see has some kind of need. Give us Your compassion and understanding to meet their deepest need–You. Use me, please, to meet the same deep needs (healing and salvation in Christ) of people in my day. May I have the privilege of seeing someone walking and leaping and praising God because of You working through me. After ministry there should be such a change in people’s lives that explanation is necessary. Let me not focus on myself but on Christ. Jesus is the one who died and rose again to bring healing and salvation. Jesus, You are the One people should praise. I declare that it is only by faith in the name of Jesus that people are truly healed and saved. Help me to explain based on the Scriptures, looking both back and forward. May I and those I minister to continue to cooperate with the Holy Spirit in turning away from our sinful ways. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will ask the LORD how He wants me to apply Acts chapter 3 in my daily life. Then, with the help of the Holy Spirit, I will do it.
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to use me to meet the needs of healing and salvation in Christ of people in my day.
- I will develop a list of Scripture verses to use before, during, and after ministry to explain healing and salvation.
- I will cooperate with the Holy Spirit in discipling new believers. (Be specific.)
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.