Acts 2:42-47 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
“All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.” This has commonly been misunderstood that the early Christian Church were Communists. However it is not true that they lived together in one very big commune, but rather that they sold their possessions to meet the needs of the body of Christ. One thing we must remember is that when a person comes to the Lord, they are newly born again and are in great need of being taught the ways of the Lord. They get born again and then they wonder “Okay, what now?” They, like all of us had, have a need to be discipled. After Peter’s sermon and the subsequent birth of three thousand new converts, they all needed discipling. Many of them were there with the intention of a short stay for the Holy Day. If they were to stay longer, many would need supplies to do so. This could have been why the Christians were selling possessions, so that they could help these new converts. Also they could have been helping the needs of their neighbors. Nothing in these verses indicates that they lived together, but rather that they sold their good to meet the needs of others. Jon Courson points out that they had everything in common by stating that they were “Commonists” and not “Communists.” The big difference is that communism says “what’s yours is mine.” Commonism states “What’s mine is yours.” Don’t be misled, the early church were not Communists.
The heart is the difference between them establishing a subculture of communism and them moving as the Lord led them from the love of God in their hearts. Pastor Courson shared this little story: The story is told that a number of years ago in London’s Hyde Park, where free speech is the order of the day, a Communist took the podium, pointed to an impoverished elderly gentleman in the crowd, and said ‘When the Communists are in charge, they will put a new suit on that old man!” A pastor in the audience responded, ‘When Christ is in charge, He’ll put a new man in that old suit.’”
Family, it is always about the heart! These Believers did not have their hearts on their possessions, but rather on Jesus and the Kingdom of God. With the Holy Spirit within them, their hearts were changed, and being continually changed, so that the love for and of God ruled. The loved God and that being so, they loved and cared for each other.
“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.” These people met in the temple courts. Some think that they met and participated in the sacrifices. However, that seems unlikely since Jesus was the once and for all sacrifice for all sins (Hebrews 7:27, 9:26, 10:2, 10:10). However, they may have met at the temple and were present at the ceremonies, though not themselves were not giving for the sacrifice. They certainly were there witnessing, including healings and exorcisms, to the people who were there (Acts 3, 12:12-16, 17-21).
They continued with sincere and glad hearts to meet together, to share meals together and to encourage each other. They loved each other and blessed each other. Family, the fact that Jesus was now in control of their lives was manifest for all to see. The love of God within them was fully on display to all.
“And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.” With their hearts bent on obeying the Lord, with His love flowing through them, the number of them was increased…daily. Are our churches “daily” growing? See, their numbers grew because of their love and obedience. They were zealous to share Jesus and they loved meeting together. They loved their Brothers and Sisters in Christ more than their possessions. Family, we all should examine ourselves, can we say our hearts and minds are truly like that of the early church. If we truly want to see people come to the Lord, we must first truly yield. That is the Biblical example of church growth. Again, it’s all about the heart. A heart that is yielded and compliant. A mind after the Word and will of God. If we can be so, the world around us will be very different. Please allow me to boldly say that, starting with me, we fall very short.
Let’s us praise God and be fully yielded to Him. After all, Jesus gave all, shouldn’t we?
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 2:42-47 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
“Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.” It is true that we must be careful to not chase after wonders and signs. Chasing after them is a good way to be misled. There are many wolves in sheep’s clothing (Matthew 7:15). However, does that mean that God, who has throughout His Word with wonders and signs, has stopped? By no means! He still does signs and wonders. God does not change (Numbers 23:19). Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and evermore (Hebrews 13:8). Yes, God still does healings and miracles…as He decides to do them in His wisdom and knowledge that is infinitely beyond our wisdom and knowledge. Man does not conjure up God’s miracles, they only come as God decides.
John 4:43-54 tells the story of a royal official who had a son who was close to death. The man had heard that Jesus healed people so he went to Jesus and begged Him to heal his son. Jesus responded back to him “Unless you people see signs and wonders,” Jesus told him, “you will never believe.” Let’s stop and consider how Jesus meant these words. Was Jesus chiding the man for asking Jesus to heal his son? Perhaps one might think that Jesus was not chiding the man, but lamenting the fact that people will not believe unless He performs a sign or wonder? It seems easy to understand what was in Jesus’s mind, and heart, when He considered the man’s request on behalf of his son, and the man’s own pain at the condition of his son. Surely Jesus could understand, and maybe even find a comparison between His own mission and the mission of this royal official. God loves mankind, but mankind, His creation, was perishing both physically and spiritually. So Jesus, out of love and obedience to the Father, left His home in Heaven to seek, save and heal the lost and broken (Luke 19:10, Psalm 147:3, Psalm 34:17-18). Jesus, walking as a man, had purposed not to walk in His divine power, but to depend on the Father and on the Holy Spirit to lead and provide for Him. This human father was coming on behalf of his progeny and seeking to save his son. This father was depending on God. In this case the father had heard of Jesus, and most likely all he knew was that Jesus was displaying power and doing works that only someone of God could do. But the father came on behalf of the child he loved. So it seems that the words of Jesus were most likely spoken in love, compassion and kindness. Sure, He would prefer that people would just believe His words because they knew Him and absolutely believed and trusted Him, but men are weak. Their faith is weak. We are not in control of our destination or condition. We can hurt, suffer and at times hope can drain from us. Jesus, in great compassion, knew the man’s condition. This royal official had humbled himself and sought out Jesus for the sake of His son.
Jesus told the man to go back home and that his son would live. Upon returning home the man found out that as soon as Jesus had told him that his son would live, his son was healed. This inspired the man, and his family, to believe in Jesus.
By the above story we see that Jesus understands us, that He has great compassion regarding our needs and that Jesus truly is the answer to all our problems, big and small.
It is clear that Jesus understood that when He performed miracles people believed and were saved. Family, people have not changed. When God performs signs and wonders it gets people’s attention and opens the door for them to believe. It points the way to God. Of course, just as all that saw Jesus perform miracles did not believe, it is the same now. Still, the wonders and signs of God were performed to lead people to God. God has always revealed Himself to mankind in this way and He still does. As we walk in the will of God, as we are where He wants us to be when He wants us to be there, miracles still happen. God still uses people to perform His miracles. Where people of faith and who have knowledge of God still pray and seek God for healings, signs, and wonders, they still happen. God, understanding mankind, still uses these things to get the attention of man. They are indeed signs. Big billboard signs that God still loves His creation and is still calling for mankind to repent and to come to Him to be loved and saved by Him. Like the royal official who needed God to save, so are all of us. It begins with our relationship with God and then we, like the royal official, tell everyone the Good News that they may believe. God may use any of us, He may desire to use you, to do a mighty miracle or healing that glorifies Him, so that people will be saved. God is so, so very good and He loves us beyond our understanding. Praise God who understands us and graciously and tenderly loves us! Oh yes, praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 2:42-47 – “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
“They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” After the Lord had added three thousand to the group of the disciples (remember, that it was not Peter who added but the Lord who added, as in V47. Family, too often we can get caught up in the latest program that is being used in a church that is growing rapidly. While it is a good idea to use good ideas, we must always remember that it is God that provides the increase. All too often we see a church go from one “growth” program or principle to another and as one looks back, there may have been a slight swelling of numbers for a while, but then the swell recedes and the size of the church goes back to about its original size. Family, what God is using at another church may not be what He has for your church. John 21:20-22 “Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, “Lord, who is going to betray you?”) 21 When Peter saw him, he asked, “Lord, what about him?” 22 Jesus answered, “If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me.” We see that what God desires for one is not what God necessarily desires for another. Jesus basically told Peter to not be concerned about what He is doing with John, but to be about what God has called Him to do. Family, if a book, or a program from another church, has a blessing that can help us to become more greatly rooted in the Word, then praise God and utilize it. But we should not be seeking all the “How to’s” and “To do’s” that are out there. We are to be simply be loving God with all that we are and to be loving each other. We are to be growing in this love of God and of each other. If we have done that, we have completed our mission as Jesus said that all things are contained in these two commandments of love (Matthew 22:37-40). If we do that then people will know we are God’s people who are filled with God’s love and that will attract the saved. In a dark world, when a light is turned on, people will come to it (Matthew 5:14-16).
Here is the simple, but proven way to grow a church. A church that is large in number but lacking in commitment to God is not what is desired. To have a church that loves God above all else, we must have faith in God and what He has instructed us to do. Peter, in his first sermon, was led by the Holy Spirit and three thousand were saved from Hell. There was then no collection of writings known as the “New Testament.” Led by the Holy Spirit, Peter preached from the Old Testament, what the Law and the Prophets taught and prophesied. He proclaimed the Word of God and under the guidance of the Holy Spirit taught them what their scripture meant. Hearing the Word of God, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit moving upon them, a great number came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior. Plain and simple. Be inspired by the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. Preach the Word of God as the Holy Spirit leads. Have faith that God Himself will save. And love. Always love. Family, it is not about programs, it is about the Word of God as led and revealed by the Spirit of God.
After the day of Pentecost, the first believers continued to meet. So the Word is clear, meet together with fellow believers (Hebrews 10:25). When they met they listened as the Word of God was taught to them by the Apostles. Today, we meet and listen to what God speaks to us through the Bible, which is God’s Word given to us through His Apostles and Prophets.
They fellowshipped together. Fellowshipping here means that people who have the same beliefs, the same interest and the same goals meet for the same purpose. They love God and want increasingly more of Him in their hearts, minds, and actions. They gather to praise God and to seek Him as a group and as individuals. They speak the Word to each other to encourage each other. To all who are new, they speak the Word, as led by the Holy Spirit, that they too may come to full fellowship with God.
They broke bread. Yes, they had Holy Communion in remembrance of Christ. But they also ate meals together. They loved each other and enjoyed each other and by the expressing of individual faith, inspired and encouraged each other. Family, we should have friends who are Christians and those who are not. Sincerely though, if our main goal is to grow in Christ, then most, not all, but most of the people we spend our time with will be other Christians (1 Corinthians 15:33, 2 Corinthians 6:14, Psalm 1:1). Family, do we truly want to grow in Christ, then most of our fellowship should be with fellow believers so that we build each other up.
They prayed. When teaching His apostles to pray He did not say “If you pray” but He told us how to pray with the full assumption that we would be praying continuously. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 instructs us to “pray continually.” There are many forms of prayer and what we must remember, and do, is to continually be in communication with God. We must both speak to God and listen to Him. Of course, what He has to say is much more important than what we have to say and so that should dictate that we need to listen more than speak. Still, there is a time for both.
Family, do we want our church to minister to more new people and to see God grow those new people in the faith? What God has called us to is simple. Follow Him. Know His Word. Live in remembrance of what God has done for us through Jesus. Love and encourage each other. Talk to Him. Share the Good News with everyone who will listen. Everything else will not last throughout eternity, but these things will. Praise God! Let’s keep it simple: Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 2:36-41 – “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
“With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Peter warned his listeners to save themselves from the corrupt generation they lived in. In fact, he pleaded with them to save themselves. He had already explained to them how to save themselves by faith in Jesus, now He pleaded with them to save themselves. Peter could have mechanically and impassively delivered the message and cared little about the results. He could have done the duty without the heart. However Peter delivered the message with great passion. He delivered the message with great love. Peter cared and so he delivered the message with the love within him, with the love of God pouring out of him. When people know we care and that we passionately believe, then they are more likely to listen. If our voices, our lives, do not reveal a passion about what we believe in whom we believe in, then what will be related by us to others is that what we are conveying to them is not so grand, not so exciting, not so important. People must see from our lives that we are passionate and committed to what we believe and then, perhaps, they will listen to the words that we share. We must love with great passion He who first loved us.
Family, please know, we need not have lived a perfect life in order to share our testimony. No-one has. Truly we want to live a life of Godly holiness, as we can, but none of us are perfect. In fact, that very truth is what can help others to understand that we are saved by grace and so can they be. See, though we never want to sin, the fact that we do and can still confidently state that we are going to heaven, is bewildering to those who don’t understand verses such as Ephesians 2:8-9 that confirm that we are saved not by any works we do, but only by the grace of God. God forgives murderers, thieves and sexual sinners just as quickly, purely and easily as He forgave us. So we can tell them with firm conviction that God can and will forgive everyone that comes to Him in humility and in repentance, just as He did for us. A perfectly sinless life is what we all aspire to, but it is in the weakness of our flesh that to some our testimony shines brightest and is more relatable to them. Though the Lord wants us to never sin, He can even use our sin to His glory. Family, having sinned, any kind of sin, does not disqualify us from sharing our faith. That is a lie from the enemy. Certainly our testimony is that if God saved me, He can save you.
World renowned Dr. James Dobson was asked by serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer to visit him in prison. Knowing of Dahmer’s grisly past of murder and cannibalism, Dr. Dobson severely doubted the rumors of the conversion of Dahmer to Christ. Dobson did not want to visit Dahmer, but felt compelled by God to do so. Though Dr. Dobson had come not wanting to believe that this heinous murderer could have come to the Lord, by the time he left, Dr. Dobson was convinced that Jeffrey Dahmer had repented and been saved by Jesus Christ and was bound for heaven. Many people, Christians and not, found this conclusion by Dr. Dobson reprehensible and impossible to believe. When hearing of a heinous person coming to the Lord some people make statements such as “If God will have him in heaven then I don’t want to go there!” How sad. How unknowing that all of us are sinners (Romans 3:23) and that no-one gets to Heaven except by the grace of God through Jesus Christ (Romans 3:24-26). Also, when one states that the blood of Christ is not strong enough to save the worst of us, we are calling the blood of Christ impotent and limited. It is quite an offensive statement. As John 3:16 states, Jesus came to save the world, which is filled with people who do evil. Family, to a pure God, even our good deeds are filthy compared to Him (Isaiah 64:6). The problem with thinking we are less of a sinner than anyone else is that our comparison of ourselves is erroneously horizontally compared to each other rather than comparing ourselves to God. Next to the purity of God, the righteousness of all of us is putrid. Even past great men of God who have come into God’s presence fall on the ground and confess the impurity of themselves and all men. Isaiah called himself and all people unclean before the eyes of the LORD Almighty (Isaiah 6:5). Jesus said that only God is good (Mark 10:18). Family, it is not a shame that God could forgive Jeffrey Dahmer, it shows the wondrous power of the blood of Jesus to save all, even those we consider most heinous. Praise God!
Peter called his generous perverse. How much more so our generation? Nowadays, being the last days, so often evil is called good and good evil (Isaiah 5:20, Romans 1:32, 2 Timothy 3:13). Sin is normalized and the call to join in sin is pervasive in all societies, and the drumbeat of the call grows stronger. Indeed, we must warn and plead all people to come out of sin and be saved. All who have not come to Jesus to be saved remain condemned (John 3:18).
“Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” And so, though the world thought that by killing the body of Jesus His message would be squashed, not long after His resurrection and ascension His message came back with great supernatural force. The Holy Spirit filled the Lord’s disciples with powerful supernatural gifts and the Gospel message came back like a mighty flood to save three thousand people after Peter’s Holy Spirit inspired sermon. Acts 17:6(KJV) states that in a short time the disciples of Christ, all disciples of Christ, are turning the world “upside down.” A very interesting term as the world was upside down and the Christians were leading people to Christ at every turn, and so they were turning the upside down to be right-side up. Praise God! What the Jews did not understand is that the Holy Spirit was saving people though people. Just as God planned.
So the question we need to ask ourselves is “How are we allowing God to lead and empower us to turn our world, our spheres of influence, upside down?” That is what we are called to do, not in our power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit working through us. Praise God! Let it be Lord! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 2:36-41 – “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
“The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” What is the promise? The promise is that if we repent and also get baptized (to show that we are saved by grace through Jesus) then our sins will be forgiven and we will be born from above (John 3:16). This verse does not guaranteed that once a parent, or both parents come to know Jesus as their Savior and Lord that the grace that covered the parents will also cover the children. Mom and Dad may be going to heaven but little Johnny and Janie will only go to heaven if they personally know Jesus as their Savior and Lord. True is the often repeated phrase “God has no grandchildren.” Jesus said that He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). No one gets to live in heaven through mommy and daddy. John 1:12-13 states that all who receive God spiritually become children of God and that this is not through natural birth, but by being born of God. One is only born of God through Jesus Christ (John 3:1-21, Acts 4:12, 1 John 3:23-24). What V39 is promising is that just as our grandparents and parents before us, we may have Jesus as our own personal Savior and Lord if we humble ourselves and live for Jesus. Anything said about going to Heaven except through this relationship with Jesus is a lie. There is no other way. Sadly, but justly, the destiny for all those who refuse Jesus as Savior and Lord is the eternal Lake of fire. 2 Thessalonians 2:9-12 “The coming of the lawless one will be in accordance with how Satan works. He will use all sorts of displays of power through signs and wonders that serve the lie, 10 and all the ways that wickedness deceives those who are perishing. They perish because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.11 For this reason God sends them a powerful delusion so that they will believe the lie 12 and so that all will be condemned who have not believed the truth but have delighted in wickedness.” These verses tell us that people are condemned because they refuse to believe and love the Truth, who is Jesus (John 14:6). Instead of the truth people latch onto lies. The Devil does not care what lie a person will follow, at long as it is not the truth that leads to salvation. The ways to perish may seem like many, but the foundation of all error is to reject the Truth. We must all know Jesus as our very own Savior and Lord whom we love and obey. Belong to Jesus and have eternal life. Reject Jesus and have eternal death. It all sounds so very individual and so personal right? Right!
Parents, are you so sure that you don’t need to know Jesus as your personal Savior and Lord that you are willing to risk the eternal lives of your children? Please, please, come to Jesus yourselves and then show your children the path to Him. You, and they, forever need Him.
Family and Friends, my sincere and fervent prayer for all of you is to know Jesus as your personal and beloved Savior and Lord. He died for me, and for all of you. He died for your children and for mine. Every moment of your life He calls to you. Please, open the door of your heart and let Him in. I promise you that you won’t regret having a sure hope of eternal life with God versus a very tiring running from God which leads to eternity in…well, you know.
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with1 Chronicles 16:34 – “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever.”
Mark 12:29-31 – “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’There is no commandment greater than these.”
Happy Thanksgiving to all! My forever first reason to be thankful is that God is good and He loves us! I’m so thankful that He loves me so much that every day He makes me better at letting His love flow to others. Receiving love and giving love is the best thing in life.
Family and Friends, I hope you all know how deeply I love you all. It’s hard not to love when being loved so greatly by Him. Making it harder not to love is having all of you in my life. Will Rogers, the great American humorist of the past, is quoted as saying “I never met a man I didn’t like.” As a child I would think about that. I could think of people, even as a child, who didn’t seem “like” worthy. I was probably one of them! However, Jesus changed all that. I can now love everyone. Not everything we all do is so loveable, but we cannot concentrate on the negative but the positive, and people can become very likeable, even lovable. It is especially possible to do knowing that we are commanded to love. Family and Friends, we are all very loveable in some ways, and in some ways not so loveable. Let us love everybody for their good qualities in spite of their bad! Jesus does. Let’s follow His example.
I’m thankful to and for God! And I’m thankful for all of you! Even you rascals, of whom I am one!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Acts 2:36-41 – “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” A long time standing common and simple rule of thumb of biblical interpretation is “If the plain sense makes good sense, then seek no other sense.” Family we ought to beware of “new” revelation. Not deep revelation that comes from the Word, but “new” revelation that attempts to add to the Word. It seems to be popular in these times of short attention spans and easy information searches to try to be the first to discover something new. Sometimes, it seems, pressure is on pastors to say something new and of seeming great “new” revelation. Pastors who gloriously, but whom some would think “merely,” preach the same Gospel message that has been preached since Jesus and the Apostles, are not exciting enough. Family, seeking the exciting beyond the truth is a dangerous platform to live upon. It moves, changes and is unstable and people who stand upon it may take a nasty fall. Yes, we must dig into the rich mine of the Word of God, but must make sure that we don’t start digging in a strange mine.
Here we see that Peter states the simple Truth. He states it unadulterated and without restrictions. He told the Jews, who were complicit in the death of their Savior Jesus that they must repent. Oh that word, so simple and so detestable to many. People say “Repent? Why? From what?” Family today we have the blessed duties of repeating the message of John and the Baptist (whom Jesus called the greatest of all men who had been born (Matthew 11:11)) to lead into the sharing of the Gospel. John (John 1:19-37, Matthew 3:1-17, Matthew 11:1-15, Matthew 14:1-12, Luke 1:5-80, Luke 3:1-20, Mark 6:14) prepared the road for the arrival of Jesus. He called out about the coming Messiah. Now we are to call out to the world. Our message is the same, to repent and to be saved by the returning Messiah. We share to all that Jesus is returning and all need to be saved. Everyone is born onto a huge spiritual people mover that dumps everyone off into hell. There is only one escape from that people mover and that is through the only true Savior Jesus Christ (John 3:18). When we say that Jesus saves we are saying exactly what Jesus does. Since all are on this people mover to hell, it is only when we repent and call Jesus our personal Savior and Lord that we are plucked from this people mover to hell and set aside to be free to worship and love God. In Christ is freedom and the uniqueness of everyone is released. On the people mover to hell, there is no one unique. They may dress differently, have different jobs, or play differently, but they all are still moving along to the same place. With Jesus is freedom to be who we were created to be. All our gifts and characteristics are given freedom to bloom as they were designed to bloom, as His children. However, the devil wants to keep our gifts and characteristics from being exactly what they were meant to be as children of God. So the devil lets people think they are free and are being individuals, but in actuality, they are not free. They cannot move freely, they are hemmed in on every side by others who are packed onto the people mover to hell and they cannot move. He lets them sing, or draw, or paint, or create, or work hard at things that will perish. He cares not what they do on the people mover, as long as they stay on that people mover. Family, pray for those who have not yet come to Jesus. Let us be active and fervent in our prayers. What we pray about is the most important of matters, we pray of eternal life against eternal death. Pray like lives depend on it because they do! Let’s actively and always share the love of God to people in a loving way!
How do we share? Tell the simple truth as Peter did. Don’t let the minds of men pollute the beauty and simplicity of the Gospel message. Tell people to come to Jesus to receive forgiveness of sins that we all were born with and build upon. Inform them to reject sin in their lives. Tell them that God so loved the world that He sent His Son Jesus to save everyone that would come. Joyously tell them that Jesus loves them and wants to save them from the worst possible future to bring them to the best possible future. Tell them it is a free and unearned gift from God, that none can earn it. Tell them to be grateful and thankful for the grace of God and to let the world know through baptism that their lives have been changed by faith in Jesus. Tell them that when the grace of God through Jesus has washed us clean then God sends His blessed Holy Spirit to dwell within us as a reminder that we belong to God and are forever sealed by Him. Tell them to come and to finally know peace and to know the meaning of life, and the meaning of their life. Family, the Gospel is Good News. The best news! That is what Peter, under the power of the Holy Spirit, preached that day. Repent. Come to Jesus be saved. Make it known that you love Jesus and received God within. Simple. Pure. Gloriously lovely and eternally peaceful. Let us, as Peter did, share the Gospel. As we do that we know beyond all doubt that we are walking in the will of God (Matthew 28:19-20). Profusely and continuously proclaim the name of Jesus. It is the only name given to us that will save! (Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5, Ephesians 4:4, John 14:6, John 10:9). The name of Jesus saves. The name of Jesus revives the dead and gives eternal life. Let us never stop of continuously proclaiming the most wondrous name of all…Jesus! Jesus, Jesus, Jesus! Praise God for Jesus! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 2:36-41 – “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” 37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.” 40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.”
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” Peter had preached from scripture. He did not speak to the people solely from his own experience, but from the Word of God, their Word of God. He had shown them, through their own scriptures, how Jesus was indeed the Messiah whom the scriptures had prophesied was coming. He had tied the scriptures to Jesus. He had shown and led them to the inescapable truth that the Messiah they had been waiting for was Jesus the Messiah. Some, if not many of those present, were likely present when the crucifixion of Jesus was demanded. Certainly, all those present were aware of who Jesus was and that He was crucified because of His claim to be the Son of God (Luke 22:67-71). They had judged that He was lying and blaspheming because He said He was the Son of God, which meant that He was saying He was God (John 10:33). Some of the crowd at Pentecost may have been those who made the decision to crucify Jesus and others may been guilty of being complicit in the death of Jesus.
Peter had preached the Word to them, as he was led by the Holy Spirit. How and why Peter had preached should always be the “how” and the “why” when preachers of today preach. Peter used the Word of God and his own personal testimony. He said that the things he was saying are verified by the Word of God and that he has been a witness to the truth and power of God. It is what all legitimate preachers and teachers attempt to do. Preachers release the living Word of God and it will pierce to the core of a person dividing even to the soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12). When the soul and spirit have been pierced by the Word, and the one who is preaching bears witness to the Word by one’s own belief and testimony, people are enabled by God to be able to repent so that their hearts are humbled and they come to Jesus for salvation (Romans 10:14). The principle of leading with the Word and witnessing one’s personal belief as Peter did is still foundational. Of course the “why” is because all who love the Lord will obey the Lord (John 14:15) and He has called us to share the Gospel (Matthew 28:19-20).
“When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?’” God gave His Word to reveal Himself to us, to reveal to us who we are, and to guide us on the pathway He has for people as a whole and also for people as individuals. We see Peter used the scripture to reveal God the Son as the Messiah. He also showed the Jews that although they were physical sons of Abraham, they were in need of their Messiah and that the One they had been waiting for they (collectively) had crucified. Now He is about to tell them how to get back on the right path that God has for them.
Family and Friends, should we condemn the Jews. No! By no means! For our sins are what Jesus came to pay the price for as much as for the Jews. We are as guilty as any other. We cannot read the Bible in full without knowing God’s great love for the Jewish people. God’s promise to Abraham is not gone because of their sin, for even the sin of killing Jesus is forgivable through the blood of Jesus. Such is the love of God. God remains faithful to the descendants of Abraham because God is faithful even when humankind is not (2 Timothy 2:13). If that were not so, if the grace of God through Jesus does not also cover the sins of the Jews, then it also does not cover any of the rest of us. Praise God that He brings salvation to everyone, including, as His Word states, “first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.” (Romans 1:16) People read the Word, God still has great plans for the Jews! Praise God! The loyalty of God to the Jew is encouragement to all of us!
The Jews present heard the truth that Peter preached. Three thousand were saved that day (Acts 2:41). These three thousand heard the truth and God saved them. It happened to them as it does for all. We hear the Word of God and the Holy Spirit brings us alive through it. God uses still uses men to continue the work of Jesus just as He used Peter. So let us, like Peter, share the life that God has place in us and the Holy Spirit will call all that belong to God. Praise God for all of us whom the Spirit has called. Let us continue to do what Jesus has called us to do that all the Brothers and Sisters who are called by God may come. Let us be faithful as the reborn Peter was faithful. Praise our God who allows us to work for Him. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withPsalm 46:10 “He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Word of God Speak
Mercy Me
Excerpt from song:
Word of God speak
Would you pour down like rain
Washing my eyes to see
Your majesty
To be still and know
That you’re in this place
Please let me stay and rest
In your holiness
Word of God speak
I’m finding myself in the midst of You
Beyond the music, beyond the noise
All that I need is to be with You
And in the quiet hear Your voice
Family, it is good to be silent and to be still before God. To clear our minds of the world and focus solely on God and to, with great and certain expectation, call out/whisper/cry out to, our God. Like the child who would become the Prophet Samuel’s response to God “Speak, for your servant is listening.” (1 Samuel 1:10) Then God spoke and Samuel heard the voice of God. Family, stop, think about this, Samuel heard God speak to him! Wow, wow, wow! Doesn’t everyone who loves God want to hear from Him? After all Jesus said that His sheep will hear His voice (John 10:27). There is nowhere in the New Testament that states that God will stop speaking to His children. Nowhere! It is not weird that our Creator would know how to, and would, communicate with us.
Luke 12:11-12 states that when we are to answer questions about the Lord, we should not worry because “the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.” I hope we all have had that experience because we have put ourselves in that place and listened for God to guide. When God speaks He does it differently at different times. We should think of it as God communicating with us. We should think of it as Him communicating with us and He can speak to us through His Word, through thoughts, and yes, we can hear His voice. Let no-one rob us of any of the forms that God speaks to us through. God speaks to us. He is always speaking to us. If we hear from God is not a matter of whether He is speaking to us, but if are listening.
Family, let us all, every day, be still, be quiet and listen for God to speak to us. To guide us. And to comfort and quiet our souls. Let Him pour through us with living water in an abundance that we cannot contain and let the Spirit of God flow into us, and through us, into the world. Family, this is not a doctrine of men for us to consider, it is Biblical. It is in the Word and so it is true. True for the early church and true for us. God wants to speak to us, to bless us with His presence in order that we would be whole and full of His love and joy. All good stuff! Family, make time for the Lord. Stop, be still, focus solely on Him. Let these thoughts of David be our thoughts “Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed; 4 I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids, 5 Until I find out a place for the Lord, an habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.”(Psalm 132:3-5) Let us not rest till we have heard from God. Let us not begin our daily obligations until we have heard from God. Love, joy and peace come to those in whom the Lord dwells. Let us be still, let us clear our thoughts, and let us wait on and call out to God to speak to us. You know, He already is. The question is “Are we listening?”
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
Of great accomplishments
Of helping people
Of changing things
Big buildings
Great charities
Helping
Building
Contributing
Leading to stimulate
Contributing
A nice home filled
With some dreams
That dreamers want
Some dreamers are
Only fooling themselves
As time passes
They can be crushed
Dreamers can sometimes be
All they hoped for
If they dream
Of what they were
Meant to dream
Things are accomplished
By some dreamers
Others are herded
They are funneled
Into an increasingly narrow
Confinement
Where
As they realize
They can no longer move
Suddenly a hammer strikes
Cleanly on the head
The dreams of the dreamer
Are brutally killed
Like cattle herded
To the slaughter
For the Dreamer
It is crushing to find out
That they are no one special
So the dreamer is
Broken
Is no more
Transformed by the realization
That their hope was
Falsely placed
Wrongly hoped
Fallen to knees that are
No longer able to keep them
Upright
The light in their eyes dim
Smiles are not as
Enthusiastic
Laughter From them
Is slowly becoming
A memory
A new reality is now
Theirs
A loud voice reverberates
From their humbled mind
To their broken hearts
And back again
What was unique is found
To be
Merely a breeze,
That passed by
To intrigue
And then was gone
The dreamer was not strong
The dreamer helped no-one
Least of all those
He loved
Sometimes instead of helping
The dreamer hurt the one
The ones
He has loved
Most
The dreamer is not the hero
He cannot help
Where his dreams went to
He ought to go
Go to a nebulous place
Dust from a house
Is swept outside
Into the air and blown
Away
Not to be known
Where it lands
Gone and forgotten
A breeze, dreams and self
Here today and
Gone tomorrow
A forgotten memory
Is what the dreamer
Dreamed
Along with
The Dreamer.
One reason the Dreamer
Remains
Because His dream
Must change
The dreamer must
Abandon His dreams
Change who He is
With dreams gone
He is empty
And that is a dangerous
Place to be
Empty and no goals
Is very frightening
Very dangerous
So very cold
Yet
All is not lost
There is one
Only one
Who revives the Dreamer
To the Dreamer
To be who He
Was meant to be
To dream not of
Personal goals
But to be led
By the One who has won
Who truly is
The person who can do
All
One who truly is
Everything the Dreamer
Always wanted to be
The One who whispered
To the Dreamer
As He slept
Who excited His heart
By creating whirlwinds of
Possibility
In his heart and mind
Being a dreamer not
Being A waste
Once the leading
Of the One
Is in its
Proper place
Within the Dreamer
New dreams
Of real value
A revived hope
Of a chance to be
A difference maker
As a tool used
By a Master Designer
And Carpenter
New dreams are in place
Burdens of success
No longer on
The Dreamer’s shoulder
Burdens belong to
The One
Success is the fruit
Of the One
The Dreamer listens
He obeys
A new spark was lit
A fire grows
This fire breaks
All laws
It does not consume
It builds and shapes
Only the One
Knows how
The Dreamer is
Different than
Ever before.
Because of the
One, the
Master Carpenter
Dream on Dreamer
Dream on
Dream the Dreams of
The One
And watch the Master work.
Cast aside goals
Rest from your work
That doesn’t come from the
Master
Relax
Be led
Be loved
And dream a good
Dream
Have many of them
Let the dead seed
Grow again
Let go Dreamer
Grab hold Dreamer
He, the One
Is in control.
Smile again
Laugh hard
Trust the One
Enjoy the ride
Given to you
By the One
And
Dream
Just as the One
Made you to do
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with