I get caught up in this chapter of scripture like few others. It is right up there for me with the Resurrection accounts and the scenes of the Second Coming of our Lord! Luke records for us the beauty and mystery of the birthing process of the new church.
On Pentecost - a Jewish holiday that would have had Jerusalem filled to overflowing with pilgrims much like it was at Passover 50 days earlier when Jesus was crucified - the promised gift of Holy Spirit is fulfilled and the believers are radically and forever changed!
As i read through these verses over and over again the word that echoes in my heart is restoration. I believe that Pentecost is a day of more than just an awesome display of power and mystery, I believe it is also a day when God begins to restore to creation all that has been lost through sin.
The tongues that were confused in Genesis 11 are restored in Pentecost. People's integrity and strength lost through sin - restored in Pentecost. In exodus 3000 Israelites die in one day for worshipping an idol, In acts 3000 are restored at Pentecost.
Pentecost power is still active among us friends. God is able and willing to restore in you all that has been lost. Are you ready and willing to receive the outpouring of fire and power that brings restoration?
Note as the chapter ends the characteristics of the early church. "They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. Awe came upon everyone, because many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles. All who believed were together and had all things in common; they would sell their possessions and goods and distribute the proceeds to all, as any had need. Day by day, as they spent much time together in the temple, they broke bread at home and ate their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having the goodwill of all the people. And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved." Acts 2:42-47 NRSV. Imagine being part of a fellowship like that. Imagine caring for each other and carrying each other and spending quality fellowship time together every day! Can you imagine that? I can, and I pray that God will release that kind of fellowship somewhere in my lifetime. Of course the church grew every day! People would be drawn to that kind of love and fellowship and they would draw others, and the world will change. I want to be a part of that kind of church.
About Me
- Pastor Bill
- I am a committed follower of Jesus Christ, a happy husband, father and grandfather!
5 comments:
I am ready AND willing, PB.
I want to be a part of adding people to the Church daily.
I pray everyday to be used as a vessel - some days I know the Spirit is guiding me to people...other days I know I got in the way of being directed by my thoughts, actions, attitude or words.
I suffer the feeling of guilt, having reviewed my day and wondering how many more opportunities I will have to bring people to the Lord, or to set the example for others.
I truly strive to die to myself each day, but these natural emotions sometimes get the best of me.
I want to make the Lord proud of me..I yearn to hear those words...
"Well done, good and faithful servant."
God help me.
God is delighted with you fiend. make sure the conviction you feel is not condemnation by the accuser of our souls. Satan loves to twist the knife in our hearts and accuse us, and if we are already given to that kind of self criticism he'll jack us up and kick our butts but good. Look to Jesus and know He loves you - and so do I.
Bill
Pt. 3 of the holy trinity - the Holy Spirit. It's incredible to see this account of how the Holy Spirit first came to man. I love reading about how they were affected.
At college, I'm studying to teach non-English speakers English, so this language part always really interested me. Can you imagine speaking and understanding other languages that you had no prior knowledge of? Crazy. That's what God can do!
That last section always got to me also. I just used it yesterday in a lesson for my bible study with Young Life. We need fellowship of believers - it helps us work together towards our common goal of spreading the Gospel. These believes in Acts 2 were very serious, to the extent that they gave all that they had to the cause. What are we willing to give? Do we have enough fellowship? Are the people we are hanging around encouraging our faith?
What should the answer to these questions be? God is awesome.
Marshall
a
Ok. I'm just astonished that with such a short little testimony from Peter that says so very little about Jesus that a thousand people were ready to be baptized. Was their response from guilt? Getting caught up in the frenzy of the crowd? Genuine conversion? An act of the Spirit where they couldn't control their own response?
Post a Comment