Amazing Show

Wow! What a drama the new church is in for in Acts 5. It seems that one of the couples (Ananias and Sapphira) had concocted a plan to lie about their gift of money for selling land. And as they one by one carry out their impressive show of generosity, Peter reveals the truth of their deception, and they fall down dead.

Whew! That got everybody's attention. "Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events."

We don't normally see such immediate consequences today for lying to the Holy Spirit. However lying and all sin results in a deadening of our spirit. "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (Romans 6:33) 

Let's all accept God's gift of forgiveness and life in Jesus. We can even tell someone in our path today about it!

Earthshaking Prayer

Whew! What a start. The baby church leaders had been captured by guards, thrown into prison, cross examined by authorities, and then amazingly released. I think I would have been praying for protection and God's grace to prevent that kind of thing.

But not these men of God! They pray, "Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus." (Acts 4:21-31)

God must get excited about this kind of prayer because "After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

Yes, God loves to send His Holy Spirit to answer our prayers for courage and boldness. Let's anticipate wonder-full earthshaking answers when we pray.

The Name Forbidden

The religious rulers thought they had those ring leaders. They'd quickly squash the crazy Jesus fanatics. The problem was that the lame man was still leaping and the people were mighty excited about the miracle done through Peter and John.. So the rulers put the two in the middle and queried, "By what power or what name did you do this?"

Then Peter (filled with the Holy Spirit) gave them an ear-full. He declared that "It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed." Whew! Talk about courage!

The religious guys are astonished by Peter's boldness and really don't know what to do. So after conferring together they "commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus." Hmm....

The answer of Peter and John is one for all ages - even for us. They said, ""Which is right in God's eyes: to listen to you, or to Him? You be the judges! As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard."

Lord, give us the boldness to be authentic - to speak the grace-filled truth in Your Name. We look for Your courage to say Your name - even when it feels forbidden.

Showers of Blessing

Whew, what an excited crowd has mobbed together to see for themselves this leaping lame man on Solomon's porch! So Peter turns to them and cries out that they should really see this wonder as proof of the glorification of Jesus. Though they had killed Jesus, God had raised Him from the dead.  And it was faith in Jesus name that had healed this man dancing before them. (Acts 3:11-4:4)

And even though they had not know what they were doing when they rejected Jesus, now they were hearing the truth. "Now it's time to change your ways! Turn to face God so He can wipe away your sins..."

But isn't that the call to each of us. Turn and face God. So often we are running, searching - but always with our backs to God. God wants to see our face and let us learn to recognize His. Only then can He "pour out showers of blessing to refresh you". 

Something Beautiful

Wouldn't you have loved to have seen that gate called Beautiful? It was an entrance to one magnificent house of worship. And now the devout (including Peter and John) are coming to pray and honor the most Beautiful - Holy God. (Acts 3:1-10)

So what do they run into but that same old lame beggar. People have been dropping him off every day for years so he can cry out for something to live on. Not really a beautiful sight.

Maybe that's why Peter noticed him. And told him to listen up and look at them. The guy did so - only hoping for some pocket change.  

Whoa....  Did he get a surprise! Peter announced, "I do not possess silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you: In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene—walk!"

Then reaching out a handful of faith, Peter raised the cripple up. "With a leap he stood upright and began to walk; and he entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God."

And all the people saw him and "were taking note of him as being the one who used to sit at the Beautiful Gate of the temple to beg alms, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him."

My, what a turn-around! The disgraced is now exalting, The poor is now dancing. The lame is actually leaping for joy.

God sure loves turn-arounds. With faith and love in our lives, He can turn any of our circumstances into something beautiful.

And we say, Yes! ("I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May your word to me be fulfilled." Luke 1:38) 

Having One Mind

What a wonder-full time for the new believers after Pentecost. "Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles."(Acts 2:42-47)

It really sounds like a big party. "Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people."

What a difference that "one mind" made. When outsiders see such enthusiastic people of one mind and purpose, they notice and want to be involved. The real evangelism begins:"And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved".

Lord, give us Your Spirit of love for You and others so we may have this "one mind".

Amazing Grace

That crowd at Pentecost! Even though they had done the unimaginable (crucified their Creator), they had an advantage. They realized their dastardly deed.

"Now when they heard this (that God had made this Jesus whom they crucified both Lord and Christ), they were pierced to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Brethren, what shall we do?'" (Acts 2:32-41)

Our problem is that we are not getting it! The fact that Jesus died because of my sin; that my sin was the reason He laid down His life; that my sin was the cause of the greatest sacrifice ever made .... is slow to sink in.  

But when it does, we need and rejoice in the same remedy this crowd got: "Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."

How precious is forgiveness when you take it personally! How encouraging is the gift of the Holy Spirit when you accept Him willingly. How good is our God!

Holy Spirit Power

Peter didn't mince words. As he was talking to the crowd on Pentecost, he said that they knew God had confirmed Jesus with miracles in their midst. And "this Man ... you nailed to a cross by the hands of godless men and put Him to death." (Acts 2:22-31)

I imagine such an introduction got their attention. Then Peter could use that familiar Psalm 16 and explain its prophecy of Jesus' resurrection. It all must have been like a light coming on in their heads. The happenings started to make sense. 

And it is all such a turn around! Here the former uneducated, denying-Christ coward is forcefully confronting and convicting one huge crowd. Really such is the change God can do in our hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Lord, we need your Holy Spirit power today. Change us and encourage us to be Your message today.

The Promise

The world belittles the most valuable. For the new believers, at Pentecost the long awaited promise had come. But mockers wrote off these men speaking in different languages as merely drunkards. (Acts 2:1-21)

"That's when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: 'Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren't drunk as some of you suspect. They haven't had time to get drunk - its only nine o'clock th the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen..." (The Message)

So its been over 400 years since Joel had predicted the Spirit's outpouring.  And wonderfully it is happening just as he said: "I will pour out My Spirit on every kind of people". Young and old, men and women. All have the opportunity to be the residence for God. 

These Jews were used to some special leaders or significant prophets getting the gift. But now. Now the promise is for all. 

"Amazing love, How can it be?" Only through Jesus. And it is for you and me!