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Acts 3

Every person, let alone Christians, have heard at least one of the miracles that Jesus had performed while he walked on this Earth.  Albeit there are no miracles without faith in Christ.  Just because he wasn’t physically present didn’t mean there weren’t more instances.

In Acts 3 Peter and John are walking up to the temple for mid-afternoon prayer.  A man crippled from birth was also being carried to the temple gate where he was put every day to beg of those going into the temple.  Right before Peter and John entered, the beggar did what beggars do and asked them for some money.  Peter and John acknowledged him.  Surely, he thought, they were going to throw some change his way.   That isn’t what happened here, instead, something much more.  “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you.  In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”, said Peter.

He helped the crippled man up to his feet, he was crippled no more.  He went into the temple with them, jumping and walking around and praising God.  Everyone turned to look and recognized that this was the crippled beggar that sat at the gate every day.  They couldn’t believe what they were witnessing.

In verse 12, Peter in a way calls the people out.  “Why does this surprise you?  Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”  That’s the key! That’s it!  Everyone looks at Peter as if HE did this?!  NO! Peter reminds everyone of their ignorance and self-righteousness that it is because of his faith and in the name of Jesus that this man walks.

It’s easy to forget.  It’s easy to get busy.  It’s easy not to believe.  These onlookers not that long ago heard of Jesus’ crucifixion.  They had heard of the miracles and healings that He performed.  So now what?  Since he is dead miracles can’t take place?  Peter says quite the opposite! Repent. Turn to God.  The crippled man is proof.  Peter didn’t heal this man just because his name is Peter, his faith in Jesus did.  Acts 3 is a reminder that just because Jesus isn’t with us in the flesh, he is and will always be with us in the Holy Spirit!

3/4/25 – Acts 2

 

Jesus had risen into the heavens, and the apostles waited together to receive what Jesus had promised them. Ten days go by and finally there comes a rushing wind. Tongues of fire appear and rest upon them. The Holy Spirit, which Jesus had promised, came on the day of Pentecost. The power of this spirit flooded into them. They began to speak in many tongues, and all the Jews of many nations dwelling in Jerusalem were bewildered at the sight.

 

Acts 2 is the spark that ignites the explosion of the church, the beginning of a body that would be Jesus’ mechanism for spreading his name across the world. The Holy Spirit is here, and the apostles have been empowered to be witnesses to the truth that is Jesus. Though he is not with them in the flesh any longer, he has left his spirit with the apostles to do mighty works in his name. 

 

Following Pentecost, Peter provides clarity to the confused audience that has heard the many tongues produced by the spirit. He explains to them that this Jesus that they had recently crucified had been raised up by God, and that he was indeed the Christ. “… Therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” (Acts 2:36). Peter encourages them to repent and be baptized so that their sins may be forgiven, and also that they may receive the Holy Spirit. 

 

The crowd was “cut to the heart” with the words of Peter, and they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching. With this devotion came many fruits, and the Lord added to their numbers day by day. The fellowship of believers was growing, and it was all possible due to the presence of the Holy Spirit.

 

Look at the mighty power of the Holy Spirit! Look how quickly it grasped the apostles and launched them into spreading the good news among the unbelievers. Look how it empowered Peter to address the crowd with such conviction. The Holy Spirit has now given ordinary men the power to proclaim the name of Jesus and be his image here on earth. 

 

This text reveals the importance of the Holy Spirit in us and the power it gives us to be witnesses for others. If we have faith in Christ and have received his Holy Spirit, we too have been empowered like the apostles. The living spirit of God has come to dwell in us and reign over our souls. We are no longer who we once were, we now have the spirit to guide us in everything we do.

 

When the spirit goes to work within us, it manifests itself in many ways. As we live in the spirit we cultivate traits that make us more like Jesus. It gives us love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control. (Galatians 5:22-23). We also may receive gifts from the spirit such as the tongues that the apostles spoke in on Pentecost. 

 

All of these traits and gifts that we receive from the spirit make us better fit to be witnesses of Jesus, because they make us more like him. This spirit lives in us right now, and by listening to it and being guided by it we can make a difference and show others the light of Jesus in this dark world. It is now our job to be like the apostles and go out into the world and live boldly in the name of Jesus Christ. Let Acts 2 be a reminder of the power that you have in Christ!

Acts 1 is foundational to the launch of Christianity, marking the transition from Jesus’ earthly ministry to the apostle’s mission empowered by the Holy Spirit. It establishes the Church’s purpose, leadership, and reliance on divine power.

Jesus’ final instructions in Acts 1:8 provide the blueprint for Christian mission: the gospel must spread from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. This verse underscores the Church’s role as witnesses of Christ, emphasizing evangelism and discipleship. However, Jesus commands them to wait for the Holy Spirit, highlighting the necessity of divine empowerment rather than human effort alone.

The ascension of Jesus (Acts 1:9-11) signifies His enthronement as King and High Priest, affirming His ongoing spiritual presence and future return. The angelic promise that Christ will come again fuels Christian hope and faith.

The disciples prayerful unity (Acts 1:14) demonstrates the importance of spiritual preparation, community, and dependence on God. This sets a model for believers to seek God’s guidance in times of transition and uncertainty.

Finally, the selection of Matthias to replace Judas (Acts 1:15-26) reinforces the importance of God-ordained leadership in the Church. The apostles reliance on prayer and Scripture in decision-making establishes a pattern for spiritual discernment.

Overall, Acts 1 bridges Jesus’ ministry and the Church’s mission, demonstrating that Christianity is not built on human effort but on God’s power, leadership, and the unifying presence of the Holy Spirit. It lays the foundation for a faith that is global, Spirit-led, and centered on Christ’s return.

Psalm 11 

Psalm 11 Is all about trusting in God when under pressure. As our lives unfold, each of us can point to a few, very short, but key moments, where we made a choice that changed the course of our lives. Many of those choices (while not always black and white) boil down to what is Godly, and what is not. But as shown in Psalm 11, some choices may appear good but are not. And it’s important to discern what is Godly and what is not. 

In the Lord I take refuge;

how can you say to my soul,

    “Flee like a bird to your mountain,

for behold, the wicked bend the bow;

    they have fitted their arrow to the string

    to shoot in the dark at the upright in heart;

if the foundations are destroyed,

    what can the righteous do?”

Scholars believe that this chapter could be a reflection of David’s time being persecuted by King Saul. During this time David’s men had come to him with genuine advice, basically saying: there is a gun to your head, and there’s nothing you can do about this situation but run. But David’s reaction at the start of the chapter shows his outrage with this kind of advice. David makes it clear that there is no reason that the Godly should ever fear the wicked and that he definitely won’t make any decision out of fear. Even if somebody as powerful and corrupt as King Saul was conspiring against him, David allowed God to carry out vengeance. 

The Lord tests the righteous,

    but his soul hates the wicked and the one who loves violence.

Let him rain coals on the wicked;

    fire and sulfur and a scorching wind shall be the portion of their cup.

Because David found solace in the righteousness of God, it saved him from making a choice that could alter the entire future of Israel. He rejected fear, while also rejecting malice against those who persecuted him, and instead stayed faithful, allowing God’s will to be done. This creates a great model for us because we can often cower in fear when faced with problems, or try and control everything ourselves. David shows us there’s a more disciplined and Godly option. 

Psalm 12 directly connects to this theme when David declares, “Everyone utters lies to his neighbor; with flattering lips and a double heart, they speak.” Scholars suggest that in Psalm 11, when David’s men urged him to flee, their words may have carried a manipulative undertone. This reflects the “double hearts” David encountered throughout his time as a soldier, having faced numerous conspiracies against him. In Psalm 12, David continues by emphasizing the reliability of God’s actions, further affirming his steadfast trust in Him.

Psalm 10

Most scholars believe that Psalm 10 and Psalm 9 were originally 1 psalm in the Greek Septuagint, and somewhere along time, they got separated into two different psalms. This psalm should be attributed to David and is another great psalm of him crying out to God to avenge his oppressors. He starts the psalm by asking God, “Why do you stand afar off, O Lord? Why do you hide in times of trouble?” David then spends the better half of this psalm explaining the character traits of the wicked. They are proud, boastful, deceiving, cursing, workers of iniquity, unrighteous, and oppressive. Maybe worst of all, David describes them as people who do not believe God will require an account of them. This displays their actions and motives holistically. If someone does not believe that there are consequences for their actions, then they are their own judge and will do whatever they want. Let me be straight with anyone reading this. Your sin will find you out, and if you die separated from God, with no atonement, you will be punished for your sinful activity by reaping eternal punishment in hell. The beautiful thing is that you do not have to die separated. Jesus provided the way out when He bled and died on a cross 2,000 years ago!

For the rest of this short post, lets focus on how David feels during this oppression. Often when bad things are happening in the world, we ask a couple of questions. Where are you God? Why is this happening to me? Why do these horrific things happen to such good people? My mentor always says, “bad things are not indicative of a bad God, but a bad world.” I believe this is true. Sometimes we can’t find Him because we aren’t looking or listening. Other times it’s because we are looking or listening to the wrong things. Still, other times, God wants us to remain under trials for the strengthening of our faith.

God is working on His own timeline called eternity. We humans are very fickle, and we want things a certain way. We want oppressors punished right now! We want the Lord to handle this family strife right now! We want our food right now, so we throw it in the microwave! God works things out for our good and for His glory, only in His timing. He will avenge the oppression, but in His timing.

So how can there be so much evil if God is the King forever and ever? Well, the Bible portrays Satan as the prince of the air (Eph. 2:2) and as the prince of this world (John 12:31, 14:30, 16:11). Satan’s goal is to steal, kill, and destroy everything you own, love, and cherish. Go read Job’s story for more information. His goal is to drag as many people to hell with him as he can. So, the result of that is sometimes our world can look like hell. But for us as believers, this world is as bad as it gets.

Now quickly read verses 14-18 with me. David trusts the Lord even when he doesn’t hear God or see Him acting. God is observing our trouble and grief, He is the Father of the fatherless, He is King forever and ever, and He hears every single prayer that you pray. Sometimes we cannot explain why God allows certain things to happen, but we have faith and trust that He is still a good, sovereign, trustworthy God because He works all things together for good to those who love God and who are called according to His purpose (Rom. 8: 28).

Today’s Reading Psalms 8

“O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth,  Who have set  Your glory above the heavens!

Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have ordained strength, Because of Your enemies, That You may silence the enemy and the avenger. 

When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, The moon and the stars, which You have ordained, 

What is man that You are mindful of him, And the son of man that You visit him?

For You have made him a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands; You have put all things under his feet, 

All sheep and oxen— Even the beasts of the field, 

The birds of the air, And the fish of the sea That pass through the paths of the seas. 

O Lord, our Lord, How excellent is Your name in all the earth!”

‭‭Psalms‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭9‬ ‭NKJV‬‬

Throughout life, we try to describe beauty and excellence in simple terms. I remember a young age I was trying to describe beauty but I was focused only on the superficial part of beauty. I tried to describe it to something perfect: a rose or a diamond.  I try to describe it as something unimaginable. But as I grew and matured and as I became more aware and more experience, we can see beauty and excellence in the small things.  I have now discovered that the flaws of the diamond makes it more rare and beautiful.  It is the small pieces combined that really bring excellence in beauty.  

Over the weekend, my children and I went ice-skating and rollerblading. The beauty of watching them learn the new skills is so amazing. Some of them have no fear, but some of them have some hesitation to it. But at the end of the day, they continue to want to pursue this new skill. This is beautiful to me. 

Having a pancake breakfast with my son, this is beauty to me.

Driving with the family to get groceries, this is beauty to me. 

Delivering Girl Scout Cookies with my girls, this is beauty to me. 

Being in the healthcare field, both my wife and I see so many patients that have different challenges. When we are faced with the challenges that we can from our experience with our patients and helping them in their time of need, we can see God‘s beauty and excellence in our challenges. 

One of the best quotes that our pastor stated a couple years ago that is still relevant is  “God cannot protect you what he’s going to perfect you through“.

In all of our circumstances we have to understand that God is in control. 

God’s excellence will persevere despite the challenges, the heartache, and the trauma of all our circumstances.  

This psalm is so amazing that we have to say it at the beginning and the end. 

Be blessed 

 

Psalms 7

The Lord judges the peoples; vindicate me, Lord, according to my righteousness and my integrity. Psalms 7:8 (CSB)

There are two reasons we don’t call upon God.  We either don’t believe that he can or we don’t believe we deserve it. Both responses prevent God from working in our lives.

David believed that God was capable.  Most of us do.  We call him all-mighty, all-powerful and able to move mountains.  If those things are true, our problem, like David’s, is getting God to act.  In Psalms 7, we hear David begging God to act on his behalf.  “Do it,” he says, “according to my righteousness and integrity.”  I don’t know about you, but I stop short of that one.

Those words make me shudder. I am all too familiar with my levels of righteousness and integrity.  I know what I deserve.  Why would God ever vindicate me?

The only answer I have is that I don’t know.  Paul gets it right, “Yet God, in his grace, freely makes us right in his sight. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.” Romans 3:24 (NLT)

God, vindicate me.