WEEKEND READING – 4-30-23

“O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup; You maintain my lot.
The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;Yes, I have a good inheritance.” Psalms 16:5-6 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

In the beginning, God created everything, and you and me. He visited us in the garden and had a personal relationship with us, a friendship with mankind. The curse of sin, which has a price tag of death, came upon the earth thanks to the devil’s trickery and changed everything. Although nothing can separate man from the love of God, sin does physically separate us from God. God created us to commune with Him and the enemy knew sin would destroy that bond. So, God created hell to punish the devil and his demons. The enemy knows it is his punishment, but he plans to take as many humans with him as possible to continue to hurt God. Because God created heaven where he can be reunited with people. Well, people needed help to overcome the enemy so God sent laws and formulas for worship and sacrifice that should point people into a position of acting in love. And the enemy attacked it over time and twisted it until it became punitive. But God so loved us that He then sent His only son, Jesus, to break the curse of sin over mankind by bringing it down into the grave, paying the required price for it, and then conquering it by rising again! Jesus ascended to heaven after 40 days. So that we know through Him we can access a relationship with The Father. God made a way to reconcile with mankind and commune and have fellowship with them again! This is GOOD NEWS.

God also created us with free will. Just as we do not want to be married or in a relationship with someone who is forced and manipulated to be in the relationship (we do not want a partner who is chained and a prisoner to us), God also wants us to freely choose Him. Or we can choose to believe the devil’s lies and go to the devil’s punishment – hell. It is our choice.

I know this sounds like a children’s story. It is simple, moral, and almost imaginative. God made it simple so that even children can believe and be saved from the wrath to come. God wishes that no one parishes. He wants us to at least give a relationship with Him an honest try – and see that He is good. He says that if you repent and seek Him, you will find Him!

Now imagine if you will what it could be like to have your best friend be the creator of the universe, all-knowing, all-powerful, having all wealth, and super generous – not like a genie in a bottle granting wishes, but a friend with mutual respect and trust and love, who is willing to use His resources to help you. He is willing to talk to you can since he can see ahead, he can prepare you, position you, and protect you from all the craziness in this world. Oh, and all that crazy? It is the enemy knowing his time is short and working very hard to destroy people and distract them from being reunited with God.

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

It is now years later and I can tell you without a shadow of a doubt, HE IS WHO HE SAYS HE IS! I have seen miracles. I have heard His voice. I have experienced Him personally. Oh, and I have to also put in the work because relationships go both ways. Not works like doing good things to earn heaven – that is NOT how this works. I have to put the work into the relationship, you know like talking to Him (because He talks back), spending time with Him (because we both enjoy being in each other’s presence), reading His word (I love learning about his stories and getting to know Him, He already knows me and this is how I can learn of Him), and worshiping Him (because He is faithful and just and worthy!) You know putting the work in as in keeping up on my side of the relationship.

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Do you want to know the truth? Be able to discern lies? Know how to figure it all out in these confusing times and have peace? The Bible says Jesus is the truth. I have experienced it and it has changed my life. I was a whirlwind of sin, promiscuity, drug and alcohol use and so much more. I was lost and I could not find my way, or find a truth, I numbed it with bad choices. Then I found Jesus, and truth while lying on my floor crying that day. He challenged me to accept Him, trust Him and follow Him and I challenged Him to be who He says He is – I found peace and deliverance from sin.

If you want a relationship with God without truth you will get the counterfeit, hypocritical Christianity that has kept some of you away for too long. You need truth and a relationship. You need to be honest with yourself and God (including honest repentance) and the Holy Spirit will reveal the truth to you. It becomes the two-way, interaction that your relationship with God is built on. This is why Jesus is called the truth because he is our only way to the Father.

“If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” Romans 10:9-10 NIV

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Jesus, I believe you are the way, the truth, the life, and the only way to the Father. I believe you are the son of God, you came to Earth and lived. That you died on the cross as a sacrifice for my sins and rose again so that I may be saved from my sins and be able to get to know you. I declare: Jesus, you are Lord!

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me through a real personal relationship grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

If you have said this life-changing prayer and really want a relationship with God, please reach out to me. You can reach me in the comment section here (comments need approvals so you can use it as an email to me and I will not publish / approve it), or you can PM me on Facebook or DM me on Instagram. I do not always have instant access to my accounts, but I will respond when I check them. I would like to follow up and let you know the next steps to forming a healthy relationship.

BIBLE READING:

Dear Heavenly Father – Please give us the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of who you are, who Jesus is, and who the Holy Spirit is. Open the eyes of our understanding, please, so we may know the hope of our calling and the vast sovereignty and power of the grace of the cross. Please do not let us miss out on what you want and need from us today. Lord, I pray that your Word prepares us and not scares us! We forbid the works and influences of fear over your Word and our sound mind. And please keep us, bless us, shine your face upon us, pour your grace over us, and give us peace! And we pray for the peace of Jerusalem! Thank you! – In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen

Today’s reading is the Book of Psalms chapters 11-16 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Faith in the Lord’s Righteousness

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

11 In the Lord I put my trust;
How can you say to my soul,
“Flee as a bird to your mountain”?
²For look! The wicked bend their bow,
They make ready their arrow on the string,
That they may shoot ^[a]secretly at the upright in heart.
³If the foundations are destroyed,
What can the righteous do?

⁴The Lord is in His holy temple,
The Lord’s throne is in heaven;
His eyes behold,
His eyelids test the sons of men.
⁵The Lord tests the righteous,
But the wicked and the one who loves violence His soul hates.
⁶Upon the wicked He will rain coals;
Fire and brimstone and a burning wind
Shall be ^[b]the portion of their cup.

⁷For the Lord is righteous,
He loves righteousness;
^[c]His countenance beholds the upright.

Man’s Treachery and God’s Constancy

To the Chief Musician. On ^[d]an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

12 Help,^[e] Lord, for the godly man ceases!
For the faithful disappear from among the sons of men.
²They speak idly everyone with his neighbor;
With flattering lips and ^[f]a double heart they speak.

³May the Lord ^[g]cut off all flattering lips,
And the tongue that speaks ^[h]proud things,
⁴Who have said,
“With our tongue we will prevail;
Our lips are our own;
Who is lord over us?”

⁵“For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy,
Now I will arise,” says the Lord;
“I will set him in the safety for which he yearns.”

⁶The words of the Lord are pure words,
Like silver tried in a furnace of earth,
Purified seven times.
⁷You shall keep them, O Lord,
You shall preserve them from this generation forever.

⁸The wicked prowl on every side,
When vileness is exalted among the sons of men.

Trust in the Salvation of the Lord

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

13 How long, O Lord? Will You forget me forever?
How long will You hide Your face from me?
²How long shall I take counsel in my soul,
Having sorrow in my heart daily?
How long will my enemy be exalted over me?

³Consider and hear me, O Lord my God;
Enlighten my eyes,
Lest I sleep the sleep of death;
⁴Lest my enemy say,
“I have prevailed against him”;
Lest those who trouble me rejoice when I am moved.

⁵But I have trusted in Your mercy;
My heart shall rejoice in Your salvation.
⁶I will sing to the Lord,
Because He has dealt bountifully with me.

Folly of the Godless, and God’s Final Triumph

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

14 The fool has said in his heart,
“There is no God.”
They are corrupt,
They have done abominable works,
There is none who does good.

²The Lord looks down from heaven upon the children of men,
To see if there are any who understand, who seek God.
³They have all turned aside,
They have together become corrupt;
There is none who does good,
No, not one.

⁴Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge,
Who eat up my people as they eat bread,
And do not call on the Lord?
⁵There they are in great fear,
For God is with the generation of the righteous.
⁶You shame the counsel of the poor,
But the Lord is his refuge.

⁷Oh,^[i] that the salvation of Israel would come out of Zion!
When the Lord brings back ^[j]the captivity of His people,
Let Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad.

The Character of Those Who May Dwell with the Lord

A Psalm of David.

15 Lord, who may ^[k]abide in Your tabernacle?
Who may dwell in Your holy hill?

²He who walks uprightly,
And works righteousness,
And speaks the truth in his heart;
³He who does not backbite with his tongue,
Nor does evil to his neighbor,
Nor does he ^[l]take up a reproach against his friend;
⁴In whose eyes a vile person is despised,
But he honors those who fear the Lord;
He who swears to his own hurt and does not change;
⁵He who does not put out his money at usury,
Nor does he take a bribe against the innocent.

He who does these things shall never be moved.

The Hope of the Faithful, and the Messiah’s Victory

A Michtam of David.

16 Preserve^[m] me, O God, for in You I put my trust.

²O my soul, you have said to the Lord,
“You are my Lord,
My goodness is nothing apart from You.”
³As for the saints who are on the earth,
“They are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.”

⁴Their sorrows shall be multiplied who hasten after another god;
Their drink offerings of blood I will not offer,
Nor take up their names on my lips.

⁵O Lord, You are the portion of my inheritance and my cup;
You ^[n]maintain my lot.
⁶The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places;
Yes, I have a good inheritance.

⁷I will bless the Lord who has given me counsel;
My ^[o]heart also instructs me in the night seasons.
⁸I have set the Lord always before me;
Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.

⁹Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will ^[p]rest in hope.
¹⁰For You will not leave my soul in ^[q]Sheol,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to ^[r]see corruption.
¹¹You will show me the path of life;
In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11 KJV

***

Are you interested in learning more about fasting? Join the Facebook group, designed to be interactive and give you all the Bible verses on fasting, all the types of fasting, and how to fast! In the group are specialists to help us along the way, like the creator of The Fasting Protocol (fasting for health and weight loss; which is part of fasting and important to know about – He can also speak to fasting in a healthy manner). Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/groups/509149707741862

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Thank you for reading in 2023 – a Year of Grace and Provision
May the God of peace keep you and bless you. May you stay focused on Christ and covered in grace. Walk in wisdom.
Maranatha ~ Come Lord Jesus!

29 Apr 202329 Apr 2023

WEEKEND READING – 4-29-23

“Arise, O Lord! O God, lift up Your hand! Do not forget the humble.” Psalms 10:12 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of Psalms chapters 6-10 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

A Prayer of Faith in Time of Distress

To the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. On ^[a]an eight-stringed harp. A Psalm of David.

6 O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger,
Nor chasten me in Your hot displeasure.
²Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak;
O Lord, heal me, for my bones are troubled.
³My soul also is greatly troubled;
But You, O Lord—how long?

⁴Return, O Lord, deliver me!
Oh, save me for Your mercies’ sake!
⁵For in death there is no remembrance of You;
In the grave who will give You thanks?

⁶I am weary with my groaning;
^[b]All night I make my bed swim;
I drench my couch with my tears.
⁷My eye wastes away because of grief;
It grows old because of all my enemies.

⁸Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity;
For the Lord has heard the voice of my weeping.
⁹The Lord has heard my supplication;
The Lord will receive my prayer.
¹⁰Let all my enemies be ashamed and greatly troubled;
Let them turn back and be ashamed suddenly.

Prayer and Praise for Deliverance from Enemies

A Meditation^[c] of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjamite.

7 O Lord my God, in You I put my trust;
Save me from all those who persecute me;
And deliver me,
²Lest they tear me like a lion,
Rending me in pieces, while there is none to deliver.

³O Lord my God, if I have done this:
If there is iniquity in my hands,
⁴If I have repaid evil to him who was at peace with me,
Or have plundered my enemy without cause,
⁵Let the enemy pursue me and overtake me;
Yes, let him trample my life to the earth,
And lay my honor in the dust. Selah

⁶Arise, O Lord, in Your anger;
Lift Yourself up because of the rage of my enemies;
Rise up ^[d]for me to the judgment You have commanded!
⁷So the congregation of the peoples shall surround You;
For their sakes, therefore, return on high.
⁸The Lord shall judge the peoples;
Judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness,
And according to my integrity within me.

⁹Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end,
But establish the just;
For the righteous God tests the hearts and ^[e]minds.
¹⁰^[f]My defense is of God,
Who saves the upright in heart.

¹¹God is a just judge,
And God is angry with the wicked every day.
¹²If he does not turn back,
He will sharpen His sword;
He bends His bow and makes it ready.
¹³He also prepares for Himself instruments of death;
He makes His arrows into fiery shafts.

¹⁴Behold, the wicked brings forth iniquity;
Yes, he conceives trouble and brings forth falsehood.
¹⁵He made a pit and dug it out,
And has fallen into the ditch which he made.
¹⁶His trouble shall return upon his own head,
And his violent dealing shall come down on ^[g]his own crown.

¹⁷I will praise the Lord according to His righteousness,
And will sing praise to the name of the Lord Most High.

The Glory of the Lord in Creation

To the Chief Musician. ^[h]On the instrument of Gath. A Psalm of David.

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

²Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants
You have ^[i]ordained strength,
Because of Your enemies,
That You may silence the enemy and the avenger.

³When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained,
⁴What is man that You are mindful of him,
And the son of man that You visit^[j] him?
⁵For You have made him a little lower than ^[k]the angels,
And You have crowned him with glory and honor.

⁶You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet,
⁷All sheep and oxen—
Even the beasts of the field,
⁸The birds of the air,
And the fish of the sea
That pass through the paths of the seas.

⁹O Lord, our Lord,
How excellent is Your name in all the earth!

Prayer and Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Righteous Judgments

To the Chief Musician. To the tune of ^[l]“Death of the Son.” A Psalm of David.

9 I will praise You, O Lord, with my whole heart;
I will tell of all Your marvelous works.
²I will be glad and rejoice in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High.

³When my enemies turn back,
They shall fall and perish at Your presence.
⁴For You have maintained my right and my cause;
You sat on the throne judging in righteousness.
⁵You have rebuked the ^[m]nations,
You have destroyed the wicked;
You have blotted out their name forever and ever.

⁶O enemy, destructions are finished forever!
And you have destroyed cities;
Even their memory has perished.
⁷But the Lord shall endure forever;
He has prepared His throne for judgment.
⁸He shall judge the world in righteousness,
And He shall administer judgment for the peoples in uprightness.

⁹The Lord also will be a refuge^[n] for the oppressed,
A refuge in times of trouble.
¹⁰And those who know Your name will put their trust in You;
For You, Lord, have not forsaken those who seek You.

¹¹Sing praises to the Lord, who dwells in Zion!
Declare His deeds among the people.
¹²When He avenges blood, He remembers them;
He does not forget the cry of the ^[o]humble.

¹³Have mercy on me, O Lord!
Consider my trouble from those who hate me,
You who lift me up from the gates of death,
¹⁴That I may tell of all Your praise
In the gates of ^[p]the daughter of Zion.
I will rejoice in Your salvation.

¹⁵The ^[q]nations have sunk down in the pit which they made;
In the net which they hid, their own foot is caught.
¹⁶The Lord is known by the judgment He executes;
The wicked is snared in the work of his own hands.
Meditation.^[r] Selah

¹⁷The wicked shall be turned into hell,
And all the ^[s]nations that forget God.
¹⁸For the needy shall not always be forgotten;
The expectation of the poor shall not perish forever.

¹⁹Arise, O Lord,
Do not let man prevail;
Let the ^[t]nations be judged in Your sight.
²⁰Put them in fear, O Lord,
That the ^[u]nations may know themselves to be but men. Selah

A Song of Confidence in God’s Triumph over Evil

10 Why do You stand afar off, O Lord?
Why do You hide in times of trouble?
²The wicked in his pride ^[v]persecutes the poor;
Let them be caught in the plots which they have devised.

³For the wicked boasts of his heart’s desire;
^[w]He blesses the greedy and renounces the Lord.
⁴The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God;
^[x]God is in none of his thoughts.

⁵His ways ^[y]are always prospering;
Your judgments are far above, out of his sight;
As for all his enemies, he sneers at them.
⁶He has said in his heart, “I shall not be moved;
I shall never be in adversity.”
⁷His mouth is full of cursing and deceit and oppression;
Under his tongue is trouble and iniquity.

⁸He sits in the lurking places of the villages;
In the secret places he murders the innocent;
His eyes are secretly fixed on the helpless.
⁹He lies in wait secretly, as a lion in his den;
He lies in wait to catch the poor;
He catches the poor when he draws him into his net.
¹⁰So ^[z]he crouches, he lies low,
That the helpless may fall by his ^[aa]strength.
¹¹He has said in his heart,
“God has forgotten;
He hides His face;
He will never see.”

¹²Arise, O Lord!
O God, lift up Your hand!
Do not forget the humble.
¹³Why do the wicked renounce God?
He has said in his heart,
“You will not require an account.”

¹⁴But You have seen, for You observe trouble and grief,
To repay it by Your hand.
The helpless commits^[ab] himself to You;
You are the helper of the fatherless.
¹⁵Break the arm of the wicked and the evil man;
Seek out his wickedness until You find none.

¹⁶The Lord is King forever and ever;
The nations have perished out of His land.
¹⁷Lord, You have heard the desire of the humble;
You will prepare their heart;
You will cause Your ear to hear,
¹⁸To ^[ac]do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
That the man of the earth may ^[ad]oppress no more.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11 KJV

***

28 Apr 202328 Apr 2023

Boldly Go!– 4-28-23

“Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” Acts 4:29-30 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 4, at verse 23 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Prayer for Boldness

²³And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. ²⁴So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵who ^[c]by the mouth of Your servant David have said:

‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
²⁶The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’

²⁷“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. ²⁹Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

³¹And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.

Acts 4:23-31 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

As we end the week, let us think about the signs and wonders of the Book of Acts Church. We have only just begun and a man was healed and Peter and John spent the night in jail. We all want the signs and wonders – but we do not want the jail time, beatings, and harassment.

Actually, as we transition into our promises and into our next thing… the scary part is the persecution. Which is not only getting worse but organized and permitted EVERYWHERE around the globe. Some of you have it worse than others. Although as censorship has increased I have noticed we have lost readership from entire countries.

So if you read this – pray for others who also read this.

So Peter and John get out of prison and now the group of them, which has grown to a few thousand and growing, were scared. This is where we read they turned tail and ran. Right?

In one of my prayer groups every one of the people in it had been hit with trials that should break them – and multiple at the same time. As I prayed for them one day I started crying like a wimp – not because of the presence of the Lord – but because I am a wimp!!! I cried: This is too hard. I know you want us to do hard stuff – but this is too hard! I am scared. If it is this bad now, and getting worse I am scared!
Let’s face it, we can be real with God. And He took me in his arms and held me in His presence and said all you need to do is stand with me, and I’ll do the rest.
Reminds me of the armor of God passage and that verse: having done all, stand.

Knowing my Daddy, He probably did that for Peter and John in jail.

But how does one walk that out in life? I know I, for one, needed boldness. And I turned to the passage we are reading today!

“²³And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.”

If this happened in America today – most would not believe them, others would say well it’s over now, and some would be so scared they’d hide. Don’t say they won’t – look at the people who have been locked up from the January 6^th incident. Almost no one even remembers they are there. So what will they do to the church?!
And how will the church respond? (The global sleepy church, not speaking of the remnant on fire ones.) They will not respond or run in fear – but for sure they will not call out to God! We are living in a nightmare and they say it is not so bad and do not call prayer meetings. So yeah, I am not counting on prayer meetings!

“²⁴So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, ²⁵who by the mouth of Your servant David have said:‘Why did the nations rage,
And the people plot vain things?
²⁶The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together
Against the Lord and against His Christ.’
²⁷“For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together ²⁸to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. ²⁹Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, ³⁰by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”

³¹And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”

I did not break that apart for a reason. You and I should print that section and put it in our prayer books! That is a prayer to pray regularly! It is a little bit of the Lord’s Prayer and a little bit of praying the scriptures mixed with a little bit of faith and they SHOOK the room!

I have NEVER been in a prayer meeting that literally shook the room. Nope. I would love to. I need to learn to pray like they did! They had tongues of fire and the sound of might wind, and now shaking and a second filling!

By the way – so seldom does ANYONE preach on the fact that they were filled AGAIN! The first time was just the spirit on them? Maybe? Then the second time, or this time, was the filling?!

Should we be locking ourselves away in prayer for the infilling regularly? I’ll be honest, I do not know what pastors would say about it. But I know I pray for a refreshing, refilling, re-fire on a rather regular basis. But I also enjoy recommitting myself to Him often – first pulling out Roman’s chapter one and really searching my heart with God to see if there is anything that needs extracting and then repenting. It is a humbling experience. And when it is over I pour out what is left as a drink offering to God and ask for a refilling as I rededicate myself to him.

Now. What about this prayer for boldness. Don’t break it apart and just pray it! Just pray and mean it. Pray it a few times until you feel it. Pray it a few times until you have it memorized, so you can quote it if you get tossed in jail for being used by Jesus in healing a lame man.

Please join us this weekend for some wisdom reading presented without commentary. Then I’ll be back on Monday to continue to “go” through the book of Acts.

***

27 Apr 202327 Apr 2023

The Name of Jesus Forbidden– 4-27-23

“But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” Acts 4:19 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 4, at verse 13 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Name of Jesus Forbidden

¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. ¹⁴And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a ^[a]notable miracle has been done through them is evident^[b] to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

¹⁸So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” ²¹So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. ²²For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.

Acts 4:13-22 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

I am so sorry about yesterday. It is not often, praise the Lord, that I am unable to get these out. Today was difficult to get out as well. But I will keep my peace and God’s will, shall be done.

If I am to be honest, I kept my peace by taking my authority in the Name of Jesus! Which is exactly what we are speaking of today.

“Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you.” Luke 10:19

You see Jesus gave us authority. How Authority is given and works is a great subject in today’s world – because so many org-charts have been stripped of their authority and are unable to be effective. That is right, without authority over us and us walking in our authority, we are no longer effective. We must be both under the authority and walking in our authority.

You see GOD had all authority and then:

“And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth.” Matthew 28:18

Then Jesus turned around and gave it to us. But when Jesus was instructing the disciples He taught them to do it in his name. There is power in the Name because He is the authority and our authority came through Him.

It is like being top security clearance in the US Military and trying to just walk into a Canadian Top Security Clearance place. You are operating under the name of the US Government and therefore Canada will say you do not have authority here under that name. But you have authority in the USA.

In Jesus, we have authority everywhere on planet Earth In Jesus’ Name.

“¹³Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13

I know it has been said a million times but it is worth repeating… men who spent time with Jesus are changed. Changed SO MUCH that people know you have spent time with Jesus! If people do not know by the way you walk and talk that you have spent time with Jesus – maybe you aren’t spending time with Jesus?

“¹⁴And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. ¹⁵But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, ¹⁶saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evidentto all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.”

ANYTHING or ANYONE who suppresses the name of Jesus is demonic. There is nothing less than it could be. Because the NAME of JESUS is the most powerful authority over demons and the devil!

“¹⁸So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. ²⁰For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.”

Well then. Speaking what we have seen and heard. Listen, folks, the apostle did not start with signs and wonders – they had 3 years of experiences before they had this anointing. In my life it started with praising Him in the small things and slowly day by day – God did bigger and bigger things.

“²¹So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. ²²For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”

Vain threats are the best any man or devil can do in the face of the Name of Jesus!!

Let’s switch it up a little and get super heavy with the scriptures. I am switching to ESV because of the key phrase and let me give you a list of verses that show why the Name of Jesus is SO powerful and has so much authority!

“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.” John 14:12-14 esv

“But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.” John 14:26 esv

“You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.” John 15:16 esv

“In that day you will ask nothing of me. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full.” John 16:23-24 esv

“Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” Matthew 18:19-20 esv

Please join us each day this week as we “go” through the book of Acts.

***

26 Apr 202326 Apr 2023

Dare to Be the Acts Church – 4-26-23

“Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 4, at verse 1 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Peter and John Arrested

4 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, ²being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. ³And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. ⁴However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.

Addressing the Sanhedrin

⁵And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, ⁶as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. ⁷And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”

⁸Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ⁹If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, ¹⁰let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹²Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Acts 4:1-12 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Imagine that God fulfilled those promises that you beg Him for. Imagine the outpouring! Imagine then raising your hand and saying “In the Name of Jesus” and people are healed and delivered. Imagine the Glory of the Lord!!! Then imagine spending the night in jail immediately after that.

Everyone wants the promises, blessings, and power – everyone wants to see the signs and wonders – who is willing to sit in jail overnight? Who is willing to pay the price that comes with true revival – the kind of revival that happened when the apostles woke up the nation and the world?!

…

Sadly I suffered computer/internet issues and was unable to finish. I am manually loading this just in time for it to publish. The day was not a total waste – I took that time to minister to others through other means which I would not have had the opportunity to do if I was on this computer doing the study. You can see by my opening what direction I was heading and I hope you dwell on it and let Jesus speak to you, encourage you, and strengthen you. He does a better job than me anyway!

We’ll get into more tomorrow. Again – sorry this is so short.

Please join us each day this week as we “go” through the book of Acts.

***

25 Apr 202325 Apr 2023

Faith Which Comes Through Him – 4-25-23

“¹⁹Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,” Acts 3:19 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 3, at verse 11 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Preaching in Solomon’s Portico

¹¹Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. ¹²So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵and killed the ^[b]Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. ¹⁶And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

¹⁷“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ¹⁹Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰and that He may send ^[c]Jesus Christ, who was ^[d]preached to you before, ²¹whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since ^[e]the world began. ²²For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. ²³And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also ^[f]foretold these days. ²⁵You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Acts 3:11-26 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Yesterday’s study was so GOOD! Three steps to get the promises of God and three things to be prepared to do once you get those promises. But it doesn’t stop there. Because that last point – ministering to people is much bigger than just praying for someone and watching them get healed. I never said that point three was to heal people in the Name of Jesus, nope – I said it was to minister.

Yes, they offered healing in the story – but what if the man at the gate needed clothing? Would they have clothed him? What if he needed food? Would they have fed him? The power of God within us backed up and filled with the Holy Spirit, is less concerned about the cares of this world that distract you and is solely concerned with the hearts of man.

Therefore ministering to someone is not a quick miracle and you are on your way, as sometimes the gospels appear to portray Jesus as doing in their hurry to condense it all into a book. After yesterday’s miracle, we find our boys preaching – explaining what just happened. Ministering.
As the church grew, more small home churches popped up and as they grow a methodology of discipleship and caring for people was developed and established. But that is getting ahead of ourselves.

Back to today’s reading. The first thing in ministering to people was to meet their immediate needs. So the second thing was to teach them about Jesus? Nope! So what did Peter do right after the man could walk? Peter preached. The people who witness miracles need to be explained what they just saw and how to process it.

“¹¹Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. ¹²So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?”

Why were they surprised? Well, it was a new thing to see a common man performing signs and wonders. But it was about to be common for the common to pray for people and see the miraculous. What is sad is that it is no longer common! I am praying for it to become common again!

“¹³The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”

Imagine a preacher today saying, why are you surprised at miracles? That man you falsely killed was your messiah and He rose from the dead and although He isn’t here – His miracles are still here!

“¹⁶And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”

The faith which comes through Him – how about that wording?! Powerful!

“¹⁷“Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”

So many times when we see a miracle we then continue to minister to that person. But then a miracle happens it is often the witnesses that need the ministering to.

“¹⁹Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”

When you are worn down and need to be refreshed, I bet you also need to do good repenting also. Carrying un-repented sin will cause you all sorts of grief and you will need a time of refreshing.

I believe we did a whole year with me saying repent and get humble before God on a daily bases. This point is for the saved and unsaved. Humble repentance is the key!

“²⁰and that He may send Jesus Christ, who was preached to you before, ²¹whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began. ²²For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. ²³And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. ²⁵You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”

Peter proves the Christhood of Jesus and explains why they need to turn to Him. It is very hard to save religious people. You must speak their language and throw their own book back at them. You had better know it better than they do and be able to rightly divide it to correct their wrong way of thinking.

Please join us each day this week as we “go” through the book of Acts.

***

24 Apr 202324 Apr 2023

The Beautiful Walk – 4-24-23

“And all the people saw him walking and praising God.” Acts 3:9 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 3, at verse 1 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

A Lame Man Healed

3 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ²And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ^[a]ask alms from those who entered the temple; ³who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. ⁴And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” ⁵So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ⁷And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. ⁸So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Acts 3:1-10 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

Welcome back, my friends! I hope you had a blessed weekend.

We are resuming our reading and studies from the book of the Acts of the Apostles. This has felt so fitting for this generation since so many are saying they feel like it is a time of transitioning… and there is a lot of grace and growth and scary things that happen as we enter the next chapter of our personal lives. I hope you have been and still are taking the time to get into your own upper room (your prayer closet) and seek God as the disciples did. And I hope you are letting grace transform you. AND know that when the Lord says it is time, your promise will fill you and pour out into the streets. God is shifting things! Things are aligning in the spirit and are about to manifest and break forth into the physical – and into the overflowing.

Remember we minister and work for God in the overflow – all the extra is supposed to go to others, we are blessed to be a blessing!

So let’s talk about these steps – because the steps are very clear.

The steps to the promise are complete surrender, taking care of loose ends, and a good long prayer meeting.

But I am talking about the steps after we receive the promise!

Step one – they poured out into the streets and preached turning more than 3000 people to Christ. The last time God gave you something He promised you – how many souls did you reach?? It’s a valid question. We often wonder why we are not blessed, but we never did anything for Him with the previous blessings. When does he stop pouring it into a steward who hides his talents? (Matthew 25:14–30) So now, this time when He pours out His blessings, you will be ready to use it to reach souls like the Apostles did. They went into the upper room as disciples and came out as Apostles (sent ones). With the promise and blessing came the grace for all who they would reach. With your promise will come the grace for whoever you will reach – if you come out of that prayer closet a sent one. No longer a consumer only of the word, no longer only a student – but a sent one. (And to be clear so I do not get hate mail – I am not saying they will come out an apostle. I am saying they should choose to “go, ye therefore” as we learned is our great commission. I am not making light of any ordained office nor am I making a statement about ordained offices.)

So what did they do after that? What is step two of what to do with the promise when God releases it like a flood over you?

“¹ Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”

They went to the temple to pray. For those who like to compare Jewish culture with Christianity, we can’t. We can go to church to pray. But that is equivalent to going to synagogue. We have no temple to go to and we are the temple. But this was before that revelation and before the destruction of the temple. But that is NOT why they went to the temple. And when Gentiles were converted, they did not have to go to the temple, but the Jews continued to.

You see much of what we call Jewish culture is actually a covenant contract with God. Keeping the Sabbath day – it is both parts of the contact as well as part of creation and for ALL of mankind. Keeping the food laws – that is part of the covenant. Keeping the Holy Days – that is the covenant, but respectful observance and understanding should be warranted by the adopted children. I think you get the point.

So the second thing they did was to continue to keep their promises to God. God did indeed keep His. This is another good question to ask yourself. Have you prayed I surrender all and then NOT surrendered all? Have you made serious or even off-the-cuff promises to God? Ask Him to help reveal it to you and make sure you keep it!
God did something in these disciples, turning them into Apostles, and they actually were now the temple and no longer needed to go to the temple – but they kept their promise as God kept his!

“²And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple; ³who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.”

The local homeless shelter is next door to a local church. The homeless often gather to ask for alms in the church parking lot – or they did. Now it is only occasionally. They have learned that the Christians are NOT the ones who will give them money or walk a crossed the street with them and buy them a sandwich at the local deli.
I have watched the ones who have tried it get rejected over and over. I have even told you how I was approached by one myself and sadly did not have a penny on me. I am going to use this one as an example* (but see my follow-up notes below about this).
Jesus said to feed the poor is equivalent to feeding Him! I was sad I had nothing. I was actually going home to no food for myself either.

“⁴And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” ⁵So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” ⁷And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”

I recalled this passage while hungry Gary (the homeless addict who was politely asking for food or money) looked down at my shoes not wanting to hear another rejection or sharp words. I offered him a hug and told him I had nothing for me either. And I said let us pray and we prayed. I was thrilled to at least give him prayer – prayer works! And I knew that would get him a meal – because MY GOD always gets the Glory!

Later that day I was handed a $10!! Praise the Lord! And my sister-in-Christ asked if she could borrow $5 to get us both milkshakes and she’d pay me back. I said ok and we stopped for milkshakes and there was Gary. I got him a sandwich, chips and a drink. And within an hour I was broke again but to the GLORY of GOD! And you should have seen Gary do a little happy dance with a whole bag of food! For him, it was a feast! And for me, I have a God who will and has provided!

I also prayed for Gary’s healing, from addiction and mental health issues. I have not seen Gary since. I do not know, but I hope and pray that prayer was also answered.
Now I am not telling you to toot my own horn. I am telling you because we may not have an actual lame man sitting at the temple gate to go say YOU ARE HEALED IN THE NAME OF JESUS! But we do have homeless, single mothers, older single women, and the elderly who need help. We do have poor. We have prisons without prison ministries.
What do we have to give them? How can we minister to them? How can God get the glory!

“⁸So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. ⁹And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”

This must have been the most beautiful dance and walk ever seen by a man! A dance of pure gratitude towards God!!

The third thing the Apostles did was to minister, which included healing and delivering. The three go together and should not be separated.

So as we feel the shift and we prepare for our own personal promise of God to be poured out… we must testify and tell of it, we must keep our promises to God, and we must minister to the needy (including healings and deliverances).

So the question is, are you ready for God’s promises? Are you ready to handle disciples? Are you prepared with the understanding of healing and deliverance? Are you ready?? Or are you the thing standing in your own way of getting the release of the promise in your own life – because you are not prepared to steward it well and use it as God intends?

Please join us each day this week as we “go” through the book of Acts.

*Not about my example – to be clear, that example is the same one I use all the time. You see the Bible says NOT to do good work for boasting on yourself. But it also says to do good works for all to see that God may be glorified. I walk the tightrope by using the same few examples over and over and I do not share everything I do (and like you I often think I can and wish I did do more). There is a narrow path between boasting and using examples for lessons. If I use other people as examples they get mad. If I use myself then I am accused of boasting and I wanted to be very clear for the sake of the Glory of God! Or in our fool-hardy quest to find fault, we rob Him of His glory! He did wonderful work that day. He not only answered my prayer for Gary – He circled back and used ME to do so. And I was able to pray with him again and tell Him about Jesus. If you hear someone boasting about what they did for God – just Give God the proper Glory and move on. Remember this is all about saving souls and giving Glory to God!

***

23 Apr 202320 Apr 2023

WEEKEND READING – 4-23-23

“Blessed is the man Who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, Nor stands in the path of sinners, Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;” Psalms 1:1 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of Psalms chapters 1-5 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Way of the Righteous and the End of the Ungodly

1 Blessed is the man
Who walks not in the counsel of the ^[a]ungodly,
Nor stands in the path of sinners,
Nor sits in the seat of the scornful;
²But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he ^[b]meditates day and night.
³He shall be like a tree
Planted by the ^[c]rivers of water,
That brings forth its fruit in its season,
Whose leaf also shall not wither;
And whatever he does shall prosper.

⁴The ungodly are not so,
But are like the chaff which the wind drives away.
⁵Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

⁶For the Lord knows the way of the righteous,
But the way of the ungodly shall perish.

The Messiah’s Triumph and Kingdom

2 Why do the ^[d]nations ^[e]rage,
And the people plot a ^[f]vain thing?
²The kings of the earth set themselves,
And the rulers take counsel together,
Against the Lord and against His Anointed,^[g] saying,
³“Let us break Their bonds in pieces
And cast away Their cords from us.”

⁴He who sits in the heavens shall laugh;
The Lord shall hold them in derision.
⁵Then He shall speak to them in His wrath,
And distress them in His deep displeasure:
⁶“Yet I have ^[h]set My King
^[i]On My holy hill of Zion.”

⁷“I will declare the ^[j]decree:
The Lord has said to Me,
‘You are My Son,
Today I have begotten You.
⁸Ask of Me, and I will give You
The nations for Your inheritance,
And the ends of the earth for Your possession.
⁹You shall ^[k]break them with a rod of iron;
You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel.’ ”

¹⁰Now therefore, be wise, O kings;
Be instructed, you judges of the earth.
¹¹Serve the Lord with fear,
And rejoice with trembling.
¹²^[l]Kiss the Son, lest ^[m]He be angry,
And you perish in the way,
When His wrath is kindled but a little.
Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him.

The Lord Helps His Troubled People

A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son.

3 Lord, how they have increased who trouble me!
Many are they who rise up against me.
²Many are they who say of me,
“There is no help for him in God.” Selah

³But You, O Lord, are a shield ^[n]for me,
My glory and the One who lifts up my head.
⁴I cried to the Lord with my voice,
And He heard me from His holy hill. Selah

⁵I lay down and slept;
I awoke, for the Lord sustained me.
⁶I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people
Who have set themselves against me all around.

⁷Arise, O Lord;
Save me, O my God!
For You have struck all my enemies on the cheekbone;
You have broken the teeth of the ungodly.
⁸Salvation belongs to the Lord.
Your blessing is upon Your people. Selah

The Safety of the Faithful

To the ^[o]Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm of David.

4 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness!
You have relieved me in my distress;
^[p]Have mercy on me, and hear my prayer.

²How long, O you sons of men,
Will you turn my glory to shame?
How long will you love worthlessness
And seek falsehood? Selah
³But know that the Lord has ^[q]set apart for Himself him who is godly;
The Lord will hear when I call to Him.

⁴Be^[r] angry, and do not sin.
Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still. Selah
⁵Offer the sacrifices of righteousness,
And put your trust in the Lord.

⁶There are many who say,
“Who will show us any good?”
Lord, lift up the light of Your countenance upon us.
⁷You have put gladness in my heart,
More than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
⁸I will both lie down in peace, and sleep;
For You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.

A Prayer for Guidance

To the Chief Musician. With ^[s]flutes. A Psalm of David.

5 Give ear to my words, O Lord,
Consider my ^[t]meditation.
²Give heed to the voice of my cry,
My King and my God,
For to You I will pray.
³My voice You shall hear in the morning, O Lord;
In the morning I will direct it to You,
And I will look up.

⁴For You are not a God who takes pleasure in wickedness,
Nor shall evil ^[u]dwell with You.
⁵The boastful shall not stand in Your sight;
You hate all workers of iniquity.
⁶You shall destroy those who speak falsehood;
The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.

⁷But as for me, I will come into Your house in the multitude of Your mercy;
In fear of You I will worship toward ^[v]Your holy temple.
⁸Lead me, O Lord, in Your righteousness because of my enemies;
Make Your way straight before my face.

⁹For there is no ^[w]faithfulness in their mouth;
Their inward part is destruction;
Their throat is an open tomb;
They flatter with their tongue.
¹⁰Pronounce them guilty, O God!
Let them fall by their own counsels;
Cast them out in the multitude of their transgressions,
For they have rebelled against You.

¹¹But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You;
Let them ever shout for joy, because You ^[x]defend them;
Let those also who love Your name
Be joyful in You.
¹²For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous;
With favor You will surround him as with a shield.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11 KJV

***

22 Apr 202320 Apr 2023

WEEKEND READING – 4-22-23

“Who can find a virtuous wife? For her worth is far above rubies.” Proverbs 31:10 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is the Book of Proverbs chapter 31 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

The Words of King Lemuel’s Mother

31 The words of King Lemuel, the utterance which his mother taught him:

²What, my son?
And what, son of my womb?
And what, son of my vows?
³Do not give your strength to women,
Nor your ways to that which destroys kings.

⁴It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
⁵Lest they drink and forget the law,
And pervert the justice of all ^[a]the afflicted.
⁶Give strong drink to him who is perishing,
And wine to those who are bitter of heart.
⁷Let him drink and forget his poverty,
And remember his misery no more.

⁸Open your mouth for the speechless,
In the cause of all who are ^[b]appointed to die.
⁹Open your mouth, judge righteously,
And plead the cause of the poor and needy.

The Virtuous Wife

¹⁰Who^[c] can find a ^[d]virtuous wife?
For her worth is far above rubies.
¹¹The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
¹²She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life.
¹³She seeks wool and flax,
And willingly works with her hands.
¹⁴She is like the merchant ships,
She brings her food from afar.
¹⁵She also rises while it is yet night,
And provides food for her household,
And a portion for her maidservants.
¹⁶She considers a field and buys it;
From ^[e]her profits she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷She girds herself with strength,
And strengthens her arms.
¹⁸She perceives that her merchandise is good,
And her lamp does not go out by night.
¹⁹She stretches out her hands to the distaff,
And her hand holds the spindle.
²⁰She extends her hand to the poor,
Yes, she reaches out her hands to the needy.
²¹She is not afraid of snow for her household,
For all her household is clothed with scarlet.
²²She makes tapestry for herself;
Her clothing is fine linen and purple.
²³Her husband is known in the gates,
When he sits among the elders of the land.
²⁴She makes linen garments and sells them,
And supplies sashes for the merchants.
²⁵Strength and honor are her clothing;
She shall rejoice in time to come.
²⁶She opens her mouth with wisdom,
And on her tongue is the law of kindness.
²⁷She watches over the ways of her household,
And does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸Her children rise up and call her blessed;
Her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹“Many daughters have done well,
But you excel them all.”
³⁰Charm is deceitful and beauty is passing,
But a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.
³¹Give her of the fruit of her hands,
And let her own works praise her in the gates.

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“For the Son of man is come to save that which was lost.” Matthew 18:11 KJV

***

21 Apr 202320 Apr 2023

Peter’s First Sermon – 4-21-23

“But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.” Acts 2:14 NKJV

RELATIONSHIP:

It feels like just yesterday, I was crying laying on my floor, exhausted from trying to fix the mess I made. My sin and poor choices caused broken hearts and broken friendships and broken families and despair and death… yes, I made a huge mess of my life. As I lay there with no way I could fix anything, nor could I go on like that – God reached out to me and made me feel like He still loved me and was ready to help me through it. I had tried God before and it did not seem to work out the way I expected, how could He help me this time? As I thought I realized the last time I treated Him like a genie in a lamp and not as a loving and kind Father and Friend. So I looked up and shook my fists and said – fine! Ok! I surrender! I give up and will do things your way! Things can’t get any worse. BUT!! You MUST be a real God. You MUST be who the Bible says you are! You must be an ever-present help! You MUST be the: I AM! You MUST be the God of fire shut up in my bones! I expect to see the lame walk, the blind see, the deaf hear, demons cast out, and addiction destroyed in people’s lives starting with mine!!! I expect life and relationship!

In this world of lies – this simple truth is hard to understand. We can have a relationship with the Father through Jesus in the Holy Spirit.

Here is a prayer for you to pray:

Therefore, I confess that I am a sinner and I ask that you forgive me of my sins and come into my life. Help me to turn away from my sins and transform me into what you have lovingly created me to be. Help me, through a real personal relationship, to grow and accept your will for my life – that I may live in your blessings. Please walk with me, and talk with me – I accept a relationship with you and with our Father God, through you. In the name of Jesus, I pray ~ Amen

BIBLE READING:

Today’s reading is found in the Book of Acts, chapter 2, at verse 14 (embedded below for your convenience in the NKJV).

Peter’s Sermon

¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. ¹⁵For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only ^[e]the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
¹⁷‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
¹⁹I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
²¹And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’

²²“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ²³Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you ^[f]have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴whom God raised up, having ^[g]loosed the ^[h]pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.
²⁶Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad;
Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.
²⁷For You will not leave my soul in Hades,
Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life;
You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’

²⁹“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, ^[i]according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³²This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³Therefore being exalted ^[j]to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

³⁴“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself:
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
³⁵Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

³⁶“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”
³⁸Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[k]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this ^[l]perverse generation.” ⁴¹Then those who ^[m]gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.

Acts 2:14-41 NKJV

MEMORY VERSE CHALLENGE:

“And Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” Luke 4:8 KJV

BIBLE DISCUSSION:

The disciples/apostles waited in that upper room for the promise – and boy did they get MORE than they were waiting for! God is good and overflowing! They waited until they got it and like a tidal wave, it poured out into the streets, and men and women stood around in amazement and wonder.

I promise you, if you take that promise God gave you and you lock yourself in that upper room and pray until something happens, then something WILL happen! Day by day I am praying and holding onto my promise and God is sustaining me while I remain in this upper room waiting on the Lord. So I understand the process firsthand – I know what the Bible says and if God is faithful to pour out His Spirit and fulfill the promise back for the disciples, then God most certainly can do it again now!

BUT BE PREPARED – because it will cause you to preach! It will cause you to recall scriptures in a new way that could change thousands of people!! You may only be called to save a couple and disciple them, or you may be called to save thousands and plug them into discipleship programs, either way. Once YOUR promise is fulfilled, God will use the overflow to fulfill His plan for your life. And we know HIS plan is to seek and save the lost!

“¹⁴But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words. ¹⁵For these are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. ¹⁶But this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: ¹⁷‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God, That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, Your young men shall see visions, Your old men shall dream dreams. ¹⁸And on My menservants and on My maidservants I will pour out My Spirit in those days; And they shall prophesy. ¹⁹I will show wonders in heaven above And signs in the earth beneath: Blood and fire and vapor of smoke. ²⁰The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord. ²¹And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’”

Joel’s prophecies are true prophecies. That means they are for Joel’s time, for a future time, and for the end times. Joel said this is what would make the end times. And many believe that when Peter said this, it began the end times. However, Jesus himself was quoted as saying it was the end times. Joel’s prophecies are very pertinent to today’s modern world. Definitely, a book you should be familiar with.

Peter is just getting revelation and download after revelation and download! So He continues:

“²²“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ²³Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵For David says concerning Him: ‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face, For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken. ²⁶Therefore my heart rejoiced, and my tongue was glad; Moreover my flesh also will rest in hope.²⁷For You will not leave my soul in Hades, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption. ²⁸You have made known to me the ways of life; You will make me full of joy in Your presence.’”

In our Bible read:
“I have set the Lord always before me; Because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved.
Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoices; My flesh also will rest in hope.
For You will not leave my soul in Sheol, Nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.
You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy;
At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” Psalm 16:8-11 NKJV

Then Peter continues:

“²⁹“Men and brethren, let me speak freely to you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. ³⁰Therefore, being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body, according to the flesh, He would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne, ³¹he, foreseeing this, spoke concerning the resurrection of the Christ, that His soul was not left in Hades, nor did His flesh see corruption. ³²This Jesus God has raised up, of which we are all witnesses. ³³Therefore being exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, He poured out this which you now see and hear.

³⁴“For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he says himself: ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand, ³⁵Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.” ’

Which is Psalm 110 – which I believe Peter meant to incorporate in whole by reference. That means, the Jews would think of the entire psalm when you reference just a part of it, making the whole psalm part of Peter’s message. Throughout the new testament, we see authors use this technique with popular passages. It is thought the author did not write it out completely because of the cost of paper and trying to keep it short.
Here is Psalm 110:
“The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, Till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
The Lord shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies!
Your people shall be volunteers In the day of Your power; In the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.
The Lord has sworn And will not relent, “You are a priest forever According to the order of Melchizedek.”
The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath.
He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries.
He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; Therefore He shall lift up the head.” Psalm 110: 1-7

Peter closes with a solid statement:

“³⁶“Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

The power in the words: Jesus is King should be our battle cry. Jesus is King. Listen more closely to those professing it in these dark times we live in. Let it help your spirit discern. Not everyone is declaring and decreeing the Lord’s kingship in their lives, ministries, and nations! Be one of the few who do and join with those who do!

“³⁷Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

A pet peeve of mine is when I sit in a sermon and at the end there is not a clear call to action. If nothing else was clear, I beg preachers to make sure there is a CLEAR call for salvation and a CLEAR call to action. Peter was lucky. His listeners asked WHAT DO WE DO?!
But in the modern church, even with the most compelling and charismatic preacher, the congregation is not going to ask, what they should do. In America we are too proud and stoic, even the charismatics, to speak out at the end of a service. So if the Pastor did not give the call – there will be no response or action from the congregation. Do not be surprised if they come in the next week acting like they never heard your message.

Honestly, I know I do not give a call to action at the end of each day. Some days I do. But this is a different format. Even so, I should apologize because I use that excuse to not compel you to challenge yourselves to grow in the Lord.

Peter quickly adds a call to action and learns – and his other messages that we have a record of have a clear call to action.

“³⁸Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.⁴⁰And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this perverse generation.”

The call to action is ALMOST ALWAYS – Repent!
Being a good repenter (being better at repentance than we are at sinning) is the goal of our personal challenge as we grow closer to the Lord.

Being saved – or surrendering to God – is also a great call to action!

Both are super effective! So effective that 3,000 were saved that day!

“⁴¹Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”

Just like that!

So, Today’s CALL TO ACTION: pray it through until you are out on the street preaching! And once you get there keep praying it through! Keep praying like you are in the crisis and fervently banging at heaven’s door like the persistent widow, even in the good and easy times! Grab onto the horns of the altar and do not let go! Wrestle with the angel through the night (and once it changes you – never go back to who you were)!
Just to be clear: Go pray.

Please join us this weekend for more reading from the wisdom books without commentary and we will be back on Monday in the book of Acts.