Journey with Acts 2:23

 

Greetings Everyone, 

Jesus was given to you, and with the help of those who don’t know the law, you put him to death by nailing him to a cross. But this was God’s plan which he had made long ago; he knew all this would happen.  44.2.23

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I wonder how often this verse is used to summarize the Christian Faith? It seems like it would be a great one for us to use when we are trying to reach out to those around us.  I often thought about using this verse in a sermon when I was working as a minister, but the preference was more along the lines of using John 3:16. 

Journey with Acts 1:8

 

Greeting Everyone, 

"But when the Holy Spirit comes to you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses—in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and in every part of the world.” 44.1.8 NCV

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It's an interesting thought! 'When the Holy Spirit comes we will receive power.' So often I think we forget about the rest of that verse though, 'you will be my witnesses... in every part of the word.'  Does that mean we have to go someplace else to be considered a witness in every part of the word? Does that mean we have to become foreign missionaries halfway across the word?

Journey with Acts 1:3

 Greetings Everyone, 

Several Years ago, I began a Journey through the New Testament book of Acts that I never actually finished. In anticipation for my upcoming series "Finding Philemon" I wanted to do make sure I kept my focus on my own time with God.   I've been reading through Acts during my personal devotional time and thought, why not commit to that Journey once more. 

A Journey with ACTS 2:29

“Dear brothers, think about this! You can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us. But he was a prophet, and he knew God had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his throne. David was looking into the future and speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.” - Acts 2:29-31 NLT

It is simply amazing that David was able to foretell some of the things that he foretold while he was living on this earth. It is a good reminder that God can use and speak through anyone at any time in history. That in itself, is more wonderful that we can ever imagine.

Because David was faithful until the end, and even in the moments of his sinful life, God blessed him with knowledge beyond his years, literally. It’s encouraging to know that God does this even today with many who are faithful to him.

The blessings that were given to David are the same blessings that God offers many of us today.  What it comes down to is simply that God promised he’d be faithful to David’s descendants, honoring them with the many blessings of heavenly provisions.

David knew that God would take care of what he believed was most important, his legacy. God would take care of his descendants until the end of time and this passage can remind us that as long as we are faithful, he will take care of the important things to us as well.

Let us not be afraid to reach out to our Lord God and ask him to show us the life that we were meant to have, a life woven together by the blessings He provides. Remember that just as God never turn away from David in his time of need, that he will never turn on you either.

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20 M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 2:25-28

“‘King David said this about him: I see that the Lord is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and my tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave. You have shown me the way of life, and you will fill me with the joy of your presence.” - Acts 2:25-28 NLT

There are so many people in this world that are shaken by the struggles that they face each day and often we forget that we aren’t really ever facing these struggles on our own. King David was a very spiritual person.

Even in the midst of all of the horrendous things he did he found himself on his knees seeking God's guidance and placing is heart in the saviors arms. He knew that it was only through God that anyone would find hope. We need to remember this in our struggles today.

When we focus our energy on giving our praises to God in the midst of our struggles, they often seem to resolve themselves. It may not be in the way that we want it to take place but the do tend to work themselves out.

We can find joy in knowing that God will never leave or forsake us and we can embrace a heart that is glad, not broken.  Let us take a few moments this week to ponder the majesty and the glory that resides within His presence.

Embrace Joy, Echo Praise and Embody God’s Peaceful Rest in your lives today, don’t be afraid to honor him in the midst of every situation that comes your way today.

A Journey with ACTS 2:22-24

“People of Israel, listen! God publicly endorsed Jesus the Nazarene[d] by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs through him, as you well know. But God knew what would happen, and his prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him. But God released him from the horrors of death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its grip. - Acts 2:22-24 NLT

The idea the God has publicly endorsed any one is a special one to think about in times like the ones we share in today’s world. There is so much hurt and brokenness thought, that sometimes we just can’t see where God is doing this.

The miracles that we see today are so much different than they were back then and yet we do not see them, or even care to look for them. In many ways we have tied God’s hands behind his back, so to speak, by not taking more time to look for those places that he has done great and mighty things for us today.

We can find our way back from this untimely ‘death of a miracle’.  As we go about our day we can take the time to look for God in the things around us. We can find those places that God is publicly working through in this day and age, just as the believers did back then.

Life, as I’ve always said, is full of God's wonders and it is up to us to identify where they are at and whom He is working through. The People of Israel saw what God was doing and in many ways, denied some of the possibilities that could have come out of Jesus’ Ministry.

Instead of focusing on ourselves today, let's take a few moments to focus on what's going on around us. When we do this, wholeheartedly, God still protects us from the dangers around us, but He will also bless us in immeasurable ways when we realize just whats He’s doing in the midst of the world around us.

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20 M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 2:17-21

‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will pour out my Spirit upon all people.Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. In those days I will pour out my Spirit even on my servants—men and women alike—and they will prophesy. And I will cause wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below—blood and fire and clouds of smoke. The sun will become dark, and the moon will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the Lord arrives. But everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

- Acts 2:17-21 NLT

Here we have a passage that many don't look at to deeply. To be honest, to most it would be a bit scary to read through. I know the first time I read it, I was thinking, ‘man this a is pretty rough piece of scripture.’ This was when I was quite young though, I think I’ve learned a few things since that time. :-). This passage still strike a chord with me though. Peter begins his holy spirit filled speak with these words of warning and caution from the old testament prophet, Joel.

Now, the book of Joel is primarily a book that warns about the coming end and this passage is one of those. There are some other passages that have a better tone, but this one in particular speaks of the coming end. Why Peter uses this passage as a starting point in his big debut is something I’ve always wondered about. There is a time to be harsh and a time to be gentle, and I’d like to think this was a time to be gentle, but I guess the spirit lead Peter the other direction.

This passage is a promise from God of his provision, but it is also a promise of his wrath and in these moments, just after the crucifixion, maybe it was a time to be a little of both. That’s what I get out of this passage. Sometimes God has to deal with us in a certain fashion because he knows that is the best way to reach us. Humanity is is a very stubborn creation and we have our strengths and we have our weaknesses. Truthfully, God speaks to us differently in our weakness then he does in our strength.

In this specific scenario, maybe just maybe, the people needed both at the same time and that's why the spirit lead Peter the way he did. In the end, the reminder that ‘everyone who calls upon the Lord will be saved.’

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20 M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 2:14-16

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.

- Acts 2:14-16 NLT

This is what we’ve all been waiting for, the explanation; The answers to many of the questions that have been spurring in our thoughts. Peter being the brave man he has now become stands, addresses the crowd with a fire no one had ever seen before. This is where we see him break out of the cocoon, so to speak. As something that becomes a typical thing with Peter, he starts off with what could be called a joke today saying ‘these guys aren’t drunk, it’s only nine in the morning.’ Then once he get their attention, Boom the hammer comes down, ‘NO, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel.’

What a sight to see, I imagine with the first statement he got a few laughs or crooked smiles, only to blast those listening to him with a powerful statement that one would not commonly hear from a fisherman. I’m sure that felt like a smack in the face to some of those that were laughing. The metamorphosis has begun, Peter is beginning to spread out his wings and take up the mantle passed on to him by Jesus. Peter would be the rock that would bring everyone together and take Christianity to the next level.

This has always struck a chord with me, because I’ve always wanted to be the person that takes something to the next level, whether it be a ministry I’m serving in, a project I’m working on, what I do for a day job now or something else.  I’ve always had that desire to do this and honestly have not had much of an opportunity, until recently.  This passage reminds me that there are those who build and there are those who prepare. Peter was a builder and Jesus is a preparer. He prepared the way for the church to begin and Peter, among others, were the ones that built it.

6/29/16 10:05pm

Revised 8/10/16

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20 M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 2:5-13

Greetings Readers,

Here is the next Segment of my Journey with Acts. It is interesting to think about the things that come to mind when I read these verses. On the surface it may seem like the word of God is just a book, but these words have true meaning and a true impact. I hope you enjoy this segment, I really got more out of it that I anticipated. As always please feel free to share your thoughts on this post.

Blessings in Christ,

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Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken.Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language?  Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia,Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.” - Acts 2:5-13 NLT

Again we are bombarded with tons of names that really make it hard to figure out what this passage is really trying to get across to the reader. Sometimes it can be rather inconvenient to have to decipher passages like this, there is always something that tends to get lost in the content. Here, I believe there are two things that are usually overlooked in this passage.

First of all, take a moment and block out everything but the first few lines, keys words here are ‘God-fearing Jews from every nation’ and ‘everyone heard their own language being spoken.’ Sounds like something spectacular doesn’t it, all those languages at once being spoken would usually cause mass chaos, but it didn’t every person heard their own language and I imagine is was pretty clear. Think about that, and add in all the names we just blocked out. When you do that there are at least 15 different cities or towns listed and that doesn’t even include the ones Luke left out.  It is simply amazing see that all these different people could hear the same voice speaking and hear it clearly.

Secondly, there are the words ‘we hear them declaring the wonders of God...Amazed and perplexed they was each other what does this mean?’ That is something for the reader to take to heart. The Pentecost was something so amazing that people were left practically speechless; in the midst of speaking. Is that even possible and when has that ever happened? How can you be both speechless and speaking at the same time?

Yes, I realize there were those that were looking on and then there were those that were doing these things, but the spirit of God had come down on everyone there that followed the ways of Jesus. However, from my perspective, in reading these verses everyone was 'amazed and perplexed' at what was going on, everyone.The truth is that you can’t be really speechless and speak at the same time, it's literally impossible. Well, God does the impossible, doesn’t he?

Think about this when something comes along that may seem impossible to you, Trust that God can take that impossible task and give you the tools you will need to accomplish it.

Written 6/29/16

Revised 7/25/16

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20

M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 2:1-4

Greetings Readers, 

Here is the first Segment of Chapter 2 on my Journey with Acts. This marks the beginning of an awakening in History and there is so much more to gain from taking a deeper look into what I've been reading. My eyes are open and I can't wait to see what comes next. Please feel free to share your thoughts our this post with someone else.

Blessings, 

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When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.  Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongue as the Spirit enabled them.

Acts 2:1-4 NLT

Being together in one place is quite an accomplishment, in spite of everything the disciples and the other followers were going through.  They were being chased all over the city of Jerusalem and even further. Thinking about this certainly makes me wonder a few things about how the disciples and the group that followed them. How bad were things at that point? How many of those that came together had already lost a loved one to the tyranny of Rome? What really drove the believers together? 

These are all great things to wonder about but the reality is that much of the answers to these questions are not found in scripture. The answers are left up to us to imagine. Most of the time I enjoy using a bit of imagination but in this case I’ve always really wanted to know. The fact that scripture says ‘suddenly a violent wind came and filled the house’ and ‘they saw what seemed like tongues of fire that separated’ has always sparked my imagination. Honestly, I’ve watch movies about this passage just to see how someone else would imagine what happened that day.

We know that it had to be pretty amazing but to imagine that day or to wonder about how they all got together has always been a mystery.  This mystery often reminds me just how amazing God’s power truly is. God was with the believers every step of the way, from the beginning when the few were called until the ascension when there were many and even to pentecost when they all seems to do the impossible and become part of the most important aspects of the Christian heritage. 

The amazing thing about all of this is this; God is with us today just as he was for all the believers. Remember that the next time you begin to doubt God’s amazing power. 

6/29/16 9:15pm

Revised 7/14/16

Blessings in Christ and Thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room."

"Times of refreshing come from the presence of the Lord." 45.3.20

M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 1:23-26

Greetings Everyone,

Here is the next segment of my Journey with ACTS. I know I haven't been here for a while, so we are going to be making up for lost time. This is the last few verses of Chapter 1 on our Journey. Look for Chapter 2 coming soon.

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“So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. Then they all prayed, “O Lord, you know every heart. Show us which of these men you have chosen as an apostle to replace Judas in this ministry, for he has deserted us and gone where he belongs.” Then they cast lots, and Matthias was selected to become an apostle with the other eleven.” - Acts 1:23-26 NLT

They Nominated two men and then they prayed. My question is why didn’t they pray from the beginning? Did they feel like they knew everything they needed to know before choosing the candidates through prayer? If that’s not enough they then proceed to cast lots. It almost seems like they are running the show on their own. Whatever happened to waiting on God when it came to making big choices for our future?

That’s the problem in today’s world as well.  We tend to forget that God doesn’t work on our time. He works on His time. God’s timing really is perfect and if we mess with that, everything we’ve worked for would have fallen apart. We need to make sure we are, indeed, waiting on God but we also need to be aware of the conscious effort that needed as we grow in God.

Sometimes God has something planned for us and we just need be patient and wait upon Him. In the midst of it all through,we must remember that if concerns and worries to the doctor things may just turn out a bit differently that you might think, but in a good way. Make it a point to actively seek God.

6/29/16

Blessings in Christ and thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room,"

Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV)

M. J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 1:20-22

Greetings Everyone,

Here is the next segment of my Journey with ACTS, I know it's been a while since my last post and I am sorry for those of you that were on the edge of your seat waiting to see what I find next. I've been in a bit of a loll recently, but more on that another time. Feel free to share your thoughts.

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Peter continued, “This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ It also says, ‘Let someone else take his position. “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” - Acts 1:20-22 NLT

Peter had moved to replace the one that had betrayed them. He saw that everyone was in need of something to do and gave them a task to complete. Was it from God? We don’t really know but he used some compelling proof and it worked. The believers were reassured so much so that they felt this was indeed the next step. Replacing the betrayer was a reasonable step to take in preparation for what was to come.

Together, they outline a criteria for this replacement and then begin to make their way through the candidates. In modern terms, they were interviewing and narrowing down their search. All the while hoping that God would lead them to the right person. If you think about it, this is a great example of how to proceed when we aren’t really sure what’s next.

I’d like to think this would help us determine what God’s is when we are unsure. Peter does this quite well and we can learn from his example, but we must always remember to seek guidance when we find ourselves in such a scenario.  God’s plan may not always be clear to us, as it was in this instance for Peter and the others, but they are there. It’s usually just a matter of narrowing down the possibilities.

We are never promised that His will just be revealed to us, but we are promised that if we seek him, we will indeed find him. Now is the time for us to step out and do so.

Yes, Judas had betrayed them and yes, there was a need to bring someone new into the fold, so to speak. But there is a time and a place for that. Peter may have thought that the present moment was the right time for that, and it may have been, but there is also the possibility that it wasn’t. No one truly knows, what the next step was meant to be.

I would like to believe that replacing Judas was God’s will at this point for the disciples but something tells me, He had something else in mind.

5/23/16

Revised 6/24/16

Blessings in Christ and thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room,"

Stand Strong and continue to beleive the teachings given to you...(2 Thes. 2:15b NCV)

M.J. Elliott

A Journey with ACTS 1:16-19

Greetings Everyone, 

Here is the next segment in my Journey with ACTS.  This one was a pretty big eye opener for me and I'm really excited to share it with you all.  It may be a bit unconventional but, it's what I feel was placed upon my heart to write. One thing I'd like to remind everyone at this point is that everything posted here will be a rough draft and has not been edited as thoroughly as it probably should be. With that in mind feel free to share your comments and suggestions in the comments below.

Blessings, 

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Brothers,” he said, “the Scriptures had to be fulfilled concerning Judas, who guided those who arrested Jesus. This was predicted long ago by the Holy Spirit, speaking through King David. Judas was one of us and shared in the ministry with us. (Judas had bought a field with the money he received for his treachery. Falling headfirst there, his body split open, spilling out all his intestines. The news of his death spread to all the people of Jerusalem, and they gave the place the Aramaic name Akeldama, which means “Field of Blood.”)” -Acts 1:16-19 NLT

Often we take the mistakes of the past and turn them into something they are not meant to be. We see that something needs to be done and despite what we may be feeling on the inside, we act. This is what I believe Peter was doing in this instance. God had promised him and everyone else that he would sent another and instead of waiting for whomever was to come, The Holy Spirit, he moves, he acts, and he may actually have been making another mistake. But we’ll get to that in a few moments…

For now let’s direct our focus back to Judas, he is after all the one who betrayed Jesus and for all intensive purposes, Peter and the other disciples. The passage above is a pretty crude sight to think about but it can serve as a reminder of how horrible Judas’ act was and teach us that there are consequences for our actions.

From what we can tell in biblical history, Judas thought that Jesus had come to lead a rebellion. When he came offering love instead of war, my guess would be that Judas betrayed him thinking that Jesus would finally act.

Instead of waiting to see what God had planned Judas basically took things into his own hands. His intention may have been to give Jesus a reason to act but that was not what God had already planned. Sometimes we too can take things into our own hands and instead of waiting for God to act, we take it upon ourselves to change the outcome.

We forget all too easily, that our job is to trust in God’s plan and let Him do the heavy lifting. Our job is to embrace God’s plan knowing that we may not always like the direction He takes us.

Judas failed to realize was that God’s plan was bigger than any war that could have been fought. My guess is that Judas didn’t actually realize this until everything had been said and done already. We all make mistakes, if there is anything that can be learned from these few verses, it would be that God’s plan may come into fruition the way we expect it to.

You may also say that all mistakes come with their own consequences, for Judas betraying the savior lead to one of the worst. But I’d like to think that the lesson is more about trusting God with the desires of our heart and understanding that He sees things come a much bigger perspective than we ever will.

5/23/16 1:30am Revised 6/08/16 2:30am

A Journey with ACTS 1:12-15

Greetings,

Here is the next segment of my Journey with ACTS. For me these few verses reminded me of how easily it can be to forget the importance of spending time with our Great God in prayer. Sometimes we just simply get in way deeper that we should without seeking God's direction. Let me know what you think of these few verses. Blessings,

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Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, a distance of half a mile. When they arrived, they went to the upstairs room of the house where they were staying.

Here are the names of those who were present: Peter, John, James, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James (son of Alphaeus), Simon (the zealot), and Judas (son of James). They all met together and were constantly united in prayer, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, several other women, and the brothers of Jesus. -Acts 1:12-14 NLT

There isn’t much to say about a bunch of names, is there? Well, there is another aspect to these verses though. If you keep reading until verse 14 you see they all continued to meet together and that they were constantly in prayer. This is a great word of encouragement.

Think about the previous verses for a moment, the disciples were distracted by seeing Jesus ascend. Suddenly two angels tell them to get going, so they do. They head right back to the upper room and begin to pray. I’d like to think they went there seeking direction. There wasn't really any real reason to stay close by but they did and they did so by with drawing to a safe place. Sometimes all we can do when it comes to seeking God is withdraw.

We are told in other places in scripture to ‘go into the closet and pray (Mt. 6:6). Scripture doesn't say God runaround like a cry person. It say's pray. That same verse also tells us to seek a quiet place. Finding a quite place can help you find your focus and I'd like to think that is what the disciples were doing in this instance. 

Maybe this is a message about how we should pray today. God has so many wonderful things to offer us and when we get distracted we can lose sight of those things. Finding time to dedicate to praying with God can help bring our lives to where they need to be in order to move forward.

5/15/16 12:45am

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During this time, when about 120 believers were together in one place, Peter stood up and addressed them. - Acts 1:15 NLT

It’s hard to believe that pretty much every time the apostles came together and prayed, they were in the upper room and many times I’d imagine that they were quite crowded. People were looking for a safe place. To be honest, there were still those who sought to hurt those that followed the way of Jesus, but something was coming. 

Here in this passage, we begin to see just what Jesus was saying when he said ‘another is coming.' It was the beginning of one of the most amazing scenes I've ever read about in the scripture. However, something else was coming as well. Something that might even have send the disciples the wrong way.

Now there are times when we are meant to keep praying and there are times when we need to act. I’d like to believe this moment was one of the latter but I’d be wrong. Many believe this instance was meant to be the former. Peter stood up, and on his own addressed the crowd. He knew many felt lost and probably thought to himself, ‘I know let’s act’ when holding off might have been the better thing to do.

Truthfully, these 120 people weren't just sitting there doing nothing. They were acting, through prayer, and maybe just maybe, they needed to act in that fashion a little bit longer. Why? Well, because God doesn't always speak to us right away. Sometimes what he really wants from us is to simply wait. Let's be honest though, if we know anything, we know that as humans we are often impatient and do act on our own. It's part of our sinful nature.

This can often lead to making a few mistakes.

5/22/16 1:05am

Blessings in Christ and thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room" Stand Strong and continue to believe the teachings given to you... (2 Thes. 2:15b NCV), M.E