When Peter proclaimed Jesus as the only way after the healing of the lame man, the religious leaders had a real problem.  Continuing in verse 13, the leaders noted the boldness of Peter and John.  Jesus had been crucified to stop His message,yet here were these two men declaring not only did He still live, but that He was still working miracles.  For the Saducees, who proclaimed there was no resurrection after death, this was a real problem.  Today, as we exhibit the power of the resurrection of Christ, we present a problem to the world.  We need to proclaim Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world, but more importantly we need to exhibit Him as Savior by our actions.  If we are hated and persecuted, we don't need to pray for God's vengeance on our enemies but for their salvation.  As His followers, we must be willing to live by His example and love those who hate us, all the way to the cross.  As were Peter and John, we may be called ignorant and unlearned, but we need to leave them marveling because they know we have been with Jesus.  The world may hate us, but we can never hate the people of the world.  If we as Jesus' followers are filled with hate for non Christians, then we can never expect them to marvel at Jesus.

Acts 4:19

Acts 4:19 declares, But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.  Verse twenty adds, For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.  Peter and John responded by asking if it were right to obey man or God.  That should have been an easy question for those who claimed to represent God.   As followers of Christ, we must stand ready to say that we will be faithful to His calling.  With Peter and John, we must say that we cannot but speak the things we have seen and heard.  Verse twenty-one continues, So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.  Verse twenty-two concludes, For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. The council acted by threatening them again, but they couldn't punish them because of the people.  All the men glorified God for what had happened.  A man lame for over forty years stood there whole.  Attempts to suppress Christianity are nothing new.  It started with the cross and has continued ever since.  We need to be careful that we don't view Christianity as only an American belief. When we speak of how hard it is becoming to be a Christian under the government today, look to the rest of the world and then we can see how hard it can really be.  Verse twenty-three says, And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. When the disciples were released, they went to their fellow believers and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.  I'm sure the others had to be wondering what was happening to Peter and John.  Jesus had just recently been crucified. Was there a danger to them?  It is best to deal in facts and not fear or speculation.  Verse twenty-four adds, And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:  Verse twenty-five continues, Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?  They proclaimed God to be Creator of heaven and earth and restated David's question of why do the heathen rage.  When we look at all that is going on in the world today, we need to look first to God.  Then we can ask why do the heathen rage.  After Peter and John shared the facts, the people there lifted up their voice to God in one accord.  We see the early church often said to be in one accord, and we as His followers must also be today.  Verse twenty-five states, The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.  All the rulers of the world, and even the leaders of the Jews, were gathered against the Lord and against His Christ.  Of course, we know that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, and that the world is still aligned against Him. Verse twenty-seven continues, For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,  The disciples then said that the child Jeusu was opposed by Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles and the people of Israel. That covered nearly everyone, and until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, it includes us as well.  Verse twenty-eight concludes, For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.  Peter and John said that these people gathered together to do whatever God determined they would do, but that does not mean He was responsible for the death of Jesus.  He was simply determined to make salvation available, and this was the only way it could happen.  Verse twenty-nine proclaims, And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word.   Then, they asked God to behold the threats against them and to give them the boldness to speak His word that people might be healed, and signs and wonders done in the Holy name of Jesus.  When we today add, “in the name of Jesus,” do we really have faith that He has the power to change things, or do we simply feel adding the words gives our prayers more power?  The disciples in that day didn't ask that the threats be removed, only that God would give them the boldness to speak His word.  We today need to focus not on the threats of the world, but on the power of God to give us boldness to speak for Him.  Verse thirty adds, By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.  God did stretch forth His hand to bring everlasting spiritual healing to all who will put their faith in the Holy Child Jesus.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Acts 4:8

Acts 4:8 declares, Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,  Verse nine adds, If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;  Peter as always was willing to answer their question.  He clarified by asking if they were referring to the disciple’s good deed in healing the impotent man.   If we are being accused of doing something that someone sees as wrong, we need to make sure that we are talking about the same thing when we answer them.  Verse ten continues, Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.  Peter, whom we had been told was filled with the Holy Ghost, then said that by then name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom the religious leaders had crucified, and God had raised from the dead, they did these things.  This is the same risen Savior that we serve today, and the Holy Spirit empowers us as well.  Verse eleven concludes, This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.  Peter said Jesus Christ was the cornerstone of salvation and the religious leaders had rejected Him.  Verse twelve says, Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. This is the cornerstone of Christianity and can never mean anything else.  As Christians, we are not following a way, but we are following the only way.  The world may attempt to discredit this belief, but as followers of Christ, we can never comprise it.  If anyone tells us they are a Christian but that is not the only way to God, then they have not found the truth of salvation. This doesn't mean we are to act superior to those who do not follow Christ. Quite the opposite is true. We are to reach out to them in love, as our only claim is that we are sinners saved by grace.  Sometimes we have to rock the boat.  Jonah learned a lot when the boat was rocked.  He couldn't outrun or hide from God.  The disciples learned a lot when the boat was rocked.  Jesus could calm any storm and for Peter, even lead him out on the water as long as the focus was on Jesus.  It may be today that we have our focus on the storm, all those things that are wrong in the world, instead of the One Who calms the storm.  We may need to have the boat rocked to get our focus back on Jesus.  Verse thirteen adds, Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.  The council noted the fact that the disciples were uneducated men and marveled at their understanding.  We need to acknowledge that true knowledge comes from God and not from worldly education.  How can the world discredit the miraculous works of God? That was what the religious leaders were asking themselves.  Verse fourteen continues, And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.  The man who had been healed was standing there.  They couldn't deny that fact.  We can be sure that if God does something miraculous in the world today that most people will attempt to discredit it.  We must be careful that as Christians, we don't discredit it.  Verse fifteen says, But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,  Peter and John had acted for all to see, but the council withdrew to act in private.  Verse sixteen adds, Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.  The council didn’t know what to do.  They could hardly say that they were looking for a way to stop Peter and John from doing good works in Jesus's names. God’s truth will still leave people who want to discredit Hin today confused as how to do so.  Verse seventeen continues, But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.  The council acted by threatening them secretly, but they couldn't punish them because of the people. Today, we might not find enough people to stand with us as Christians to keep the world from being afraid to punish us.  Verse eighteen concludes, And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  They decided the best course of action was to threaten them to speak nor teach any more in the name of Jesus.  They had already crucified Jesus to prevent the spread of the gospel, and now they thought threats would work.  There may come a day when the same thing happens to us.  If it does, how would we react.  We have Peter and John’s answer.   

Acts 4:1

Acts 4:1 says, And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,  As we move into the fourth chapter of Acts, we find that the healing of the lame man had not gone unnoticed by the religious leaders, nor had Peter's preaching.  We as Christians should pray that our work for God will not go unnoticed.  Verse two adds, Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. The high priest, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, the religious leaders of Israel were grieved that Peter and John taught the resurrection of the dead,  This threatened their position in the community, and unfortunately some people today are more concerned with their position in the church than they are with reaching the lost people of the world. Verse three continues, And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.  This was a situation the religious leaders saw no easy way out of.  They decided to hold Peter and John overnight, but that didn't stop the Gospel from spreading.  There never will be an easy way to deny the truth of the Gospel.  Verse four concludes, Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. There were about five thousand men who believed.  When God's people obey His direction, nothing can stop the Gospel from being spread.  We simply have to know what He wants us to do and follow by faith.  Even if we were locked up the Gospel cannot be hushed up. They were more concerned that people believed them.  We must be careful that we never stand in opposition to God's great work.  If Christians begin to fight amongst themselves, then the world wins.  What Peter and John were proclaiming could not be denied.  They did it in the name of Jesus, whom the religious leaders had crucified, yet He lived and had the power to heal.  Verse five states, And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,  Verse six adds, And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.  Many of the religious leaders were gathered at Jerusalem.  They weren’t there for the right reasons though.  When we as Christians gather together, we need to do it to glorify God.  Verse seven continues, And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?  The religious leaders asked the disciples by whose power they were teaching and preaching the gospel.  Today, we may have the authorization of the government or even the church to do what we are doing for God, but unless we have the authorization of God, it doesn’t matter.  Of course, if we do have His authorization, it doesn’t matter who tells us we can’t.  

Acts 3:17

Acts 3:17 says, And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.  Peter said they and their leaders killed Jesus through ignorance, and until we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we will always be acting in ignorance.  Why did God's people reject Jesus? They rejected Him through ignorance Peter said.  Why do people reject Him today?  They do it through the ignorance of disbelief.  I think this is a willful ignorance.  God has revealed Himself through the very nature of the order of the universe enough for anyone to acknowledge that there must be at least a Creator.  More importantly, God revealed Himself perfectly through Christ.  Since Christ ascended, God has continued to call all people to Him through the work of the Holy Spirit.  Verse eighteen adds, But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.  Peter said that God had fulfilled the prophesy of the prophets when Jesus suffered and died for our sins.  Peter reminded those he was speaking to, God's chosen people, that they should have known Who Jesus was.   His coming was not a surprise.  God had been telling them that Jesus was coming since the world began.  Verse nineteen continues, Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.  Peter called on them to repent and put their faith in Jesus Christ, and this is still the only way to salvation. Verse twenty states, And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:  When we repent and call on Jesus Christ, the Heavenly Father will send Him to us.  Verse twenty-one adds, Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.  Peter said that heaven would retain Jesus until He is sent again to restore all things.  If we have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord, we will be restored to God forever at that time.  Veres twenty-two continues, For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.  Again, the coming of Jesus should not have been a surprise to them, since even Moses had spoken of His coming.  His return should not be a surprise to people when it does happen either, because the Bible gives us plenty of prophecy about His return. Verse twenty-three says, And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. Those who go away into everlasting destruction will have no excuse, because the way to salvation has been made clear and available to all.  Verse twenty-four adds, Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.  Peter said that all the prophets from Samuel on had foretold of these days.  Verse twenty-five continues, Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.  Peter told the Jews that they were the children of the prophets and of the people who entered into a covenant relationship with God, so they should know these things.  Of course, salvation does not come to us because of who our parents are but comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone.  Verse twenty-six concludes, Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.  Peter said that God sent His Son to redeem the Jews first, but they were not the only ones.  Peter also told those there that Christ came for the whole world, not just the nation of Israel.  People today still reject Him through their own self-will.  God's chosen people refused to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah because He wasn't what they wanted Him to be.  God's people today need to be careful to not be ignorant of what He wants us to be and do.

Acts 3:11

Acts 3:11 says, And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.  The lame man who was healed held onto Peter and John in a grateful embrace I believe.  The people all wondered about what had happened, even though they had seen it with their own eyes.  Too often when people see a miracle, they still don’t want to believe it.  As we follow Him today, how far does our faith take us and do we question miracles when we see them?  Verse twelve adds, And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?  When someone who has been known to be lame since birth gets up leaping and walking and praising God, people tend to notice.  That was true with the lame man Peter had brought healing to.  As the man and those around him rushed to Peter and John, Peter asked them why they marveled.  It is human nature to marvel at things we don't understand, but the Christian nature should be to simply praise God.  Peter was also quick to point out that John and he had not done the healing.  They didn't say bring us your sick and we will heal them.  They didn't seek a reward.  Peter simply continued to preach the Gospel.  He told those there that the God of their fathers through His Son that they had rejected was the One Who had healed the man.  Verse thirteen continues, The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.  Peter reminded them that they chose for Christ to be crucified when Pilate would have set Him free, even though God had glorified Jesus as His only begotten Son.  Too often, people choose the evil things of the world over Jesus Christ.  The man was healed to bring glory to God.  It benefited the man greatly, but God was to be glorified.  Those gathered around benefited as they saw the reality of God's power and grace, but God was to be glorified.  We today benefit from knowing that God has always been and always will be at work in the world, but God is to be glorified.  Verse fourteen states, But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you;  Peter said they denied the Holy One and demanded that a murderer be set free.  People are still choosing others over Jesus Christ today, even though they are all guilty of sin.  Verse fifteen adds, And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.  We cannot just blame the Jews of that day for the death of Jesus because He died for the sins of every individual, so we all stand guilty. Verse sixteen continues, And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.  Peter said it was by faith in the resurrected Lord that the man was able to walk.  No matter how bad off we are spiritually, if we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we will be saved.

Acts 3:1

Acts 3:1 says, Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. Peter and John are now moving openly and going into the temple to pray.  Peter is no longer hiding or denying Jesus.  We must have faith to step out into the world and declare the gospel of Christ.  Verse two adds, And 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 of them that entered into the temple; Peter and John met a lame man. This occurred while Peter and John were on their way to the Temple.  Verse three continues, Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms. They were going to worship God when a lame beggar interrupted them, asking them for alms, or begging in other words..  What would we do today?  Would we question his need or maybe be annoyed by his interruption> Peter and John stopped and to borrow from a song, "looked beyond his wants and saw his needs."  Verse four states,  And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.  Peter asked the man to look at them, and if we are going to help each other today, we must first look at each other.  Verse five adds, And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something from them.  People are still willing to take heed of us today if they believe that they are going to receive some material benefit from doing so.  Verse six continues, Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.  Peter said tha he had no silver or gold to give the man.  We might have left it at I have nothing to give you and gone on our way to worship.  Would we truly have believed we had more to offer?  Peter gave the lame man something worth more than silver and gold and told him in the name of Jesus to rise up and walk.  Verse seven declare, And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.  Peter didn’t just tell the man to rise up and walk, but he helped him to rise.  It is good to share the gospel with others, but we should also help them up when they have been so spiritually weak for a long time.  Verse eight adds, And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.  This took faith on the part of two people, Peter and the lame man.  The lame man jumped up rejoicing and Peter started preaching and praising God. The faith of both having been rewarded.  Verse ten continues, And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.  All the people saw him walking and praising God.  They knew who he was and that he had been lame for years, and nobody could dispute what had happened to him.  People may question a lot about God, but they can never really dispute your salvation experience. 

Acts 2:43

Acts 2:43 says, And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.  The fear of God, or respect for His power I believe, came on these believers and they performed many signs and wonders.  We have that same ability today if we live by faith.  Verse forty-four adds, And all that believed were together, and had all things common;  We may believe together, but too often we don’t want to share with others what God has blessed us with, I believe.  Verse forty-five continues, And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. Again, we too often say this is not what God expects of Christians today, but God has not changed.  They were not forced to do this, and neither should we be, but they did so willingly, and so should we.  Verse forty-six states, And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,  I also believe that too often we see the gathering of ourselves together to mean going to church, but this says that the early Christians gathered daily to uplift and support one another.  Verse forty-seven adds, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.  We need to simply be praising God and finding favor with men as we live out our Christian life and share the gospel, and God will add to the church those who should be saved or accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.

Acts 2:28

Acts 2:28 says, Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.  Every Christian should understand that God has made known to us the way of life and He will make us full of joy with His countenance.  When Jesus was beaten and crucified, His followers thought that was the end.  Now, after the resurrection and ascension, what a change.  God making known to us the way of life should make us full of joy. Verse twenty-nine adds, Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.  Peter pointed out that David was still in his grave, but Jesus was not.  The promise to David was fulfilled in Christ.  Christ, not David, sits on the right hand of God.  Verse thirty continues, Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;  Then Peter again stated the truth to the people of Israel.  God has made that same Jesus that they had crucified both Lord and Christ.  As a follower of Christ, God can say to me that this same Jesus that I crucified is both Lord and Christ.  This should fill me with joy no matter the state of the world.  The Gospel has an impact.  I almost said had an impact, but the impact of the Gospel is still valid.  Verse thirty-one states, He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.  Peter continued to discuss the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  This had been foretold by the prophets, and as prophesied Jesus did not stay in the grave.  We serve a risen Savior as Christians.  Verse thirty-two adds, This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.  Perter said that there were many witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, and that he was one of them.  We did not see the physical resurrection of Jesus, but we accept by faith that He did rise again. Verse thirty-three continues, Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.  As Peter said, we don’t need to look for Jesus in the tomb, but at the right hand of the Heavenly Father. Verse thirty-four says, For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Peter said that David did not ascend into heaven as the Messiah, but even said himself that his Lord, the coming Messiah Jesus Christ, was to sit at the right hand of God.  The Jewish people had enough knowledge from God’s word to accept Jesus, but they didn’t, just as too many people today continue to refuse to accept Him as their personal Savior and Lord.  Verse thirty-five adds, Until I make thy foes thy footstool.  This has not happened yet, but it will when Jesus Christ returns.  Verse thirty-six continues, Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.  Peter said that God had made the same Jesus that the Jews rejected and crucified both Lord and Christ.  Jesus is the only Savior that there is, and we have all at one time or another rejected and crucified Him. Verse thirty-seven says, Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?  Peter had just told them that they had crucified the Messiah. Messiah.  Those who heard what Perter had said, which was the sharing of the gospel, were pricked in their heart and asked Peter and those with them what they should do.  Hopefully, when we proclaim the gospel today, it will prick the hearts of those hearing it and they will want to know what they need to do, and we should be ready with the answer.  Verse thirty-eight adds, Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Peter told them to repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of your sins and receive the Holy Spirit.  Baptism did not bring the remission of sin, but symbolized the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ.  Verse thirty-nine continues, For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.  Peter said this was a promise from God to their children and them, and even to those who were afar off, which I believe referred to the Gentiles.  Verse forty says, And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.  Peter called on them to save themselves from this untoward generation.  Every generation is lost and in need of a Savior.  Verse forty-one adds, Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.  Over three thousand people accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord and were baptized.  We don’t often baptize people the same day, but wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a church service where over three thousand people were saved?  Verse forty-two continues, And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.  Like those early converts, we need to remain steadfast in the gospel and be in prayer for one another.  

Acts 2:22

Acts 2:22 says, Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:  Peter was addressing the men of Israel, concerning this Jesus of Nazareth.  It was seemingly a very dark time for those who were following Jesus, but Peter reminded them that the signs and miracles were not Jesus' purpose in coming. Verse twenty-three adds, Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:  Peter speaks of God's determinate council and foreknowledge.  This is why some believe everything is predetermined.  I believe this means God knew what was necessary and allowed it, but it wasn't what He wanted. Just as He wanted Adam and Eve to be obedient in the Garden, He wanted and still wants people to be obedient of their own free will, but only One ever has, Jesus of Nazareth.  Verse twenty-four continues, Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.  Jesus Christ was the only hope for mankind, and He still is. Verse twenty-five concludes, For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:  Yet, as David had stated all those years before, God had promised to deliver the Messiah from the corruption of hell, and Peter proclaimed that was what happened with Jesus.  There was no need to be feeling defeated because Jesus was risen.  When the people of that day, even God's chosen people, handed Jesus over for crucifixion, it was not the end, but the beginning of salvation.  Followers today need not look in despair at the world but look in joy at the risen Lord.  Death was defeated when Jesus arose.  Verse twenty-six states, Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:  Verse twenty-seven adds, Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  Jesus died for our sins, but He never saw the corruption of death, because He rose again.   

Before moving into the next section of Acts, I feel I should review some of the beliefs I have shared so far.  I do not believe that everything in life is predetermined by God.  Again, if we have no free will, then we have no responsibility.  We become but puppets with Someone else pulling the strings.  Now, all these beliefs come from my understanding of the Bible.  I believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian from the second they accept Christ as their Savior.  I believe God empowers us to do that He calls us to do, and that He calls everyone for a purpose.  I believe we are to be doing everything we are called to do to advance God's Kingdom out of love and compassion.  As we just discussed, I believe in the last days, and we have been in the last days since Jesus ascended, God will use everyone, male and female, young and old, to spread the Gospel.  Though I'm sure not all will agree with every point, hopefully the things explored in future post will help people become closer followers of Christ.

Acts 2:14

Verse fourteen adds, But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:  Peter called on everyone to listen to his words, just as we should call on everyone to listen to the gospel today.  Verse fifteen continues, For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. Peter began to defend the disciples against the charge that they were drunk.  Peter said it was too early for them to be drunk. Sometimes the easiest way to defend the Gospel is by stating the obvious truth of worldly facts.  If events cannot be explained by physical facts or laws, then something supernatural must be occurring.  Verse sixteen states, But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;  Peter told those gathered there at Pentecost that it was the Spirit of God poured out on them, as God had foretold would happen.  It was up to them to either believe or reject the salvation that Jesus made available.  Peter told them what would happen when people accepted Christ as their personal Savior and Lord.  Verse seventeen adds, And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:  Peter spoke of it being the last days. Some people of all generations have felt that it was the last days.  Many make that claim today. One thing said was that their sons and daughters would prophesy.  So, if we say women cannot proclaim God’s word, does that mean that the Bible is wrong?  These were all relating to those who were their family or peers, but that wasn’t all that was said.  Verse eighteen continues, And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy’  He said their servants and handmaidens would prophesy as well, which I understand to mean share the Gospel and what effect it had on them.  Peter also said there was no age limit on following Christ.  I once related to young men having visions, but now I relate to old men having dreams.  We will never outgrow our usefulness to God, nor can our earthly status keep us from doing God’s work unless we allow it to. Verse nineteen says, And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:  Peter said the heavens and earth itself would show His wonder and power. Verse twenty adds, The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:  Then. Peter continued by speaking of some signs that would occur before Christ returns, and we are still waiting.  Verse twenty-one continues, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.  Any one who will always could and always will be saved if they accept Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord. We have been in the last days since Christ came into the world, so it is time for all of God's people, young or old, rich or poor, male or female, to begin to look not to the state of the world, but to the power of God.  It is our choice to either live with the hope that God gives or in despair that the world brings.  Before moving into the next section of Acts, I feel I should review some of the beliefs I have shared so far. I do not believe that everything in life is predetermined by God. Again, if we have no free will, then we have no responsibility.  We become but puppets with Someone else pulling the strings.  Now, all these beliefs come from my understanding of the Bible.  I believe that the Holy Spirit indwells every Christian from the second they accept Jesus Christ as their Savior.  I believe God empowers us to do what He calls us to do, and that He calls everyone for a purpose.  I believe we are to be doing everything we are called to do to advance God's Kingdom out of love and compassion.  As we just discussed, I believe in the last days, and we have been in the last days since Jesus ascended, God will use every Christian, male and female, young and old, to spread the Gospel.  Though I'm sure not all will agree with every point, hopefully the things explored in future post will help people become closer followers of Christ.  We will now move on.  

We hear a lot today about it being the last days, as I have mentioned before.  We find in Acts 2, verses 14-21, that as Peter began to defend the disciples against the charge that they were drunk, he spoke of it being the last days.  First, though, he said it was too early for them to be drunk.  Sometimes the easiest way to defend the Gospel is by stating the obvious truth of worldly facts.  If events cannot be explained by physical facts or laws, then something supernatural must be occurring.  Peter told those gathered there at Pentecost that it was the Spirit of God poured out on them, as God had foretold would happen.  It was up to them to either believe or reject the salvation that Jesus made available.  Then, Peter told them what would happen when people accepted Christ.  He said their sons and daughters, their servants and handmaidens would prophesy, which I understand to mean share the Gospel and what effect it had on them.  Peter also said there was no age limit on following Christ.  I once related to young men having visions, but now I relate to old men having dreams.  We will never outgrown our usefulness to God.  We have been in the last days since Christ came into the world, so it is time for all of God's people,  young or old, rich or poor, male or female, to begin to look not to the state of the world, but to the power of God.  It is our choice to either live with the hope that God gives or in despair that the world brings.

Acts 2:1

Acts: 2:2 says, And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.  When the day of Pentecost came, the disciples were all together and all of one accord.  We need to do more than just gather together.  We need to be of one accord as to why we are there.  Verse two adds, And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.  This is a reference to the coming of the Holy Spirit and the change in the disciples and those around them.  This is my understanding of the coming of the Holy Spirit- the Holy Spirit came to all believers for all time on the Day of Pentecost.  Verse three continues, And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.  Verse four concludes, And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.  I have never heard of another time when tongues of fire have come upon God's people.  Just as Christ came once to save all those who believe on Him, the Holy Spirit came at Pentecost to be with all believers for all time.   Which means that I must discuss the second event of that day, speaking in other tongues.  Verse five states, And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Verse six adds, Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  If we follow the reaction of those around the disciples, we see that those of several nationalities heard the Gospel in their own language, the other tongues that the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak.  I believe that the speaking in terms means the ability to share the gospel in other languages and that the Holy Spirit gave the disciples the ability to speak in languages that they had never learned.  Verse seven continues, And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?  Verse eight states, And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?  The people began to question how men from Galilee could speak in their language.  God will always give us the ability to do great things if we only have faith, and we might leave the world amazed if we do.  Verse nine adds, Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,  Verse ten continues, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,  Verse eleven concludes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.  People from all parts of the world were able to hear the disciples proclaim the wonderful words of God in their own language.  This was not some utterance that no one understood.  Verse twelve states, And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?  Most of the people were amazed and asked what this could mean.  When God does an amazing thing today some people still ask what it could mean.  Verse thirteen adds, Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.  As is usual when God's people started to do great things, many attempted to discredit the disciples, claiming they were drunk.  So, if I am a follower of Christ, I can be sure the Holy Spirit empowers me from the day I accepted Christ until the day I die.  He can accomplish great things through me if I allow Him to.  Finally, the world will attempt to discredit anything done for God.  We can do even greater things than those done at Pentecost if we only will.  

Acts 1:14

Acts 1:14 says, These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.  These eleven disciples continued in one accord, praying and making supplication for others, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and His brethren.  We as Christians need to always be in one accord and uplifting others in prayer.  The group was getting ready to move the world.  As we follow today, we are already filled with Holy Spirit from the time we accept Jesus as our Savior, so we need to be united in doing His will.  Verse fifteen adds, And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,) Though there were only eleven disciples who had been the closest to Jesus, they weren’t the only disciples.  When Peter stood to address them, there were about one hundred and twenty disciples gathered there.  We should never feel thar we are alone in serving Jesus. Verse sixteen continues, Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.  Verse seventeen continues, For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry. One of them, Judas, had betrayed Jesus.  He hadn't done it for noble purposes, but for his own reward.  If Jesus was not going to set up an earthly kingdom, then Judas was not going to be left with nothing.   Verse eighteen states, Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.  He bought a plot of ground with his money, and he fell on his sword and died there.  Verse nineteen adds, And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.  The field that Judas purchased and killed himself in became known as the field of blood.  Nothing that we obtain by rejecting Jesus will ever be of lasting value to us.  Verse twenty continues, For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.  This was the fulfillment of a prophecy which also stated that another should take Judas’s place.  If one person fails God, He will always have another ready to take his or her place.  Peter felt the need to replace Judas, but where would they find a replacement?  Verse twenty-one says, Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,  Verse twenty-two adds, Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.  He was to come from the approximately one hundred and twenty men who had followed them since the baptism of Jesus by John.  We have never heard much of them, but they were there.  We may never hear a lot about future leaders in the church today until they are needed and called.  Verse twenty-three continues, And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. Two were selected as possible replacements for Judas, but only one was to be called.  We should be ready to serve if God calls us, but we should also be ready to support someone else if they are called,  Verse twenty-four says, And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, The disciples prayed for God’s guidance because He knew the hearts of men, and so must we today as we chose leaders of the church.  Verse twenty-five adds, That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.  There was no confusion on the part of the disciples as to why Judas betrayed Jesus.  He did it because of the sin in his heart so that he might profit materially.  We should never attempt to justify the actions of Judas, nor our own if we sin against God.  Verse twenty-six adds, And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. Though we don’t cast lots to choose church leaders, but this was the way that God’s will was often decided in the Old Testament, and we should seek God’s guidance through prayer. Mathias was chosen, and we hear nothing of his great works, but that doesn't mean he did nothing.  Not all who follow Christ are going to be remembered by the world.  Most probably won't be, but they are no less important.

In the rest of the first chapter of Acts, even while waiting, Peter began to take action to move the disciples forward.  One of them, Judas, had betrayed Jesus.  He hadn't done it for noble purposes, but for his own reward.  If Jesus was not going to set up an earthly kingdom, then Judas was not going to be left with nothing.  He bought a plot of ground with his money, and he fell on his sword and died there.  Peter felt the need to replace Judas, but where would they find a replacement?  He was to come from the approximately one hundred and twenty men who had followed them since the baptism of Jesus by John.  We have never heard much of them, but they were there.  Mathias was chosen, and we hear nothing of his great works, but that doesn't mean he did nothing.  Not all who follow Christ are going to be remembered by the world.  Most probably won't be, but they are no less important.  It will soon be three weeks since I started this blog, and I pray that someone is finding it useful in bringing them closer to God.  I guess that I had hoped to get comments or see that there were followers of the blog, but like those unnamed disciples, my task is to follow what God says do, so I will press on toward the mark.  This coming week, I pray you will do the same.

Acts 1:7

Acts 1:7 says, And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.  Just as the disciples were told then, it is not for us to know the times or seasons of God’s plan for the second coming of Christ.  We are simply to be ready at any time.  Verse eight adds, But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.  The di9sciples weren’t to be concerned about the return of Christ, but after the coming of the Holy Spirit they were to be witnesses for Him throughout the world.  They were to start where they were and move outward, and so must we today.  Verse nine continues, And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.  After telling the disciples these things, He was taken up into Heaven, disappearing behind a cloud.  I can only imagine how the disciples felt.  They had to wonder what happened to the Kingdom that they thought Jesus was going to establish.  We may at times expect more of an earthly rule than we do of a heavenly one, but we shouldn’t.  Verse ten states, And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; While they were looking into heaven, two men in white apparel appeared beside them.  God did not leave them without a source of answers even before the coming of Holy Spirit, and He won’t leave us without answers today if we are truly looking for them.  They stood dazed, looking up into heaven.  They had been instructed to wait, but did that mean standing idly by in wonder?  We should not just be standing idly by awaiting the return of Christ.  Verse eleven adds, Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. As they were standing there, these two messengers came to remind them that this same Jesus would be returning in the same way, from the clouds.  Our concern still should not be when Jesus will return, but we should be busy sharing the gospel until He does.  The disciples could not follow Him there, but they were not to be left alone.  The Holy Spirit was coming.  Verse twelve continues, Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.  Verse thirteen concludes, And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.  The disciples returned from Mount Olivet and went to an upper room.  There were only elven disciples at this time, because Judas Iscariot had betrayed Jesus and killed himself.  Even if some people who proclaim to be Christians betray Jesus, we can only continue to gather together and go on doing what He called us to do.    

Acts 1:1

Acts 1:1 says, The former treatise have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,  The Book of Acts was written by Luke, who also wrote the Book of Luke.  It was addressed to Theophilus and was about the actions of the early church.  Though Luke penned these two books, God was the Author.  We really know nothing about the earlier letter written to Theophilus.  Not everything that the disciples and early Christians wrote and did became a part of the Bible. Verse two adds, Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:  These actions of the church occurred after the ascension of Jesus and the coming of the Holy Spirit to indwell all believers.  This includes us today as followers of Christ.  Verse three continues, To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:  Luke said Jesus had shown Himself alive to many people after His crucifixion and that this was an infallible proof that He was Who He said He was.  Though we will never see Jesus Christ physically, we must accept by faith that He is indeed the Savior of mankind if they believe in Him.  Verse four states, And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.  Sometimes, following means waiting.  In the military, there is an expression, "Hurry up and wait."  Strange as it may seem, the hurrying up was easy, but the waiting was excruciating. In the first chapter of Acts, the disciples were told to wait.  Now, it seems they were ready to share the Good News, but they weren't equipped to do so.  Verse five adds, For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.  They may have been physically baptized, but they were yet to be baptized, or indwelled, by the Holy Spirit.  They had to wait on the coming of the Holy Spirit to be equipped to take on the task of reaching the world.  We today, once we do accept Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord do not have to wait for a later coming of the Holy Spirit into our life, but we are immediately indwelled by the Holy Spirit, even before we are physically baptized.  Still, we today must wait on God's direction before we undertake any task for Him.  Yes, though we don't have to wait on the coming of the Holy Spirit, we do have to wait on His empowerment.  There is an urgency to fulfill the Great Commission, but even if we feel the need to hurry up, we must always wait until we have the power and direction of the Holy Spirit before we go.  The hurry up in the military was to make sure we were ready to move, and though the waiting was hard to bear, it was necessary to ensure that we knew where we were moving to and for what purpose.  As we follow Christ today, we must wait until we know His purpose for us, then we must go forth prepared.  Verse six continues, When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?  The disciples were still looking for the physical restoration of the kingdom of Israel, but God’s kingdom is a spiritual one. This world will never be our everlasting home.

I hear a lot today about how terrible the world is, yet that is only what the Bible tells us is going to be.  I hear a lot of Christians state that the end of the world is near because of the state of the world.  Yet, the Bible tells us that He will come as a thief in the night when He is least expected.  I think sometimes we view the second coming as our opportunity to say, "I told you so" when we finally get to prove we are worthy and those bad sinners aren't.  It would seem to me if we really think time is short that we would have an urgency about reaching those bad sinners.  We seem to bury our talents for use tomorrow or next week while proclaiming tomorrow may be the day that Christ returns.  I would hope that my posts don't lead people to believe that I am Christians or the church, God's people.  For from it.  I think only when the church, the people of God, are active doing His will can there be positive change in the world.  In a world of darkness and despair, we must bring light and hope.  We need to have a broken heart for the lost people of the world.  To make it personal, if I am willing to just sit and wait for Christ to return then I cannot be following His will.

Have you ever heard someone say something to the effect of "I am only striving to do God's will."  Well, if we are really following God's plan for our life, doing His will should never cause us to strive.  He has promised that whatever He calls us to do, He will empower us to do.  So, if we find that we are struggling,then we have begun to rely on our own strength instead of God's empowerment.  Sometimes we may struggle because we cannot believe that God will do what He promises us He will do.  When we see the mountain, the mustard seed seems awfully small.  Yet, God promises us that a faith as small as that mustard seed will move that mountain if necessary to accomplish His will.  We just have to make sure that we are trying to move the mountain to accomplish His will and not our own.  It really is quite simple, either we believe God or we don't.  He will never force us to believe.

Too often when we follow Christ, we have a tendency to envy or begrudge others.  On the other hand, it could just be a failure to notice God's blessings because someone else has been blessed more in our opinion.  When we hear a Christian who has had a great financial burden lifted, we may ask why we haven't received the same type blessing instead of thanking God that we have been blessed by having our needs met without a crisis.  God has promised to meet our every need, but often we want what others have been blessed with and feel upset at their blessing.  To successfully follow Christ in today's world, as has been true since His coming, we can only accept the fact that He is with us every step of the way, as long as we follow His leadership and live thankfully for what He has given us.  There is never a time for His people to be upset because it seems someone else has been more blessed.  All material blessings will pass away, but His gift of salvation is forever.  For that, we should count ourself blessed beyond measure every day.

What does it mean to be a follower of Christ in today's world?  The same thing it meant in the day of the disciples.  When Jesus walked the earth, that was their "today's" world.  We can only follow Him in the time in which we live, so the requirements never change.  We are to love God with all our heart and love our neighbor as ourself.  Sometimes I hear people talk about how wonderful it would have been to have lived in Jesus' time, but He told the disciples He had to go away, but He was sending One greater to be with them, the Holy Spirit to dwell in their heart.  It was only after the Holy Spirit came that the disciples began to do great things, in the world in which they lived.  It was the only world they had,and today is the only world we have.  So, for us as for the disciples, it means we follow the directions of the Holy Spirit.

When Jesus said "Neither do I condemn thee, go and sin no more," what did that mean?  First, it meant that sin was a choice.  If we have no control over whether or not life is a choice or a predetermined path,then Jesus's command would have been meaningless.  He could not condemn someone for doing what had already been determined that they would do, and the command would have to be more along the line of go and do what you have no choice but to do.  For forgiveness to have meaning, we must have a choice of actions and a responsibility for their outcome.  Which would be a second point- actions have consequences.  The actions taken before the encounter with Jesus had led the woman to this point, and the actions that she took would also have consequences.  Jesus paid the eternal price for both, but the earthly consequences were still there.  He doesn't condemn us, but He doesn't desert us when we choose to disobey us after we become His follower.  This is my understanding of what we are called to do, but comments are always welcome.

When Christ called the disciples, He issued a simple command, Follow Me.  When He calls a person today it is that same simple command.  He never says become good enough or righteous enough, He simply calls for a person to follow Him.  We are called to follow Him for God's glory and mankind's redemption.  When we start to claim that following Him leads to riches or our own glory, we have missed the call.  The claim that God wants me to be happy so He therefore wants me to have the things I want is not what we were called for.  We are called to be like Christ, Who in the Garden prayed, "Not my will but Thine be done."  With a handful of disciples, He turned the world upside down.  To often today, though, I am afraid the world has turned His people upside down.  We want to look and sound like the rest of the world. Instead of going boldly into the world showing the love of God, we too often withdraw from the world and denounce those in it.  If we are truly to follow Christ,then we must reach out to the world in love and compassion.  Only then will we start to make a difference.

When the Hebrew people decided they needed an earthly King since the other nations had one, God granted their request.  They chose Saul, who by worldly standards was ideal.  As time progressed, though it became apparent that he wasn't the man that God chose.  God chose David because He had a heart attuned to God.  Did it matter about the leader's relationship to God?  Maybe not to God's people, but it certainly did to God.  If we believe that whatever happens is already set in stone, then whoever our leaders are will be there because God placed them there, and whatever I do is of no consequence.  If, on the other hand there is free will in the world, then what we do in electing leaders is important, and if God's people don't feel that a leader's relationship to God is important,we can rest assured that the rest of the world doesn't.  Then, we stand in danger of having a Saul instead of a David. As stated before, I stand on the side of free will and say that if we are to be His people called by His name and are to return to Him, our leaders need to know Him and His direction.

We are called not only to follow, but to take up our cross daily.  That means there is a choice.  Some people will say of something over which they have no control that it is just their cross to bear, but the cross is something that we have a choice about bearing.  Paul, with his thorn in the flesh, nerve wrote that it was just his cross to bear.  So, if we are following Christ, what was the cross to Him?  It was a way to die totally to sell and sacrifice everything to the will of the Heavenly Father.  That is the cross we must take up daily.  We must surrender totally to the way that God leads us each day for the advancement of His kingdom.  That means having a burden for lost people everywhere, even those who revile and persecute us.  This is our cross and it is our choice.

As I was thinking about being lost and finding one's way again, there were a few thoughts that came to mind.  First, no matter how fast we move, we can never recover the time that we lost.  It is gone for good.  Whatever we might have accomplished during that time, we can never accomplish.  Does that mean we give up.  No, we may regret the loss, but we move ahead, keeping our eyes on the One Who leads us.  Second, we can never recover the resources spent going the wrong way.  Whether it is gasoline or leg power, it is gone.  We must not allow regret over the loss keep us from moving forward.  We will never go so far astray that God will not welcome us home with open arms.  Finally,others may question how we could have gotten off the path, but be assured they have been off also.  We can only be responsible for our own following of His leadership and can only be responsible for our own obedience.  Even if we have been way off the path, we are still His.

Have you ever been traveling and realized that you didn't know where you were?  You hadn't always been lost but had lost your way now.  What do you do?  Now, we might fire up GPS if we have one.  We might just keep going the way we are and not admit that we are off course.  We might stop and ask directions.  When I have done that and someone said you can't miss it, I nearly always proved them wrong.  In my day, before GPS, I had an atlas that I had the way planned out on, and I would consult it to get back on track.  In I walk with Christ, we may get off course.  When we do, we can just keep going and not acknowledge that we are going the wrong way.  We might stop and ask someone else the way, and many will tell us, but they may not know the True Way themself.  We need to go back to the true road map - God's word, the Bible, and we need to approach it with prayer.  That is much better than GPS, because God's word will in prayer will lead us,not just point us in the right direction.

How far are we willing to go for Christ?  Peter said loudly that he would follow Him all the way.  He was sincere in his statement, but he was not secure in his faith.  We can make bold statements of how we will follow Christ to the death, but will we follow Him across the street to witness to our neighbor, even when times are good, much less if times were as they were in Peter's day.  Peter was first inspired by an earthly zeal that wanted all his enemies dead, but  Christ called him to a higher standard of love and forgiveness.  Once he understood that call to follow, he became what Christ called him to be.  Do we today look for people to be saved, or destroyed.  If we follow Christ, we must be willing to die for any and all to be saved.

To follow we must know the Voice of the One we are following.  Eve, in the Garden, listened to the serpent' s voice instead of the Voice of God.  Moses in the wilderness began to listen to the voices of the complaining people.  We today listen to voices that scream loudly things that go against the Word of God and we follow after them and say that in some things what God says is unimportant.  Then, we wonder why we are out of the Garden and in the wilderness.

Well before we find ourselves in the wilderness, we are given the choice of following God.  At some time after we were born, we came to the day when we decided to do something even though we knew it was wrong.  In the Garden, Adam and Eve had a choice of either following God's leadership or following their own will.  Every person since has been given the same choice.  I am not guilty because of someone else's sins, but because of my own.  It was my willful disobedience that led me away from God and into my own wilderness, and too often I chose to return there.  Still, He calls, "Come, follow Me."

When we find ourselves in the wilderness, what do we do.  Often, we wander around complaining about how God has failed us, not acknowledging that He didn't lead us there in the first place.  Sometimes, what we need to do is accept responsibility for how we ended up in the wilderness to begin with.  We will have to confess that we got there by following our own direction  or by following someone other than God. Then, by our will we either submit to God's will or continue to follow our own.

Following should be a simple thing, but often we lose our way because we don't see or hear the one we are supposed to be following.  It is easy to look away at everyday distractions or allow the noise of the world to shut out the voice of the one giving us directions.  Yet, for the Christian, to be a follower of Christ, we must always keep our eyes on Him and be attuned to His voice.  Otherwise, we find that we are lost in the wilderness.  Still, following is always a choice.

"Come, follow me."  An invitation or a demand?  If every step is dictated, then this is a command, but if there is free will, then it is a invitation.  Therein is the question.  Do we have a path already set, or can we choose.  I firmly believe we have a choice or free will.

When I have this sorted out, I will be sharing views on following Christ when given the free will to go one's own way.

I am attempting to enter the world of blogging.