1 Kings 1:38-53; Acts 5:1-11; Psalms 124:1-6; Proverbs 27:12

NT: “But a man named Ananias, with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. However, he kept back part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge, and brought a portion of it and laid it at the apostles’ feet. “Ananias,” Peter asked, “why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the proceeds of the land? Wasn’t it yours while you possessed it? And after it was sold, wasn’t it at your disposal? Why is it that you planned this thing in your heart? You have not lied to people but to God.” When he heard these words, Ananias dropped dead, and a great fear came on all who heard. The young men got up, wrapped his body, carried him out, and buried him. About three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. “Tell me,” Peter asked her, “did you sell the land for this price?” “Yes,” she said, “for that price.” Then Peter said to her, “Why did you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.” Instantly she dropped dead at his feet. When the young men came in, they found her dead, carried her out, and buried her beside her husband. Then great fear came on the whole church and on all who heard these things.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭5:1-11‬ ‭CSB)

The issue with Ananias and Sapphira wasn’t that they kept part of the sale of their property for themselves. The issue was that they lied about it. They wanted to keep their cake and eat it, too. They wanted to appear generous while keeping some of the profits. Had they been forthright with their business, all would have been fine… but they thought that they could pull one over on the church: be elevated in the eyes of the community by saying they gave all the proceeds to the community coffers while secretly banking a portion of the profits for themselves. Acts Chapter 2 described the early church as doing everything with sincerity of heart. The Greek word used there literally means without rocks… basically a freshly plowed field that had no rocks to prevent a fruitful harvest. Ananias’ and Sapphira’s decision to lie dumped rocks into the field. The consequences of their actions may seem quite harsh – but God moved “violently” to prevent His church from immediately becoming corrupt. There are times when God moves very definitely to maintain holiness: when Aaron’s two sons offered strange fire before the Lord as worship, when Uzzah reached out his hand to keep the ark from falling are two examples. Jesus taught that God is looking for worshippers who will worship Him in Spirit and Truth. Part of the meaning of truth is with sincerity. God does not accept insincere worship and He wasn’t about to let this virtue-signaling couple get away with a feigned and unholy act of worship. When God moved, great fear came on the whole church and everyone realized God wasn’t to be trifled with. The question to ask ourselves is, do we ever offer insincere worship to God? Do we ever pretend to be more spiritual than we really are to try and garner favor? As we can see here, that type of behavior is not appreciated by the Lord, and He doesn’t want it in His church.

1 Kings 1:1-37; Acts 4:23-37; Psalms 123:3-4; Proverbs 27:11

NT: “After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the chief priests and the elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together to God and said, “Master, you are the one who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them… And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that your servants may speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand for healing, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God boldly. Now the entire group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but instead they held everything in common. With great power the apostles were giving testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on all of them. For there was not a needy person among them because all those who owned lands or houses sold them, brought the proceeds of what was sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet. This was then distributed to each person as any had need.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:23-24, 29-35‬ ‭CSB)

After Peter and John were threatened by the Sanhedrin, they went back to their community of believers and reported everything that had happened. When the community of believers heard what had happened, they immediately went on social media to defame those who were against them…. No, that’s not what they did. They didn’t stand out in front of the temple protesting either. They immediately lifted up their voices in prayer. They didn’t ask God to rain down judgement and destruction on those who opposed them… they didn’t ask God to remove the opposition. They asked that God would give all of them grace to continue proclaiming the gospel with boldness and ministering to those around them with an unarguable demonstration of God’s kingdom power and authority. That was a prayer that God heard and that was a prayer that God answered. When they finished praying, they were all filled to a new level with the Holy Spirit, and were thus able to go into the world in a new level of boldness. Not only were they bold in their faith – they were also unified. The entire group of believers were of one heart (they had a singular passion and singular desire) and one mind (psyche in Greek, which refers to that which causes one to be alive). They were all alive in Christ with a singular desire to know Him and make Him known. They were all living in community with no self-serving agendas or hidden motives. All of this was possible through a unified faith in Christ and the filling of the Holy Spirit. Today, many people are saying that what this divided nation of the United States needs right now is a unified church. I believe that to be true. How then, do we become unified? It’s not through a unified disdain for those in power. It is not through a unified fear of what could happen to our rights. Unity comes as we lift up our voices in prayer to our Master Who made the heavens and the earth… to ask Him for grace to be bold witnesses for Him… to ask Him for grace to move in unity toward His kingdom purposes… to ask Him for grace to demonstrate the reality of His kingdom power and authority. Unity comes as we lay down all of our individual agendas and seek to live in community with one another through the ongoing filling of the Holy Spirit. What the world needs now is for the church to once again be of one heart and one mind. That, friends, is a revived church. Lord, let it be so.

2 Samuel 24:10-25; Acts 4:1-22; Psalms 23:1-2; Proverbs 27:10

OT: “David’s conscience troubled him after he had taken a census of the troops. He said to the Lord, “I have sinned greatly in what I’ve done. Now, Lord, because I’ve been very foolish, please take away your servant’s guilt.” …So Gad went to David, told him the choices, and asked him, “Do you want three years of famine to come on your land, to flee from your foes three months while they pursue you, or to have a plague in your land three days? Now, consider carefully what answer I should take back to the one who sent me.” David answered Gad, “I have great anxiety. Please, let us fall into the Lord’s hands because his mercies are great, but don’t let me fall into human hands.” So the Lord sent a plague on Israel from that morning until the appointed time, and from Dan to Beer-sheba seventy thousand men died. Then the angel extended his hand toward Jerusalem to destroy it, but the Lord relented concerning the destruction and said to the angel who was destroying the people, “Enough, withdraw your hand now!” The angel of the Lord was then at the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite… Gad came to David that day and said to him, “Go up and set up an altar to the Lord on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” …Araunah said, “Why has my lord the king come to his servant?” David replied, “To buy the threshing floor from you in order to build an altar to the Lord, so the plague on the people may be halted.” Araunah said to David, “My lord the king may take whatever he wants and offer it. Here are the oxen for a burnt offering and the threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. Your Majesty, Araunah gives everything here to the king.” Then he said to the king, “May the Lord your God accept you.” The king answered Araunah, “No, I insist on buying it from you for a price, for I will not offer to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” David bought the threshing floor and the oxen for twenty ounces of silver. He built an altar to the Lord there and offered burnt offerings and fellowship offerings. Then the Lord was receptive to prayer for the land, and the plague on Israel ended.” (‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭24:10, 13-16, 18, 21-25‬ ‭CSB)

Late in his reign, David ordered a census of the land. He didn’t order the census out of a need to know. He ordered the census out of pride. Even Joab (the leader of the military) and the rest of David’s officers were opposed to the census and counseled him against it, but David insisted and his willfulness prevailed. The census took 9 months to complete – so David walked in willful pride for 9 months. After he was given the results of the census, it was then that David realized that he had greatly sinned. When he asked for forgiveness, David was given 3 choices. Those 3 choices are born out of the consequences God had laid out to His people centuries before… the consequences of rebelling against the ways of God: famine, military defeat, and pestilence. Our sin doesn’t just affect us – it affects innocent people around us. When a public figure sins publicly, it affects a great number of people. In this case, 70,000 people lost their lives… and that was God being merciful. I have always been struck by David’s willingness to allow God to choose the consequences. He trusted God so much and had so much faith in God’s mercy that he put his life and the fate of the nation in God’s hand and trusted Him to dole out the consequences. Even in God’s merciful administration of the consequences of David’s sin, He went even further in His mercy and stopped the angel of death before the full 3 days was up. His only instruction to David was to sacrifice and offering to the Lord at the threshing floor of Araunah. David did just that. When Araunah offered to give everything to David, David refused. He knew that what he offered to God needed to be a sacrifice… it needed to cost him something. So David bought the entire property and the livestock, built an altar, and gave an offering of worship to God. That piece of property happened to be the place where Abraham offered his son Isaac… and it became the location for the temple. Worship that doesn’t cost you anything is not worship. While we may not offer animals any longer, we do offer ourselves… as living sacrifices. Our worship of God costs us our rights to live our life according to our desires and our ways. True worship now means that we sacrifice our “rights” for the sake of God’s kingdom purposes. As we do that, He blesses us with His blessing.

NT: “While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple police, and the Sadducees confronted them, because they were annoyed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. So they seized them and took them into custody until the next day since it was already evening… The next day, their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family… Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders: If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man, by what means he was healed, let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead — by him this man is standing here before you healthy. This Jesus is the stone rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people by which we must be saved.” When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus… So they called for them and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. Peter and John answered them, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭4:1-3, 5-6, 8-13, 18-20‬ ‭CSB)

I’ve mentioned this before – but what a difference the Holy Spirit makes. Peter and John were arrested and brought before the same counsel that had Jesus crucified. Instead of denying Christ and shrinking back in fear, the filled-with-the-Holy-Spirit Peter stood up with boldness and said, “let it be known that the miracle that just occurred was done in the name of Jesus… the same Jesus that you rejected and killed. That Jesus is alive and is still working signs and wonders in His name.” The religious leaders could do nothing to dispel the miracle that had occurred. All they could do was threaten Peter and John. Peter and John’s response is an example of a righteous civil disobedience. The religious leaders were telling Peter and John to directly disobey the will of the Lord. That was something that Peter and John would not do. They would continue to clearly and boldly proclaim salvation in the name of Jesus. Their obedience to the Lord was going to cost them greatly, but their desire to obey the Lord greatly outweighed the threats of the counsel of leaders… and they trusted their lives to God’s hand.

2 Samuel 23:24-24:9; Acts 3:12-26; Psalms 122:6-9; Proverbs 27:7-9

NT: “When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Fellow Israelites, why are you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness? The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied before Pilate, though he had decided to release him. You denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer released to you. You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. By faith in his name, his name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Jesus has given him this perfect health in front of all of you… Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah.”” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:12-16, 19-20‬ ‭CSB)

News of the lame man being healed quickly spread, and a crowd of people rushed to the temple to see what had happened. This gave Peter an opportunity to glorify Jesus and share the gospel. He made it perfectly clear that the lame man was not healed by their own power, but the man was healed through faith in the name of Jesus Christ. When Peter ministered healing to the lame man, he did so in the name of Jesus Christ. Peter, obviously had faith in that name because he knew that Jesus was not dead but was alive and was seated in all power in authority in heaven. The lame man, upon hearing the name, placed faith in that moment in the name of Jesus. Between Peter and John’s faith to heal and the lame man’s faith to be healed, a miracle occurred. It wasn’t faith in faith that healed the man. It was faith in the name (the power and authority, willingness and ability) of Jesus to heal. Peter then gave the crowd the opportunity to place their faith in the name of the risen and glorified Jesus Christ by calling them to repent of their sins. The gospel isn’t complicated. If you, upon realizing that Jesus is the Messiah and God the Son, will place your faith in Him and His ability to save, repent (turn away from from your sins and turn to Jesus), and confess that He is Savior and Lord, you will be saved.

Proverbs: “A person who is full tramples on a honeycomb, but to a hungry person, any bitter thing is sweet.” (‭‭Proverbs‬ ‭27:7‬ ‭CSB)

This proverb is so true of the church in America. We have spiritual food in abundance. We have hundreds of different versions of the Bible to read… study Bibles for every category of person… Bibles that are easy to understand… Bibles in large print… Bibles that can fit in our pockets. There are Bible studies available everywhere. There are entire television networks devoted to preaching and teaching the word of God. There is no lack for spiritual resources… yet many, if not most of the Christians in America are biblically illiterate and spiritually immature. Why? Because a person who is full tramples on a honeycomb – they take the blessing they have for granted and do not treasure it. It is a different story when I go into the prisons to teach – or when I go into areas of the world where the gospel is not freely available. The gospel truly is good news… it is far better news than other political or religious system has. Truly hungry people, when they hear the unadulterated gospel of the Kingdom – it is so sweet to their ears, and they respond to it convincingly. Oh church, let us not grow too familiar with the treasure that we have and take it for granted… and end up trampling on what could bring life and peace to another.

2 Samuel 22:47-23:23; Acts 3:1-11; Psalms 122:6-9; Proverbs 27:4-6

NT: “Now Peter and John were going up to the temple for the time of prayer at three in the afternoon. A man who was lame from birth was being carried there. He was placed each day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so that he could beg from those entering the temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked for money. Peter, along with John, looked straight at him and said, “Look at us.” So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them. But Peter said, “I don’t have silver or gold, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!” Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong. So he jumped up and started to walk, and he entered the temple with them — walking, leaping, and praising God.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭3:1-8‬ ‭CSB)

Acts chapter 2 ended by saying that many wonders and signs were performed through the apostles. This is one of those wonders. The important thing to note is that this miracle was done “in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.” Saying, “in the name of Jesus” isn’t a magical incantation that guarantees an effect. Saying, “in the name of Jesus” is similar to saying, “by order of the king,” or “by the power vested in me by such and such authority.” Doing something or commanding something to be done in the name of Jesus is invoking all of the power and authority that is associated with Him. This miracle was no slight-of-hand parlor trick. The man that was lying at the Gate Beautiful had been lame since birth, and everyone knew it. His legs would have been completely atrophied due to lack of use – and even if they were able to move, he wouldn’t have had the strength to use them. In a normal situation, he would have had to go through months or even years of painful physical rehabilitation to be able to walk. Jesus was no longer on the earth – but Jesus had delegated His authority to His disciples and had given them His power through the Holy Spirit. Peter and John had witnessed Jesus perform creative miracles before – so the knew He could do it. So they stood there and said, by order of the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords… by the authority that He has vested in us as His faithful followers, stand up and walk. Immediately, the muscles, bones, joints, ligaments, blood vessels, nerves and nerve endings in that man’s legs obeyed the words that were given in the name of God the Son, and the man was completely made whole… right there on the spot. The name of Jesus is not a frivolous thing. All authority on heaven and earth has been given to Jesus – and He is now alive and seated at the right hand of God the Father. His name carries great weight… and for us to use it, we must use it according to His will and His ways. And we must not sully His name by invoking it for our own self-serving agendas.

2 Samuel 22:1-46; Acts 2:22-47; Psalms 121:5-8; Proverbs 27:3

NT: ““Fellow Israelites, listen to these words: This Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through him, just as you yourselves know. Though he was delivered up according to God’s determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him… God has raised this Jesus; we are all witnesses of this. Therefore, since he has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, he has poured out what you both see and hear… Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When they heard this, they were pierced to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.” With many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation!” So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added to them… Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the temple, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with joyful and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. Every day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:22-23, 32-33, 36-41, 46-47‬ ‭CSB)

How do you get saved from this corrupt generation? Repent and be baptized. Repent (metanoia in Greek) means a change of mind. It involves turning away from one thing in order to look at another. Repenting of your sin involves turning away from your sin, your inner drives and compulsions, the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life; and then turning your attention, your faith, and your allegiance to Jesus. Baptism is a complete submersion under water to symbolize both your death and your complete cleansing. There is nothing magical about baptism, but it is an outward identification with Jesus’ death and resurrection and an outward declaration of your inward faith. To be saved, you must turn away from your sin, die to your old self, and be raised to new life by faith in Jesus Christ. Peter went on to say that all who repent and are baptized would be eligible to receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. As a side note, there is nothing in Peter’s message about a cessation of fullness of the Holy Spirit. He said the promise is to everyone… even those who are far off… as many as the Lord calls. In Peter’s understanding, the fullness of the Holy Spirit was for then and forever. It is amazing how effective Peter’s message was. He didn’t pull any punches… he didn’t minimize the people’s sin… he didn’t try to avoid offending with the truth by being “seeker sensitive.’ He simply stated the facts, then he explained the good news… and 3,000 people placed their faith in Jesus… and then more and more were added each day after that as the people of the church lived out their genuine faith for all to see. It all starts with repentance and baptism.

2 Samuel 21:1-22; Acts 2:1-21; Psalms 121:1-4; Proverbs 27:1-2

NT: “When the day of Pentecost had arrived, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like that of a violent rushing wind came from heaven, and it filled the whole house where they were staying. They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated and rested on each one of them. Then they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different tongues, as the Spirit enabled them. Now there were Jews staying in Jerusalem, devout people from every nation under heaven. When this sound occurred, a crowd came together and was confused because each one heard them speaking in his own language… They were all astounded and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But some sneered and said, “They’re drunk on new wine.” Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them, “Fellow Jews and all you residents of Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and pay attention to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it’s only nine in the morning. On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel: And it will be in the last days, says God, that I will pour out my Spirit on all people; then your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams. I will even pour out my Spirit on my servants in those days, both men and women and they will prophesy.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭2:1-6, 12-18‬ ‭CSB)

Pentecost is the Greek name given to the Hebrew Festival Shavuot. The reason it is name Pentecost is because it occurs 50 (pente) days after Passover (or Easter). Pentecost or Shavuot was one of three festivals where Jewish males were required to make pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem. Shavuot was a harvest festival during which the nation of Israel expressed thanks to God for the blessing of that year’s harvest. Jews also believed that Shavuot was the day when God gave the law to Moses on Mount Sinai. It was during this celebration of the harvest and celebration of the giving of the Law that The Father decided to pour out His blessing of the Holy Spirit. Fifty days after being delivered from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, God gave the law. Fifty days after Jesus delivered mankind from the bondage to sin, God gave the Holy Spirit and blessed His people with a great spiritual harvest. Luke’s account of that day doesn’t say that it was only the 11 disciples plus Matthias that were baptized by the Holy Spirit. Luke said that they were all together, and all who were in the house were baptized. We know that there were at least 120 in that upper room… men and women. All were baptized and all began prophesying in other languages as the Holy Spirit gave them the ability. The Holy Spirit didn’t posses their bodies and force them to speak in other languages… He enabled them to speak in other languages. The will to speak came from the overflow of their own hearts. As they began prophesying, the men who had traveled to Jerusalem for the festival from every known nation, heard the words of prophecy in their own native language. Then Peter (the man who had once denied Christ out of fear) under the baptism of the Holy Spirit, stood up with boldness, and by the Holy Spirit spoke with wisdom, clarity, and conviction. What a difference the Holy Spirit makes!

Psalms: “I lift my eyes toward the mountains. Where will my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not allow your foot to slip; your Protector will not slumber. Indeed, the Protector of Israel does not slumber or sleep.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭121:1-4‬ ‭CSB)

This psalm is classified as a song of ascent. The songs of ascent were songs that Jews would sing as they ascended into Jerusalem during their pilgrimage to the temple. Prior to that Pentecost festival nearly two thousand years ago, the pilgrims would have been singing this song as they entered Jerusalem. Little did they know, not only would the Lord give them help – He was about to send The Helper, the Holy Spirit who would always be by the side of those who placed their faith in the Maker of heaven and earth.

2 Samuel 20:14-26; Acts 1:15-26; Psalms 120:1-7; Proverbs 26:28

NT: “In those days Peter stood up among the brothers and sisters — the number of people who were together was about a hundred twenty — and said, “Brothers and sisters, it was necessary that the Scripture be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit through the mouth of David foretold about Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. For he was one of our number and shared in this ministry… For it is written in the Book of Psalms: Let his dwelling become desolate; let no one live in it; and Let someone else take his position. Therefore, from among the men who have accompanied us during the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us — beginning from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us — from among these, it is necessary that one become a witness with us of his resurrection.” So they proposed two: Joseph, called Barsabbas, who was also known as Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, Lord, know everyone’s hearts; show which of these two you have chosen to take the place in this apostolic ministry that Judas left to go where he belongs.” Then they cast lots for them, and the lot fell to Matthias and he was added to the eleven apostles.” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:15-17, 20-26‬ ‭CSB)

It is interesting to see the process that the disciples/apostles went through to 1) determine that they needed to replace Judas, and 2) who to replace him with. Keep in mind, this entire scenario played out before they had been baptized with the Holy Spirit. First, they sought the scriptures. Peter was reminded of excerpts from Psalm 69 and Psalm 109 that suggested that they needed to have someone take the place of the one who betrayed the Lord. Then, they used conventional wisdom and common sense to determine that the replacement should be someone who had been with them and traveled faithfully with them from the beginning. That limited the field of candidates down to two people: Justus and Matthias. After that, they prayed and asked the Lord to show them who it should be. At that point, they came to the end of their resources and “rolled the dice,” trusting that the Lord would intervene and cause the lots to fall to the person He had chosen. Casting Lots was a common practice when the need for a decision was met with an impasse. Casting Lots took the onus of making the decision off the people involved and left it to God-directed chance. Once the Apostles were baptized and filled with the Holy Spirit, you never saw them casting lots again… for they had the Holy Spirit to guide them into all truth and reveal God’s will to them. Can you know the will of God? Yes, you can. Paul tells us in Romans 12, that if we offer ourselves sacrificially before the Lord and allow ourselves to be aligned with God’s ways and purposes instead of the worlds ways, God will renew our minds and give us the ability to know and prove out what His good, acceptable, and perfect will is… and He does that through the indwelling Holy Spirit. As Spirit-filled believers, we don’t have to lay out fleeces, or cast lots, or flip a coin, or wait for a door to close, etc., etc. We can ask the Lord for clarity and expect Him to reveal His will… as long as we are not seeking our own agenda, and are completely submitted to His in faith.

2 Samuel 19:41-20:13; Acts 1:1-14; Psalms 119:169-176; Proverbs 26:27

NT: “While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.” So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, are you restoring the kingdom to Israel at this time?” He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” After he had said this, he was taken up as they were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight. While he was going, they were gazing into heaven, and suddenly two men in white clothes stood by them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up into heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come in the same way that you have seen him going into heaven.”” (‭‭Acts‬ ‭1:4-11‬ ‭CSB)

In each of the four gospels, there is recorded a portion of Christ’s Great Commission to His disciples. He sent them out and told them to go into all the world… but He didn’t want them to go until they had received the Father’s Promise. His final charge to them was to wait in Jerusalem until they were baptized with the Holy Spirit and filled with His power. All that Christ had commissioned them to do was dependent on the baptism and filling with the Holy Spirit. Once they received the Holy Spirit’s power, they were to wait no longer. They were to go. Jesus didn’t tell them to soak in the outpouring and swim in the Spirit’s presence. No, they were to go… and in their going (as He said in Matthew 28:19-20) He would be present with them. Then Jesus ascended to be with the Father so that He could send the Holy Spirit as He promised. As the disciples were standing there basking in what had just happened, two angels appears and asked, “Why are you standing around here?” It is almost implied that they were saying, “Didn’t you just hear with the Master said? You need to go to Jerusalem and wait there… Jesus isn’t here anymore… Jesus has left the mountain.” For the disciples to receive the promise, they had to obey. Waiting in the presence of the Lord is good… but only when that is what the Lord wants you to do. We as disciples need to always be doing what He is doing… and if He isn’t lingering, neither should we.

Psalms: “Let my cry reach you, Lord; give me understanding according to your word. Let my plea reach you; rescue me according to your promise. My lips pour out praise, for you teach me your statutes. My tongue sings about your promise, for all your commands are righteous. May your hand be ready to help me, for I have chosen your precepts. I long for your salvation, Lord, and your instruction is my delight. Let me live, and I will praise you; may your judgments help me. I wander like a lost sheep; seek your servant, for I do not forget your commands.” (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:169-176‬ ‭CSB)

Here at the end of this magnificent psalm all about the enduring, saving, life-giving word of God, the psalmist mentions God’s promise… God’s promise that is engaged through loving, fearing, and obeying God’s word. Basically, the psalmist wrote, Your word promises salvation if I live my life according to Your word, will, and ways. I have chosen to honor your word, obey your will, and walk in your ways… so be faithful to Your promise as Your word says that You will. When God promises something, He is faithful to do it as we remain worshipfully faithful to Him. He has promised to baptize us with His Holy Spirit and give us His power if we faithfully follow Him and heed His words. Like the psalmist of old, we just need to be faithful and ask for His fulfillment… and as Jesus said in Luke 11:13, If we ask the Father for the Holy Spirit, how much more willing is He to give us what we ask.

2 Samuel 19:11-40; John 21:15-25; Psalms 119:160-168; Proverbs 26:24-26

NT: “When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Feed my lambs,” he told him. A second time he asked him, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” “Yes, Lord,” he said to him, “you know that I love you.” “Shepherd my sheep,” he told him. He asked him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved that he asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” “Feed my sheep,” Jesus said. “Truly I tell you, when you were younger, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.” He said this to indicate by what kind of death Peter would glorify God. After saying this, he told him, “Follow me.”” (‭‭John‬ ‭21:15-19‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

When the going got tough and it seemed like his life was in danger, Peter denied knowing Jesus three times. After breakfast that morning on the Sea of Galilee, Jesus needed to talk with Peter and find out where his heart was. Jesus asked Peter, do you ‘agapao’ Me – which is unconditional covenantal love. Peter responded that he had ‘phileo’ for Jesus, which means that he loved Jesus like a brother. Jesus asked the same question a second time, and Peter responded in the same way. Finally, Jesus asked Peter, do you phileo Me – and that really brought Peter’s betrayal to the surface. Not did Jesus ask him three times, but the last time, Jesus was even questioning Peter’s brotherly love. Even though Jesus was probing Peter’s heart, he was also letting Peter know that He trusted him at the same time. Each time Jesus asked about Peter’s unconditional love, He also entrusted Peter with the care of His flock. He knew more about Peter than Peter knew about himself – and called Peter up higher to a life of complete obedience born out of love. Jesus knew that if Peter committed to follow Him, Peter would follow Him steadfastly, even unto death. The key to Peter’s faithfulness would be Peter’s willingness to follow Jesus out of his unconditional love for His savior and Lord. What was true for Peter is true for us. Do we agapao Jesus? If so, we need to follow Him before any others.

Psalms: “Princes have persecuted me without cause, but my heart fears only your word. I rejoice over your promise like one who finds vast treasure. I hate and abhor falsehood, but I love your instruction. I praise you seven times a day for your righteous judgments. Abundant peace belongs to those who love your instruction; nothing makes them stumble. Lord, I hope for your salvation and carry out your commands. I obey your decrees and love them greatly. I obey your precepts and decrees, for all my ways are before you.”   (‭‭Psalms‬ ‭119:161-168‬ ‭CSB‬‬)

The psalmist wrote about being persecuted… but the persecution didn’t matter in comparison to the abundant peace he found while following the Lord’s word. Though persecution can be frightening, the psalmist had a greater fear (honor and respect) for God’s word. So persecution and “terrorism” did not sway him from God’s word, will, and ways. Once Peter was filled and baptized with the Holy Spirit, the same became true of him. By a dedication to God’s word and the filling of the Holy Spirit, the same can be true of us as well.