Monthly Archives: April 2023

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 4:23-26 Shaken and Filled!

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After Peter and John were instructed by the Jewish leaders to not speak or teach in Jesus name, they were released. They went back to their fellow believers and told them what was said. Then they prayed:

“And now, Lord, look upon their threats and grant to your servants to continue to speak your word with all boldness, while you stretch out your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”” Acts 4:29-30 ESV

The place they were meeting was shaken and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s word BOLDLY!

We need the power and the presence of the Holy Spirit in our lives! We need to be full of Him! Our world can be intimidating, just as the world the apostles lived in. The world wants to silence God’s people! Everything under the sun is tolerable and accepted except for the TRUTH of God. The Holy Spirit gives boldness and accompanies that boldness with signs, wonders, and healings that points to Jesus, who is alive and well. He is not confined by the walls of a dark tomb. May we understand our need to be full of the Holy Spirit as the early disciples understood their need and received His filling not only on the day of Pentecost but beyond!

Holy Spirit shake where we are so we may know your power and fill us so we may boldly proclaim Jesus!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 4:1-22 Filled With Boldness!

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Peter and John were arrested and out in jail for preaching Jesus and His resurrection power. The religious rulers could not have them spreading the good news. It threatened their power. After a night in jail Peter and John were brought before the religious rulers to be questioned. They did not cower in fear!

Verse 8 says that Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit when he replied to their questions. The word says they were bold! This was a testimony that they knew Peter and John had been with Jesus!

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

Life can throw circumstances that seem insurmountable. But through the power of the Holy Spirit we can be bold to face them! This will be a testimony to all those who are around us that we have “been with Jesus.”

The Holy Spirit that came at Pentecost comes to us still today to fill us full of Him so we can be bold and show the world Jesus to those around us!

Holy Spirit fill us with boldness!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 3:11-26 Connection Restored

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After Peter declared to the paralyzed man to get up and walk in the name of Jesus, the people around saw him jumping, running and walking and praising God. The people who saw this were utterly astounded. Peter once again preaches to the crowd that gathered. He explained how the Jesus they had handed over to be killed had risen from the grave and there is power in the name of Jesus, the risen Lord.

“And his name—by faith in his name—has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all.” Acts 3:16 ESV

And concluded that repentance, turning from their wickedness to God so that Jesus may restore all things.

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” Acts 3:19-21 ESV

Jesus came so that what was lost, our relationship with God and our original design—us as God’s image bearer—could be restored. This comes through the power of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us, uniting us with Him. Our connection to God that was lost through sin is reconnected by the Holy Spirit’s filling of us. This connection gives us power and boldness to declare Jesus name over impossible and to see God work miracles in the lives around us!

May we repent, turning from our wickedness to God, and be filled with His Holy Spirit, connected to Him, so we too may bring glory to God in the words we speak and the deeds we do!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 3:1-10 What I Do Have

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Peter and John now full of the Holy Spirit were headed to the temple to pray. There they saw a lame man begging. Peter told the man to look at him.

“But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!””Acts 3:6 ESV

“What I do have….” As spirit-filled believers, what do we have? The name of Jesus! We have the authority He has given us in His name. It is through this name that we are assured by the words of Jesus we are able to do “greater works.”

““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.” John 14:12-13 ESV

But do we live this way? Is our communion/ connection with God so tight that we live as His visible representation to the world around us?

Peter and John were God’s representatives that day. Through the power of the Holy Spirit they were witnesses of the all powerful God to whom lame legs are meant to be a display of His healing power. They were a conduit of God’s presence that brought “wonder and amazement” to those who were near them.

We are meant for such things! May our lives be fervently HOT with the power and presence of the Holy Spirit so those around us take note that we have been with Jesus! And they would desire to KNOW Him!

Holy Spirit fill us as You did at Pentecost!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 2:41-47 Changed Lives, Devoted lives

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On the day of Pentecost, lives were changed. Not only were the disciples who had waited in the upper room totally transformed by the Holy Spirit filling them, over 3000 people believed. These believers proceeded to live with evidence of the Holy Spirit’s presence in their life. The lived lives devoted: They devoted themselves to learning about Jesus and His kingdom through the apostles’ teachings. They spent time together hanging out or time in fellowship eating together. They devoted themselves to prayer. They worshiped in temple courts daily. They ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

The results were wonders and signs that filled everyone with awe and they had favor with all the people.

As Jesus had told them when He walked with them on earth, 

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”” John 13:35 ESV

The people around them saw the change and were amazed. They knew that the followers of Jesus had something different, something better than what they had. Our world needs this today!

May we seek to be full of the Holy Spirit and out of this fullness be a demonstration of Jesus Himself, His image bearers. May we be plugged in to fellowship (relationship) with other spirit-filled believers so that our love for one another will be a demonstration of Heaven to those who live on Earth! May signs and wonders be in our midst! Come Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 2:14-41 No One and Done Deal!

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The day of Pentecost arrives. The Holy Spirit comes and fills the disciples in the upper room. The commotion of it all pours out of the room because the Holy Spirit cannot be contained by four walls. The disciples went out into the street below and the Peter began to preach. What a sermon it was! He stands with boldness and proclaims the truth regarding the coming of the Holy Spirit. He speaks of the promise from long ago finally fulfilled: God’s Spirit being poured out on all flesh, men and women prophesying, visions, dreams.

This promise of power from on high to be witnesses, the precious gift of the Holy Spirit in us had come. The promise was for then and the promise is for now!

“”For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”” Acts 2:39 ESV

Jesus came as God with us. The Holy Spirit comes as God in us! The beauty of this promise is that it is not a one and done deal of long ago. He longs to fill us today!

May we open our hearts and receive The Gift! Come Holy Spirit!

“And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” Acts 2:38 ESV

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 2:1-13 The Holy Spirit Comes!

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The Holy Spirit comes! I love this section of scriptures. It displays the power of God, a mighty wind, the house was shaken, tongues of fire, and then “all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”

The Holy Spirit’s coming wasn’t a private affair. His coming poured out of that upper room and onto the streets. There just so happened to be a crowd there. “God fearing Jews from every nation under heaven.” The Holy Spirit came so that all who would surrender their lives to Him could be filled. He didn’t limit Himself to certain races, only men, only a few in a small place. His coming, His in filling was for everyone who would receive Him. His coming is for us now!

May we desire to have Him fill our lives and may His presence in us pour out onto all those around us! Come Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts 1:12-26: A Witness With Us

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After Jesus ascended into Heaven the disciples did what Jesus had told them to do. They went back to Jerusalem and waited there in the upper room where they had been staying. As they waited there they “joined together constantly in prayer.” It was during this time Peter told those gathering that they needed to choose a replacement for Judas. Two men were nominated and once again they prayed asking God for guidance. Matthias was chosen.

Matthias was chosen to “become a witness with us of his resurrection.” (Verse 22) Matthias was not one of the original twelve disciples, but he had been with Jesus. He walked along the way with Him just as the original twelve did. He watched Jesus be baptized. He saw the miracles. He listened to Jesus teach. He witnessed Jesus’s ascension to heaven as well. He was committed along with the other disciples to wait in that upper room for the promised power from on high when the Holy Spirit would come upon them. (Verse 8). God chose Him to take over the apostolic ministry, to be one of the sent ones.

What an example the disciples gave to us! They waited on the Holy Spirit! They obeyed! They lived constantly in prayer! They new their role was to be a witness giving evidence of the proof of what Jesus had done once filled with the Holy Spirit! We are to live that way as well! As we spend time with Jesus in prayer and yield ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s guidance waiting on Him to move within us, may our lives be a witness, a testimony- a visible representation of the invisible God to all of those around us!

Pentecost in Acts 1:1-11: This Same Jesus

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I have to say I’m pretty excited about the direction I feel the Holy Spirit prompting me to go in reading the Bible as we approach Pentecost Sunday. I’ve spent several months reflecting on the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) speaking of what Jesus said and did as he walked the earth over 2000 years ago. BUT there is more! What started then was only the beginning.

The Book of Acts is actually the sequel to the book of Luke, written by the Luke. I love what he says in Acts 1:1 : 

“In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach,”
‭‭Acts‬ ‭1‬:‭1‬ ‭ESV

“…all that Jesus began to do…” The life, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus was only the beginning of what Jesus would do and is doing today! Jesus spent forty days appearing to the disciples, giving them convincing proofs of His risen body, and teaching them about the Kingdom of God. With His final instruction, “…wait for the gift my Father promised… you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit” he gave before He ascended to the Father.

Days earlier, before Jesus death on the cross and resurrection, Jesus had spoken of what was to be fulfilled in the entire book of Acts. 

““Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.”
‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭12‬ ‭ESV‬‬

We will read of these greater works as we approach and celebrate one of the greatest days of history, Pentecost- the coming of Holy Spirit and the birth of the Church. As we read, may we always remember the words written in Hebrews:

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬ ‭ESV‬‬

“This same Jesus…” that walked our earth and spoke of God’s Kingdom and did miracles that showed us the Heavenly Father’s glory, might, love, and power has NOT changed! He assured the disciples as He was taken up to heaven The Holy Spirit would come and give them power to be His witnesses. “This same Jesus…” is most assuredly coming back as well when time is fulfilled. For now, we have only seen the beginning of what “this same Jesus” has done when we read the gospels. As we contemplate the chapters of the book of Acts, we will see that we have only seen the beginning of what “this same Jesus” will do in and through us now in our day and time through the power of the Holy Spirit who came at Pentecost and still comes into a life that asks to be full of Him.

Come Holy Spirit! Fill us to overflowing with You once again!