Author Archives: Janet

Unknown's avatar

About Janet

I am a woman who stands in awe of her loving and Faithful God. I am the bride of Rich for 31 years, and the mother of four grown children. I recently retired from homeschooling all four of my kids for 21 years total. I am also the blessed grandmother of two. Currently I am a Bible teacher and weekly devotions writer for Women on Wednesdays Bible Study, a local women’s ministry. https://www.wowjcmo.com/ May God bless you and reveal to you His everlasting and faithful love!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 17 The Unknown God

Posted on by
Reply
The Altar to the Unknown God
Found 1820 Palatine Hill

Paul and his companions continued on their missionary journey spending time in various gathering places declaring the gospel of Jesus. Some received the message others did not and would try to incite the crowds against him. Each time Paul would move on but continue to share Jesus.

Paul ended up in Athens, Greece. He was greatly distressed to see the number of idols that were in the city. He noted that the people there were very religious. They were searching for God, the one true God. They even had an idol erected in honor of the “Unknown God.” That very God they were looking for did not want to be unknown in their lives. He had been speaking to them all along.

“The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us,” Acts 17:24-27 ESV

We are not that different than the people of Athens. We erect all kind of things we worship instead of the true and living God. We run after our ways, our thoughts, and our own ideas instead of following His word. But our God wants us to KNOW Him. This is why He sent Jesus and this is why He longs to fill us to overflowing with the Holy Spirit. He wants us to seek Him and find Him.

Do we?

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 16:16-40 Midnight Revival!

Posted on by
Reply

Paul and Silas were thrown into prison for doing a good thing, casting a demon out of a slave girl. Not only were they thrown into prison they were beaten with many blows of rods. Then they had their feet put in stocks and were kept in the inner prison so they could not escape.

Their reaction was to pray and to praise God out loud. Loud enough the other prisoners heard them. Then an earthquake happened and all the bonds fell off the prisoners and the doors were all opened. But they did not run away instead they stopped the jailer from killing himself in fear. That jailer then wanted to know Jesus. He took Paul and Silas home, washed their wounds and listened to them. He and his entire household were saved and baptized.

I love this story. What seemed like defeat and helplessness turned into a great victory as the Holy Spirit enabled Paul and Silas to be witnesses to the one who held them in jail. What could have been time for a pity party and defeat was a midnight revival- prayer meeting and worship time! God took what was evil and made it an opportunity to show His love, power, and salvation!

As we die to ourselves and live in the power of the Holy Spirit, God will be glorified in every situation! His goodness will always prevail!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 16:1-15 Led By the Spirit

Posted on by
Reply

The Holy Spirit led the early believers. Sometimes He directed them to preach in a certain area. Other times He kept them from going to a place. Paul and his companions experienced this divine leading. As a result they saw people believe in Jesus. An example of this was a woman named Lydia, who the Lord “opened her heart to respond to Paul’s message.”

The Holy Spirit wants to lead us as well. He has plans for each day. We are simply to listen and to obey. As we depend on Him He will open doors that need to be opened in our lives. He will shut doors that need to be closed. He will always be working things out for our good and for His glory!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 14 Other gods vrs The Spirit of Truth

Posted on by
Reply

Paul and Barnabas continued on their missionary journey. God bore witness to His grace by “enabling them to perform signs and wonders.” When they went to Lystra, Paul prayed for healing of a man who was lame from birth. He was healed, “jumping up and walking.” The crowds were convinced that Paul and Barnabas were Zeus and Hermes, gods, come down to them in human form. They proceeded to try to worship them. Paul tells them this:

““Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men, of like nature with you, and we bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”” Acts 14:15-17 ESV

The people of Lystra followed idols, “vain things.” We also follow “vain things” in our time. We may not bow down to a golden calf or believe in all the Greek gods of ancient times. But we worship our own way over God’s way. This is what the people of the town were doing. God showed His kindness to them so they could find Him, but they could not see Him. Because they were intent on “going their own way.” We do the same.

This is why Jesus came. This is why He sent the Holy Spirit to enable the believers to be witnesses of Him. He wants us to know Him. He wants us to turn from our worthless ways to the living God, who created us and desires for us to know Him intimately. Let us not be as the town of Lystra. They heard what Paul said and turned on him, stoning him and dragging him outside the city. We have the opportunity to accept the truth and let it change us. May we listen to the Spirit of Truth! Come Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 13 Set Apart to Proclaim!

Posted on by
Reply

The church in Antioch had prophets and teachers. They were worshipping the Lord and fasting when the Holy Spirit spoke to the to set apart Barnabas and Saul/ Paul for a work to which He had called them. They fasted and prayed and then sent them off. The rest of the chapter tells the accounts of two of the places Barnabas and Paul stopped on their missionary journey.

Both of the places they stopped had opposition from the enemy/ Satan. But they were not deterred from proclaiming the Good News of Jesus! And in both places people believed! The chapter ends with this statement:

“And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.” Acts 13:52 ESV

The Holy Spirit has a work for us to do as well. We are to proclaim the mighty deeds that God has done on our behalf. We will face opposition! The enemy does not want us to lift up Jesus so those around us can see. We can take courage! We can be filled with the Holy Spirit and joy! God’s Word will continue to spread and He wants to use us and set us apart as He did Barnabas and Paul! We can be a witness as they were through the power of the Holy Spirit!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 12 Mind Blowing Miracle!

Posted on by
Reply

I love this account of God’s power as He delivered Peter from jail. What God did was so amazing it was hard for Peter to understand and for the disciples gathered praying for Him to believe. It was mind blowing!

As the angel appears, Peter’s chains fell off and gates were opened, Peter thought he was seeing a vision. When Peter went to where the disciples were the servant Rhoda answered. The disciples thought she was “out of her mind.”

What struck me was these very disciples were praying for Peter! God loves to work amazing miracles in our lives and the lives of others! He loves to perform the kind of miracles that leave us speechless and scratching our heads. He loves to display His power and His glory!

The disciples saw what was an impossible situation and they were faithful in prayer. They could not and did not imagine the miraculous that God did to answer their prayers. God came through! Peter was freed. In the end, the one who put Peter in jail in the first place died because he failed to give glory to God. And “the word of God increased and multiplied.” (Verse 24)

God’s plan goes on! The work of the Holy Spirit through His people that was started on Pentecost continued on and it continues on today! Be faithful to pray and be assured we serve a God of mind blowing miracles!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 11: 19-30 The Intimate God

Posted on by
Reply

The Good News of Jesus keeps spreading! Especially among the non Jews/ Gentiles. The Lord’s hand was on the ones spreading the news. He was working in the hearts of the people. As it says in verse 23, the grace of God had done” it! The grace is defined in Webster 1828 Dictionary as the “Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin.” The Holy Spirit was influencing the people. He was drawing them to Himself, to have their hearts changed so they could know Him in the deepest part of themselves.

If we listen and open ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit is always extending God’s favor towards us. He is always leaning towards us desiring to give Himself to us! The presence and the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives is evidence that God WANTS us to know Him intimately! Not just a surface, Sunday Church only relationship. 24/7. Every day all day!

May we be as the early believers in Antioch who believed in God and turned to the Lord! May we be full of the Holy Spirit and Faith!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 11:1-18 The Same Gift

Posted on by
Reply

It was a big deal to the early Jewish Christians for someone to share the good news of Jesus to a non Jew/ Gentile. So when they heard that Peter had went to spend time with Cornelius, a Gentile, they criticized him. Peter told them the account of what happened in Caesarea.

He told the Jewish believers in Jerusalem that Cornelius was instructed by an Angel to send for him. The Angel told him Peter would tell Cornelius and his household how “they would be saved.” Then Peter told the story:

“As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on them just as on us at the beginning.” Acts 11:15 ESV

Peter also baptized them in water after they had been “baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Verse 16)

He explained:

“If then God gave the same gift to them as he gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”” Acts 11:17 ESV

So the Jewish believers praised God because the Gentiles were granted repentance as well.

In our day and time we can ask the same question Peter did, “Who am I that I can stand in God’s way?” God longs to fill us with His Holy Spirit baptizing us in the Holy Spirit. He desires for us to follow Him in water baptism. He wants us to repent and “to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ…”

Do we follow Jesus as the early Christians did? Do we long for all of God that He offers for us to experience of Himself? Or do we stand in the way of what God wants to do in our lives?

He wants us to believe in Him, follow His example of being baptized in water, and to be baptized in the Holy Spirit as well. He wanted this for the Gentile believers in Caesarea over 2000 years ago. He is the same God today!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 10:23-48 The Gift Poured Out Again!

Posted on by
Reply

Peter went to the house of Cornelius as Jesus had told him to do. When he arrived there was a large gathering of gentiles there. He testified of Jesus and explained:

“…that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”” Acts 10:43 ESV

As Peter was speaking the Holy Spirit was poured out on those who heard him just as He came at Pentecost.

“For they were hearing them speaking in tongues and extolling God. Then Peter declared, “Can anyone withhold water for baptizing these people, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?”” Acts 10:46-47 ESV

The same Holy Spirit that filled the disciples gathered at Pentecost came and filled the new Gentile believers! They began to speak in tongues and praise God! Then Peter baptized them with water.

God never changes. He is not a “one and done God” never to come and fill again! The promise of the Holy Spirit was for the Gentiles gathered and for all who would come after them. What He did for the believers at Pentecost, He did for the Gentile Believers at Cornelius’s house. He will also do this in our day for a heart that hungers and thirsts for Him. He will fill!

Come Holy Spirit and fill us!

Pentecost in Acts: Acts 10:1-23 Peter’s Vision

Posted on by
Reply

Peter was a devout Jew. He did not touch the things considered “unclean”. There was a list of forbidden foods that included pork and catfish. The Jewish people did not eat them. They would not go to a gentile (non Jewish) home and eat dinner with them. Peter followed that law too. But Peter had a vision. Jesus had plans to teach Peter that He was not only Savior of the Jewish nation but of the whole world. Jesus declared, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This is good news for a Missouri girl. I can go ahead and enjoy my BBQ pork steak and fried catfish! But much more than that! When God is in our lives He makes us clean! We are part of the promise of Abraham a part of God’s holy nation! We are His people as well!

What Peter saw was a part of what God spoke in Joel chapter two:

““And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions.” Joel 2:28 ESV

The Holy Spirit gave Peter the vision, and it was a vision God used to reach the Gentiles with his Good News. Or as Joel 2 said God “Will pour out His Spirit on all flesh…” including the Gentiles! More Good News for a Missouri girl! We are included in His precious promise!

Holy Spirit come!