Wiped Out

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

WIPED OUT

Acts 3:17-26

17 "Now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did your leaders. 18 But this is how God fulfilled what he had foretold through all the prophets, saying that his Christ would suffer. 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Christ, who has been appointed for you — even Jesus. 21 He must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. 22 For Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you. 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from among his people.'   24 "Indeed, all the prophets from Samuel on, as many as have spoken, have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs of the prophets and of the covenant God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, 'Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.'   26 When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."

NIV

First things first, our sins have been wiped out by Jesus. There is one caveat: we need to repent, change the way we think, turn from wrong thinking to right thinking, and turn toward God. Having our sins wiped out makes it clearer than having our sins forgiven. The Greek word exaleifoo carries this direct meaning to wipe off, wipe away. It has also been used in the sense of anointing or washing every part. That means God not only forgives our sins because of Jesus, but he wipes them out, blots them out, so they are no longer there, or visible. Because our sins have been wiped out and are no longer seen, we must accept that truth and not hold ourselves guilty. God does not declare us guilty, as he wiped out our sins and has declared us innocent, holy, and blameless in his sight. When we accept that truth, then and only then will we find that refreshing, a cooling as the Greek word means. Jesus told us to learn from him, for he is gentle and humble of heart, and we would find rest for our souls. That is this refreshing, this cool feeling within our soul, our spirits, knowing we are his. We no longer have to be heavily laden or burdened because we came to Jesus and he gave us rest, which the Greek word translated as rest means to repose or be refreshed. This is the best way of living in Jesus, to have a refreshed soul, restored, at peace, first, with God, and secondly, within our own selves, our inner selves. We are also among all the people on earth who will be blessed because we are in Christ, and He is in us. So let us live with that refreshing, knowing our sins have been blotted out. 

Believe It or Not

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

BELIEVE IT OR NOT

Acts 3:11-16

11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: "Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go. 14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you can all see.

NIV

This should give us the clue to how we should live. Peter knew he and John had no power within themselves. In fact, not only do we not have any power, but we have no righteousness of our own. Everything is about Jesus. Peter makes that clear in his explanation of why this crippled man is now walking. It is the name of Jesus and the faith that comes through him that gives complete healing to the man who was once lame, but is no longer. That is the question we must ask ourselves when we face an infirmity. Do we have faith in the name of Jesus for a complete healing? We wonder if sometimes we would rather just talk about our infirmity, even comparing ours with others, to see who has the worst one, or more pain and suffering. We may complain at times, so others will feel bad for us. The point is, have we accepted our crippled state, not looking, with the measure of faith God has given us, to Jesus, or using the power in the name of Jesus to have a complete healing? Do we really believe? If not, why not? We know our spirits have been healed. Once we lived in the darkness, and at some time in our lives, the Spirit came to lead us into the Light of Jesus, and we were changed from being dead to having life. That is the grandest healing of all, yet within our bodies we may experience many problems, sickness, diseases, infirmities, and pain. Maybe that is just part of the aging process, or maybe it is the lack of believing in the power of the name of Jesus. Peter asked the men of Israel why a healing in the name of Jesus should surprise them.  If we saw or experienced a complete divine healing in the name of Jesus, would we be surprised? It still comes down to one point: it is Jesus' name and the faith that comes through him that gives complete healing. We either believe it or not. 

In The Name of Jesus

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

IN THE NAME OF JESUS

Acts 3:1-10

3:1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer — at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man crippled from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, "Look at us!" 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them. 6 Then Peter said, "Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk." 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man's feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

NIV

We are at one of the great examples of the power in the name of Jesus. This crippled man received something more precious than gold or silver. We are told that Peter and John did not have any gold or silver to give this man, but they had the authority in the name of Jesus to heal this man. Peter invoked the name of Jesus and commanded the man to walk. Peter did help up; however, the man's feet and ankles became strong. He was healed, and he went walking, leaping, and praising God. Interestingly, the people who had walked by this man every day on their way to the temple were amazed to see him walking, leaping, and praising God. These people, filled with wonder and amazement, were religious men as they went to the temple during prayer time. Did they not know the power of God? We will see Peter speak to them, accusing them of disowning Jesus and handing him over to Pilate. Yet they should have known better, as they had all the words of the prophets and the history of their forefathers, led by the power of God, into the place they now called theirs. They practiced their religion, followed the laws given to Moses, and celebrated the festivals: Passover, the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks), and the Feast of Booths (tabernacles), among others. Yet, they could not accept Jesus as their Messiah. It is good that we are not like those men; however, we are filled with wonder and amazement because we know the power of the name of Jesus. Yet do we avail ourselves of the name of Jesus, or do we just practice our religious traditions? We have accepted the free gift of salvation because of Jesus. We have accepted the forgiveness of our sins because of Jesus. We have accepted the Holy Spirit because Jesus sent him to us. But have we accepted the power in the name of Jesus? We do go through all the motions of religion, but are we truly walking, leaping, and praising God? Are we ready for the power that is in the name of Jesus? Do we really want this power, or do we just believe in the power? Silver and gold can buy the things of this world, but the name of Jesus can heal the sick, raise up the lame, restore sight, give hearing to the deaf, and speech to the mute. Peter and John had faith in Jesus, in the power of his name. Would we forfeit that measure of faith God gave us and resign ourselves to a crippled life? We wonder. Just a thought to ponder. Maybe we could start by first walking, leaping, and praising God, in the name of Jesus

Filled with Awe and Devoted

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

FILLED WITH AWE AND DEVOTED

Acts 2:42-47

42 They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43 Everyone was filled with awe, and many wonders and miraculous signs were done by the apostles. 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

NIV

This was the New Testament church in its early days, when the believers took care of one another, sharing what they had. They were devoted to the apostle's teaching and to fellowship. It seems the church today has lost some of what the early church experienced. We have not witnessed, in the years we have been associated with the church, people selling their possessions and goods and giving to anyone who had a need. For the most part, we all work to meet our own physical needs, but we also give to support various missionaries and those who serve us in full-time ministry. We may not break bread together, meet every day in church, or gather in our homes to eat together with glad and sincere hearts. The modern church does not resemble that early church very much, although we still gather together once a week. We wonder how glad the members of this modern church are to meet together. We wonder how much we are praising God, or whether we are just going through the motions. We have not seen the Lord add to our numbers daily those who were being saved. Why is that? There was something about that early church that we are missing. Are we filled with awe? Are there even some signs of wonders by any ambassadors of the gospel, or anyone who is a commissioner of Christ? We may not be as devoted or committed to following Jesus as we think we are. We know that we have nothing to boast about or be prideful about when we compare ourselves to that early church. Even without the comparison, we still have nothing to boast about or be proud of. We know that we should be seeking his kingdom first and foremost in our lives. We know that we should be following Jesus, that is, following the way he showed us how to worship and in our relationships with others. The question is whether we are succeeding, at least, in being anything like a New Testament church. Are we devoted to teaching the word? Are we devoted to learning the word? Are we devoted to the Lord, or are we trying to live with a divided heart, part devoted to self or our own pursuits, while giving a part to the Lord? We want to be filled with awe and devoted to Jesus. 

The Gift

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE GIFT

Acts 2:37-41

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" 38 Peter replied, "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. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off — for all whom the Lord our God will call." 40 With many other words, he warned them; and he pleaded with them, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

NIV

When they heard about Jesus, the people were cut to the heart. That is the clue of the whole gospel. There is a difference between saying or even believing we are Christians and being cut to the heart. We wonder if it is just that one day when we repented, changed our mind, as the Greek word Metanoeoo means. Once, we did not think of Jesus as Lord and Savior, but when we were cut to the heart, we changed how we thought about him, and all we wanted to do was follow him. Peter told them to repent and be baptized, which is in line with what Jesus did. That would give us the clue that all new believers should be baptized. It is not that baptism saved them from their sins, for Jesus has accomplished the forgiveness of our sins. But baptism is following Jesus. Receiving the Holy Spirit is also following Jesus, as when John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the Spirit descended upon him. We cannot make that a hard-and-fast rule about the Holy Spirit descending upon us at the moment of baptism, as we also know the Spirit came as a mighty rushing wind, and what appeared as fire rested on each of the heads of all those in the upper room. We believe all the disciples were baptized at some time as they walked with Jesus. We know that the apostles, or disciples, baptized people who came to believe in Jesus. It is the way of life for all new believers. However, there is also power that comes upon us when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. We know from the next verses that the Apostles did many signs and wonders, as they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit. How can we believe that we would not have power if we are baptized or filled with the Spirit? Have we quenched the Spirit and therefore live as a disabled Christian? Just as our salvation is a gift from God, so is the Holy Spirit. Because the Spirit comes from God and dwells within us, we believe we should have an untold amount of power, even with signs and wonders. It is the most wonderful truth in our lives that in the name of Jesus Christ, our sins have been forgiven, and we have received the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

The Throne

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE THRONE

Acts 2:29-36

29 "Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. 31 Seeing what was ahead, he spoke of the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to the grave, nor did his body see decay. 32 God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of the fact. 33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,

"'The Lord said to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand 35 until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." '   

36 "Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."

NIV

Peter makes it clear that all men are like David; we die and are buried, or at least our bodies are. Christ, or the Messiah, died on the cross, or at least his earthly body did. Jesus gave up his spirit, leaving his body that he came in the form of a man, hanging there without life to be taken down and buried. Peter also makes it clear that God raised Jesus from the grave, for his body did not see decay, and all the disciples are witnesses to the fact that Jesus is alive and is sitting at the right hand of God. This brings us to the idea that has floated around for centuries. If God has a right hand, then he must be in some form like the man he created. Michelangelo’s painting in the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican conveys the idea that God’s finger touched Adam's, giving the man life; therefore, God was portrayed as a physical, older, gray-haired man.  However, we also know that to be seated at the right hand of a king is the place of honor, and Jesus has been given the place of honor with the Father. We know that God is Spirit and his worshippers must worship in spirit and in truth. There is some question about the form of Jesus as he ascended in his physical form, although he was in a glorified state. What we can be assured of and have complete confidence in is that although we die, we will live. When this body comes to its end, we will leave it behind to ascend into the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus. We will be in spirit, just as Jesus was when he left his body on that cross. Yet his body was raised from the dead, just as ours will be, and somehow we will be reunited with it, just as Jesus was. Our bodies will be in that glorified state, just as Jesus was, and we will live in the new city of Jerusalem with Jesus for all eternity. This is the truth that Peter expressed when he called Jesus both Lord and Christ. Jesus has saved us from our sins and freed us from death, giving us life and life abundantly. Peter said that Jesus sits on the throne of David, as it was promised. Once, we might have thought we sat on our own throne, being in charge of our own lives, but we have abdicated, making Jesus our King, our Lord, and now he sits on the throne over our lives. He is high and lifted up on his throne. 

Joy Unspeakable

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

Acts 2:25-28

JOY UNSPEAKABLE

25 David said about him:

"'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'  

NIV

Although we considered what Peter quoted from David and looked at us as being the holy ones of God, even if Peter was talking about Jesus being the Holy One. There is something else in this Psalm of David that strikes a chord in our hearts. First, the Lord does show us, or makes known to us, the paths of our lives. The problem could be that we are not listening or are unwilling to follow the path he has laid out before us. Do we want to travel our own paths? We know those who refuse to accept Jesus surely travel their own paths down that wide road that leads to hell. However, we have confessed that Jesus is our Lord and Savior and submitted our wills to the will of the Father. That would mean we should not be making our own way in life, but rather watching and listening so we will know the path he has for us. He will make known our path, both the one we walk in the worldly sense and the calling of our walk of faith. This walk of faith would be both in the world and in the church. It is who we are, holy ones who belong to the Lord; our lives do not belong to ourselves. Because of who we are, the second truth appears directly to our hearts. When we walk the path the Lord has laid out for us, he fills us with the joy of his presence. Can there even be any joy if we are not filled with his presence? Do we try to make ourselves happy with the material goods of this world? But stuff can be temporary; we can obtain it, but we can just as easily lose it. The purpose of our lives is not to obtain stuff, but to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and He will make sure we have enough, which is not the reason we seek him first. When we walk with the Lord, listening to his plans and his path for us, and following them, we will be filled with the joy of his presence. This is true joy, which far surpasses happiness. The word that David used in the Psalm means pleasure, that is, we will know the pleasure of his presence. In a small way, it is like the pleasure we experience when we are in the presence of the one we love, our spouse. But being in the presence of our Lord, enjoying His presence in our lives, fills us with a joy that cannot be contained and measured. It is joy unspeakable and full of glory. Although those are the words of a hymn, they are from one of Peter's letters to the church. Joy unspeakable and full of  glory because we are in His presence.  

Holy Ones of God

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HOLY ONES OF GOD

Acts 2:22-28

22 "Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross. 24 But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. 25 David said about him:

"'I saw the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. 26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices; my body also will live in hope, 27 because you will not abandon me to the grave, nor will you let your Holy One see decay. 28 You have made known to me the paths of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence.'  

NIV

Listen to this, listen to me now, I have something very important, it is a matter of life and death. peter made sure he had the people's full attention because he was going to talk about Jesus, whom he knew was the Son of the Living God. Peter had been with Jesus and had seen the miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him. Peter also made it clear that it was the express purpose of God for Jesus to be arrested, handed over to the Romans, and crucified. We understand these words of Peter indicate that the people helped put Jesus to death by nailing him to the cross. Yet, we cannot help but think that Jesus was not killed by men, but went to the cross willingly, suffering the physical pain on purpose, and gave himself up for our lives. However, the greatest hope is in the fact that death could not hold Jesus, as God raised him from the dead. Jesus is the Holy One that David wrote about in the Psalm that Peter quoted. Jesus was not abandoned to the grave, and because Jesus was, or is, the first of the resurrection, we too will not be abandoned to the grave. Jesus promised those who follow him that even if we die, we will live. That is another aspect of following Jesus that we do not talk about as often as we should. We spend time considering how we follow Jesus in our daily lives, learning from Him, and trying to live up to the command to love our Lord God with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, and to love others as we love ourselves. We try not to do certain things, lists we think are good to avoid, and try to do the good things, good deeds, serving God, as we try to follow Jesus. But we also follow Jesus to the grave, and follow him in the resurrection. The difference is that this part of following Jesus has nothing to do with our abilities, talents, or choice to follow. Our bodies will simply give up, at some point, without our choice in the matter. Death is because of sin, but through the power of God, we will be resurrected from the grave, for it is impossible for death to hold on to us. Jesus was the Holy One, but we have been told that because we are in Jesus, we are holy and pleasing in the sight of God, so in that sense, we are the holy people or holy ones of God. We should live as his holy ones. 

The Outpouring

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE OUTPOURING

Acts 2:16-21

6 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

17” ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. 18 Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy. 19 I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. 20 The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord. 21 And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’  

NIV

This is the beginning of Peter’s greatest sermon, and he starts with what most Jews, regardless of where they live, would know: a prophet’s words. Joel spoke about the last days, but we know that, when he preached this sermon, it was not the literal last days. However, it could be argued that, after the ascension of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit, the last days have begun, at least compared to all the days since creation. Because we are referred to as young earthers, or because we believe according to biblical timelines, the creation happened about 4,000 years before Jesus came to earth. Now we are about 2,000 years after Jesus walked among us. If we used, and that is, “if” the 6 days of creation and the 7th day of rest as a clue, then we could say that we are now living in the 7th day, which would be the last days. However, in the context of what Peter said, the last days began when the Spirit was poured out on all people. That is another clue we need to take special note of: the Spirit has been poured out, and we are part of all people; therefore, the Spirit has been poured out upon us. This would also mean that we may well prophesy. We know that it is one of the gifts of the Spirit in the group of the speaking gifts, tongues, interpretation, and prophecy. Peter is also speaking about what is referred to as the last days, as in the time of the tribulation spoken of in the Revelation given to John. But the point is that the prophet Joel made it clear that whoever calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved. That is the point Peter is making very clearly in his sermon on the Day of Pentecost. There is no other way, nothing that will save a person from the impending disaster coming upon the earth that Joel spoke about. We have called upon the name of the Lord. We have called upon Jesus, accepting him as our Lord and Savior. We pray to the Father in the name of Jesus. He has given us the authority to use His name, and the calling to declare his name above all names and that Jesus is the Son of God. It is only through Jesus we are saved, and it can never be Jesus plus anything, but only Jesus. Our salvation is not dependent on anything we could ever do, other than having faith in Jesus, and even our faith is a gift of God. That truth is told to us in the letter Paul wrote to the Romans, when he said that God has given each man a measure of faith. This is another of those clues we need to note. We should never think more highly of ourselves than we should, but in accordance with the measure of faith God has given us. Nothing in and of ourselves can save us, but by the faith God has measured out to us, we can believe in the work of Jesus for our salvation. We could not even have faith if God had not measured it out to us. We praise His Holy Name! We are grateful beyond what we can even measure because Jesus saved us from our sins. Because of the outpouring of the Spirit upon us, we can know Jesus. Thank your Lord for the outpouring. 

The Incredible Change

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE INCREDIBLE CHANGE 

Acts 2:5-16

5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard them speaking in his own language. 7 Utterly amazed, they asked: "Are not all these men who are speaking Galileans? 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10 Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome 11(both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs — we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!" 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, "What does this mean?" 13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, "They have had too much wine." 14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: "Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It's only nine in the morning! 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

NIV

This was the first time anything like this miracle or gift of the Holy Spirit happened as a result of people being baptized with the Holy Spirit. For them to speak in all those different languages was evidence of the baptism of the Spirit. This is not to be confused with what some today believe: speaking in tongues, when they speak words they do not understand. This event in Jerusalem specifies which language the disciples were speaking: 15 languages that people in those regions understood because they were their native tongues. We also see something exceptional happening in Peter's life. Peter has already had numerous exceptional moments during his time with Jesus. He was the one who answered Jesus' question, "Who do you say I am?" with, "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God." Jesus also rebuked him later, telling Satan to get behind him. Peter hauled in the largest catch of fish, following Jesus' direction. Peter walked on the water with Jesus. However, Peter also denied Jesus three times. From this moment on, on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, Peter, filled with the Spirit, becomes bold and delivers his first and exceptional sermon. This should give us a clue about what should happen in our lives when we are baptized and filled with the Spirit. Granted, we should see a change in ourselves when we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. We cannot be sure whether those believers who were raised in a Christian home, considering themselves always to have been saved, have ever seen any difference in their lives because of Jesus. However, those of us who came to Jesus as adults know and understand how different our lives are. Yet another change in our lives is when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit. He brings a whole new dimension to our relationship with Jesus and the whole world around us. We can be both gentle and humble as we learn from Jesus, and bold and outspoken in our speaking about Jesus. The Holy Spirit gave Peter that boldness, and He will give us the same boldness if we simply allow Him full access to our inner being. We wonder if we do not see any change within us because of the power of the Holy Spirit, with all his gifts and fruit, that we might be quenching His power. We sing the song, "Come Holy Spirit," that includes the words, "I need you, come Holy Spirit, I pray." Do we mean it? Peter was filled with the Spirit and fire and became on fire for Jesus. Should we not experience this same fire and boldness within us because we have been baptized with the Holy Spirit? Because we are filled with the Spirit, we should experience an incredible change within us. 

The Fire

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE FIRE 2:1-4

Acts 2:1-4

2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.

NIV

The controversy over this event has caused division among both denominations and individuals. Unfortunately, the rift stems from misinterpretation or from seeing this event through a preconceived filter. There has also been much discussion that this was a one-time event and that the Spirit no longer fills people and enables them to speak in tongues or other languages. The next verses indicate that all who were filled with the Spirit spoke fifteen different known languages. Of course, the disciples were Galileans and would not have been schooled in all those languages, yet this was all the work of the Holy Spirit. We will also see that the disciples were speaking about praising God. Here is another controversy that we will get to, but for now, let us be contend to know that the Holy Spirit filled those disciples and gave them abilities beyond their human knowledge. Has the Holy Spirit stopped working in that same manner? Did the Holy Spirit come to them but to no one since then? Throughout the rest of the Acts of the Apostles, we see people being baptized in the Spirit and receiving spiritual gifts, even speaking in tongues or other languages. Paul, inspired to write to the Corinthian church, gave them instructions regarding the gifts of the Spirit. It was clear that when the Spirit enabled someone to speak in tongues, it was man talking to God, in other words, praising God, just as the disciples were doing. It is when the Spirit enables the gift of prophecy that God is speaking to man. However, the point is that the Spirit does not change, as God never changes, and he is the triune Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We should also note these disciples were already believers, that is, they knew Jesus was their Lord and Savior, the true Messiah. They witnessed all he did, the cross, His burial, resurrection, and ascension. But they were not filled with the Spirit until He was sent to them by Jesus. We understand the view that when we are saved, we are automatically filled with the Spirit, but that may not be correct. John the Baptist said that he only baptizes with water, but Jesus will baptize with the Spirit and with fire. Because we will see people accept Jesus as Lord and Savior and then be baptized, we can come to no other conclusion than that these are two events. Secondly, why are there Christians today, people who confess they are saved, but refuse to acknowledge being baptized with the Spirit and enabled with spiritual gifts? In fact, we have known some who accuse the gift of tongues, or speaking in another language, as being from the devil. Why is this so confusing? Why do we not just accept the word of God as truth? When the Holy Spirit comes upon us, whether we call it being baptized or not, the Spirit will enable us beyond our human knowledge or skills. Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This means we will have a fire burning within us, praising our Lord. We will live with this burning within us, filled with the Spirit, and we will not be able to remain silent.  If we are worshipping in Spirit and in truth, we would expect our worship to come from the fire within us. 

His Choice

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

HIS CHOICE

Acts 1:20-26

20 "For," said Peter, "it is written in the book of Psalms, "'May his place be deserted; let there be no one to dwell in it,' and, "'May another take his place of leadership.'   21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." 23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs." 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

NIV

Peter is still speaking to the believers, who at that time numbered about one hundred and twenty, and he had shown how the scriptures were both prophesied and fulfilled in the act of Judas and the result. There were now only eleven apostles, for all the one hundred and twenty would be considered disciples, or learners. Peter noted the psalm that referred to another taking the place of leadership. Two names were proposed, but by lot Matthias was added to the number of apostles. However, before casting lots, they prayed, knowing that the Lord knew everyone’s heart. They wanted the Lord to choose the one to be added to their number. Two different truths speak to us in this portion of scripture. First, it is always right to add another to the number. This might be taking a little liberty with the context, but the point remains: it is always right to add another believer to the number. This is the calling upon every believer, to tell the story, to be a witness of what has happened to us, what we have seen, heard, felt, experienced in Jesus. We may not all lead everyone we encounter to Jesus, but our mission is to bring people to Jesus, to add one more to the number. The Second truth is that before they cast lots, which was normally done by placing names on a chip of wood or stone,  before picking without looking, they prayed.  It is always right to pray before doing anything important; in this case, add one more to the number of apostles. However, we make decisions every day, some just the normal, mundane activities of life. Should we do laundry today, vacuum, dust, what to have for lunch or dinner, and go on the list of daily choices. But there are also times when we must make a major life decision, and it is always best to pray first. We are more than aware that the Lord knows our hearts and what our desires are. If we make choices based on our desires, we may be making the wrong ones. Yet, there are times when the Lord puts a desire within us, but we still need to seek his counsel, asking Him to guide us to the right decision. We could get into a spiritual routine, which means we always do the same thing we have always been doing, and expect the Lord to bless the way we have been doing it. Yet, if we prayed, “Lord show us the way” or “Your will be done in earth, in our lives, as it is in heaven”, then we need to be open to changing course, do whatever He leads. Let us not assume prayer means we want the Lord to bless our choice, but let us know we need to follow His choice. 

Guilt or Forgiveness

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

GUILT OR FORGIVENESS

Acts 1:12-19

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. 15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, "Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus— 17 he was one of our number and shared in this ministry." 18(With the reward he got for his wickedness, Judas bought a field; there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)

NIV

We will get all that Peter said, but first, let us journey from the Mount of Olives to the room upstairs where they were staying. We remember this room, called the upper room, where Jesus and his disciples had their last meal together before his arrest, trial, crucifixion, burial, and resurrection. That was the scene we use; however, we mostly use Paul's account in Corinthians for the words we say before we partake in the elements of communion. The bread and the wine, as Jesus passed them around to his disciples, made a parallel to his body and blood. Now, after Jesus had ascended and the angels appeared, assuring them that he would return in the same manner he left, they left the Mount of Olives and walked down into the Kidron Valley, then back up into Jerusalem. In all, it is about one thousand meters. Having stood on the Mount of Olives, it is easy to see Jerusalem only ¾ of a mile away. It does not take long, even at a slow pace of two miles an hour, it would only take about minutes to make the journey back to the upper room.  As they met, Peter wanted to deal with the loss of Judas, making sure to note it was the work of the Holy Spirit, or it was the divine purpose of God for Judas to betray Jesus so that the scriptures would be fulfilled. However, Judas could not deal with his betrayal, throwing himself to his death. Judas could have sought forgiveness from the LORD. Although Peter will use portions of the psalms to indicate that this was all part of God's plan and that Judas is referred to as evil, it was evil that influenced Judas, as he was one who shared in the ministry. Judas was one of those whom Jesus sent out two by two, who healed people, cast out demons, and had Jesus's authority. Judas was called by Jesus, followed Jesus, and was a believer, yet he was influenced by evil, even though it was for a purpose. This can serve as a lesson for all believers , as we need to always be on guard against the schemes of the evil one. It is not that Judas hated Jesus; we believed he loved the Lord, but was influenced to think his plan was to force Jesus to become the king he was supposed to be, restoring Israel. Nevertheless, the evil one is still at work with his schemes, trying to deceive people, even believers. Do we not face those self-centered temptations? Do we not fail, and give in to pride or boastfulness regarding our religiosity? Do we not fail when we get puffed up about our “good works”?  Are we not tempted to become jealous or envious of others? Are we not tempted to put our trust in wealth, or put too much value on material things? The devil's schemes or lies are so subtle that they can be difficult to detect unless we are walking in the Spirit, who leads us into all truth. However, when we do fail, as unfortunately we may, unlike Judas, we do not have to be overwhelmed with guilt, because of the grace of God, Jesus, we can seek and receive forgiveness for our failures. We do not need to walk in guilt. 

The Return

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES

THE RETURN

Acts 1:6-11

 

6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

NIV

Just as we considered what it is to be the witness, by focusing on the exchange between Jesus and his disciples, we take this same portion to ponder the exchange between the angels and the disciples. Although Jesus was in his physical form as he ate with his disciples, he was also in his glorified form, as he was able to appear and walk through a locked door to speak with them. However, in this form, he ascended into the clouds out of their sight. That alone must have been a wonderful sight. They had spent three plus years with him, watching him heal hundreds, many more, performing miracles, and they heard his teaching, including what would happen to him. They saw him crucified, heard his words from the cross, watched him give up his spirit, and were buried. Then they became witness to the fact that he was raised from the dead, and he walked with them for forty more days. At this time in their lives, they watch Jesus ascend into the air, rising higher and higher until he was above the clouds and they could no longer see him. But that is not the end of the story, for the angels suddenly appeared and assured the disciples, which also assures us that Jesus will come back in the same way he left. Jesus will show up in the sky at some time; that is the word from God. Jesus is coming back. This fact has been a point of debate among theologians for centuries. It is not debated that he will come back, but where and when within the context of prophetic words, especially the revelation that was given to John. Some think Jesus will return to the Mt of Olives. Others think every eye will see him in the sky when he appears. Some believe he will first just appear in the sky and call all believers to himself. This is what is referred to as the rapture, or the taking up, the resurrection of the dead, and all believers in Christ who are still alive. Later, Jesus will return physically to the earth for the thousand-year reign. Many books, sermons, and teaching videos have been put forth with various views of how to interpret the scriptures about his return. The point is that Jesus is coming back, and he is coming for us. He also promised that he would prepare a place for us, and that he would come to get us to that we would be where he was. That one fact is all we really need to know. Jesus will descend from heaven, appear in the sky, and we will see him, and a great and wonderful happening will occur. What happens after that is all about showing God's power to bring more people to their knees before Jesus. But for now, we wait, and while we wait, we occupy ourselves by telling the story of Jesus to whoever will listen. Jesus is returning. 

The Witness

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS OF THE APOSLTLES

THE WITNESS

Acts 1:6-11

6 So when they met together, they asked him, "Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?" 7 He said to them: "It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."  9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 "Men of Galilee," they said, "why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven."

NIV

There are several truths in this exchange between Jesus and his disciples and then between the disciples and two angels. Jesus had told them to wait, that in a few days they would be baptized with the Holy Spirit, just like John baptized with water. We should have noted in the previous verses, the parallel Jesus used between John baptizing with water and the baptism with the Spirit. When we were baptized in water, we were totally emersed in the water. This is how it is when we are baptized with the Spirit,  we are completely emersed with and by Him. It is also interesting that after spending three years with Jesus, hearing him teach, preach, perform healings and miracles and being told what was  going to happen, and then watch it happen, they still had not gotten the truth deep down within them. They still asked if this was the time he would restore the kingdom to Israel. Is this the time he would overthrow Rome, destroy the Roman army, kick them out of Israel and set up his throne in Jerusalem. One day that is going to happen, but it is not for any of us humans to know when. However, we do have a commission from Jesus, a mission to be about doing. This truth he told to his disciples applies to all of us who learn from Jesus. For the Greek word translated as disciple means to be a learner, therefore, we are his disciples and we receive power when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, and we are to be witnesses to the ends of the earth. Although it is good some are called to be missionaries to some of the ends of the earth and we support a portion of their expenses, that does not relieve us from being witnesses about Jesus because we happen to live at one of the ends of the earth. That brings up the question as to how do we witness. It cannot be by just being a good person, or going to church. If we use our lives as a witness, then we must reflect the glory of God, so others can see His Glory shining out from us. But the idea of being a witness, as witness in a courtroom, is to testify what we have heard, seen, and what has happened to us. That requires us to speak up, use our voice to tell the story about Jesus. There just isn’t any other way around that truth about being a witness. We will leave this exchange with the angels for later, because this truth about being His learner, His disciple means we need to be the witness.  

 

Releasing Power

 DEVOTION

THE ACTS  OF THE APOSTLES

RELEASING POWER

Acts 1:1-5

1:1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit." 

NIV

He is alive, and if any should ever doubt, they only have to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the truth to them. The proof that Jesus was resurrected in bodily form is in the record that Luke puts forth. Jesus appeared to many over a period of forty days. That is just the facts, but the wonder of His resurrection gives us assurance we too will be resurrected in bodily form on that last day. We are also confident that we will not remain with our lifeless bodies, for we know that we are not just a body, but a spirit who lives within this physical form, and when it is laid to rest, we will have left it to join our Lord in some spiritual sense. However, that is not the end, because Jesus left his body behind, yet came back to it through the power of God, to have his body resurrected in a new glorified condition. We will see that record will reflect this truth when he appears or seemingly walks through a locked door to speak with his disciples in that upper room. Jesus is alive and we will also be alive, even though this body  dies. Yet, the story is not just about a resurrection, although that is a wonderful truth to keep deep within our hearts and minds, the story of also about being baptized with the Holy Spirit. We will see how this happened for the disciples in the next chapter of the record Luke wrote, but at this point we must believe there is a baptism we need to undergo other then the one with water. This was an event in time that happened to the disciples, a moment when fire came from heaven and the Spirit descended  upon them, taking up residence within them, gifting them with power. There is no question that if we want to have eternal life we must accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. The Lord makes that clear through the Apostle Paul in the letter to the Romans. If we confess with our mouths ”Jesus is Lord”  and believe in our hearts that God raised him from the dead, we will be saved. But that is not the end of the story in the life of a believer. We are saved, we will have eternal life, but during the days of this life, we need the power of God in our lives. This is when we are baptized with the Holy Spirit, another moment in time, just as the moment we were baptized with water. Jesus promised, and he always fulfilled his promise that he would baptize us with the Holy Spirit. We know there is evidence of this baptism because the Spirit witnesses to our spirit and manifests his gifts and fruit in our lives. The question we must all ask ourselves is if we see those evidences within ourselves. There could be two reason we do not see those evidences. One is we have never been baptized with the Holy Spirit. Secondly, we have been baptized, but we have decided to quench the Spirit, not yielding to Him. Having been saved and baptized with the Holy Spirit, let’s release His power. 

Man of God

 DEVOTION

2^nd  KINGS

MAN OF GOD

2 Kings 1:1-10

1:1 After Ahab's death, Moab rebelled against Israel. 2 Now Ahaziah had fallen through the lattice of his upper room in Samaria and injured himself. So he sent messengers, saying to them, "Go and consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron, to see if I will recover from this injury." 3 But the angel of the LORD said to Elijah the Tishbite, "Go up and meet the messengers of the king of Samaria and ask them, 'Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are going off to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?' 4 Therefore this is what the LORD says: 'You will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!'" So Elijah went. 5 When the messengers returned to the king, he asked them, "Why have you come back?" 6 "A man came to meet us," they replied. "And he said to us, 'Go back to the king who sent you and tell him, "This is what the LORD says: Is it because there is no God in Israel that you are sending men to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron? Therefore you will not leave the bed you are lying on. You will certainly die!" '"  7 The king asked them, "What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?" 8 They replied, "He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist." The king said, "That was Elijah the Tishbite." 9 Then he sent to Elijah a captain with his company of fifty men. The captain went up to Elijah, who was sitting on the top of a hill, and said to him, "Man of God, the king says, 'Come down!'" 10 Elijah answered the captain, "If I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men!" Then fire fell from heaven and consumed the captain and his men.

NIV

Why do men think there is no God in Israel? It must be the same reason people today think there is no God. Why would Ahaziah, the king of Israel send his men to consult a god that is blind, deaf and mute? Of course, it is possible that Baal-Zebub, could been under the power of Satan, for he is referred to in the New Testament as Beelzebub. However, in the context, this Baal-Zebub was supposed to be the fly god, one who would drive away flies. But, that had to be only in the mind of men, for this Baal-Zebub is not a god, but a figment of man’s imagination, or making. We would never worship anything we could make, for that would be totally against our faith in Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It might be bad enough that we could become prideful, boastful or puffed up because of what we make or do. This fits into the story about Elijah who spoke the word of the LORD, but then went and sat on a hill. Ahaziah knew it was Elijah because his men described what Elijah was wearing, and he sent a caption and fifty men to ask Elijah to come down and go to the king. When the caption called Elijah, man of God, it was all over for the caption and his man. We see the power of God consume all those men. When the fire of God fell upon them, they were not just killed, but consumed. The Hebrew word means to be totally burned up, to be consumed by fire, as in cremated, except in this case, not any ashes were left. We will see this happen again, but what we want to focus on is the power of the LORD God Almighty. Just as the fire of the LORD consume the sacrifice, the altar of stones, all the water, and mud, leaving nothing but a dry hole in the ground, the LORD’s fire consumed those men. It is good that we have accepted His grace and do not have to fear being consumed by fire. The prophets speak of a consuming fire, and in the revelation given to John an angel speaks of the consuming fire of God. His power is so much more then we can imagine, we wonder why we do not avail ourselves of His power more than we do. All Elijah had to say, “if I am a man of God, may fire come down from heaven and consume you and your fifty men.” Down came the fire and consumed them. Are we not people of God? Could we not say “if I am a person of God, a man or woman of God, then let God demonstrate His power, pour out his healing power?” What we noticed was that Elijah did not include, “If it is your will,” but simply let them know the power of the Almighty God as the fire fell upon them. Let us know His power, let us speak His truth with confidence, but most of let us be a man of God. 

Good Intentions

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

GOOD INTENTIONS

1 Kings 22:41-53

41 Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah in the fourth year of Ahab king of Israel. 42 Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old when he became king, and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years. His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi. 43 In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa and did not stray from them; he did what was right in the eyes of the LORD. The high places, however, were not removed, and the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. 44 Jehoshaphat was also at peace with the king of Israel. 45 As for the other events of Jehoshaphat's reign, the things he achieved and his military exploits, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah? 46 He rid the land of the rest of the male shrine prostitutes who remained there even after the reign of his father Asa. 47 There was then no king in Edom; a deputy ruled. 48 Now Jehoshaphat built a fleet of trading ships to go to Ophir for gold, but they never set sail — they were wrecked at Ezion Geber. 49 At that time Ahaziah son of Ahab said to Jehoshaphat, "Let my men sail with your men," but Jehoshaphat refused. 50 Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers and was buried with them in the city of David his father. And Jehoram his son succeeded him. 51 Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah, and he reigned over Israel two years. 52 He did evil in the eyes of the LORD, because he walked in the ways of his father and mother and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat, who caused Israel to sin. 53 He served and worshiped Baal and provoked the LORD, the God of Israel, to anger, just as his father had done.

NIV

Two kings, two ways of life, one did right in the eyes of the LORD, one did evil in the eyes of the LORD. Interestingly, Jehoshaphat who did right in the eyes of the LORD stopped or rid the land of male shrine prostitutes but did not remove the high places. Was he not completely sold out to the ways of the LORD? Why did he allow those high places to stay? The people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. The question is who were they offering sacrifices to? We cannot be sure if these high places were for the worship of Baal or for the LORD.  The same event recorded in Chronicles indicates he did remove them, or at least it was his desire to do so, but he failed. It is not uncommon for anyone who lives to please the Lord to desire to do what is right in His eyes, but also to fail on occasion. However, that is not to say that good intentions are enough. One old English proverb of exact original is unknown, states the road to hell is paved with good intentions. The other king, Ahaziah son of Ahab did not even try to live in a manner to please the LORD, instead he did evil in the sight of the LORD and caused Israel to sin. Ahaziah worshipped Baal, a false god who had no eyes to see his evil, no ears to hear his evil and no mouth to speak against his evil. However, he did provoke the LORD God Almighty who has eyes to see, hears to hear and a mouth to speak. It is always a bad choice to choose the wrong side to live on. Why serve something that is deaf, mute and blind when we have the Lord? We wonder if we believers could get distracted by material things, that are deaf,  mute and blind, and become too invested in them, or place too much value on them, that we are almost close to serving them, or worshipping them. It is not that we forsake our Lord, but is it possible we are trying to serve two masters? Jehoshaphat tried to live doing right in the eyes of the LORD, but he left those high places. If we love the Lord with all our hearts, souls, minds, and strengths, then we cannot have any high places, or other things that we offer sacrifices to. Because we are supposed to offer ourselves as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, then the question is whether we offer ourselves to other things, considering them too important, becoming too invested in something other then our Lord. We wonder if even when we do good things for others, are we looking for their praise or the praise of our Lord? Sometimes the line can get blurred, but let us consider what is doing good in the eyes of the Lord, not just good intentions. 

Choose Wisely

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

CHOOSE WISELY 

1 Kings 22:26-40

26 The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son 27 and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'" 28 Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!" 29 So the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah went up to Ramoth Gilead. 30 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "I will enter the battle in disguise, but you wear your royal robes." So the king of Israel disguised himself and went into battle. 31 Now the king of Aram had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders, "Do not fight with anyone, small or great, except the king of Israel." 32 When the chariot commanders saw Jehoshaphat, they thought, "Surely this is the king of Israel." So they turned to attack him, but when Jehoshaphat cried out, 33 the chariot commanders saw that he was not the king of Israel and stopped pursuing him. 34 But someone drew his bow at random and hit the king of Israel between the sections of his armor. The king told his chariot driver, "Wheel around and get me out of the fighting. I've been wounded." 35 All day long the battle raged, and the king was propped up in his chariot facing the Arameans. The blood from his wound ran onto the floor of the chariot, and that evening he died. 36 As the sun was setting, a cry spread through the army: "Every man to his town; everyone to his land!" 37 So the king died and was brought to Samaria, and they buried him there. 38 They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria (where the prostitutes bathed), and the dogs licked up his blood, as the word of the LORD had declared. 39 As for the other events of Ahab's reign, including all he did, the palace he built and inlaid with ivory, and the cities he fortified, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel? 40 Ahab rested with his fathers. And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

NIV

Everyone has two choices in life, even those who are supposed to be the people of God, or God’s chosen people. Ahab had reigned for twenty-two years, but he choose to do evil in the sight of God. His wife, Jezebel had the man who owned that vineyard, killed just so Ahab could take possession of it. He heard the word of the LORD from the prophet Micaiah about the people having no master. That could be interpreted as Ahab would die, or that he had lead Israel away from God, their true LORD and Master. Even after Micaiah told Ahab that he would not return safely, he still went to war against the forces of Aram. This is the confidence of a prophet of God, one who is inspired, when he told Ahab that if he does return safely then the LORD had not spoken through him. One of the truths we should take note of is to always make the right choice, and the only way to do that is to have the right information. The only way to know what is right is to seek the counsel from the Lord. But that is not the real problem, as Ahab had the right information, as he sought the word of the LORD through a prophet, but then he ignored the word of the LORD and decided to follow his own choice and that cost him his life. Is that not the way of life for all believers? We can seek the counsel of our Lord, perhaps not through a prophet, but then maybe we could hear the word through someone, like a prophet, apostle, evangelist, or a pastor and teacher. They all are gifts to the church at large for the express reason to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the whole body of Christ may be built up until we all reach the unity in the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God,  and becoming mature, meaning we are to attain the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. We also have the Spirit dwelling within us, who speaks to our hearts, who gives us the counsel of God, if we listen.  However, even having all that advantage as a believer, we each must make a choice. Follow the word of the Lord, or follow our own decisions. It is right that we follow the advice of the Lord, follow His counsel it will lead us to life. If we choice our own counsel, we can be sure it will lead us away from life and onto death, just as it did for Ahab. Let us be able to hear the word of the Lord. Let us be about listening to the word of the Lord, and let us be those who choose to follow the word of the Lord. Let us choose wisely. 

 

Hear the Word of the Lord

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD

1 Kings 22:19-28

19 Micaiah continued, "Therefore hear the word of the LORD: I saw the LORD sitting on his throne with all the host of heaven standing around him on his right and on his left. 20 And the LORD said, 'Who will entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead and going to his death there?' "One suggested this, and another that. 21 Finally, a spirit came forward, stood before the LORD and said, 'I will entice him.' 22 " 'By what means?' the LORD asked. " 'I will go out and be a lying spirit in the mouths of all his prophets,' he said. " 'You will succeed in enticing him,' said the LORD. 'Go and do it.' 23 "So now the LORD has put a lying spirit in the mouths of all these prophets of yours. The LORD has decreed disaster for you." 24 Then Zedekiah son of Kenaanah went up and slapped Micaiah in the face. "Which way did the spirit from the LORD go when he went from me to speak to you?" he asked. 25 Micaiah replied, "You will find out on the day you go to hide in an inner room." 26 The king of Israel then ordered, "Take Micaiah and send him back to Amon the ruler of the city and to Joash the king's son 27 and say, 'This is what the king says: Put this fellow in prison and give him nothing but bread and water until I return safely.'" 28 Micaiah declared, "If you ever return safely, the LORD has not spoken through me." Then he added, "Mark my words, all you people!"

NIV

After the four hundred prophets were inspired by a spirit sent from the LORD to entice Ahab into attacking Ramoth Gilead, there stood one prophet alone who spoke truth of God or for God. Micaiah stated the truth and told them, Hear the word of the LORD.” Micaiah saw this vision, inspired to see the LORD on his throne, with all the host of heaven standing around him to his right and left. There are so many truths within this passage to focus our attention on. First, the LORD is upon His throne in heaven, wherever that is right now. He sent a spirit to do His bidding, to entice Ahab to go to war. However, this spirit was sent to be a lying spirit through those four hundred prophets. But Micaiah spoke the truth, and it cost him first a slap in the face and, second, imprisonment with only bread and water until the king of Israel returned safely, which he would not, as we will see later. The one truth we want to focus on is about hearing the word of the Lord. In our culture today, there are so many voices, some of which are extremely loud. Everyone is screaming for attention. Even within the church, we have a multitude of voices, some of them with sweet words, some are nothing more than silver-tongued purveyors of deception. It is unfortunate that some who profess to be believers love to have their ears tickled by lies, even some of the elect will be deceived. Jesus warned about being deceived by false prophets, or men who speak lies, and that even the elect could be deceived if that is possible. What we want to hear is the word of the Lord. There are words of the Lord that are blessings in our lives, words that inspire us, that lift us up. Some words correct us, rebuke us, teach us, and train us in righteousness. Sometimes we only want to hear the good things of God, as King Ahab wanted to hear from that lying spirit through those four hundred prophets. He knew that was one prophet who would speak the truth, but he hated him because he never prophesied anything good about him, only bad. Isn’t that what we want to hear, only the good? We should not be deceived by those who speak only the good things of God, because we need to hear correction at times. We need to hear instructions, even hear a rebuke, if we have been thinking wrongly. What we want is to hear the word of the Lord. 

Importance

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

IMPORTANCE

1 Kings 22:9-18

9 So the king of Israel called one of his officials and said, "Bring Micaiah son of Imlah at once." 10 Dressed in their royal robes, the king of Israel and Jehoshaphat king of Judah were sitting on their thrones at the threshing floor by the entrance of the gate of Samaria, with all the prophets prophesying before them. 11 Now Zedekiah son of Kenaanah had made iron horns and he declared, "This is what the LORD says: 'With these you will gore the Arameans until they are destroyed.'" 2 All the other prophets were prophesying the same thing. "Attack Ramoth Gilead and be victorious," they said, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." 3 The messenger who had gone to summon Micaiah said to him, "Look, as one man the other prophets are predicting success for the king. Let your word agree with theirs, and speak favorably." 14 But Micaiah said, "As surely as the LORD lives, I can tell him only what the LORD tells me." 15 When he arrived, the king asked him, "Micaiah, shall we go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Attack and be victorious," he answered, "for the LORD will give it into the king's hand." 6 The king said to him, "How many times must I make you swear to tell me nothing but the truth in the name of the LORD?" 17 Then Micaiah answered, "I saw all Israel scattered on the hills like sheep without a shepherd, and the LORD said, 'These people have no master. Let each one go home in peace.'" 18 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, "Didn't I tell you that he never prophesies anything good about me, but only bad?"

NIV

From four hundred so-called prophets to one man who is the prophet of the LORD may be our story here. However, there are two other stories we should focus on. One of these truths is the two kings sitting on their thrones dressed in their royal robes. Isn’t that just what kings are supposed to do? Although we have not come to the truthful prophecy of Micaiah, which includes seeing the LORD sitting on His throne, men make their own thrones, setting themselves high to be lifted up by other men and to be important. Do we think too much of ourselves than we should? Do we think we are important? There are so many ways in this world to make ourselves important. We cannot imagine enough wealth to wear clothes and jewelry that cost as much as our home, but some people do, looking so important. Others may feel that their degrees make them important. The position in life may also make someone feel important. However, Jesus, being God, or the Son of God, Son of man, the Messiah, our  Lord and Savior, did not come to sit upon a throne in His royal robes, to be served, but He came to serve. Again, learning from Him, we are to be gentle and humble of heart. The second truth to consider is what Micaiah told the messenger that he could only speak what the LORD told him. We might think that could only apply to those who have been called to preach the word of God, but that would be wrong thinking. The Spirit gives His gifts to whoever He chooses and when He chooses to manifest them. Those gifts that would be considered speaking only what the Lord tells us are the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, and the gift of prophecy. We may also be prompted to use the gift of healing or do miracles. The point is that we should not even attempt to wield the power of man, or the importance of man is from the mind of man, but rather, as we humble ourselves before the Lord, lifting Him up, exalting His name, He will lift us up. He is the one who needs to break us, mold us, fill us, and use us for His divine purpose. If He wants to lift us up, that is up to Him. Of course, we want to do good things for our Lord, but even that is one of the Spirit's gifts, called the gift of helps. It should never be about what we think makes us important, even to the kingdom of God. It is about serving His divine purpose for our lives, doing what He says we should do. Our lives should always be about seeking the counsel of the Lord and speaking only what He speaks to us, and never thinking we are so important or a person of importance. 

Seeking His Counsel

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

SEEKING HIS COUNSEL

1 Kings 22:1-8

22:1 For three years there was no war between Aram and Israel. 2 But in the third year Jehoshaphat king of Judah went down to see the king of Israel. 3 The king of Israel had said to his officials, "Don't you know that Ramoth Gilead belongs to us and yet we are doing nothing to retake it from the king of Aram?" 4 So he asked Jehoshaphat, "Will you go with me to fight against Ramoth Gilead?" Jehoshaphat replied to the king of Israel, "I am as you are, my people as your people, my horses as your horses." 5 But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, "First seek the counsel of the LORD." 6 So the king of Israel brought together the prophets — about four hundred men — and asked them, "Shall I go to war against Ramoth Gilead, or shall I refrain?" "Go," they answered, "for the Lord will give it into the king's hand." 7 But Jehoshaphat asked, "Is there not a prophet of the LORD here whom we can inquire of?" 8 The king of Israel answered Jehoshaphat, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the LORD, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." "The king should not say that," Jehoshaphat replied.

NIV

Considering the outcome of this alliance against the king of Aram and the ensuing battle, we wonder how it is possible that there are four hundred prophets who would actually be prophets of the LORD. There is this one truth from the mouth of Jehoshaphat that bears our attention. When he went down to visit Ahab, the king of Israel, Ahab was the one who brought up Ramoth Gilead. However, before going to war, Jehoshaphat wanted to first seek the counsel of the LORD. There is no way that four hundred men were all prophets of the LORD. From what we know, God usually uses one man to be His prophet, who will declare the word of the LORD as it is spoken to him. These four hundred remind us of the prophets of Baal that Elijah, under the power of God, showed who the LORD was. Jehoshaphat was wise to the false prophets, and asked if there was not one prophet of the LORD here whom we could inquire of. That is the truth we need to focus on. Before going to war, Jehoshaphat wanted to know if he had the consent of the LORD or not. He knew his success depended on the favor or the will of the LORD. Ahab, on the other hand, did not want to hear from the one true prophet of the LORD because he never told him what he wanted to hear. The question before us is the same. How much do we really want to know what the Lord has to say about what we are supposed to do, and not to do? Before we make any choice about anything, we should first seek the counsel of the Lord. The Lord always spoke to his people throughout the Old Testament, and we believe he might have been silent for about four hundred years before the time of Jesus. When he determined the time for Jesus to come to earth in the form of man, God was no longer silent. When Jesus was finished with this work, dying on the cross, being buried for three days, then resurrected, before he ascended some days later, he told his disciples to wait for the Spirit. This is the same Spirit who lives within. We have all we need to be able to inquire of the LORD before we do anything. Sometimes it seems that we believers just move ahead and do things just because we think they are good, or because they are what we have always done. Have we ever inquired of the Lord as to what we should be doing? Have we ever inquired of the Lord if we should stop something we are doing? Every aspect of our lives, both personally and corporately, should be connected directly due to our seeking the counsel of the Lord. We can make all sorts of plans, devise a plethora of formulas that are supposed to bring us success, but if we are not inquiring of the Lord, we could be doomed to failure. Before we attempt anything, let us seek the counsel of our Lord. Let us seek the counsel of our Lord for affirmation of what we are doing, or if we are to cease. That is the one truth we can live by, seeking the counsel of the Lord.  

The Verdict

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

THE VERDICT

1 Kings 21:15-29

15 As soon as Jezebel heard that Naboth had been stoned to death, she said to Ahab, "Get up and take possession of the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite that he refused to sell you. He is no longer alive, but dead." 16 When Ahab heard that Naboth was dead, he got up and went down to take possession of Naboth's vineyard. 17 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 18 "Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who rules in Samaria. He is now in Naboth's vineyard, where he has gone to take possession of it. 19 Say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?' Then say to him, 'This is what the LORD says: In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood, dogs will lick up your blood — yes, yours!'" 20 Ahab said to Elijah, "So you have found me, my enemy!" "I have found you," he answered, "because you have sold yourself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD. 21'I am going to bring disaster on you. I will consume your descendants and cut off from Ahab every last male in Israel — slave or free. 22 I will make your house like that of Jeroboam son of Nebat and that of Baasha son of Ahijah, because you have provoked me to anger and have caused Israel to sin.' 3 "And also concerning Jezebel the LORD says: 'Dogs will devour Jezebel by the wall of Jezreel.' 24 "Dogs will eat those belonging to Ahab who die in the city, and the birds of the air will feed on those who die in the country." 25(There was never a man like Ahab, who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the LORD, urged on by Jezebel his wife. 26 He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols, like the Amorites the LORD drove out before Israel.) 27 When Ahab heard these words, he tore his clothes, put on sackcloth and fasted. He lay in sackcloth and went around meekly. 28 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah the Tishbite: 29 "Have you noticed how Ahab has humbled himself before me? Because he has humbled himself, I will not bring this disaster in his day, but I will bring it on his house in the days of his son."

NIV

Under the covenant God made with Israel, men still did evil in the eyes of the LORD. They had such a great promise from the LORD, but they needed to obey his word. Ahab’s lust for Naboth’s vineyard was at the heart of this murderous plot of Jezebel. The problem is that she could not act without the LORD seeing what was done, and Jezebel and Ahab provoked the LORD to anger. Elijah was sent to pronounce the verdict for their crime against the LORD. Dogs and birds would eat their blood as death was the verdict for their crimes against the LORD. Ahab did tear his clothes, put on sackcloth, fasted, and went around merely or humbly. The LORD was compassionate toward Ahab and allowed him to live, but the kingdom would be torn from him and his household. Just as it was with Solomon and Rehoboam, it will be with Ahab and his sons. Who can escape the verdict of the LORD? Today we live under another kind of verdict: light came into the world, but men loved darkness instead of the light because their deeds were evil. We know their fate, but this verdict also applies to whoever lives by the truth comes into the light. When we live in the light, our deeds may be seen plainly, and all that is done has been done through God. We live within the Light, who is Jesus, for He is the Light of the world. Because of Jesus, we can live. Because of Jesus, God sees us through His blood. We can never say it is because we did, or how good we think we are. It is never about how much we do, how good we try to be, or how obedient we try to be. It is just that simple. It is not because of us; it is always because of Jesus. That does not mean we can live anyway we want. Jesus told us to learn from Him. He is gentle and humble of heart. If we learn that lesson, we will find rest for our souls. We can learn many truths from the word of God, such as not to be prideful, boastful, arrogant, unforgiving, and not to be rude and self-centered. But we can learn to be gentle and humble. There is no other way to find rest for our souls. Ahab had no rest for his soul because he was not gentle or humble. He was self-centered, wanting what belonged to another. When we learn this truth from Jesus, we will be at peace with God and at peace with each other. Because of the love of God through Jesus, his love covers a multitude of our sins, and that translates into our being gentle and humble of heart, so our love covers a multitude of offenses against us. God’s verdict was upon Ahab and Jezebel, and it was a verdict of guilty. God’s verdict on those who are in Christ is that He declares us innocent, holy, and pleasing in his sight. We live by God’s verdict.

 

 

Want it All

 DEVOTION

1^ST KINGS

WANT IT ALL

1 Kings 21:1-14

21:1 Some time later there was an incident involving a vineyard belonging to Naboth the Jezreelite. The vineyard was in Jezreel, close to the palace of Ahab king of Samaria. 2 Ahab said to Naboth, "Let me have your vineyard to use for a vegetable garden, since it is close to my palace. In exchange I will give you a better vineyard or, if you prefer, I will pay you whatever it is worth." 3 But Naboth replied, "The LORD forbid that I should give you the inheritance of my fathers." 4 So Ahab went home, sullen and angry because Naboth the Jezreelite had said, "I will not give you the inheritance of my fathers." He lay on his bed sulking and refused to eat. 5 His wife Jezebel came in and asked him, "Why are you so sullen? Why won't you eat?" 6 He answered her, "Because I said to Naboth the Jezreelite, 'Sell me your vineyard; or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in its place.' But he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard.'" 7 Jezebel his wife said, "Is this how you act as king over Israel? Get up and eat! Cheer up. I'll get you the vineyard of Naboth the Jezreelite." 8 So she wrote letters in Ahab's name, placed his seal on them, and sent them to the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city with him. 9 In those letters she wrote: "Proclaim a day of fasting and seat Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 10 But seat two scoundrels opposite him and have them testify that he has cursed both God and the king. Then take him out and stone him to death." 11 So the elders and nobles who lived in Naboth's city did as Jezebel directed in the letters she had written to them. 12 They proclaimed a fast and seated Naboth in a prominent place among the people. 13 Then two scoundrels came and sat opposite him and brought charges against Naboth before the people, saying, "Naboth has cursed both God and the king." So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death. 14 Then they sent word to Jezebel: "Naboth has been stoned and is dead."

NIV

More evil, but this was all Jezebel. On the surface, she was concerned about her husband, wanting him not to be sullen nor to eat. It could appear she was motivated by her love for Ahab. However, the story here is about Ahab lusting after what belongs to another. He was trying to do the right thing by offering something in exchange for a vineyard that he wanted to turn into a vegetable garden. This vineyard of Naboth had been in his family for years, which would have meant the vines were old and well cared for, producing fine grapes for an even finer wine. The vineyard was Naboth’s inheritance that he had invested in. He had no desire to give it up, for whatever reason. However, this lust, this desire for Naboth’s vineyard that was not being fulfilled, drove Ahab into despair, sullen and not wanting to eat. Yes, the evil of Jezebel is another story, for she is a wicked woman, for she had Naboth killed, just so her husband could take possession of what he wanted. It is not right to desire what belongs to another. This lust is usually motivated by either jealousy or envy, but Ahab was the king of Israel. He lived in a palace, had many servants, the finest of clothes, the best of foods, he lived the ‘Good life” so many people desire for themselves. We do live the “good life” because, first, we know our Lord Jesus as Lord and Savior, and we have been given life eternal. Second, the Lord has blessed us with so many material things of this world. We live in a fine home, wear nice clothing, eat good food, and enjoy each day. He gives us the ability to praise and honor Him. What more could we need? Why would we lust after anything someone has? Why would we ever be jealous of another? Why would we envy what someone has or does? Ahab was wrong; he had more than enough, more than all others; he was the king of Israel. We cannot afford to get this wrong. We know the truth; we have learned to be content and trust in the Lord. He loves us, leads us, protects us, and provides for us, so what more do we need? We do not need to desire what someone has; we have it all. We do not need to be like Ahab and want it all.