Acts 2:44-45

Acts 2:44-45

And all the ones who believe were upon the same thing and they were having all things in common.  And they were selling the property and the possessions and they were dividing and distributing the same things to all as much as anyone was having a need. 

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

One of the reasons why I love this passage is because these two verses are so challenging.  In addition to the marks of discipleship we saw yesterday, we see fellowship, giving, and service added to the list.  The early followers of Christ actively sold their stuff and gave it to others in service.  This is a dynamic that I don’t often get in American Christianity.  We still get excited when we get new stuff and we aren’t great at sharing.  When we get new electronics, or a new car, or new whatever – we get excited.  We still are a consumer driven people rather than a neighbor driven people.

How much does the pursuit of stuff in your life drive your actions?  How often does the need of your neighbor drive your actions?

Second Thought:

One of the reasons the early church was able to accomplish this wonderful dynamic was because they believed that they would live and die together.  They threw their lots in with each other.  In the face of the massive amount of Jews, what were a handful of Christians?  They had to band together to survive.

Are we more like the early Christians or the Jews in this regard?  Do American Christians feel like we need to band together to survive or are we more likely to approach church with the idea that “I’ll be here until I don’t like it anymore and then I’ll leave?”  How does this get in the way of what God wants to do?

Third Thought:

Same third thought as yesterday.  How good am I at doing what the first followers of Christ are doing in these verses?

So today, the questions are: how good am I at focusing on the people around me and not my technological wonders (or other stuff)?  How good am I at actually giving of what I have or make?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 2:46-47

Acts 2:42-43

Acts 2:42-43:

And they were persisting in adherence to the teaching of the apostles and to the fellowship, to the breaking of the bread, and to the prayers.  And fear was arising to every soul.  And many wonders and signs were arising through the apostles. 

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

This is the beginning to one of my favorite scripture passages.  To me, this is “perfect church.”  This is “church where everyone who is there is there just to worship God.”  This is “church where everyone present is there simply to figure out what church is.”  I think I love this passage because it seems to me to be “church without expectations.”  This is the first “church,” so nobody has any prior standard to live up to.

In what ways do our own expectations keep us from being the “church?”  In what ways do our “expectations” get in the way of seeing what God wants us to do?

Second Thought:

The things that the people do are so simple.  They devote themselves to the teaching of the apostles.  They pray together.  They worship God.  They don’t do anything that is complicated, anything that takes a bunch of preparation and administration, or anything that in any other way bogs down the Holy Spirit.

When you think about your fondest spiritual moments, would you say they were moments that you planned the spirituality or are they moments that God used and you had no real way of seeing it coming?

Third Thought:

As we continue this passage for the next few days, ask yourself this question each day: How good am I at doing what the first followers of Christ are doing in these verses?

So today, the questions are: how good am I at devoting myself to the teachings of my spiritual leaders (who better be teaching Christ or else you need to get new spiritual leaders!)?  How good am I coming and actually being able to worship?  How good am I at being willing to pray with the spiritual people around me?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 2:44-45

Acts 2:36-41

Acts 2:36-41:

Therefore after being exalted to the right hand of God and after receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the father, he poured out this one whom you all see and even hear.  For did not David go up into heaven?  And he said, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, sit out of my right hand until I should place your enemies as a footstool of your feet.  Therefore, let every house of Israel also known with certainty that God made this Jesus – whom you all crucified – Lord and Christ.”  And after hearing they were pierced to the heart and they said to Peter and to the remaining apostles, “What should we do, men and brothers?”  And Peter said to them, “Repent.”  He said, “And each of you be baptized upon the name of Jesus Christ into deliverance of your sin.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you all and for your children and for all the ones into the far away places – as many as the Lord our God should call to himself.  And by many other words he solemnly charged them and was calling them to his side while saying, “Be saved from this crooked generation.”  And therefore the ones who embraced his word were baptized and about three thousand lives were added in that day.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

3,000.  Really?

Yeah, really.  I’ve heard the people say that this was just a common expression for “a big number.”  And, academically I know that it is possible to interpret the Greek of the Bible in that way.  But you know what?  I’m choosing to believe it was 3,000.  I’m choosing to believe it because God’s power came and dwelled visibly in that place.  People did unexplainable things.  It was an amazing day – mind blowing, even.  As important as the Temple was in Jerusalem, I don’t think that it is odd to think that 3,000 people would want to “get a piece of that kind of action.”  I really don’t think that is a stretch at all.

Have you ever read an inspiring story about someone who did something amazing for God?  What was the story?  Why was it inspiring?  How did the story affect you?  Why do stories like that have such an ability to affect us as they do?

Second Thought:

The people come up to Peter.  Remember, this is the Peter who so often “got it not quite right” when Jesus was around.  This is the Peter who jumped out of the boat … and almost drowned.  This is the Peter who only moments after professing that he believed Jesus was the Messiah … Jesus has to turn to him and say “Satan, get behind me.”  Peter went from normal average follower of Jesus to “the answer man” in a matter of minutes.  Not only was he the answer man, but he was the guy who all of these people who came to him for answers would now start seeing as their spiritual leader.  Whoa.

How would you feel as a normal human being like Peter if all of a sudden some 3,000 people queue up to form a line and ask you about your faith?  What does this say about us being able to speak about our faith at any moment’s notice?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 3:42-43

Acts 2:25-35

Acts 2:25-35:

For David says into him, ‘I was foreseeing the Lord in my presence through everything, since he is out of my right hand in order that I should not be shaken.  For this sake my heart was rejoicing and my tongue celebrated and yet even my flesh will rest upon hope.  Since you will not abandon my life into Hades and you will not give your holy one to see corruption.  You made a way of life known to me.  You will fill me of gladness with your face.’  Men, brothers, it is possible to say to you with boldness of speech regarding the patriarch David since even he came to an end, he was buried, and his tomb is in our place until this day.  Therefore he was a prophet while coming into existence and has known that God swore to him by an oath to set one out of the fruit of his loins upon his throne.  After foreseeing he called out regarding the resurrection of the Christ that he should neither be abandoned into Hades nor his flesh see corruption.  God raised up this Jesus, of whom we are all witnesses.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

It must have taken some serious faith and confidence in God for David to face death knowing that sometime in the future God would send a Messiah to save him from that state.  Sounds familiar – doesn’t it?  To think that a person believes they can die and be dead for a thousand years and still not be out of God’s ability to bring them back to life is no less than amazing.  Yet it is the faith David has.  It is the faith we have.

Does it inspire you to think that you have the same quality of faith as the greatest king of Israel?  Are you inspired by knowing that other people – even great people like David – believed in something that was beyond their control?

Second Thought:

David also talks about The Holy One (Jesus) ascending to the right hand of God until the enemies of God are trampled under His foot.  This implies that God is in charge, and He is slowly working out His plan of grinding His enemies into defeat.

What enemies do you think God is actively working against?  Is there any comfort knowing that Jesus is our savior and He is sitting at the right hand of God the Father?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 2:36-41

Acts 2:22-24

Acts 2:22-24

Men of Israel, hear these words.  Jesus the Nazarene, was a man having been demonstrated into you as being from God by powers and wonders and signs – which God made through him in your midst, just as you have known.  Through a hand of lawlessness after affixing to a cross you all murdered this man delivered up by the purpose and foreknowledge of God which has been definitively set; whom God raised after unbinding the pangs of death, inasmuch as it was not powerful enough under him to firmly grasp him.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

Jesus had lived and breathed among the people to whom Peter now speaks.  In some respects, it is tough to talk about the faith now because we’ve never really seen Jesus physically face to face – we’ve only seen the fruit of His Spirit.  On the other hand, Peter knows that these are the very people who wanted to see Jesus dead.

Do you think it is easier to talk to people about the benefits of something they’ve never experienced or to talk to people about the benefits of something they’ve experienced and hated it enough to end it?  Why?

Second Thought:

Peter is pretty bold here.  It takes some guts to look someone in the face and remind them that they are directly responsible for killing Jesus.  Peter is potentially putting his neck on the chopping block.

Do you think this is a good approach for Peter to take?  What is the benefit of confronting people with the consequences of their actions?  What are the potential hazards of confronting people with the consequences?

Third Thought:

Here Peter confesses to believing that Jesus was raised from the dead.  We do the same thing every time we worship God on Sunday.  But let’s think about this.  If you met someone who claimed to have been dead for 3 days but suddenly made alive – would you believe them?

In what way does our claim to believe in the resurrection make our faith unbelievable to the world around us?  Is this necessarily a bad thing?  What does believing in something “impossible” prove to the world?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 2:25-32

Acts 2:14-21

Acts 2:14-21:

And being set, Peter – with the eleven – lifted up his voice and spoke to them.  “Men, Jews, and all the ones who live in Jerusalem: This is known to you, and listen to my sayings.  For it is not as you answer, “these ones are dunk.”  For it is the third hour of the day!”  But this is what has been said through the prophet Joel: ‘And it will be in the last days,’ says God, ‘I will pour out from my spirit upon all flesh.  And your sons and daughters will prophesy.  Your youth will see visions.  And your elders will dream dreams.  And indeed, in those days I will pour out from my spirit upon my male slaves and upon my female slaves and they will prophesy.  And I will give wonders in heaven and signs upon the earth below: Blood, fire, vapors of smoke.  The sun will convert into darkness and the moon into blood before the great day of the Lord is to come also in full view.  And everyone who will be – if he should call upon the name of the Lord – he will be saved.

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

Sometimes it is difficult for us to think that Peter was right and that we are “in the last days.”  After all, it has been roughly 2,000 years since Jesus’ death and resurrection.  That’s what, 100 generations of people (assuming a generation is 20 years)?  How can 100 generations be “the last days?”

On the other hand, when we put it in God’s perspective we can see why it is called the last days.  We had the time of creation (however long that process took).  Then we had the time before sin entered the world.  Then we had the time between the coming of sin and the giving of the law.  Then we had the time between the giving of the law and the giving of the Messiah.  Now we are in the time between the first and final coming of the Messiah (the final chance for the world to hear God’s Gospel of grace and mercy).  In that perspective, we are literally in the “last days.”  Until the Messiah came, there was always something to which humanity can look forward.  The only thing left for us is the second coming of the Messiah and then judgment.  It is the last big span of time for the world.

Knowing that we are in the last days and that God’s plan is almost complete, does that give you any reason to be more intentional about bringing God’s ways to the people in your life?

Second Thought:

Peter is clear that men and women will prophecy as he quotes Joel 2:28-32.  As God unfolds His plan, God gets more and more inclusive.  At first it was just Abraham.  Then it became the Hebrew people (any willing to obey the Law).  Now it has become Jew and Gentile (any who are willing to follow Christ).  We have a Gospel open to anyone who is willing to obey God’s ways regardless of their race, color, creed, or gender.

Why do we have people in this world who refuse to see God’s gradual progression for including people?  Why do people still want to limit who can and cannot “be in Christ” based on any evaluation other than whether they are a disciple of Jesus Christ or not?

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 2:22-24

Acts 2:5-13

Acts 2:5-13

And in Jerusalem devout Jewish men were dwelling, they were from every nation under heaven.  And when this sound became, the great multitude was assembled and they were thrown into confusion since they were hearing each one by their own dialect while they called out.  And they were amazed and they wondered while saying, “Look!  Are not these all the ones who call out in Galilean?”  And how do we hear each in the own dialect of ours in which we were born?  Parthians, Medes, Elamites, the ones who live in Mesopotamia, Judea and even Cappadocia, Pontus, Asia, Phrygia and even Pamphylia, Egypt, the parts of Libya – the one around Cyrene, the ones who dwell among the Romans, Jews and even proselytes, Cretans and Arbs.  We all hear while they call out the great things of God by our tongues.  And all were amazed and they were perplexed, while saying one to another, “What desired this to be?”  And while jeering outright, others were saying that “they are having been filled with sweet unfermented wine.”

Thoughts for Today:

First Thought:

The crowds calls the disciples “Galileans” – meaning “people from Galilee.”  But in those days the word Galilean meant so much more.  Galilean meant someone who is uneducated as well as a trouble maker, a rabble-rouser, a threat for a revolt, someone who is likely to get what they want through some kind of crime.  It wasn’t a very nice term at all.  Yet out of this “rabble” comes an incredible event: these devout Jews are seeing the rabble come alive and do things that these Galileans should not be able to do.  God can do amazing things with ordinary folks if we let Him.

What is the danger of not doing something based on our own assessment of our own ability?  How can you change your thinking and actions to open yourself up to letting God work through you more?

Second Thought:

Some within the crowd are absolutely amazed at what they see.  Some within the crowd are convinced that the disciples are simply drunk and shouldn’t be getting this attention.  Clearly this is also a place where we can continue to talk about being open/closed minded.  The ones who are open minded are open to their life potentially changing.  The ones who are closed minded miss out on their chance to hear about Jesus and not only have their life changed but participate in eternal salvation.

How important is it for us to have an open mind and look for God everywhere, not just where we think we should find God?  What are the dangers of having a closed mind?

Third Thought:

This isn’t so much of a thought as it is a “word study.”  This is a great passage to lift up the word “all.”  (See verse 12)  The Bible says “all were perplexed/amazed” and then in verse 13 we hear “But others doubted.”  Whenever we have the word “but” it means something contrary.  So clearly we have a group who were perplexed and amazed and clearly we have a group that doubts.  What this means is that not “all the people” were perplexed and amazed, but rather “all the people who reacted positively to the Lord’s sign” were perplexed and amazed.  Others doubted.

We really need to be careful with the word “all” in the Bible.  As my Greek professor in seminary said to me, “how much of all is all?”  In the Bible, quite often all doesn’t mean “all.”  All often means “all the people in this smaller subset.”  But the truth is that we use this word this way in English, too.  When we say at Christmas “all the world is at peace,” do we literally mean it?  Nope.  We mean “all those who believe in Christ are at peace.”  Let’s remember to be careful about the word all – especially when it comes to reading the Bible.

Passage for Tomorrow: Acts 2:14-21