Category Archives: Book of Acts Series 2019

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Inspiration, Old Testament, Sin

Acts 5:1-11: Lying to God

Person standing with large pointed out nose from lying too much

I would like to discuss a story in the Book of Acts that sheds light about two people who lied to God. Let me first be clear that we all will fall short from time to time in our walk with the Lord, and that is why we need to continually seek God. Romans 3:23 (KJV) reminds us, “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”. The two people who end up lying to God are Ananias and Sapphira, it is believed that Ananias made a promise to God that he would give all proceeds of a future sale of his land to God. However, we will find out that Ananias will not follow through with how he is supposed to handle the proceeds of the sale, and his wife Sapphira will conspire this act with him.

The Act of Lying Committed and then Confronted

Let’s begin by looking at Acts 5:1-2 (NKJV), “But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession.  And he kept back part of the proceeds, his wife also being aware of it, and brought a certain part and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”.  So, they were supposed to bring the full proceeds to the church, but they didn’t. In this act, Ananias and his wife are both guilty of lying to God. Acts 5:3-4 (NKJV) continues, “But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back part of the price of the land for yourself?  While it remained, was it not your own? And after it was sold, was it not in your own control? Why have you conceived this thing in your heart? You have not lied to men but to God.””. Peter knew immediately that Ananias was lying not only to the church but to God. Peter was able to pick up on this lie only because he was filled with the Holy Spirit and had a discerning spirit.  Peter rebukes what Ananias has done and questions him as to why he let Satan filled his heart to lie to God. We know that Satan is the father of all lies, in John 8:44 (NKJV) Jesus told us, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”.

The Reaction of Ananias and His Wife

Many people, when confronted with a lie, will try to defend themselves, but because Ananias lied to God something different took place. Acts 5:5-10 (NKJV) continues, “Then Ananias, hearing these words, fell down and breathed his last. So great fear came upon all those who heard these things.  And the young men arose and wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him. Now it was about three hours later when his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.  And Peter answered her, “Tell me whether you sold the land for so much?” She said, “Yes, for so much.” Then Peter said to her, “How is it that you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look, the feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out.”  Then immediately she fell at his feet and breathed her last. And the young men came in and found her dead, and carrying her out, buried her by her husband.”. Ananias and his wife both fell and died when they are confronted, they knew that they did wrong to the Lord. Now there were other people around when this happened, and I don’t know about you but if I saw someone who fell and died after being convicted of a lie, I would be scared. Everyone has lied at some point in their life, and even probably after becoming a born-again Christian. We may all tell white lies from time to time or even bigger lies. No matter the size of the lie the Lord does not approve of it in any way. I am saying this because we can all be guilty of lying, along with other sins, even myself can be guilty. Therefore, we need to always be in an attitude of repentance to the Lord, because it is our inherited nature from Adam to sin.

What is a Vow to God?

Let me clarify, the example of lying we see in Acts chapter 5 is not comparable to the white lies we might tell people in our everyday life from time to time (even though those are still a sin). Their lie was to God, and it broke a vow they had obviously made to God on giving all the proceeds to the church of the sale of their land. God will not tolerate a broken vow that was made in His name.

Old Testament Scriptures on Vows to God

I would like to give you a few scriptures from the Old Testament regarding vows to God:

•    Deuteronomy 23:21 (NKJV): “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay to pay it; for the Lord, your God will surely require it of you, and it would be sin to you.”

•    Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 (NKJV): “When you make a vow to God, do not delay to pay it; For He has no pleasure in fools. Pay what you have vowed— Better not to vow than to vow and not pay.”

•    Numbers 30:2 (NKJV): “If a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself by some agreement, he shall not break his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”

A Vow Must Be Kept!

It is made very clear that vows made to God must be kept, a broken vow to God would be considered lying to God. Oral vows made in the name of the Lord are the equivalent to a modern-day written contract. Here is an example we might be able to relate to if you have a contractor do a renovation to your house and if they don’t follow through on delivering something, they agreed to in their contract with you, they could get in legal trouble. So just like in our modern day written contracts, oral vows made to God are not taken lightly. If someone breaks a modern-day written contract there are consequences, just like there are consequences for breaking a vow made with God. Vows were usually made to the Lord in the form of service to be dedicated to the Lord or also could be a sacrifice in the act of worship towards the Lord.

Sin in the Church

Another take away from the story Ananias and his wife is that sin in the church is not tolerated by the Lord. Far too often today we see many well-known ‘ministers’ taking advantage of their funds coming into their ministry. We also see many people in church leadership misusing their authority. We could make a long list of the sins that take place in today’s churches. Instead of making a list, I would like to point us to Revelation 2:23 (NKJV) which says, “…and all the churches shall know that I am He who searches the minds and hearts. And I will give to each one of you according to your works.”.

Final Thoughts…

We all know that we will sin from time to time, and when we do, we need to repent. With how busy we can be every day we can often forget of sins that we have done throughout that day. We might label these sins as small, just like white lies. Regardless of what it is, we need to repent of it to God. When you repent of your sins to the Lord you will feel a weight come off your shoulders. I encourage you to ask the Lord to search your heart and reveal anything to you that you need to repent to Him about. This prayer is given to us in Psalm 139:23-24 (NKJV), “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.”. As you repent of your sins, it can be expected for the enemy to try to rehash those sins that you already repented of back into to your memory. When this happens, just start praying in the name of Jesus and start reading the Word. Also, when Satan tries to put a lie into your heart, remember that he is the father of all lies.

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Inspiration, love, Wisdom

Back to the Basics: An Example of Generosity

bowl of tomatoes being handed to a person with gloves on.

As I continue in my series on the Book of Acts, I would like to teach from the last few verses of chapter four. Even though these are a small number of scriptures out of chapter four, they provide us an example of how the church should function with helping people in need. There are many people today who might be going through a difficult time, whether that be financially, emotionally, or physically. Regardless of what one’s circumstances might be, nothing is impossible with God. I would like to raise a question to you before I go into this teaching, what is your church doing to reach out to those in your community or even inside your church who are in need? This is something we all need to ask whether we are involved in church leadership or not.

Acts 4:32-33: Sharing and Like Minded

Let’s begin with Acts 4:32-33 (NKJV) which says, “Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.”.  The group of believers in the church of Acts were a group of people who were like-minded with the same beliefs in Jesus Christ through the Apostles were teaching them. Romans 15:5-6 (NKJV) tells us, “Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus,  that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”. Additionally, Philippians 2:2 (NKJV) tells us, “fulfill my joy by being like-minded, having the same love, being of one accord, of one mind.”.  Aside from being like-minded, the people in the church of Acts shared what they had individually with each other, only because of the great grace through Jesus Christ that they had.

Acts 4:34-37: Examples of Generosity

Acts 4:34-35 (NKJV) continues and tells us, “Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need.”. The early Christians shared their possessions to others who were in need, they are leading by example with their generosity. This generosity was not of their own works but a work of God through them because of grace. Continuing on Acts 4:36-37 (NKJV) tells us, “And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus,  having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet.”. Joses led by example by selling his land and donating all the profits from the sale to the church.  Joses act of generosity should inspire us Christians to strive to be as generous as we possibly can.

What Else Does the Bible Say About Generosity?

So aside from the Book of Acts, what do other verses in the Bible tell us about generosity? Proverbs 19:17 (NKJV), says “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, And He will pay back what he has given.”. God will repay those who help the needy out. We shouldn’t give to expect something back; we should give because it is the right thing to do and it is instructed to us by God. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 (NKJV)  tells us “If there is among you a poor man of your brethren, within any of the gates in your land which the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand from your poor brother,  but you shall open your hand wide to him and willingly lend him sufficient for his need, whatever he needs.”. Too often in today’s world, people want to live a self-centered life where they are more concerned about their bank account than the needs of others around them. If you are more concerned about your bank account and investments than having a giving heart, then you’re taking pride in yourself and in your finances. 1 John 2:16 (NKJV) says “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”. God doesn’t want us to be prideful He wants us to be humble, James 4:10 (ESV) tells us, “Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”. 

The Gospel of Prosperity?

Many people don’t like to talk about this but there are many ministers who live in mansions and proclaim the Word of God. Some people will only follow their teachings because they will teach you prosperity on Sundays or in their books. I understand ministers need to make a living to support themselves and their families, but if you are living in a mansion, I feel your megachurch needs to do more to serve the people of the community. It’s not about living our ‘Best Life Now’, it is about being sure that we are 100 percent ready for eternity. 1 John 3:17 (NKJV) reminds us, “But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him?”.

Final Thoughts

So now that we have an example of generosity from the Book of Acts, could your church be doing more outreach to others? I am sure we could all pull together as the Body of Christ and find ways to show our generosity to people in our churches who are in need, along with unbelievers who are in need. Outreaching to unbelievers who are in need is a great way to minister to them. So, I challenge you to take some time and reflect on how you can better show generosity as God’s Word instructs us to. I would like to end with giving you a list of the nine fruits of the Spirit that should show through in all believers, I recently wrote a devotional on this so please be sure to order that! The nine fruits of the Spirit are listed in Galatians 5:22-23 (NKJV) which says, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.”. There will come times when we might be lacking in one of these nine fruits if that is the case for you then seek God to help you in your weakness. In my next teaching, I will continue to chapter five in the Book of Acts.

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

Persecuted with Jesus

jail window on outside of stone building

As I continue my series on the Book of Acts, I would like to teach from Chapter 4 and how it applies to us Christians today. Previously I talked about the healing of the lame man done by the Apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today I would like to discuss something that we all need to realize and that is the persecuted church. There are many Christians around the world who become imprisoned, tortured, or even killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. I myself live in the United States of America where we are blessed to have freedom of religion in 2019. However, I would like to give a warning, our freedoms will be coming to an end one day, Christians in the United States will begin to be persecuted and killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. My question for you is, are you ready to take a true stand for Jesus or are you just going to go with the flow? Jesus took a stand for us sinners on the cross, so we should all be ready for the day of persecution. I have heard many prophetic words on the persecution of Christians coming to America, and I feel strongly in my spirit that the enemy is planning to get some Christian blood in America. In this teaching I will discuss the imprisonment of John and Peter, and what we need to do to be ready for not just persecution but ongoing spiritual warfare that is going on right now.

Let’s look at Acts 4:1-3 (NKJV), “Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,  being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.  And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.”. John and Peter were arrested for teaching on the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Sadducees were the ones who were predominately behind this because they did not believe in the resurrection. Matthew 22:23 (NKJV) tells us, “The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection…”. The followed the Pentateuch which is the portion of the Hebrew Bible they deemed true. Regardless of what the Sadducees thought, we find out many who heard the teachings about Jesus from Peter believed. Acts 4:4 (NKJV) confirms this, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.”.  We also see the number of believers grow because of the power of the Holy Spirit.

As we continue on Acts 4:7 (NKJV) tells us the leaders of the Sadducees began to question John and Peter on the next day, “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?””. With this questioned asked, we can expect a great teaching from Peter. Acts 4:8-10 (NKJV) continues, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:  If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well,  let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole.”. Peter spoke boldly to these rulers and explains they did a good deed in the mighty name of Jesus that resulted in a lame man to be completely healed, this will be something these rulers will not be able to deny. Acts 4:11-12 (NKJV) goes on to say, “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’  Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”. Peter tells the leaders that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church, this was prophesized in Psalm 118:22 (NKJV), “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.”. Peter also tells them that salvation is only through Jesus Christ, John 14:6 (NKJV) tells us “Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.”. This was another great teaching given by Peter because he spoke with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also foretold of this very event happening in Luke 12:11-12 (NKJV) when He said, ““Now when they bring you to the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what you should answer, or what you should say.  For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.”. We will also see that Mark gave an account of this in his gospel as well in Mark 13:11 (NKJV) where Jesus said, “But when they arrest you and deliver you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak, but the Holy Spirit.”. When we are dealing with spiritual warfare, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us and guide us just like the apostles did.

The rulers see the boldness of Peter and John. Acts 4:13 (NKJV) continues, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus”. They claim that John and Peter are uneducated and untrained in ministry. Let me tell you something you don’t need a degree from a highly ranked university or college to become a great minister. Don’t get me wrong coursework and training will help to prepare you, but not everyone is able to go to earn a full degree to step into ministry. There are many churches that offer small programs both accredited and non-accredited and they do successfully prepare people for ministry. A true minister will deliver a message only from the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. God can call anyone into ministry at any point in their life. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV) tells us “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,  for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ,  till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”. Additionally, 2 Timothy 1:6-8 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.  For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God”. We should not be afraid of sharing the Gospel nor ashamed of sharing it. I feel in my spirit that there are too many secret disciples today too many people who publicly don’t want to admit they are a follower of Jesus Christ. This is something we can all be guilty of, but we must remember we need to share the Gospel at every opportunity we possibly can. We will also need to realize that people of this world will not always favor us because of our faith. People of the world would rather see Christians be more politically correct than Biblically correct. The only way to be a true Christian is to be Biblically correct, then politics can come second according to what is right in the Word of God. There are many Christians who are not voting accordingly to what the Word of God says is correct, and God is angry right now with America. It is time Christians take a stand and vote on values according to the Word of God, rather than what the mainstream media is brainwashing us with. Jesus told us in John 15:18-21 (NKJV), “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you.  If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.  Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.  But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake because they do not know Him who sent Me.”. 

Continuing Acts 4:14 (NKJV) says, “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”. The religious rulers cannot say anything against the miracle of the lame man. Acts 4:15-22 (NKJV) goes on to say, “But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.  But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.  But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.  For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done.  For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”. The religious rulers are going to try to put a stop to the spread of Christianity, however, we will find out that Christianity will continue to spread. There is no power of the enemy that can stand up against the power of the Holy Spirit, therefore we must pray with authority.

After John and Peter are let go, they go back to their group of believers and inform them of what happened. We will find out that they pray together as they face this giant. Acts 4:23-26 (NKJV) tells us, “And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.  So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them,  who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’”. We see that part of what they prayed comes from Psalms 2:1-3 (NKJV), “Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away Their cords from us.””. Persecution because of faith in Jesus Christ was prophesized in the Book of Psalms. We will see when they asked for boldness the Holy Spirit gave them boldness. Acts 4:27-31 (NKJV) continues and tells us, ““For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done.  Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”.

Peter leads by example and shows us how we need to seek God in both our personal trials and in spiritual warfare. When we are in a trial or dealing with spiritual warfare we need to put on the Whole Armor of God as it is told to us in Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV), “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,  and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;  above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.  And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;  praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—  and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”. So, my question to you is have you truly put on the whole Armor of God? Are you ready to face spiritual warfare? How is your prayer life right now? Are you only praying to just bless your meal? Are you only praying when a problem is coming your way? Or are you praying at every opportunity you can get in the valuable time the Lord has blessed you with? The truth is we all need to spend more time praying and more importantly praying in the Spirit. I just gave you a teaching on the gift of tongues, if you have not received that gift, I encourage you to seek God and ask Him for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and for the gift of tongues. The devil hates when someone who is truly baptized in the Holy Spirit prays in the Spirit. I promise you the more time you spend praying in tongues the greater amount of change you will see take place to the spiritual warfare going on around you and in your own trails and weaknesses. If you need a deeper explanation on the gift of tongues, I encourage you to look back on that teaching I recently gave on my blog or YouTube Channel. I encourage you again to put on the full armor of God and do spiritual warfare and seek God on where you need to improve in your prayer life.

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Testimony, Wisdom

A Healing Followed by a Message

I would like to teach on chapter three from the Book of Acts as I continue my series on this powerful book of the Bible. Let’s look at Acts 3:1 (NKJV) which says, “Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”. There are a few things to take away here to help us get a good picture of the setting. First John and Peter are going to the temple, anytime a passage takes place at the temple you can expect for there to be crowds of people. Next, we will see this is taking place at the ninth hour of the day which is the hour of prayer. Now the ninth hour of the day according to the Jews would be 3 pm on our clock.

Acts 3:2 (NKJV) goes on to tell us, “And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from those who entered the temple;”.  There was a lame man left at the gate of the temple, and he was asking people for alms which is money, food or donations for the poor. I looked further into the word alms and found it comes from the Greek word eleemosyne which means compassion or pity. Acts 3:3-4 (NKJV) continues on and says, “who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms.  And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.””.  The lame man sees Peter and John coming and he asks them for alms, well we are going to find out he will get something much greater than alms.

Acts 3:5-7 (NKJV) tells us, “So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”. Peter and John did not have anything to give this man, except a miracle through the healing power of Jesus Christ. This man expected to receive something from Peter and John, even though he was expecting a donation he was in the right attitude to receive a healing. When we come to Jesus in prayer, we need to come expecting for Him to do the supernatural through the promises found in the Word of God. Also, notice how Peter did not pray a long prayer, he simply commanded healing in the name of Jesus Christ. John 14:13 (NKJV) tells us, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”. This type of miracle was one of the ones prophesized to be done through the power of Jesus Christ by Isaiah in Isaiah 35:6 (NKJV), “Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.”. Acts 3:8-9 (NKJV) continues, “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God.  And all the people saw him walking and praising God.”. The man gave praise to God for his healing, this is a reminder for us to praise God when He does the supernatural for us. Psalm 107:1-2 (NKJV) tells us, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,”.  This miracle caught the attention of the crowd of people who were at the temple, Acts 3:10 (NKJV) tells us, “Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”.

We will now look at Peters second sermon that we will find in the Book of Acts. If you have been following my series on the Book of Acts, you will see Peter’s first great sermon that is recorded in the Book of Acts. Peter sets the example of what sermons should be like today. Too often we have a watered-down gospel infiltrating our churches, especially the ones on mainstream media. I like to look at Peter’s sermons as ones that bring people to the conviction seat, which many churches today are lacking. The ministers of today’s churches need to get back to the basics of salvation and true conviction, we have too many unconverted people in the church today. Salvation is more than just saying the sinner’s prayer,
there should be evidence in someone who is truly saved that they are a new creation through salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) reminds us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”.

Acts 3:12-13 (NKJV) continues and says, “So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?  The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined to let Him go.”. Peter is taking the opportunity to talk about the Power of God to the crowd. Peter also goes onto say in Acts 3:14-15 (NKJV), “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you,  and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”. Peter takes the time to also remind the Jews that Jesus Christ was the Son of God, that they crucified. Peter also tells them about the power in the name of Jesus in Acts 3:16 (NKJV), “And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”. We need to always be reminded that we have power and authority in the name of Jesus. As we read on in this passage, we will find out why the Jews rejected Jesus. Acts 3:17 (NKJV) tells us, “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers.”. The Jews rejected Jesus because of their tradition and love of sin, this caused spiritual blindness. People will often have difficulty understanding the Bible because of spiritual blindness, we need to look at the Bible with spiritual eyes rather than intellectual eyes.

Let’s look at how Peter reminds the Jews that Jesus is mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Acts 3:18 (NKJV) tells us, “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”.  The prophets in the Old Testament foretold of Jesus precisely. Isaiah 53:10 (NKJV) tells us, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”. Continuing Acts 3:19 (NKJV) tells us, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”. Peter is calling for the Jews to come to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, he also mentions for them to be converted. This reminds us to get back to the basics of salvation when we lead people to Christ. We need to stop focusing on not only on how many people we can get to repeat the sinner’s prayer but, also how many people are truly converted from their old ways for Jesus Christ.

Peter continues speaking about how the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ. Acts 3:22-23 (NKJV) tells us, “For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’”. Moses foretold of a rising prophet, we will find this written out in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (NKJV) which tells us, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good.  I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him.  And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”.

Let’s now look at the seed through Abraham. Acts 3:24-26 (NKJV) says, “Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days.  You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed, all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’  To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”. If you know the Old Testament well enough you will find out that God’s covenant with Abraham points us to Jesus.  It is critical to understand the seed that is mentioned in this Blood Covenant between God and Abraham. Genesis 26:4 tells us, “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed;”. Now if we go to the New Testament and look at Galatians 3:26-29 it says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.  There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus.  And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”. So, the seed that will bless many nations is pointing to Jesus, isn’t that amazing to know this is one of the many ways the Old Testament points us to Jesus!

I covered a lot in this teaching from the first healing in the Book of Acts to how the Old Testament points us to Jesus. I would encourage you when you pray to expect God to do the supernatural for your situation according to His word. Just remember your prayers don’t need to be very long, you just need to pray with authority in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, many people view the Old Testament as unnecessary to read, this is incorrect thinking. We need to read the Bible in its entirety multiple times through our walk with the Lord. I encourage you to fully read the Old Testament and then go back through and study it slowly and you will begin to see how it points to Jesus. In my next teaching, I will continue onto Acts chapter four which will talk about the imprisonment of Peter and John.

2019, Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Inspiration, Salvation, Sin, Wisdom

What Now?

If you have been following along with my current teaching series on the Book of Acts, I previously talked taught on Peter’s explanation of Pentecost to the Jews. Today I would like to teach on Acts 2:37-47 which continues mainly on the Jews response to Peter.  Peter just got done telling the Jews that Jesus, who they crucified is the Lord and Christ. Acts 2:37 (NKJV) tells us how the Jews reacted, which says “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?””. I would like to dissect this scripture a little bit. If you read Peter’s teaching to the Jews, you will see why his teaching cut to their hearts. Peter along with the other disciples received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Only by the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit was he able to deliver a great message to the Jews that cut through their hearts. This is a perfect example where an audience of people in the Bible were sitting in the conviction seat. When someone is truly convicted it will lead to salvation. The Holy Spirit is what convicts us; therefore, we need the Holy Spirit in our churches today. Jesus not only promised the Holy Spirit, But He also promised that the Holy Spirit would bring conviction. Jesus said in John 16:7-8 (NKJV), “Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do not go away, the Helper will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you.  And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment”. This promise was not only fulfilled in Acts 2 when the Jews said to Peter ‘what shall we do?’, this promised is fulfilled when every true believer becomes saved because of true conviction. I am not talking about someone who says the sinner’s prayer to give them an excuse to go out and sin all they want; I am talking about the true believer who got on their knees and cried out and accepted Jesus as Lord of their life. Romans 10:13 (NKJV) tells us, “For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.””.

So, the Jews who were truly convicted by what Peter told them, what do they do? Acts 2:38 (NKJV) tells us, “Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” When we are truly convicted, we are to repent of our sins, so that we can be forgiven. We are forgiven because of the blood of Jesus Christ. We must remember that our spirit and flesh are two separate things. John 3:6 (NKJV) tells us, “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”. When we become born again, we are born of a new spirit by the power of the Holy Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) confirms, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”.  When we become born again, we need to constantly be walking in the Spirit, because following the desires of the flesh will work against our newborn spirit. Galatians 5:16-17 (NKJV) instructs us, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.  For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”. Additionally, Romans 8:6 (NKJV) tells us, “For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.”. Another word for carnally is fleshly, on the other hand, an antonym for the word carnal is spiritual. In today’s age, there is too much of the world invading the church, many churches have begun using carnal means to attract carnal people (unbelievers). If churches draw in carnal people with carnal means, then how do you keep these people attending church? Most likely you will have to use carnal means to maintain their attendance. This poses a real danger, if a church is using carnal means to attract people, then it is encouraging the works of the flesh and going against the works of the Spirit. Therefore, so many people today have become self-deceived rather than truly saved. So, after Peter told the Jews that they need to repent and receive Jesus as their savior, what happened? Acts 2:41 (NKJV) tells us, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.”. Great 3,000 people were saved because of Peter? No, they were saved because the Holy Spirit brought conviction through Peter’s teaching. I would like to encourage you when you witness to an unbeliever, ask God to give you the words to speak.

If we continue reading to the end of Acts chapter two, we will see some of the early church practices. Acts 2:42 (NKJV) says, “And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers.”. This scripture sets an example of how churches today should function. We need the Word of God to teach us, discipline us, and train us. 2 Timothy 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,”. Also Acts 2:42 tells us about prayer and fellowship in the church. We not only need to be praying for each other during church service but during our own prayer time. Pray for your fellow brothers and sisters in Jesus Christ. Just because someone looks like they have their life together when you see them on Sundays, does not mean everything is truly okay. They might need healing in their body, a financial breakthrough, comfort, or strength. Also, we should always be encouraging one another as Christians, this will help keep the Body of Christ strong. 1 Thessalonians 5:11 (NKJV) instructs us, “Therefore comfort each other and edify one another, just as you also are doing.”.

As the Body of Christ, we also need to believe together. If someone is getting prayed for, the whole church needs to pray in agreement for that person. There should not be any doubt if we all believe together, if there is doubt it can hinder the work of God. Acts 2:44 (NKJV) tells us, “Now all who believed were together, and had all things in common,”. This is also another example of how the Body of Christ needs to encourage one another, by believing together. Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, So a man sharpens the countenance of his friend.”. Lastly, as the Body of Christ, we need to praise the Lord for what we have, and God will add people to the Body of Christ. Acts 2:47 (NKJV) tells us, “praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved.”. This verse is very important because too often many churches can forget to give thanks for the members it does have because churches can get too distracted trying to grow. This is also the same with us individually, we need to take time to thank God for what He has given us. To any church that is trying to grow, first, give thanks to God for what you have, and seek Him for guidance on how to grow.

Originally when I studied Acts 2, I was hoping to only have one teaching on this chapter. However, with as many notes as I got out of it, I ended up having to divide it up into three teachings. I would encourage you to read over Acts 2 and dig deep into it. There is so much more in this chapter that God can reveal to you. I would like to encourage you to take some time and reflect on Acts 2, and what you can take from it and apply over your life. In my next teaching, I will begin Acts 3, I cannot say how many teachings I will get out of that chapter. I will leave that up to God.

Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Wisdom, Word from God

The Jews Response and Peters Teaching

In my previous teaching in the Book of Acts we just learned about the powerful Filling of the Holy Spirit the disciples received. The Jews have just witnessed the powerful gift of Tongues. Now we are going to begin to look as to how the Jews reacted to this powerful movement of the Holy Spirit. My teaching is going to be based from Acts 2:12-36, I would encourage you to take some time after reading this teaching, and really dive into these scriptures yourself.

Acts 2:12-13 (KJV) says us “And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this? Others mocking said, these men are full of new wine.”. The Jews were confused, and they also thought that the disciples were drunk. They did not know how to take any of this, we know from Jesus’ time on earth that the Jews had a hard time understanding Jesus because He spoke in the Spirit, and they were stuck in the natural realm. The disciple Peter then takes time to explain Pentecost to the Jews. As Peter was speaking to the them, he quoted two prophets form the Old Testament, Joel and David. In Acts 2:16-21 (KJV) Peter said, “But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy: And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke: The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come: And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”. This prophecy from Joel, can be found in Joel 2:28-32 in the Old Testament. If we look at Acts 2:19-20 we can see that the power of the Holy Spirit is still available to us today, until the return of Jesus Christ. We also know from what Joel tells us is that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved. Romans 10:13 (KJV) tells us, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”. Joel wrote about salvation in Joel 2:32. Too often churches only focus on the New Testament, and we often forget the importance of the Old Testament. I would highly encourage a new born again Christian to read the four Gospels, and then start reading in order from the Old Testament and work your way up through the whole New Testament.

After Peter referred to the words of Joel, he then quoted the prophet David from what he wrote in Psalms 16:8-11. In Acts 2:25-28 (KJV), Peter spoke saying, “For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved: Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope: Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.”. Peter reminded the Jews of something the prophet David once wrote, and there is much in this scripture that is important to us today. There are four key things that David said in this passage, that every true believer needs to be reminded. First, we must know that we are to rejoice truly from our hearts. When you become born again as a true believer, you know that your joy comes from the Lord. Philippians 4:4 (KJV), “Rejoice in the Lord always: and again I say, Rejoice.”. Secondly, we know that Jesus is our true hope, 1 Peter 3:15 (WEB) says, “But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts; and always be ready to give an answer to everyone who asks you a reason concerning the hope that is in you, with humility and fear:”. Thirdly we know that the Word of God teaches us how to live our lives, Psalms 119:105 (WEB) reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.”. When you are not sure on what to do in your life, turn to God in prayer and read His Word. Lastly, we know David told us that we will have full joy when we are in the presence of God. Therefore, we need to spend as much time as we possibly can in Gods presence. James 4:8 (ESV) reminds us, “Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”.

Peter then tells the Jews something very important, and that is in Acts 2:36 (KJV) which says, “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.”. Peter told the Jews that Jesus is both Lord and Christ, this is something everyone needs to know truly in their hearts. Luke 2:11 (KJV) tells us, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”. Also, Romans 10:9 (KJV) instructs us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”. I would really like to dive into the word ‘saved’. If we investigate the Greek, we find the word saved comes from the Greek word sozo. Some definitions for the word sozo from the Thayer and Smith Greek Lexicon are:

  • To save, keep safe and sound, to rescue from danger or destruction.
  • To save a suffering one, one suffering from disease, to make well, to heal, restore to health.
  • To save from the evils which obstruct the reception of the Messianic deliverance.

Once we are true born-again believers and know the Word of God, we really need to drill down on what we have in Jesus Christ, through the promises in God’s Word. Most importantly we need to know how much God loves us. Some people suffer from a lot of buried emotional and physical wounds, I feel so strongly in my Spirit that many believers need to really know and accept how much God loves us. Some people have rejection in their life, and maybe self-rejection. John 3:16 (KJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.”. Also Psalms 139:13-14 (ESV) reminds us, “For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.”. God loves you so much, that He took the time not only to form your physically but to make the plans for your life here on earth. God has a plan for each of our lives, you might have been born with a medical condition or a physical abnormality. Just remember that God never says oops.

My next teaching in this series will be on what Peter instructs the Jews to do. Before my next teaching I encourage you to take some quite time with God, and really soak into His presence, and begin to realize how much He loves you. Also take some time and ask God what barriers in your life are blocking you from receiving what He has in store for you.

Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation, Wisdom

A Promise Made, A Promise Kept

dove flying in blue sky

I recently discussed the promise of the Holy Spirit, and then some lessons we can learn from the disciples in the Upper Room as a part of my series in the Book of Acts. As I continue this series, I would like to begin teaching on Chapter Two, which shows us what happened on the Day of Pentecost. Some people often confuse the Day of Pentecost to only be historically significant to the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, however, there is more to the Day of Pentecost. The disciples filling of the Holy Spirit just happened to occur on the Feast of Pentecost or also known as the Feast of Weeks. This was one of the three required feasts of the Jews. This celebrated the beginning of the early weeks of harvest. A historic event tied to the Feast of Pentecost was when Moses received the 10 Commandments from God. The Feast of Weeks or the Feast of Pentecost occurs this year on June 9, 2019, it usually occurs on our calendar at the end of May or beginning of June. If you would like to look further into the Feast of Pentecost in the Old Testament, I would like to encourage you to read into the following scriptures:

•    Exodus 34:22

•    Leviticus 23:15-22

•    Deuteronomy 16:16

•    2 Chronicles 8:13

Now that we have some Old Testament background on the Feast of Pentecost, we can now dive into what happened on the Day of Pentecost with the disciples. In Acts 2:1 (KJV) it says, “And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.”. The disciples were all gathered together in one place, based on what took place in the previous chapter, I believe the disciples were praying together. Acts 1:14 (KJV) tells us, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.”. If you remember from my previous teaching, I discussed the importance of us praying together as followers of Christ. Continuing to Acts 2:2-4 (KJV) it tells us, “And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”. There is so much here just in these three verses to digest. As the disciples were gathered together praying, they heard the sound of a strong wind from heaven that filled the whole room. Right, when this happened, they had tongues of fire, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. I would like to dig deeper into what happened in this scripture. First, the disciples were praying together, then all the sudden a sound of a powerful wind filled the room, and then they became filled with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit goes where He is invited, the disciples wanted the Holy Spirit and they wanted the moving of the Holy Spirit. We as the church need to truly invite the Holy Spirit into our church services, there are so many churches dry right now of the Holy Spirit. The enemy is succeeding at oppressing people with sickness, depression, anxiety, addiction, pride, and much more. We need the Holy Spirit flowing in our churches not only for people to be delivered but for people to receive the Holy Spirit in their lives too. Jesus said in John 14:16 (KJV) “And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever”. The Comforter Jesus is talking about is the Holy Spirit. Jesus promised His disciples that they would receive the Holy Spirit, I believe they were praying for this as they were gathered together. Jesus told them in Acts 1:8 (WEB) “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you. You will be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the uttermost parts of the earth.”. Not only was the Holy Spirit promised by Jesus it was also prophesied in the Book of Joel. Joel 2:28 (KJV) tells us, “And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions”. In my next teaching, I will go more in-depth on the prophecies of the Holy Spirit.

Lastly, I would like to touch upon the Gift of Tongues, which are still available to us today! Acts 2:6 (KJV) says, “Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.”. When the Jews saw this they were first confused because they heard each of the disciples speak in a language of the Jews who were all from different nations as mentioned in Acts 2:5. Reading further, Acts 2:7-8 (KJV) says, “And they were all amazed and marveled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?”. The Jews were amazed to see the disciples speaking different languages that they clearly did not learn. The Jews were able to understand what the disciples were speaking, because each of the disciple’s gift of tongues from the Holy Spirit, was a language of the Jews. You might ask how did the disciples speak a language they did not learn? The answer is the Holy Spirit gave them utterance. Acts 2:4 (KJV) again says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.”.  A reason why people have difficulty beginning with their Gift of Tongues is that they let their mind get in the way. We must realize that the Gift of Tongues is from God, and the Holy Spirit will give us what to say. The Type of Tongues the disciples had was the Tongues for Public Administration, which I will go into more detail on in one of my next teachings, along with the two other Types of Tongues that you can receive from the Holy Spirit.

I would like to encourage you to subscribe to my blog so you can be notified on when new teaching is posted. My next teaching will be on how the Jews responded to the Gift of Tongues. After that, I will break off shortly from the Book of Acts and we will take a look at the three Types of Tongues one can receive from the Holy Spirit, along with the other Spiritual Gifts as listed in the First Book of Corinthians.  

Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Inspiration, Sin, Wisdom

Lessons from the Upper Room

bible opened on table with a notepad next to it and pencil.

As I continue my series in the Book of Acts, I would like to pick back up at Acts 1:9 and go all the way to the end of the first chapter. You can click here to read this section in the Bible online.  There are some lessons that can be learned from the disciples in the upper room but first, I would like to touch upon the ascension of Jesus Christ and His second coming. Acts 1:9 begins to tell us about the ascension of Jesus Christ. The scripture tells us, “Now when He had spoken these things, while they watched, He was taken up, and a cloud received Him out of their sight.”. The ascension of Jesus was already promised to the disciples in John 7:33-34 (NKJV) which says, “Then Jesus said to them, “I shall be with you a little while longer, and then I go to Him who sent Me.  You will seek Me and not find Me, and where I am you cannot come.””. We know that God was the one who sent Jesus to Earth, and as scripture says He will return to who sent Him, which is God. The Book of Acts tells us Jesus was received by a cloud, the cloud was the presence of God in this case. We also have examples in the Old Testament when God appeared as a cloud. Moses wrote in Exodus 13:21-22 (NKJV) “And the Lord went before them by day in a pillar of cloud to lead the way, and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so as to go by day and night.  He did not take away the pillar of cloud by day or the pillar of fire by night from before the people.”.  We also know from the Book of Acts, that Jesus will one day return to us, Acts 1:11 (NKJV) tells us, “who also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven.””. I believe today that we are in the last hours before the rapture. I do promise you that I will do a teaching series on the end times after my current series on the Book of Acts. It is also confirmed that Jesus will return in a cloud in Luke 21:27 (NIV), “At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”.

Acts 1:12 (NKJV) tells us, “Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey.”. The disciples have just returned to Jerusalem and if you read the first part of the next verse it mentioned they went to the upper room of the place they were staying at. I would like you to notice in verse 12 where it uses the term Sabbaths Day, which is the distance that Jews could walk on the Sabbath, which is roughly less than a mile. Verse 13 also provides a listing of all the current disciples in the upper room. In the next verse, there is an important lesson that we can learn from the disciples, and that is as Christians to come together with the same purpose, to seek God, and pray in the name of Jesus. Acts 1:14 (NKJV) says, “These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.”. The disciples prayed together in the Name of Jesus, whatever your need is ask for it in the name of Jesus. Jesus told us in John 14:13 (NKJV), “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”.  Some synonyms for the word disciple are a follower, believer, and admirer. If you think about it every true Christian is a disciple, we need to come together and pray as one. I have been in several churches in my years of being a Christian, I recall one that had a prayer service every Sunday evening were people that came prayed together as a group. There were not many people that came, and sadly the attendance for that service dwindled down so much, that it got discontinued. Let me first say I understand that some people must work certain hours, and children have school activities that they participate in, but what about the Christians who do have the time to go to a church service, other than Sunday morning. I feel every church, regardless of denomination could benefit from having a prayer night throughout the week along with its Sunday and mid-week Bible Study service. Does Sunday football rank higher than God? Does your favorite TV Show rank higher than God? Do you put God first, or do you put entertainment from the world first? Did we not forget Romans 12:2 (KJV) which says, “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”. God should and must be our priority in our life, and everything else can follow and He will provide for us. Matthew 6:33 (GNT) reminds us, “Instead, be concerned above everything else with the Kingdom of God and with what he requires of you, and he will provide you with all these other things.”.

Continuing through Acts 1:15-26, the disciples had a decision to make, they had to find another person to join them and take the spot of Judas Iscariot. As many of you know Judas was the disciple who betrayed Jesus. Acts 1:17 (NKJV) tells us, “for he was numbered with us and obtained a part in this ministry.”. Because he betrayed Jesus, he was just a ‘member’ of the disciples, but he was not truly saved. We should really drill down on Judas as Christians. There are many people in the church who are ‘members’, but they are just going through the motions. There are many Christians who get saved and do not have the desire to discontinue their sinful life. They go up to the altar say the sinner’s prayer and go back to their sin, but they still attend church every week, and they might read their devotion sometimes, but they never get serious with God. I’m not saying that when you become born again that you will never sin again, but you should have a strong desire not to sin and should correct yourself when you do fall short and seek God continually. When you become born again as a follower (synonym for disciple) of Jesus Christ, and you go back to your sinful life you are betraying Jesus Christ as your savior. I say that boldly after taking some time to study the word betray. Some synonyms for the word betray are break faith, break a promise, and break trust. When you proclaim Jesus as Lord of your life that is a promise to Him, that is putting your faith in Him. When you go back to your sinful nature you are betraying him by breaking that faith you proclaimed when you gave your life to Jesus Christ. If you read Acts 1:18 you can see that Judas died a shameful death in which he hung himself. In this part of Acts, it talks about the disciples having to appoint to someone to take the spot of Judas. If you read verses 21 and 22 you will see whoever they pick must be a man who was with the disciples during Jesus’s earthly ministry. In verse 23 they proposed two men, Justus and Matthias. Another important lesson we can learn from the disciples is to turn to God for guidance in decision making. I have taught on several times before on the topic of making decisions, as Christians, we must turn to God in all the decisions that we make. Acts 1:24-26 (NKJV) tells us, “And they prayed and said, “You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen  to take part in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.” And they cast their lots, and the lot fell on Matthias. And he was numbered with the eleven apostles.”. The disciples knew that they had a decision to make, they looked to God and prayed and asked Him to reveal who was the one to pick to be among them as a disciple. If you notice in verse 26, it mentions that while they prayed, they cast lots. Casting lots was a custom of the Jews to put names on stones and place them in a container and shake it until one fell out, this was an acceptable method used to decide with prayer before the Holy Spirit came to them. Isn’t it great that we don’t need to cast lots like they had to?  We can pray in the Spirit and seek God on what the best decision is for us, and He will reveal His answer to us in a unique way for our own individual situation.

I would like to encourage you to follow these examples I have outlined from the disciples which are one to pray together as the church, and second to seek God in every decision you make by praying in the Holy Spirit. We must also keep in mind once we turn to Jesus Christ, and fully surrender our lives to Him, we must not go back to our old sinful nature. I would like to encourage you to click the subscribe button on this page so you can receive email alerts for when a new blog post is made available. My next teaching will be on the Day of Pentecost, please stay tuned for more!

Book of Acts Series 2019, Christianity, Fruit of Spirit, Gifts of the Spirit, Healing, Inspiration, Salvation

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

acts 1:8 bible verse

New Series Intro: Book of Acts

I have been seeking God recently as to what my next series will be on, as I have just finished my teaching series on decision making. My last two posts dealt with a prophetic word I received from God. I don’t know about you, but I strongly believe the Gifts of the Spirit are available to all who ask for it today. I have felt led to start a new teaching series on the Book of Acts. Some people give this book the title of ‘The Acts of the Holy Spirit through the Apostles’. Officially the Book of Acts author is unknown, but many believe it was written by Luke. The main purpose of the Book of Acts is to show how God worked through the Holy Spirit in people who were truly devoted to Christ. If you want to have the Holy Spirit work in your life, and outpour in your life, then I suggest that you become truly devoted to Christ 100 percent.

Acts 1:1-8

In this teaching I am going to cover Acts 1:1-8, you can read the full text by clicking here. I would first like to point out a few items in verses 2-3 (KJV), which say: “Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen: To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God”. Jesus gave instruction to his apostles through the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit was the power behind the earthly ministry of Jesus. In the King James Version of these two verses, it uses the word passion, if you dig deeper into this the passion it is talking about is when Jesus died on the cross. Why did Jesus die on the cross? To save us and give us eternal life. John 3:16 (NKJV) tells us, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”. Also, Romans 5:8 (NKJV) tells us, “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”. After Jesus arose from the dead, He stayed with the apostles for 40 days before he ascended to be with the Father. 

Acts 1:4 (NKJV) tells us, “And being assembled together with them, He commanded them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the Promise of the Father, “which,” He said, “you have heard from Me;”. So what is it that God promised them? Let’s look back at John 14:16 (NKJV) where Jesus said to His disciples, “And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever—”.  The word comforter comes from the Greek word Parakletos, which means an advocate or helper. Now let’s jump down a few verses to see what Jesus told His disciples in John 14:26(NKJV), “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.”. The Greek word Parakletos refers to the Holy Spirit which is our advocate, who tells us what is to come. The Holy Spirit is our helper who teaches us everything. If you are struggling to understand something in the Word of God, ask the Holy Spirit to guide you. The Holy Spirit is also the mediator that glorifies Christ.

If we read Acts 1:5 (NKJV) it says, “for John truly baptized with water, but you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”. This scripture tells us about how John the Baptist baptized people with water, which was symbolic of repentance. Repentance is still important today, we all need to repent of our sins, and sin no more. However, we know Jesus baptized with the Holy Spirit. When we become born again the Holy Spirit makes our spiritual being new. We are to sin no more after our second birth when we become born again. However, going away from sin 100 percent is not an overnight process, and there is no quick way to do it. This requires us to spend time in the Word of God, in prayer, in church and fellowshipping with other Christians. Once we are born again our Spirit knows not to sin, but often our soul and body get in the way. Our soul is our mind, and our body is the flesh. We must renew our mind with the Word of God and apply it so that our newborn Spirit can overtake our soul (mind), and then our body (flesh). Romans 12:2 (ESV) tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”.  Many people are religiously, and worldly brainwashed and do not accept the fact us having a Spirit, soul, and are inside a body. I would encourage those people to read 1 Thessalonians 5:23 (NKJV), which tells us, “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

I would next like to skip to Acts 1:8 (NKJV) which says, “But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive a power inside of us, therefore we must allow the Holy Spirit to overflow in us so that we can receive which Gifts of the Spirit God has for you when you ask to receive them. Often, we become too busy to truly overflow with the Holy Spirit. We need to be constantly sensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Often in church, you look back at the clock. We should not limit the Holy Spirit. Ministers should not be concerned about the timing. If a church service goes longer than expected, then it was meant to be, someone might have needed to hear a word or maybe someone needed prayer. We need the Holy Spirit to run our churches, not the world. When we let the Holy Spirit in our churches and in our lives, we can expect a breakthrough to happen in our lives, and in other people’s lives inside our churches. If we keep trying to run on a restrictive time schedule, then we put a limit on the Holy Spirit. It is wrong to limit the Holy Spirit because it is given without measure. John 3:34(NKJV) confirms this, “For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.”. I felt God tell me as I was writing this to not limit the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit knows how to do His job and He does His job perfectly. Furthermore, in Acts 1:8 it discusses the disciples being a witness of Jesus Christ to people all over the known world at that time. That applies to each of us today, we must take the Word of God to all the world. Mark 16:15 (NIV) tells us, “He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.”. God told me that someone will read this teaching and that God is calling you into going on the mission field. If God is calling you to do something, He will make a way for you to do it if you stay faithful to Him. Philippians 1:6 (NIV) reminds us, “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”. However, you may not be able to go on a mission’s trip to another country, or that may not be your calling. But what about spreading the Word of God in your own town, city, state, our country. There are many people who live near you who need to hear the Good News!

As I close this teaching, I would encourage you if you have not done so already, to accept Jesus Christ as your savior. As you begin to develop a personal relationship with Him, you need to ask God to baptize you with the Holy Spirit as they were in the Book of Acts. Everyone will have their own unique gifts. Also, allow the Holy Spirit to overflow in your life, don’t try to manipulate the working of the Holy Spirit, otherwise you will get stuck in a rut. Not letting the Holy Spirit overflow is what causes constipated Christians, it lets the enemy put pebbles in living water that is flowing within us from Jesus Christ.