Man, this whole staying on top of it thing is harder than I thought. And the enemy's sneaky. Sorry about that. But I'm here now, and I know you won't hold it against me. :-D
Love,
Acts 1
So it starts with Jesus telling them (after the resurrection) to wait in Jerusalem until they receive the Holy Spirit. And these disciples still don't get it! They still wonder if NOW Jesus is going to conquer the Romans and become king. Wow. This is a big lesson in how our preconceptions can really pervade all of our thinking. Lord, please correct whatever misconceptions I have in my mind that is keeping me from really chasing after you and all you have planned.
And then Jesus floats into the sky... and the disciples stand there until some angels break their reveries. Ok, Jesus. Floating into the sky until a cloud covers you... that's pretty intense. People nowadays only do that in airplanes. Sheesh! haha. It'd be weird if you had to watch out for airplanes on your way down, but you'd think with the end of the world stuff you'd have cleared the air. Ok, I'm sorry, I'm in a weird mood. :-P
Boy humor... Sunday school... ahh the memories of those times...
So there had been some men who had stuck around since the baptism of Jesus to the time of the ascension, and they nominated two. I wonder how Joseph/Barsabbas/Justus felt about not becoming an apostle. Hopefully he really was a man of God and took it humbly, right? :-)
Acts 2
I love the Pentecost scene, particularly in regards to the language thing. It's so cool! There were so many different languages in the area at the time--so many people from so many places. People from all over the world of that time. And everyone can understand these people. And yet still there's those "just" guys who say they just had too much wine. It's not a miracle from God.
verse 24: But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. death couldn't hold you down... Jesus Christ, your name is lifted high!
Peter's sermon was pretty awesome. Lots of good scriptures and just introducing the whole idea of Jesus crucified, raised to life, and giving us life. I must remember this was all completely new for these people. And they were cut to the heart about this. I honestly think that's how it is with everybody the first time they hear and understand.
39 "The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call." And two thousand years later, almost... here we are!
Three thousand first believers, then more every day. And they truly loved each other, cared for each other, did not think of their possessions as theirs, but gave it all freely and lived together, ate together, and grew together. How amazing that would be. And that's just a foretaste of heaven!
I must think of how to do that kind of thing that fits this culture and times.
Revelation 8
Silence in heaven for 30 minutes. Then one after another, the trumpets are sounded and there is chaos on the earth. Lord, I pray for the believers of that time, that you would help them be strong and draw that strength from you.
Thank you for this time, but it's now late and I need to start doing stuff. I pray for this random last minute scramble scholarship, that the scramble would be worth it.