Category: Devotions

Acts 2:21

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

But it’s okay Joel says. Though it will be tough everyone can be saved.
Everyone.
Isn’t that amazing!
Every one.
All the people in your family, at your work place, in your town.
100%
And so Peter introduces the theme of salvation which will be talked about, preached and written throughout the early Church.
But first, Peter is at the end of the world, and Jesus is coming back and it is tough in the world, it is difficult to live. But it is okay because every person can be rescued from this terrible time. Whatever they go through, disease, pain, death, they can be found, they will be saved. There is a saving from the terror of our world. Salvation is now.
Some need saving from circumstances today that are brutal. Some need saving from others and some from themselves.
All of us need the Saviour for heaven but we also need the Saviour from earth.
Every person is included.
At any time, any place all they need to do is call.
“Jesus!”

Acts 2: 20

The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

Here it is, the day of the Lord. This phrase was always used as the very last day. The judgment day. That day may seem frightful to many but to the Church it is a great and glorious day.
Jesus is here!
Prior to that day it is not so glorious.
The sun is not shining and the moon has changed colour.
Last month we all saw the red blood moon and many have used this verse as an indicator that when it appears so does Jesus.
I saw the moon but I didn’t see Jesus. Though I will for sure.

The Jews were familiar with prophetic imagery. Here is an example in this verse.
The sun and the moon changing are the indicators that prior to the coming of the Lord there will be happenings that will greatly effect the world we live in. Traumatic events, world changing crisis points, sudden destabilising of all that we have known.
We are in the prior to the last day!
It is near.

Acts 2:19

I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke.

These 2 distinct entities, heaven and earth, for so long separated by a void which every Jew hoped to cross are going to be working together in demonstration.
Heaven will be filled with wonder
Earth will be filled with fear.
Behind it all is the God of all who is showing that the days are coming to a close. The time is near.
Though we can only guess at the wonders of heaven, today, more than at any other time, we live amongst the signs.
But God is here.

Acts 2:18

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Would the Spirit come on the religious teachers, those who lead the Temple worship or the priests? The answer would be the Spirit is for everyone. Those people are not mentioned but the lowest are. Servants, or in other translations, slaves. Women included.
The Spirit does not keep protocols. All ages, genders and even the lowest class of people are included in the outpouring.

God is for everyone!

Acts 2:17

‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Peter brings his listeners to the prophet Joel. The intention was not to defend the strange phenomena of what was taking place in the Church. However, it most definitely was to show that these were signs of a new chapter that had been entered. The closing chapter. This was not the ‘the day of the Lord’, everyone knew that when that day came so did the end. But this was the final stages.
The landscape has changed. God said it would.
The reason for prophecy and visions and dreams is because the Spirit is here.
The next generation are involved. They blaze new trails in speech and sight. Even the old generation when they sleep their dreams become not of the past but of the future beyond.
We are in days of the new.
We still are.

Acts 2:16

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

NO.
When was the last time you said it?
I struggle to say NO.
It’s one area among many weaknesses!
As a result my diary is not boring.

NO.
When was the last time you were so convinced about something?
There may be a difference of opinions.
But you know the truth.

NO.
When was the last time you saw the present through the wisdom and insight of the past?
This is that.
The problems of new people are a result of the prayers of the old people. But some in the old see it differently.

NO stops a thought process.
NO cancels.
NO causes a new direction of thought.

It’s okay to say NO.

Acts 2:15

These men are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!

People can presume lots of things.
They take what they see and what they have experienced and they make a judgment.
They are convinced. They are right.
But their accusation only points to further ones that they are making.
To be drunk at nine in the morning:
They were not praying (9 was the end of the first quarter of the day, coming to the end of the prayer time).
They were not fasting (the Jews would not eat or drink until even after 12).

People suppose a lot. Yet they can be wrong.

Acts 2:14

Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say.

There are times when someone has to take a stand.
Situations call for it.
People with opinions and unexplained circumstances taking place, who will make sense of it all?
Peter stands with the 11. The Church leaders rise around him.
1. When you take a stand find the bridge. “Fellow Jews …” Don’t ostracise, but try and bring people to you. Find the connection.
2. When you take a stand understand the difficulties. “Let me explain …” Some situations need a proper explanation. Just because people have crazy ideas, for example they think you are drunk on wine doesn’t mean they do not deserve a response. Never dismiss the criticism. You can win over your critics.
3. When you take a stand, command the stage. “Listen carefully …” What you have to say cannot be missed by distraction. Don’t let other noises crowd out your noise. Let them know this is important to you.

Finally, look who took a stand? It was the denier.
You don’t have to be perfect to take your stand.
You can do it.

Acts 2:13

Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”

The only problem with being perplexed is that in the myriad of thoughts there are always negative ones.
And in a large group there are always people who see things differently. When the disciples worshipped on the mountain when receiving the great commission some also doubted.
And when the pilgrims marvelled and were amazed wanting to know more, some dismissed the church as having got drunk.

Will you and your church ever get criticised for being drunk?
NO! Say the outraged teetotallers!
What I mean is how safe are you and your church? How respectable? How dry?
I’m not suggesting that everyone should be staggering coming out of the church service! Though that might be fun.
But have we done anything that in the midst of others being amazed some would pass any comment at all?

This event would be the start of many occasions when the church were scoffed at, sneered at and even worse would come.
It is true to say that there are some churches/Christians who have no threat of any persecution whatsoever. They are not doing anything to warrant anyone being against them nor thinking they were drunk, because nothing is happening.

Today don’t be rude and thus attract offence. But don’t be dry either. Be active. Be vocal. Don’t hold back.

Acts 2:12

Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”

What amazes you?
A new birth?
The universe and solar systems?
Kindness?
What amazes the people in your world?
God in you?
What these people from all over the world experienced blew their minds.

What perplexes you?
What are the thoughts that race through your mind when you are focuses on something?
What perplexes you?
The refugee crisis?
Islam?
Healing and sickness?
What perplexes the people in your world?
God in you?

Coming to ‘Church’ that day were pilgrims to the Pentecost who got more than they bargained with. They became amazed and perplexed.

Wouldn’t it be amazing and perplexing if this Sunday people left church saying that’s how they felt on visiting?!