Day 155 Bible Readings – Acts 2: 21 (ESV)

2 Samuel 5-6, Acts 2: 1-21, Psalm 85: 8-13

Acts 2: 21 (ESV)

“And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Verse 21 from Acts 2 is Peter quoting the Book of Joel on Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples. I love this line, but it’s not as simple as a person calling on God to save him and not having faith and obedience to God. I think people use this line to say that anyone can call on God and get a miracle without having to have faith and obedience to God and his laws. While I would never presume to know the mind of God and his grace, which means that there can be miracles when a person calls on God without having faith or obedience to God. I think that to rely on Grace does not make sense. Why even call out to a God that you don’t believe in or obey to save you?

But for the person who has faith in God, prays to him daily, reads and knows the Bible, and follows God’s laws to the best of their abilities given our sinful nature, calling on God to save you is a promise God has made to you for your faith. And God always fulfills his promises. And while sometimes it doesn’t seem like God always saves, the true believer has the faith to know that God sees the future farther and further than we can and what may seem like a disaster in the moment in the end turns out to be best thing that ever happened in a true believer’s life.

Day 154 Bible Readings - Acts 1: 7 (ESV)

2 Samuel 3: 22-39, 2 Samuel 4, Acts 1, Psalm 85: 1-7

Acts 1: 7 (ESV)

“He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.”

Verse 7 from Acts is the response Christ gave to his disciples when they asked him when he would restore the kingdom of Israel. It was an important question for them since they knew from the Last Supper that Jesus had instituted a new covenant with them. But Jesus chose not to answer them because the answer might have discouraged them, and he did not want to do that.

I like this verse because I read it I can just imagine what his disciples must have felt when Jesus gave this answer. I’m sure they felt bewildered, frustrated, and confused. Jesus didn’t say No to the question, but he did give them a definite answer. It made me think of all the times in my prayers I have asked God over and over and over again when I would get an answer to a question, and the answer I would always hear is “soon” or “it depends on timing.” This experience has always been very frustrating to me because I couldn’t understand why God wouldn’t give me a direct or straight answer. He must know the timing; why doesn’t he just tell me? But after reading this verse, I now know that if Jesus had given me the answer I was looking for I might have been discouraged or depressed. And God wanted to spare me from experiencing discouragement and depression because he loves me as a father loves his child. God is always looking out for us and we must remember that, even though we sometimes experience frustration when we don’t get an answer right away to our prayers.

Beyond Paradise movie on Tubi - with authentic Hawaii accents

 I recently watching the movie "Beyond Paradise" on Tubi - Tubi.

Not the best movie I've seen, but what I really loved was it sounds like they actually cast actors who can do a decent Hawaii accent. Either they are local actors or the dialect coaching is just spot on, but I was really shocked how good the good the accents were on the kids and the local people.

Since I grew up in Hawaii, I can listen to someone's accent and can tell if they grew up in Hawaii. Some people have the accent down pat because they moved to Hawaii as children or have lived there for a very long time. But they give themselves away as not being born in Hawaii, because they will pronounce a word or say a phrase and it just stands out because no one who was born in and spent their first five years in the Islands would ever pronounce a word that way or say that phrase. Or if they do say a phrase like "gee wiz", they will say it in a pidgin accent and not in a standard American accent. 

If you want to hear what sounds to be authentic Hawaiian accents at least to my ears, check this movie out!

The Chosen Season 4 is live on YouTube and the Chosen app

 The Chosen Season 4 is now available online. You can go to YouTube or the Chosen app and watch it. They will be streaming two episodes a week; on Sunday and Thursdays. 

I saw Season 4 in the theaters and loved it, but I like watching it at home so if I wanted to cry I can. I just feel more comfortable crying alone where I live than in public. If you are following the series, you know we are marching towards Holy Week. We are not there yet, but Season 4 is the buildup of Christ going to Jerusalem and the writers seem to be preparing the viewers for the emotional journey that Holy Week will bring.

I'm not sure how long they will leave the Livestream up on YouTube, so watch it now if that is your preferred way of watching the show. The Livestream has the After Show which is also on the app, and it's fun to watch because they interview the actors and/or writers of the show.