Day 159 Bible Readings – Acts 4: 31 (ESV)

2 Samuel 13, Acts 4: 23-37, Acts 5: 1-11, Psalm 90: 1-10       

Acts 4: 31 (ESV)

“And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”

In verse 31 from Acts 4, we read about another act of signs and miracles after the disciples of Jesus Christ received power from the Holy Spirit. After Peter and John preached to the crowds again and then prayed, they felt the ground shake where they were gathered. Afterward they were all filed with the Holy Spirit, and Peter and John continued preaching with boldness. I love the demonstration of supernatural power of the earth shaking that happened to Peter and John and the crowd of believers, because it shows that Father-God is present when believers come together and pray. We also read about how the Holy Spirit filled the crowd and Pater and John, again fulfilling the promise Jesus that he would send a helper after he was resurrected. As a believer in Christ, I think we need to pray and expect the Holy Spirit to fill us daily so we can be filled with power to leave a sinless life and to feel the presence of Father-God in our lives.

If you enjoyed reading my thought on this Bible verse, find yourself a good Bible-based church where you can pray for and expect to be filled with the power of the Holy Spirit as Jesus promised to all of his followers.

Day 158 Bible Readings – 2 Sameul 11: 1 (ESV)

2 Samuel 11 & 12, Acts 4: 1-22, Psalm 89: 46-52

2 Samuel 11: 1 (ESV)

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”

I’ve always found verse 1 from 2 Samuel 11 such an interesting verse in the Bible. If you read the rest of 2 Samuel 11 and 12 you find out that David’s simple act of not going to war with his men to besiege Rabba led to a series of events where David displeased the Lord. When David decided to remain in Jerusalem instead of going to fight the Ammonites at Rabbah, this small of act of neglecting his responsibilities as a King led him to sin with Bathsheba. I also find it interesting that David did not ask Father-God for guidance on what to do as he had done when facing other enemies. Because David did not consult with Father-God, he was tempted to lie with Bathsheba who was a married woman. David’s actions in verse 1 show us that if we forget that one time to consult with Father-God for guidance in our lives, the path towards sin and displeasing Father-God becomes easy and we will find ourselves facing the consequences of our actions as David did when his child with Bathsheba died. As followers of Jesus Christ, we must always consult with Father-God, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit for guidance on any action we take in our lives if we want to follow God’s will and lead a sinless and temptation free life.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on this Bible verse, find yourself a good Bible-based church, where you can hear and read about using examples from the Bible to live a life that is please to Father-God.

Day 157 Bible Readings – Acts 3: 19-21 (ESV)

2 Samuel 9 & 10, Acts 3, Psalm 89: 38-45

Acts 3: 19-21 (ESV)

“Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.”

In verses 19 through 21 from Acts 3, Peter preached to the crowd gathered around him and John to repent and follow the teachings of the resurrected Jesus Christ. If people repented, they would receive two (2) blessings. The first blessing would be that their sins would be erased because Christ gave his life to blot out all of our sins. The second blessing would be that when they felt the presence of Christ in their lives, they would be refreshed by the power of the Holy Spirit that came after Christ was resurrected. Believers in Christ would also be part of the restoration of their communities as part of God’s plan.

I love how in these verses from Acts 3 of how Peter spoke about the blessings that are available to the people who had demanded that Jesus Christ be crucified. Peter’s sermon tells us if one comes to faith in Jesus Christ, all sins including the sins of condemning Jesus Christ to die, can be forgiven. Christ welcomes all people, no matter how terrible their sins are, to the blessings of the forgiveness of all sins and the refreshment and restoration that come from being in the presence of Christ through the Holy Spirit.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts about these Bible verses, find a good, Bible-based church where you can experience the forgives of all of your sins and the refreshment and restoration that come from being in the presence of Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit.

Day 156 Bible Readings – Acts 2: 41-43 (ESV)

2 Samuel 7-8, Acts 2: 22-47, Psalm 89: 30-37

Acts 2: 41-43 (ESV)

“So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls. And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles.”

Verses 41 through 43 from Acts 2 tells us what happened on the day of Pentecost after Simon Peter the apostle finished preaching. Three thousand people were saved and baptized, who then devoted themselves to the teachings of the disciples and saw many wonders and signs done by the apostles. Once the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples, the apostles of Jesus were able to perform miraculous acts of healing like Jesus. The people were in the awe because the miracles were a validation of the power and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of the Holy Spirit, the apostles were able to continue the ministry that Jesus started before he was crucified, and they were given everything that Jesus had promised to them before he died.

I recently went to a full-gospel Holy Spirit fire worship service, and I was in awe. The pastor laid hands on everyone in the service, and I watched in amazement as people collapsed and started crying and speaking in tongues. Some people claimed they were healed and everyone I spoke with had the same reaction I did – we had never experienced any thing like this service in our church-going lives. We all felt like we had experienced what the early Christians had gone through in the church that formed after Christ was resurrected.

If you’ve never been to this type of service, I encourage you to attend one. There are still many evangelists holding tent meetings and laying hands on people and healing them, where the attendees are seeing signs and wonders. You can also search for them on YouTube so you can watch for yourself what happens in these evangelistic tent meetings.

If you enjoyed reading my thoughts on these Bible verses, find yourself a good, Bible based church where you can listen to the word of God and discuss it with other believers.