Am reading through the Bible chronologically
and just finished up the Gospels.
Today I began the book of Acts, which is sometimes
considered a kind of "bridge" between all that
happened in the Gospels and the Epistles.
It tells of the establishment of the 'church'.
 |
| Peter denies knowing Jesus |
Today as I was reading the first few chapters
my heart was so thrilled as I read about Peter.
The Peter who had maybe just less than 2 months earlier
cowered by a fire and denied his LORD.
The Peter who followed off at a distance
in fear of being recognized as a follower
of this One who claimed to the Christ.
Wow! Has this man changed!
The Holy Spirit had come and coupled with Peter
and the other disciples now KNOWING that
Jesus was the Christ, because of the RESURRECTION,
this guy was new and different!
| Peter preaching at Pentecost |
"But Peter, standing with the eleven,
LIFTED UP HIS VOICE and addressed them,
'Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem ....'"
He goes on, quoting OT Scriptures,
and defending Jesus Christ as Israel's Messiah.
"God raised Him up .... whom you crucified....."
Peter, through the power of the Holy Spirit,
led them to repent, change the way they
had been thinking about the Christ.
We're not told how many people
Peter was preaching to
but we are told that 3,000 were saved
and added to the infant church.
It's so encouraging to meditate on the resurrection,
the change that it made in the disciples lives
and to give honor to the LORD for the way
in which He worked in Peter's life.
Oh that we too may know the life changing
Power of the Resurrection ! !
As I was thinking about this
I remembered a song I sang
in high school as part of a singing group called
"The Risen Son Singers".
It's funny now ... we probably wouldn't even be
allowed to sing in a basement!!
But it was fun then ... and we learned some great music!
I love how this song goes through history ...
Pentecost ... Christians scattered across the world ...
Christians martyred ... Reformation ... Revivals ...
and though the song is old ...
the words are still the same today ...
We need the Holy Spirit to stir us and
revive us and the church today!!
Here's the words to the song by John W Peterson
COME HOLY SPIRIT
The Holy Spirit came at Pentecost
He came in mighty fullness then
His witness thru believers won the lost
And multitudes were born again
The early Christians scattered o'er the world
They preached the gospel fearlessly
Tho' some were martyred and to lions hurled
They marched along in victory
Chorus
Come Holy Spirit dark is the hour
We need Your filling
Your love and Your mighty power
Move now among us stir us we pray
Come Holy Spirit revive the church today
Verse 2
Then in an age when darkness gripped the earth
The just shall live by faith was learned
The Holy Spirit gave the church new birth
As reformation fires burned
In later years the great revivals came
When saints would seek the Lord and pray
O once again we need that holy flame
To meet the challenge of today
Chorus
Come Holy Spirit dark is the hour
We need Your filling
Your love and Your mighty power
Move now among us stir us we pray
Come Holy Spirit revive the church today
Repeat Chorus
Revive the church today
Revive the church today
No comments:
Post a Comment