Category Archives: daily Bible verse

everyone … shall be saved

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Acts 2:21 (ESV)

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

So what does it mean to ‘call upon the name of the Lord’?

If we turn to Paul in the Letter to the Romans we find: ‘… if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.’ (Rom 10:9)

Paul, too, then quotes Joel 2:32 saying ‘For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”‘ (Rom 10:13)

So it seems to me that it’s an acknowledgement that Jesus is Lord and a whole-hearted acceptance that He died and was raised to life by God.

Pretty straight-forward.

But so, so hard for many people to grasp a hold of. They would rather turn their back on Him; ignore Him; reject Him.

Yet the offer of salvation is to everyone.

There’s no select group. No elite inner circle. Simply a universal offer to ‘all nations’. (Matt 28:19)

Everyone.

Kim+

prayer : thank you that hold out to everyone the offer of salvation

action : help me to tell everyone I know that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Saviour

amazed and astonished

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Acts 2:5-13 (ESV)

5 Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. 6  And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. 7  And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? 8  And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? 9  Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, 10  Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, 11  both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” 12  And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” 13  But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”


Bewildered. Amazed. Astonished. Perplexed. 

Clearly something is going on here that those seeing it and hearing it cannot easily explain.

Yet Peter understands full well what is happening. Because it’s a fulfilment of prophecy from the Book of Joel. (Ac 2:16)

Although Paul talks about believers being ‘baptized into one body’ (1Co 12:13) the suggestion here is that this is a special occasion.

That the blessing of the Holy Spirit at this time is not general but specific.

And what an amazing and astonishing thing to behold.

For the ‘mighty works of God’ were being extolled. (v.11)

Interesting that many believed yet some were ‘mocking’. (v.13)

Kim+

prayer : help those of unbelief to be amazed and astonished at the ‘mighty works of God’

action : help me to faithfully extol and explain  the ‘mighty works of God’ to friends & family

a mighty rushing wind

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Acts 2:1-4 (ESV)

1 When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. 2  And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. 3 And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and rested on each one of them. 4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.

The coming of the Holy Spirit on this occasion was unlike anything before. Yet it has distinct similarities with the Creation account in the Book of Genesis.

There, the ‘Spirit of God’ (Gen 1:2) can also be translated as His breath; His very life-giving force.

How great it is that God breathes life into us.

For not only did He create us as we were ‘wonderfully made’ in our ‘mother’s womb’. (Ps 139:13-14)

But better still, when we ‘repent’ and are ‘baptized’, we are promised the ‘gift of the Holy Spirit’. (Ac 2:38)

Thus we are ‘a new creation’. (2Cor 5:17)

We ‘walk in newness of life’. (Rom 6:3)

We have the promise of ‘eternal life’. (Jn 10:28)

Kim+

prayer : thank you for the gift of life – physical & spiritual

action : ‘present [myself] to God as [one] who [has] been brought from death to life, and [my] members to God as instruments for righteousness’ (Rom 6:13)

Scripture had to be fulfilled

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Acts 1:15-17 (NIV)

15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.”

 

All that happened to Jesus was foretold in Scripture. (Lk 24:27)

It wasn’t like it came as a surprise to God. As if He had to deal with circumstances as they unfolded.

In fact, the suffering and death and resurrection of Jesus Christ was all God’s doing (Lk 24:46): ‘planned’ (Acts 2:23) and predicted long ago (Lk 24:44).

Don’t for a second take away God’s sovereignty and say that mankind was in control. (Rom 8:3)

Yes, ‘lawless men’ are to blame. (Acts 2:23)

But Jesus came to earth to die: to die in our place. That was His goal; His purpose. (Isa 53)

And He resolutely followed the path to Calvary. (Matt 26:54)

The one laid out for Him by His Father. The one of suffering (Lk 24:46) and rejection and ‘death on a cross’ (Php 2:8).

Yet that was not the end of it. Because we know that ‘on the third day [He rose] from the dead, …’ (Lk 24:46)

And thank God He did!

Kim+

prayer : thank you Jesus that you are the Christ: the Messiah who has ‘fulfilled’ the Scriptures (Lk 24:44)

action : ‘meditate’ on the Scriptures ‘day and night’ (Ps 1:3)

devoting themselves to prayer

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Acts 1:12-14 (NIV)

12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All of these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

 

Wouldn’t you love to be a fly-on-the-wall? To hear their prayers?

To know what was on their hearts and on their minds.

Excitement? Curiosity? Apprehension?

Whatever it was they were lifting it all up to God through the risen (and now ascended) Christ.

Who was and is now seated at ‘the right hand of the Majesty on high, …’ (Heb 1:1).

Who was acting as their ‘… great high priest …’ (Heb 4:14) and interceding for them; indeed ‘… for us.’ (Rom 8:34)

The fact that they were devoting themselves to prayer sounds to me like it was a full-on, wholehearted, totally committed time of intercession.

And even though the circumstances surrounding these events are quite specific, it isn’t a big stretch to expect Christians to always be devoted to prayer. (Rom 12:12, NASB)

Kim+

prayer : please help me to be devoted to prayer

action : ‘… pray without ceasing, …’ (1Th 5:17)

[He] will come back

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Acts 1:9-11 (NIV)

9 After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight. 10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

 

When?

When will Jesus come back?

Good question. However, ‘[it] is not for [us] to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority.’ (Acts 1:7)

We simply don’t need to know. (1Th 5:1)

Yet we remain prepared. For ‘the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.’ (1Th 5:2)

Think of it as actively waiting: as we witness. (Acts 1:8)

Kim+

prayer : thank you Lord that you will return

action : ‘… shine as [a light] in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain.’ (Php 3:15b-16)

to the end of the earth

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Acts 1:6-8 (ESV)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

No limits. Without borders.

As disciples of Christ we are called to “go therefore and make disciples of all nations, …” (Matt 28:19 | emphasis added).

It’s no small task.

In fact it’s ridiculous to think that we can do it on our own.

Hence the need for God’s Holy Spirit. To teach us; guide us; strengthen us.

And the support & encouragement – the prayer & fellowship – of the church community.

As ‘witnesses’ we are to tell it like it is. No embellishments; no fancy language; no bells & whistles.

It’s the role of the Holy Spirit to convict people. He gets the credit for their conversion. He takes responsibility for how the message is received.

Yet we are still very much involved. It’s not enough to think about it or talk about it or even plan it.

We need to do it.

But what a blessed relief that God is in control. We can hand over to Him the hard stuff and simply get on with the task at hand: bearing ‘witness’.

Kim+

prayer : thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit; please give me the strength I need to witness

action : be ‘… prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, …’ (1Pe 3:15)

you will receive power

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Acts 1:6-8 (ESV)

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

 

We live in a world where many chase after the allure of power.

Yet it’s an illusion. A folly. ‘… [A] striving after wind.’ (Ecc 4:16)

It may last for a day; a week; a year. Perhaps even a lifetime. But with death will come the loss of all one’s power.

For it is God who has all the strength.

And we are called to ‘… ascribe to the LORD glory and strength!’ (Ps 96:7). That is, acknowledge that He is the one and only God (Ex 20:3); ‘… the Lord God Almighty, …’ (Rev 4:8).

And, recognise that we need His strength to sustain us and empower us. “‘… [The] Spirit helps us in our weakness.’ (Rom 8:26)

It’s this trusting completely in God and all that He provides that truly glorifies Him.

Kim+

prayer : thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit; please give me the strength I need to witness

action : ‘I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation.’ (Isa 12:2)

wait for the promise

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Acts 1:1-5 (ESV)

1 In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, 2 until the day when he was taken up, after he had given commands through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. 3 He presented himself alive to them after his suffering by many proofs, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God. 4 And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said,  “you heard from me; 5  for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

 

How easy it is for us to become impatient. I know I don’t enjoy waiting for something even when I’m assured it’s worth the wait.

But what could be more precious than the promise of the Holy Spirit?

For deep down we know that we cannot live God’s way without His help.

Thankfully that help comes in the form of the Holy Spirit. Given to all believers as a guarantee of our inheritance (Eph 1:13).

And, as followers of Christ, we need not wait for this wonderful gift. For we receive it as soon as we repent & believe.

Instead, we must patiently await the return of Christ (1Th 4:13).

Kim+

prayer : thank you for the gift of the Holy Spirit; help me to be patient as I wait for your return, O Lord

action : ‘Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.’ (Rom 12:12)

I have finished the race

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2 Timothy 4:7 (ESV)

16 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

 

As a long-distance runner I have always loved Paul’s analogy of the Christian life.

A journey that is not a quick dash but rather a long-haul, pavement pounding, heart-wrenching, soul-enriching marathon.

One that takes plenty of preparation, planning, and bucket-loads of perseverance.

To be able to come to the end of my own days and say, like Paul, that despite everything life threw at me I still managed to keep the faith would be quite an achievement.

Yet it’s one I’m aiming for, training for, and hoping for.

Knowing that by Gods grace I will finish the race, and finish strong.

Kim+

prayer : help me to persevere, keeping the faith no matter what

action : encourage a fellow brother and | or sister in Christ to persevere