Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+4.1-12

Scripture

“There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”

Observation

After the crippled man is healed, Peter addressed the crowd. While he and John are still speaking, some priests and guards come to arrest them as the priests are disturbed by their teaching. Many in the crowd believe their message and so the number of believers has grown to 5,000 men plus women and children.

The next day, the priests question Peter and John, demanding to know by what power they had healed the man. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, testifies that the man was healed by the name of Jesus, whom they, the priests, had crucified but God had raised from the dead. He goes on to say that there is no other name by which people can be saved.

Application

There is healing in the name of Jesus, and salvation in the name of Jesus. There is no other name, no other salvation.

Unbelievers say that all religions lead to God. But only one name will save us from hell and bring us to heaven. Only one name will bring healing, wholeness and new life.

The name of Jesus is powerful. Demons flee when they hear the name preached. They wither in fear at the testimony of righteous men and women.

Why would we seek another name, another salvation?

Yet some people do exactly this. Some people claim to be born again but run after other gods. A little bit of Christ, a little bit of Allah and a touch of Krishna.

Salvation is not a buffet in which we can take a little of what appeals to us.

There is only one Lord, our saviour Jesus Christ.

No other name will save you. No other “god” will heal you or take you to eternal life.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, your name is above all names. Thank you for saving me through your death on the cross. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+3.12-19

Scripture

“You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. And we are witnesses of this fact!”

Observation

Peter heals a crippled beggar in the Temple precinct. A crowd gathers as they see the man standing, walking and praising God.

Peter addresses the crowd, asking why they are surprised by this. It is not the goodness of the disciples, but the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob who healed him. The Jesus whom they rejected and killed, the author of life, is now risen from the dead.

The people killed Jesus in ignorance, but now God requires them to repent and turn to God so that their sins will be wiped away.

Application

We are all guilty of killing Jesus, the author of life. All have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. We all need forgiveness and cleansing from our sins.

Because of Jesus’ death on the cross, every sin is taken care of. All is forgiven, if only we will accept it.

Jesus is the author of life, and so He is still alive. Death could not hold Him down. He shares His life with us so we know He will raise us to eternal life. This is the promise of Easter.

We can be sure that the resurrection is real because there were so many witnesses to the fact. They might have made it up, but so many of these witnesses died for what they believed. They were tortured and put to death, but not one of them ever confessed to a fake resurrection.

Jesus is alive, and because of Him, we will live for ever.

Prayer

Thank you Lord for the promise of Easter. You are the author of life and you have defeated death for ever. Hallelujah!

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+17.22-34

Scripture

“In the past, God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent.”

Observation

Paul is in Athens where he has a dispute with some of the city’s philosophers. They take him to the Areopagus to present and argue for the Gospel.

Paul notes that the city is very religious, even having an altar dedicated to an unknown god. Paul says that this is the true God who created all things and all people. He did this so that people would turn to Him and find Him.

In the past, God overlooked the ignorance of paganism. But now He calls all people to repent, for He has set a day of judgement by Christ whom He raised from the dead.

Some sneer at this talk of resurrection, but others believe Paul and his message.

Application

Since Christ came into the world, the gospel has left us with a stark choice- we can accept it or reject it.

The commandment given to all people now is “repent.” The Kingdom of God has arrived, and we must turn from our sins and follow Jesus.

There once was no kingdom, but now the King has come and established His Kingdom. Once we could live as we pleased, whether it was to worship idols or to worship our bodies.

Now King Jesus tells us to worship only Him. There is a grace period but a day of judgement will come.

Jesus is justified in judging those who reject Him. He died to pay for our sin. Now we must honour Him with our lives or pay the price for rejecting His grace.

This is not religion by obeying rules. This is freedom to live the lives we were created for. I once was lost in sin, but now I am found in Him.

Repenting does not just mean turning from sinful actions. It is letting go of all our false loves to embrace the true lover of our souls.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for delivering me from sin. Help me to honour you in every part of my life. Amen

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+7.55-60

Scripture

And he told them, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing in the place of honour at God’s right hand!”

Observation

Stephen is testifying before the Sanhedrin. As the leaders become increasingly enraged by his assertion that Jesus is the Messiah, Stephen sees the glory of God with Jesus standing at God’s right hand.

The elders drag him out of the city to stone him, laying their coats at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Stephen calls out to the Lord, “Lord Jesus receive my spirit” and then “Lord don’t charge this against them.” Then he dies.

Application

It is quite awesome to have a vision of heaven, to see what is happening in God’s throne room. There are times when, if we ask, God will grant us this kind of vision. It gives us a greater insight into what God is doing and where we fit into His plans.

The important thing in Stephen’s revelation is that he sees God the Father on the throne with Jesus standing at His right hand.

Jesus is not just a historical figure. He is alive now, interceding for us and representing us before the Father.

Jesus is in the place of authority and power in God’s kingdom. In fact, He is the way we get into the Kingdom. Through Jesus we have total access to the Father, all the time.

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, you are my saviour and my Lord. Thank you for the knowledge that you have opened the way for me and all who trust in you. Amen.

 

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2.42-47

Scripture

Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts.

Observation

The earliest believers recognised that they needed one another. They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship and worship. The apostles performed many signs and wonders.

The believers shared their possessions and gave to those in need. They met daily in the temple and in their homes. And the Lord added to their number daily.

Application

This scripture passage is one of the key passages for the cell church movement. We see here that in the early days the church met, as the church, in big gatherings and in smaller gatherings in homes.

There was a strong sense of community, of belonging to one another that is often missing in many churches. They could see the Holy Spirit at work as signs and wonders were happening, as they loved on another, and as people were being saved.

It is easy to get caught in the christian “bubble” in which all of our relationships are with other christians. Somehow, in all of their exciting meetings, the first believers were maintaining friendships with non-believers in such a way that they were getting saved.

This community was not a closed cult. It was a very open group.

I get very excited when I meditate on this passage. It tells us what the church can be and should be. We just have to change our orientation from institution to God-centred community.

Prayer

Lord let my part of your church become the real church. May we develop a community of such intimacy with you and with each other that people are desperate to find you. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+2.32-41

Scripture
Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptised, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Observation
Peter finishes his Pentecost address to the gathered crowd by declaring that Jesus is Lord and Messiah.

The people are cut to the heart by his message. They ask, “What should we do?” Peter tells them they must repent and be baptised for the forgiveness of their sins. Then they will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

So Peter continues to exhort them, and three thousand people receive the message and are baptised.

Application
God calls on us simply to repent and be baptised.

All we have to do is turn from our sins in response to the gospel. Baptism is the outward sign that we have died to our old nature and risen to new life in Him.

A simple step of faith accepting that He is Lord of all.

As we take this step of repentance, He meets us with forgiveness and the Holy Spirit,

All my sins are gone, washed away by the blood of Christ, deleted from the record, all because of God’s grace given to me in Christ.

Because I am so weak and unable to live God’s way in my own human strength, He places His Spirit in me.

My decision to follow Jesus activates a whole new life, a gift from God.

This is awesome!

And it’s not just for those who were immediately hearing Peter’s message that day so long ago. It is for everyone, for those who are near and for those who are far away- in space and time.

The power of God to change lives is not restricted in any way. Nobody is too old or too young, too sinful or too good, too rich or too poor,

Everyone who call son the name of the Lord Jesus Christ will be saved.

Prayer
Thank you Lord for reaching down to me. I was lost in my sin, but you brought me home to you. Thank you Lord that your grace is even bigger than my sin. Amen.

Passage: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+10.34-43

Scripture

“All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.”

Observation

After a series of events, Peter finds himself in the house of a Gentile named Cornelius.

Peter testifies to the household of Cornelius that he now understands that God does not have favourites based on race, but He loves everyone who seeks Him and does what is right.

The message about Jesus started in Galilee but is spreading everywhere. God anointed Jesus with the power of the Holy Spirit and Jesus healed all who were oppressed by the devil. Jesus was crucified, but God raised Him. Now those who witnessed these things are testifying about salvation through Christ.

Application

The message of the gospel is very simple- everyone who believes in Christ receives forgiveness through Him.

We all sin- everyone falls short of God’s perfect standard of holiness. Even on our best days we can all be proud, angry or fail to love others in some way.

All have sinned.

All may be forgiven.

You don’t have to keep the Jewish Law or be born Jewish. Forgiveness is available to everyone in Christ,

It is the death of Jesus that paid the price for our sin. Trust in Him and you will be forgiven.

No sin is too big, no life too depraved. When we turn to Jesus and trust in His salvation then forgiveness comes.

This is not a magic formula or a religious incantation. It is about honesty before God. As we learn to walk in this freedom, we also learn to place all of our cares and fears in His hands- a relationship of trust and love grows.

Prayer

Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for your offer of forgiveness. Help me to confess my sins to you and to trust you for forgiveness of sins in your name. Amen.