Month: May 2024

Acts 2:37 – Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?”

³⁸ Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ This promise is to you, and to your children, and even to the Gentiles—all who have been called by the Lord our God.” ⁴⁰ Then Peter continued preaching for a long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation!”

⁴¹ Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.

⁴² All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.

⁴³ A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴⁴ And all the believers met together in one place and shared everything they had. ⁴⁵ They sold their property and possessions and shared the money with those in need. ⁴⁶ They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—⁴⁷ all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved. (NLT)

This passage of Scripture is part of a larger section (all of Acts 2) that deals with the Day of Pentecost – the day in which the Holy Spirit visited the Christian believers for the first time.  Let’s consider what the believers were doing before the Holy Spirit descended upon them.  Acts 2:1 – “On the day of Pentecost all the believers were meeting together in one place.”  In 1 Corinthians, the Apostle Paul tells us that the Holy Spirit is given to build the Church.  As we see in Acts 2:1, the church had to come together in unity to receive the Holy Spirit.  

Consider what the Holy Spirit enabled the believers to do. Acts 2:4 – “And everyone present was filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them this ability.”  By the power of the Holy Spirit, the believers began to do things that they would not have been unable to do before.  This is seen especially with Peter.  Remember, Peter was the man who denied that he even knew who Jesus was, and he denied him more than once!  Yet after gathering with other believers, and then after receiving the Holy Spirit, Peter preaches one fiery – and long – sermon! (verses 14 – 40). 

Upon hearing Peter’s sermon, many in the crowd wanted to know what they should do next.  Peter’s answer in verse thirty-eight gets a lot of attention: “Peter replied, “Each of you must repent of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.” However, that’s not the full story that we find it in this chapter, and I think we do a disservice to new Christians if we lead them to believe that all Christianity requires is a ‘one time and your done’ commitment.  Repentance is not for a moment, but a way of life. 

Consider what we find in the latter part of today’s reading.  Verse 42: “All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.” Christianity requires a devotion to the Apostles teaching – we call it the Bible!  Christianity also requires that we continually gather for fellowship and prayer. This is the result of repentance as a way of life. 

Verse forty-four tells us that they continued to gather together.  The last two verses of this passage tell us that they worshiped God daily, and shared fellowship with other believers daily.  Perhaps, now more than ever, we have the opportunity to worship God daily.  With the availability of praise & worship music, we can worship anywhere and anytime.  Thanks to social media, we can fellowship with other Christians daily.  I’m not saying that the internet replaces our face to face gatherings, but it sure can enhance our opportunities to fellowship. 

Today, let’s consider our devotion to the Apostles’ teachings, and let’s do what we can to fellowship with other believers. 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 13 – O Lord, how long will you forget me? Forever?
How long will you look the other way?
² How long must I struggle with anguish in my soul,
with sorrow in my heart every day?
How long will my enemy have the upper hand?

³ Turn and answer me, O Lord my God!
Restore the sparkle to my eyes, or I will die.
⁴ Don’t let my enemies gloat, saying, “We have defeated him!”
Don’t let them rejoice at my downfall.

⁵ But I trust in your unfailing love.
I will rejoice because you have rescued me.
⁶ I will sing to the Lord
because he is good to me. (NLT)

For the past several weeks we have been exploring the psalms.  We looked at a psalm exalting the joy of a godly life (Psalm 1); a psalm about trusting the Lord (Psalm 25); a psalm that taught us to stay focused in prayer (Psalm 5).  Today we explore a psalm that shares the thoughts of one who has been afflicted by the troubles of this world.

In Psalm 13, the psalmist asks a question that everyone has asked at some point in their lives – how long will you forget me, O Lord.  Unlike the children of God who lived in the days of the psalmist, we have the full Word of God, and God’s Word answers this age old question.  Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, God tells us in Isaiah 49:14-16: Jerusalem says, “The Lord has deserted us; the Lord has forgotten us.” “Never! Can a mother forget her nursing child? Can she feel no love for the child she has borne? But even if that were possible, I would not forget you! See, I have written your name on the palms of my hands.” 

Like the psalmist, we may at times feel as if God is looking the other way.  We may at times feel as if God does not know or care about the troubles we endure.  However, consider the words of Jesus in John 14:16-17: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit.” God is always with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.

Even though the psalmist questioned God, we should note that he was praying!  He did not stop communicating with God just because he questioned, and while he talked to God he began to remember.  In verse five he states that he trusts in God’s unfailing love.  In many translations, and in the Hebrew, it reads: “I have trusted in your mercy.” The psalmist acknowledges that he has trusted in the past, and in the past God always rescued him.  Then in verse six he proclaims that since God was good to him in the past, he will sing to the Lord in the present.  Nowhere does he state that he is over his current affliction, yet he chose to sing anyway!  He was able to sing because he remembered God’s faithfulness.

Let the remembrance of God’s past faithfulness be our strength in times of trouble.  When we don’t feel as if God cares, let us remember God’s grace and mercy from yesterday, and then let us sing to the Lord! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 5 – O Lord, hear me as I pray;
pay attention to my groaning.
² Listen to my cry for help, my King and my God,
for I pray to no one but you.
³ Listen to my voice in the morning, Lord.
Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.

⁴ O God, you take no pleasure in wickedness;
you cannot tolerate the sins of the wicked.
⁵ Therefore, the proud may not stand in your presence,
for you hate all who do evil.
⁶ You will destroy those who tell lies.
The Lord detests murderers and deceivers.

⁷ Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house;
I will worship at your Temple with deepest awe.
⁸ Lead me in the right path, O Lord,
or my enemies will conquer me.
Make your way plain for me to follow.

⁹ My enemies cannot speak a truthful word.
Their deepest desire is to destroy others.
Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with flattery.
¹⁰ O God, declare them guilty.
Let them be caught in their own traps.
Drive them away because of their many sins,
for they have rebelled against you.

¹¹ But let all who take refuge in you rejoice;
let them sing joyful praises forever.
Spread your protection over them,
that all who love your name may be filled with joy.
¹² For you bless the godly, O Lord;
you surround them with your shield of love. (NLT)

This psalm is titled: A psalm of David, to be accompanied by the flute. It is traditionally believed to be a psalm of morning prayer.  In this psalm David comes to the Lord in the morning to receive the strength – and the joy – that he needs for the day.  In verse two he states: “for I pray to no one but you.”  This may sound strange to us, and we might ask, ‘to whom else would he pray?’  However, the Hebrew implies that David is focused solely on God during his prayer time.  A great lesson for us!  Quite often we try to squeeze in some prayer time, and we go to God with so much clutter on our minds that we never really focus on God.  Sometimes our prayers are hurried, and even legalistic – we pray only because we know we should.  Verse two should teach us to set aside prayer time so that when we pray, God alone has our attention. 

Verse three makes it clear that David would pray in the morning.  He would not wait until something ‘came up’ and he needed prayer.  He recognized that he needed prayer first thing!  Prayer at the start of our day sets the tone for the rest of the day.  It helps us maintain focus throughout the day.  David knew the power of prayer, for he wrote: “Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly.” David knew that God hears and answers prayer, and so he waited expectantly.

In verses four through ten, David gives a contrast between the godly and wicked. When we consider the godly and the ungodly, I believe that verse seven speaks volumes: “Because of your unfailing love, I can enter your house.” Our confidence in approaching God has nothing to do with anything that we have accomplished, but is in the love and mercy of God – a love and mercy that never fails.  The godly have not earned more points than the ungodly, they have simply accepted God’s grace, and in turn seek to live a life pleasing to God.  When they know God’s unfailing love, they are eager to take refuge in the Lord, and they rejoice (verse 11).

Today, let us take the time to focus on God.  Let us focus on God early in our day, not waiting for trials to surround us.  Let us trust that God will hear and answer our prayers, and let us rejoice in the refuge God offers! 

Posted by Ramón Torres

Psalm 20 – In times of trouble, may the Lord answer your cry.
May the name of the God of Jacob keep you safe from all harm.
² May he send you help from his sanctuary
and strengthen you from Jerusalem.
³ May he remember all your gifts
and look favorably on your burnt offerings.

⁴ May he grant your heart’s desires
and make all your plans succeed.
⁵ May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory
and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers.

⁶ Now I know that the Lord rescues his anointed king.
He will answer him from his holy heaven
and rescue him by his great power.
⁷ Some nations boast of their chariots and horses,
but we boast in the name of the Lord our God.
⁸ Those nations will fall down and collapse,
but we will rise up and stand firm.

⁹ Give victory to our king, O Lord!
Answer our cry for help. (NLT)

The title of Psalm 20 is the same as a number of others: To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.  This psalm, however, is different in nature than the other psalms by the same title.  The difference in this psalm is that it is written in the first-person plural.  In other words, a group of people were offering up this prayer for King David. 

This would explain verse four: “May he/God grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.”  If we were to take this verse out of context, one would be led to believe that God grants to everyone who asks whatever they desire.  Thanks be to God that God does not grant us whatever we desire, for how much have we desired that would not have been any benefit to our well being?  To place verse four into its proper context, let us note 1 Samuel 13:14, which speaks of David – “the Lord has sought out a man after his own heart. The Lord has already appointed him to be the leader of his people.”  It is right to pray for our heart’s desire – when what we are after is also found in the Lord’s heart. 

Does God grant us whatever we desire?  Only when our hearts are aligned with God will God grant us our hearts desire.  The New Testament speaks of this: James 4:8 – Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world (NLT); and 1 John 5:21 – Dear children, keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts (NLT).

Today, let us examine our hearts.  Let us not have our loyalties divided, but let us seek after the Lord’s heart. 

Posted by Ramón Torres