7/23/13- Turning Away In Order to Turn to God

37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”

38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”

40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day. (Acts 2)

1) Do you admit that you are a sinner in need of God’s mercy?  Do you renounce all evil and powers in the world that defy God’s righteousness and love, and do you renounce the ways of sin?

Thoughts: When people asked "what shall we do?" Peter's words of hope were words that also "added to their number."  In other words- the basic requirement for membership took three forms.
First there was belief.  Those who heard believed the message- and believed in God.
Second there was repentance.  They were not just sorry for their sins- but they were willing to submit to God's way and leave their own.  They humbled themselves and turned around.  They died to self and lived for God.
Third was baptism.  Baptism is the initiation ritual into the church.  It symbolizes that we are His and He is ours.  It means our sins are washed clean, and we are sealed as his own.  Once we are baptized it is indelible- we cannot be unbaptized.

The first question someone is asked (above) assumes that people believe and are already baptized.  But it is a confession of sin and a public repentance of sin.  The first question really is an admission that no one is worthy of joining the church.  It is not, as the world often assumes, that church people have to be so good- or reach a level of goodness in order to join the church.  It is admitting our sin, renouncing evil's power over us, and turning to God.  But it is also renouncing sin.  Joining the church and following Christ means to no longer follow the ways of sin.
Without repentance, there is no definition of what we are joining.  Repentance, in effect, means there are boundaries that we must not cross- standards that we must keep.  When we eliminate sin or repentance, we may feel better about ourselves, but the idea of holiness, righteousness, truth, and goodness flee out the window.  The church is not just a feel good club.  It is a believing fellowship united by a desire to not go every path, but a desire to follow Christ's path.  To walk on the narrow way, we must give up the other ways.  If all roads lead to God- there is no need to travel at all.  If holiness is everything- holiness is nothing.  Similarly, in a Christian marriage ceremony- the covenant of marriage involves the vow "forsaking all others."  In the parallel covenant of joining the church- we make the covenant of renouncing evil ways- forsaking all other paths but God's.

Prayer: Lord, give me the grace to want you above all else and to forsake all other gods and all other ways in order to serve and honor you.

5/21/13- Pentecost and the Ascension

"I saw the Lord always before me.
    Because he is at my right hand,
    I will not be shaken.
²⁶ Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
    my body also will rest in hope,
²⁷ because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
    you will not let your holy one see decay.
²⁸ You have made known to me the paths of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence.’

²⁹ “Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. ³⁰ But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. ³¹ Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. ³² God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. ³³ Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. ³⁴ For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “‘The Lord said to my Lord:    “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’

Thoughts: Peter addresses the crowd quoting from the Old Testament Psalms- Psalm 16:8-11 and Psalm 110:1.  He had just quoted Joel 2 about a day coming when the Spirit would be poured out on all people (men, women, gentiles).  Apparently Peter was trying to link the events of his day to the prophecies of the Old Testament.  Such a link would encourage the people to believe that God was not dead or asleep but very much alive.
    Often commentators focus on David's quote from Psalm 16 as simply about the resurrection.  But what both Psalm 16 and Psalm 110 have in common is the idea that the Messiah would be ascended to the right hand of the Father.  In the minds of these disciples at Pentecost- this has just happened.  Christ was taken up before their eyes.  While they may not have actually seen the actually raising of Christ from the dead (though they saw the empty tomb and the appearances afterwards referred to in vs. 32), they actually saw the ascension before their eyes- not long before Pentecost.  Doubtless they were searching the scriptures about ascending to the right hand- a place of  power and honor.  In verse 33 Peter links the ascension of Christ to the pouring out of the Holy Spirit.  It is almost like Christ ascended to the right hand of God the Father and then poured out the Spirit of God upon us.  The power of Christ to help us, intercede for us is made complete at His ascension and His first act to help us was sending His Holy Spirit to us. In John, Jesus said that unless he left them he could not send the Spirit (14, 16).  But His going to a place of power meant sending the Spirit of power to help them.  This Spirit of God helps us even today to pray, leading us, convicting us- until we too are brought into the presence of the Father.  

Prayer: Thank you for the presence and power of your Holy Spirit, sent to us as a sign of your exaltation.  Lord have mercy on me this day that I might honor you.  Use me in the power of your Spirit to glorify you reflecting your power back to you.  Use my hands and feet as your body to do your work today.  

(Ascension Raphael)