Good morning my friends! 

Have you traveled through yesterdays' discussion lead as Peter and the disciples transition to ministry as Jesus physical walk on earth had come to an end? I hope that you were able to travel back to Jerusalem and like Jesus and the disciples, experience resurrection after pain... and freedom from sin that can no longer punish you. That's what a clear conscience and fresh slate bring, and I'm so thankful that we are given that opportunity!

It struck me today that any and every time I go down on my knees before my Savior and Father in prayer it brings me back to Jerusalem. It's a position of humility and of remembrance, and as we've said before, we know that Jesus is on His knees interceding for us. So please meet Him there today and spend some time positioning yourself to follow.

Now … grab your Bible and read through Acts 2:1-13. The promised Holy Spirit did indeed come on the disciples... and it came on them with power! They had returned to Jerusalem, whatever the cost. They had waited on the Lord and they had sought Him in prayer. I love that in the first two verses of chapter two we see that the Holy Spirit didn't come at an announced moment. His arrival wasn't specified as being based upon a certain prayer of the disciples. They were to wait, to be good stewards and to be in the right place. The time was up to the Lord entirely. He doesn't follow our bidding, we follow His. Just... follow. THAT is where we receive power!

Now we're coming upon what I'd consider one of the most exciting portions of Scripture. It is the moment in which the man who is no longer Simon... but is called Peter, stands up and addresses the crowd. Please read Acts 2:14-41.

I think perhaps the thing that stands out the most to me about Peter's address to the crowd, is the way that he is FINALLY showing the resolve to stand firm in what he KNOWS... only. He simply stated what Jesus had done, without apology, as a witness and as one surrounded by other witnesses. Period. He didn't try to make predictions. He didn't try to take it further than he needed to this time. He didn't add his two cents or his interpretation. He finally didn't run ahead, to the side, or lag behind. He stated the truth about what he knew about his Savior and his friend... a message that rings true to a theme that Jesus taught, does it not?

“The kingdom of heaven is near.”

Period.

Now let's look at what happened in verse 41.

Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.

Wow.

I don't know about you, but the more I have gotten to know Jesus, the more I have studied this journey between an ordinary, floundering fisherman and a Savior... the more I long, ache, and grow in desperation to know Him better and for other ordinary people to know an extraordinary Savior. Don't you?!? YES, I KNOW that we could see people saved... by the hundreds... by the thousands.

But we have to be resolved.

We don't have to be resolved to see thousands saved daily.

We have to be resolved to know Him.

We have to be resolved to get out of the way.

We need to be resolved to allow Him to be an undeniable reality in our lives.

We need to be resolved to speak about what we have witnessed...

We need to be resolved to tell others that HE is near... the Kingdom of Heaven is near!

We need to be resolved to follow, and to bring others with us.

We need to be resolved to know what we know, live what we know, and share what we know. Daily.

We need to offer our resolve, our focus, and our footsteps as a simple offering of worship that He will once again offer.... to a multitude. I know in my own personal life I still get in the way to much. But I'm desperate to go further with Him. Will you continue to go with me? I'm learning so much from you... let's continue to move forward and see where He leads.

For Discussion: What else do you notice about the change in Simon Peter, or about the transition that the disciples make after Jesus ascends into heaven?