Acts – Page 3 – "Crucified, Hidden, Seated"

“An Acts-ive Faith” (Part 4)

CC: K Carswell 2022

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by Permission. Holman Christian Standard Bible, Holman CSB and HCSB are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Acts 4:11,12 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that there were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in response.

The rulers were not used to being taught by fishermen. They had asked by what power or in what name Peter and john had healed the lame man. Peter gave them the answer: it was in the name of Jesus. The rulers then realized the men had been with Jesus. Spiritual power does not come from education level or social status. It comes from time spent with the Lord.

May I so walk in my life that people recognize that I have been with Jesus.

May I not care if they call me “uneducated and untrained “. Every job has its skill level, and Peter and John were professional fishermen — a blue collar job, but one that provided food to the population.

Another Thought: A Beggar No More:

Acts 4:14 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in response.

The 40 year old man (his age is given in Acts 4:22) had been healed the previous day. When Peter took him by the hand and raised him up, his feet and ankle bones had received strength. Acts 3:8 tells us he jumped up , stood and started to walk. He entered the temple complex with them ‘walking, leaping and praising God’. The 40 year-old man was inside the temple. He was not just at its gates begging. He was no longer lame, he was not longer a beggar. What a life change!

Life changes happen to us all. We go from childhood to adulthood, from being in school, to having a job, from being single to being married, from working to retirement. How do we best deal with all these changes?

The lame man chose to stay with people who knew the Lord. Who we hang out with matters., especially as we rebuild our lives after a time of change.

I recently retired. How will I spend my time? I have many hobbies and there is always chores to do, so filling time is not a problem. But how do I best fill my time? I don’t want my time to be filled with activities that don’t matter. As I make these changes, I will be hanging out with Godly friends, who will help me further fulfill my calling. We are not to old to do what God would have us do or to have him heal us. Remember the man who was healed was 40 years old.

Thank you Lord that I am not to old to have a miracle performed over me.

cc: K Carswell 2022

“An Acts-ive Faith” (Part 3)

Acts 3:16 By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him the perfect health in front of you all.,

The Contemporary English version of the Bible words the verse this way: “You see this man, and you know him. He put his faith in the name of Jesus and was made strong. Faith in Jesus made this man completely well while everyone was watching.

Peter and John had gone to the temple to pray, They prayed for a lame beggar, who became whole. He entered the temple with them, walking, jumping and praising God.

The man had been made strong because of faith in Jesus.

What areas of my body need healing? What areas of my life need to be made strong by the name of Jesus?

One of the areas of my life that needs strengthening is finishing projects. I am better at starting projects than completing them. In late December and early January, I made sure that I completed a few of my unfinished projects. They included doll clothes for my sister’s grandchildren. The effect on the grand scheme of things of me completing those items: zero. However, because of the Lord’s great love for me, I believe it is still important to Him. He wants me to grow in character, so that I am a ‘completer;, that I finish well what I start.

I am so happy that in the most important area of my life, my faith, I do not have finish alone. Scripture says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2).

Another Thought:

The man was strengthened in his feet and ankles. He was strengthened to walk in the presence of the Holy Spirit. He jumped for joy as he entered the temple gates.

I am an analytical introvert who tends to be serious a lot of the time. Jesus is working in my life. People who know me may be surprised as they see me beginning to leap for joy, as Jesus brings further healing into my life.

CC: K Carswell 2022

“An Acts-ive Faith” (Part 2b)

Acts 2: We Are all Witnesses

Acts 2:32 “God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.

Murray and i were both part of a mission trip to Estonia and Russia in the mid-90s. Around that time we dated for awhile, but went out separate ways.

I continued to work and be active in children’s ministry.

A friend invited me to pray at a business and at one of the meetings, she said her pastor was gong to be there. She did not have to introduce us — his first name was Murray. We ended up taking a second look at each other and spending time together. We recently celebrated our twelth wedding anniversary.

As a twelve year old, one of my prayer requests was to marry a man who loved the Lord and who loved to pray. The Lord enabled me to do that. The Lord also allowed me to be a pastor in charge of children’s ministry for a short time.

Prayer is still a big part of our lives, even though my husband and I no longer have pastoral roles.

I have testimonies of God helping me breath when I was suffering a bad asthma attack, of being protected from a car accident that should have happened, of God providing friends to this introvert.

Jesus is still alive and working. Of that, I am a witness.

CC: K Carswell 2022

“An Acts-ive Faith (Part 2a)”

Acts 2: We Are all Witnesses

Acts 2:32 “God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.”

This was spoken by Peter on the day of Pentecost. Standing near him were others who walked with Jesus as he ministered on earth and who had seen him alive after the crucifixion. Peter could say he was a witness of the resurrected Jesus.

Here is part of my witness of the resurrected Christ:

The snow blew toward the windshield as the car traveled toward an emergency room in the city. I was seated between my parents , struggling to breath from a severe asthma attack, as they drove me to hospital. The snow continued to swirl around the car, but we finally arrived at the hospital. I was given medication. My mother tells of the doctor thinking that I wasn’t that sick. If my asthma was not as bad as it had been at home, it was probably because of the trust I had in my parents during the car ride. I had felt safe and secure seated between my Godly parents.

I grew up on a farm and my parents took their family to church every Sunday, so I had a chance to hear about Jesus at a young age. While I was in Grade 5, the Gideons came to a small country school to give out New Testaments. My copy is falling apart now, but it still states that I received it in February of 1971. On October, 29, 1974, I signed the back of the New Testament, saying that I wanted to accept Jesus as my Savior.

I wondered if I was a successful Sunday school teacher. I was in Grade 7 or 8, teaching the four-and five-year-olds with another young lady. One of the students asked me ‘is God real?” and I felt that I had not communicated well. A wise Sunday School superintendent (who I always addressed as ‘Mom”) said that I was successful — I had succeeded in having the student ask if God was real!

In high school, I heard about Campus Life meetings. I was shy, so it took me awhile to be brave enough to join the group. In Grade 12, I made a commitment to Christ in front of the Campus Life director. (I had more understanding of what I was doing than I had had years before.) After I had made the commitment, the group was at a meeting in someone’s home and people were sharing. I prayed “I’ll testify if the lights flicker on and off.” I still do not know why those lights flickered — but my testimony of my salvation was a surprise to some. With my church background and lifestyle they thought I had been saved for years. (I probably had been saved since 1974, but again, my understanding of salvation was greater when I was older.)

God continued to bless me in my early adulthood. I moved to a larger city to attend journalism school, and for the first year was blessed to stay with a wonderful Christian couple.

“It feels like I’ve been to the dentist!” It was a weird thing to say at church — but it was exactly how I felt. I was in a prayer line at a revival meeting sponsored by the small Pentecostal church I was now a student at. I felt like I had just had a filling put in a tooth!

I had graduated from journalism school and then worked for three years at a small city newspaper. I loved reporting– and had been sent to cover revival meetings. Two or three years after I first covered a meeting, I began my training at a small Bible centre, run by a local pastor. I had felt the call of God on my life at the first meeting I attended, but it took awhile for me to decide to leave the career I had planned and trained for.

Banana trees and beautiful beaches, and even more beautiful people. Those are my memories of St. Lucia and Barbados, I was blessed to travel there as a helper to an elderly missionary.

After that experience, I returned to my home city, and attended Bible College, working my way through to earn a Bachelor of Religious Education degree. I sometimes went through hard times at my work place. “I wonder if he is an angel”, i remember thinking about one customer, whose words of encouragement were extremely appropriate. God was with me at work and at the Bible College.

At church I helped with the younger children and was active in a prayer group, It was led by a wonderful woman, who is still a friend. I got to know many, including a young man named Murray.

God has been very gracious to me. Jesus is alive and working. Of that, I am a witness.

I will continue my testimony tomorrow.

(Dear readers: I understand if you are slightly annoyed with me for spending two days on Acts 2, instead of going on to Acts 3. If you are joining me in reading the book of Acts, please feel free to reread Acts 2 or go onto Acts 3. Meditate on how they speak to your life. I would love it if you would send me part of your testimony.

CC: K Carswell 2022