Thought for May 10

 History:

• 1267: Vienna's church orders Jews to wear special garb to identify themselves
• 1427: Jews expelled from Bern Switzerland
• 1503: Columbus discovers Cayman Islands
• 1508: Michelangelo begins painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel
• 1775: Green Mountain Boys capture Fort Ticonderoga
• 1797: First U.S,. ship launched--the "United States"
• 1865: Jefferson Davis captured in Georgia
• 1869: Golden Spike driven at Promontory Point
• 1972: Victoria Woodhull is first woman nominated for President
• 1883: First appendectomy in the US
• 1908: First Mother's Day observed---Philadelphia
• 1924: J Edgar Hoover appointed head of the FBI
• 1940: Churchill becomes Prime Minister
• 1960: Triton sub completes first submerged circumnavigation of the globe
• 1983: Last episode of "Laverne and Shirley"
• 1994: Nelson Mandela becomes first black President of South Africa
• 1996: "Twister" premiers
• 2016: In India, 70 year-old woman gives birth to a baby boy
• 2020: Covid cases exceed 4 million
• Born: John Wilkes Booth, Fred Astaire, David O Selznick, Maybelle Carter, Pat Summerall, Bono, Missy Franklin, 
• Died: Paul Revere, Stonewall Jackson, Henry Morton Stanley, Big Daddy Lipscomb, Joan Crawford, John Wayne Gacy [murderer], Shel Silverstein, Carroll Shelby

Thought:

Have you ever been a member of a perfect church? Everything suited you just right. Or have you every been a member of a perfect Sunday School or Bible Study class. Everything agreed with you, you loved all the people. You can be honest about this. Was there someone or something that bothered you, aggravated you? Was there someone whose absence made you smile? I am reading Acts 2:42-47 this morning. Here we find a description of the life of the believers, the life of the church, the life of the small groups after the pouring out of the Holy Spirit and the conversion of 3000. 

First, think for a moment about who the 3000 were. What do we know about them?

• They spoke different languages. Before this salvation event, they were separated by a language barrier. But the power of the Holy Spirit allowed them to HEAR in their own language. Some of you have experienced this. You have been in a foreign country on mission, or you have worked among foreigners in Nashville. You know that the love of Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit allowed you to communicate across the barrier of language. A few weeks ago, a member of our Sunday School class reported that his son had been in the Middle East on Easter. He was at the tomb and there was a group from another language group there who began to sing. He could not understand the words, but he knew the music and so together they sang about Jesus in different tongues but one body.
• They were from different places. Their languages and dress were different. Perhaps their traditions and worship styles were different. Picture this--people dressed in their national garments, speaking different languages, coming from different traditions and worship styles--all hearing the gospel and amazed.
• They asked questions. In 2:12, they ask, "what does this mean?" after seeing the outpouring of the Spirit and the language barrier destroyed. Peter preaches. Then they ask, "what shall we do?" And 3000 were baptized and received the Holy Spirit. [2:38-40]

Now consider how they lived after receiving the Holy Spirit:

• Continually devoted to--the apostles' teaching, fellowship, breaking bread, and prayer. Here is something for me to consider today. Am I continually devoted to hearing the word preached, taught, read, memorized? Am I continually devoted to prayer? Do I continually seek fellowship and the breaking of bread? If I have encountered the Holy Spirit and accepted Jesus into my life, do I act like those believers at Pentecost? 
• Now look at what happened when they devoted themselves--
• Everyone had a sense of awe. When is the last time you had a sense of awe? We should live in a sense of awe--about who Christ is; about what God has done, is doing, and has promised; about how Christ has changed us and those around us. We should see awesome every day.
• Why a sense of awe? We see God's hands move in our lives and the lives of others--wonders and signs. People healed, people facing life's challenges with faith and strength, people having joy and peace amid trials and tribulations, marriages restored, families united, relationship healed, anger turned to love. We should have eyes that see and ears that hear all that God is doing and respond in awe.
• We should be unified--all who believed were together, shared, had things in common, were of one mind, eating with gladness and sincerity of heart. Here is the result of Christ filled lives--unity. Why? We are one in Christ--as Paul said to the Ephesians--one body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father. One mind--all seeking to have the mind of Christ about all things. Sharing and celebrating with gladness all that God has done and is doing.
• We should be praising together. Have you noticed the diversity among the supporters and fans of some sports teams. Go to a Vols game--different dress, different occupations, different educations, different politics. But when the band plays "Rocky Top" they are united as one. Now think about the body of Christ--different in many ways, but when the music starts and we begin to sing "Amazing Grace" we are united as one--why? Because we all sing "He saved a wretch like me, I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see." 

Today, be continually devoted, don't miss the awesomeness of God, be unified under the banner of the cross of Christ--it is amazing grace that makes us one. 

Blessings

Larry