David Bahn – Reflections

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 2:1-7

Why do the nations rage^[a]
    and the peoples plot in vain?
² The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lordand against his Anointed, saying,
³ “Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

⁴ He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
⁵ Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
⁶ “As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

⁷ I will tell of the decree:
The Lordsaid to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
⁸ Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.

Psalm 32:1-5

Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,
    whose sin is covered.
² Blessed is the man against whom the Lordcounts no iniquity,
    and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

³ For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away
    through my groaning all day long.
⁴ For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;
    my strength was dried up^[b] as by the heat of summer. Selah

⁵ I acknowledged my sin to you,
    and I did not cover my iniquity;
I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord,”
    and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah

Psalm 62:1-2

For God alone my soul waits in silence;
    from him comes my salvation.
² He alone is my rock and my salvation,
    my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalm 92:1-4

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
    to sing praises to your name, O Most High;
² to declare your steadfast love in the morning,
    and your faithfulness by night,
³ to the music of the lute and the harp,
    to the melody of the lyre.
⁴ For you, O Lord, have made me glad by your work;
    at the works of your hands I sing for joy.

Psalm 122:1-9

I was glad when they said to me,
    “Let us go to the house of the Lord!”
² Our feet have been standing
    within your gates, O Jerusalem!

³ Jerusalem—built as a city
    that is bound firmly together,
⁴ to which the tribes go up,
    the tribes of the Lord,
as was decreed for^[a]Israel,
    to give thanks to the name of the Lord.
⁵ There thrones for judgment were set,
    the thrones of the house of David.

⁶ Pray for the peace of Jerusalem!
    “May they be secure who love you!
⁷ Peace be within your walls
    and security within your towers!”
⁸ For my brothers and companions’ sake
    I will say, “Peace be within you!”
⁹ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God,
    I will seek your good.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I had a very good friend in high school and college. Soon after that we grew apart. But he was a friend in the best sense of the word. Friends stick close by you in good times and bad. Friends don’t judge. Friends bring you to Jesus. And Jerry did all those things. Many of you will know that he introduced me to photography and to the Lutheran Church. He was unashamed of the fact that as a junior in high school he knew he wanted to be a Lutheran pastor. He graduated from the seminary one year after I did. He died several years ago.

There are friends mentioned here in this text, who bring this man to the temple. In fact they are only referred to by their actions, they “laid [the man] daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple.” It doesn’t say whether it was the same people who did this daily. But somehow people saw to it that the man got there.

It reminds me of the paralyzed man brought by his friends to be healed by Jesus. You’ll remember that there was such a crowd gathered that they had to take the man to the roof of the house where Jesus was and lower him through a hole they made. Friends will go the extra mile to get their friend to Jesus.

Do you have such a friend? Are you such a friend? Do you need such a friend? These are rare people indeed. A children’s verse comes to mind: Make new friends and keep the old. One is silver and the other gold. It’s true a friend in need is a gift of God – especially when that friend brings you to Jesus. I hope you have such a friend. I hope you are such a friend. If you are not or have not, ask God to send a friend to you. And while you’re at it, listen to how God may be putting someone on your heart to whom you can be such a friend.

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I love the C.S. Lewis quote:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” ― C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory, and Other Addresses

I recall Jesus asks the blind man, “What do you want me to do for you?” And the answer is simple: “Lord, I want to see” (Mark 10:21). Nothing wrong with that. Seeing is a good thing. And it was a big request. It was beyond asking for a hand out, a few alms, or strength to carry this burden.

But sometimes we’re so used to the burdens we don’t want to shed ourselves of them. We think we must carry on, even to the point of self-inflicted drudgery, if not downright martyristic complaint. I guess that’s just my lot in life, we sigh. We have no idea of what is meant by a holiday at the sea. Or a true healing. Or deep relief. We cannot imagine.

Sometimes it’s a matter of fear. We don’t know how to handle a better life. We can’t see ourselves in a successful career. We worry about too much gain, because it might all be taken away from us. Hope is a dangerous thing. It puts you in a position to be disappointed. It sets you up for being let down. But Jesus isn’t a bait and switch con man. He’s not setting us up for a cruel joke. He offers true life–eternal life. His gifts are irrevocable; his calling sure (Romans 11:29).

Interminable waiting wears on us. We wonder whether God will ever bring relief. We may conclude that this is our lot. It surely is not our lot for eternity. But God sometimes chooses to lift us out of the mud puddle, raise our eyes to see something better, fuller and everlasting. In the land of the living. When he does, give thanks. Praise his name. Sing of his goodness and mercy. Thank him.

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

I mentioned yesterday the experience of having my leg lengthen at the command of Professor C. Peter Wagner. It was a very unique experience to say the least. I will admit I wasn’t sure what to do with it, but I’ve come to some conclusion: Don’t tell God what he can or cannot do. Don’t make God’s work depend on your understanding. Leave the door open to unusual or unexpected actions on God’s part. He’s that way. Or as the Jesus character says in The Chosen mini-series when Matthew says, “This is different.” Jesus replies, “Get used to different.” Jesus calls us to new and different ways. He is not bound by time, space, or other obstacle. He does as he pleases.

But there is a method to God’s ways – different as they may be. That shows up here and is important to note. God genuinely cares about people. And he shows it in many ways. One is to heal people who are crippled, blind, mute, or even to raise the dead. Jesus did that out of compassion, love, concern, and kindness toward those who are suffering. But herein lies the problem: why doesn’t he do that for everyone? Why are not all healed? Why do some continue to suffer?

Jesus also does these things as a testimony to his glorious power. These miracles are marks of his identity as the Son of God. They show his power and control over the created order, and the terrible impact of sin. Jesus erases sin’s consequences when he forgive sins, heals diseases, and raises  people from the dead.

Peter makes it clear that Jesus is the actor here when he says, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” In this case the people seeing Jesus do this they took note and were filled with wonder and amazement.

Miracles, by their nature, are rare. They are signs of Jesus’ reign and rule. They point us to a good and gracious Father. They are testimony of the Holy Spirit’s presence and influence. The next time you see a miracle, take note. Be amazed. Be thankful. Believe.

On a personal note today is Diane’s birthday. It’s a milestone birthday. I’m thankful for her, and we are thankful for the years of life and blessings he has given both of us through the years.

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

You’ll recognize the movie line, perhaps: “You lookin’ at me?” You may know it from the Disney movie, Aladdin. I know it from Back to the Future. In either case it is a challenge. The one asking is confronting someone who has crossed his path. Here, however, Peter and John look at the man who was born lame, and Luke specifically notes that they say, “Look at us.” This is not a case of Look-at–me-when-I’m-talking-to-you comeuppance. This is much more significant and a very good thing.

When I drive up to an intersection with someone holding a, “HUNGRY. PLEASE HELP” sign, I’m about 50/50. Will I make eye contact or not? Will I actually see the person, or avoid seeing him? Will I acknowledge her existence or not? Will that person receive any indication that they register on anyone’s radar by my actions? Or will he just have to go on begging, hoping that someone will take pity on him?

Peter and John not only notice, but they ask the lame man to look at them. They wanted a two-way interaction between themselves and this man. They wanted him to know that they saw him. And they wanted the man to see them too. The scene will unfold in the context of a reciprocal relationship. They won’t just throw a few coins in the man’s cap and go on their way. Nor will they look at the man, shake their heads in disgust, and then move on. They see him. They want him to see them.

He expects that they are going to give him some money. They want to give him something far better. They heal the man. This is the most obvious gift. But there is far more happening here than healing – as good as that is. They are showing this man that he has value. He is not someone to be ignored, dismissed, or just paid off. They will not treat him as an impediment to their worship, nor as a pit stop along the way to bragging that they did the right thing by giving him some money.

Simply to look at someone, and even inviting him to look at you is no substitute for helping people in need. But when we acknowledge someone we are acknowledging one for whom Jesus died, and if she believes, one in whom Jesus lives. That’s a tiny part of the gospel message, but it is a powerful start. For Jesus’ redemption sets a high value on people (not gold or silver, but his holy precious blood). I’m wondering how I might express that the next time I see someone holding a WILL WORK FOR FOOD sign.

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Acts 3:1-10

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. ² And a man lame from birth was being carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple that is called the Beautiful Gate to ask alms of those entering the temple. ³ Seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, he asked to receive alms. ⁴ And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, “Look at us.” ⁵ And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. ⁶ But Peter said, “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” ⁷ And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. ⁸ And leaping up, he stood and began to walk, and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God. ⁹ And all the people saw him walking and praising God, ¹⁰ and recognized him as the one who sat at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, asking for alms. And they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

“Anyone want to see the Lord grow a leg?” I was sitting in a chair, in front of the classroom, my feet out in front of me, held by the professor in my Doctor of Ministry class. We were in southern California, at Fuller Theological Seminary. I couldn’t exempt myself from the invitation. My leg was about to be lengthened. “In the name of Jesus, I command this leg to grow,” he said. I felt a strange sensation in my right thigh and saw that leg move, growing about  ½ inch. I don’t really understand what happened. It really didn’t have the impact I had hoped for. I still had to have my hip replaced a few years later. But something did happen.

That’s not what happened when Peter and John encountered the crippled man at the temple that day 2000 years ago. The man was begging for money. His plight was so severe that he needed all the money he could get from begging. But Peter and John have something far better than the money that would get him through the day. He will receive the gift of healing. He will be given strong legs to walk – strong enough that he is walking and leaping as he praises God.

Peter and John bring the message of the kingdom and the evidence of the Kingdom to these people. For this miracle is not only for the lame man, it is for all to see what it looks like when Jesus reigns and rules in the world. It is a foretaste of the perfect and complete healing to come. It is evidence of the salvation that Jesus has won for us. For in the end we will be perfectly restored. There will be no more sin. No more sickness or disease of any kind will intrude. Jesus will be perfectly worshiped, honored, and praised. 

We get glimpses of this even today. A dear friend was facing a grave prognosis in her battle against cancer. Her church and friends were praying for her. When she went back to the doctor, the tumors had vanished. She credited God for that healing. But it may not always go this way. Another good friend is battling cancer. People across the country are praying for him. It appears that he may experience healing in the life of the world to come.

God will heal all who believe in him. He may do it miraculously – like he did with this lame man. He may do it medically: it is no less God’s doing whether it’s through means or immediately. Or he may heal us mercifully, taking us from this veil of tears to the glory of heaven. But in this case the healing was miraculous and the result is the same in any case of God’s intervening. People rejoice. God is praised. God’s gracious work in our lives is always a cause for praise and joy!

Please pray these psalms with me on this Lord’s Day

Psalm 25:4-7

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Lead me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are the God of my salvation;
    for you I wait all the day long.

Psalm 55:1-3, 22

Give ear to my prayer, O God,
    and hide not yourself from my plea for mercy!
² Attend to me, and answer me;
    I am restless in my complaint and I moan,
³ because of the noise of the enemy,
    because of the oppression of the wicked.
For they drop trouble upon me,
    and in anger they bear a grudge against me.
²² Cast your burden on the Lord,
    and he will sustain you;
he will never permit
    the righteous to be moved.

Psalm 85:10-13

Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
    righteousness and peace kiss each other.
¹¹ Faithfulness springs up from the ground,
    and righteousness looks down from the sky.
¹² Yes, the Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.
¹³ Righteousness will go before him
    and make his footsteps a way.

Psalm 115:1-9, 18

Not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to your name give glory,
    for the sake of your steadfast love and your faithfulness!

² Why should the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”
³ Our God is in the heavens;
    he does all that he pleases.

⁴ Their idols are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
⁵ They have mouths, but do not speak;
    eyes, but do not see.
⁶ They have ears, but do not hear;
    noses, but do not smell.
⁷ They have hands, but do not feel;
    feet, but do not walk;
    and they do not make a sound in their throat.
⁸ Those who make them become like them;
    so do all who trust in them.

⁹ O Israel, trust in the Lord!
    He is their help and their shield.
¹⁸ But we will bless the Lord
    from this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!

Psalm 145:1-9

I will extol you, my God and King,
    and bless your name forever and ever.
² Every day I will bless you
    and praise your name forever and ever.
³ Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
    and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴ One generation shall commend your works to another,
    and shall declare your mighty acts.
⁵ On the glorious splendor of your majesty,
    and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
⁶ They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds,
    and I will declare your greatness.
⁷ They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness
    and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸ The Lord is gracious and merciful,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ The Lord is good to all,
    and his mercy is over all that he has made.

English Standard Version (ESV)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016.
Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

I am decidedly not a surfer. I am not even a paddle boarder. I just don’t have the combination of core strength and balance needed to do that thing. I am not a wave rider. When I see surfers hanging ten, shooting the tube, or just riding the waves into the shore, I am amazed. How do they do that?!? That’s amazing!

But even the best surfer cannot make a wave. You might offer a different opinion. Wave pools create man-made waves. And those new surfing things on cruise ships: those are waves aren’t they? And what about the wake of a ship, or a cannon ball into a small pool. Waves! Yes. But the master of the waves is God himself.

I’m reminded Job’s reply to his friend, Artiber. He describes God as the one “who alone stretched out the heavens and trampled the waves of the sea.” And God asks Job,

“Who kept the sea inside its boundaries
    as it burst from the womb,
⁹ and as I clothed it with clouds
    and wrapped it in thick darkness?
¹⁰ For I locked it behind barred gates,
    limiting its shores.
¹¹ I said, ‘This far and no farther will you come.
    Here your proud waves must stop!’”

Perhaps we can make a little wave. Maybe even a large one in a small body of water. But who alone can stop a wave? Only God can. Think of Jesus calming the storm. Think of the promise in Revelation of the new heaven and new earth, “the sea was no more.” (Revelation 21:1)

All this is to say that God alone causes the waves of the ocean to stop or go. He alone makes waves, or better yet tells them when they must stop. I think of this in relation to verse 47, “…the Lord added daily to those who were being saved.” God grows his church. He makes the wind of the Spirit blow. We can catch the wind of the Spirit (ride the waves) if we take seriously what he calls us to do.

The Christian church is growing dramatically in places like Ethiopia. According to one who has been there and seen how God is at work, that’s primarily because people have taken God’s word seriously and seen themselves as missionaries to their friends, families, neighbors and communities. Check out the post  by Rev. Dr. Scott Rische (of PLI-International) here.

God makes the waves. We need to learn to ride them! God grows the church. He uses people to make that happen. Wanna learn to surf? Or maybe even to paddle board?

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

You may or may not be aware that my main purpose for writing this blog is for my own devotional discipline. I write knowing others will read it. But I’ve never really tried to publicize it or expand my audience. Once in a while people will stumble on it and subscribe. But I don’t have that many subscribers. I’m happy if you are one of the few, and pray that you are edified by what I write. But I try intentionally to write for myself. If I touch a nerve or highlight a need, so much the better.

I typically use the Dietrich Bonhoeffer method of taking 10-15 verses and pondering, praying, and meditating over them for a week at a time. I disconnect this from my preaching preparations whenever I am preaching these days. And sometimes these writings do unfold because I know if I don’t post at least one or two of you will let me know, “You didn’t post today. Are you well?” [insert smile here] This discipline is only one part of a devotional life that had for many years been sporadic.

The early Christians give us a broader view of what it means to be devoted to Jesus, or as I like to say (quoting Luther), “to live under Christ in his kingdom and serve him.” Luke tell us that these new converts,

devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Being a devoted follower of Jesus is a full-life experience of reading and pondering God’s word, joining with others in food and fellowship, seeing (and looking for) God’s work in the world – sometimes miraculous, sharing in the needs of others, worship (“the prayers”), the Lord’s Supper (“breaking of bread”) living a compelling life, and seeing God’s kingdom grow. It’s not just one thing. Devotional faithfulness is a way of life.

Jesus embodied this perfectly. Giving attention to God’s word, praying regularly, offering us his body and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, doing the work of God, healing, forgiving, and raising the dead. He gave all glory to God. And in doing so, he did it for us as well. He is not just an example of how to live, but an embodiment of a devoted life with God. And he is our righteousness.

I am thankful to God for those who read or listen to this blog. You are a part of the fellowship that strengthens me. I do this for myself, but hope you are blessed by it as well. I encourage you to look for God’s work in the world around you. I urge you to pray and worship, and will join you whenever I can. I pray that you have friends with whom you can gather for food and fellowship. I hope you read and meditate on God’s word. I rejoice in knowing that you join me in praising God for all his good gifts and blessings. That’s the kind of devotion we all need to model. And it is only a dim reflection of Jesus’ devotional life and a reflection of his salvation which is ours through faith.

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Acts 2:37-47

Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸ And Peter said to them, “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” ⁴⁰ And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” ⁴¹ So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

⁴² And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. ⁴³ And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. ⁴⁴ And all who believed were together and had all things in common. ⁴⁵ And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. ⁴⁶ And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, ⁴⁷ praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Our youngest son was born under some pretty stressful circumstances. Eight weeks premature after several weeks of distressing amniotic fluid leak. Although given an 8 on the Apgar scale (out of 10), the 3#, 12 1/2 oz. baby boy was taken to the NICU, and hooked to multiple tubes and wires. So tiny and vulnerable. When we learned that the doctor wanted to send him to the children’s hospital some 40 miles away, he seemed even smaller and more vulnerable. He would ride on a “mobile intensive care unit,” said the doctor. I knew it was a truck. So I asked, “Can I baptize him first?” We had actually had a styrofoam cup of water at the ready during his birth, so I knew I could. “Absolutely!” he replied. So Diane and I went to the NICU and I baptized Stephen, “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” It was just the two of us – the most emotional baptism I’ve ever performed.

But as soon as he was baptized I knew there were promises connected to him that before had not been. This being one of them:  “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 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.”  (Acts 2:38-39) Some make much of the “Repent” part of that message. I lean on “the promise is for you and for your children…” part. And this is not a lone promise.

“Baptism also now saves you,” the same Peter writes years later (1 Peter 3:21).

Paul writes that God “saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

Paul also speaks of Christ cleansing us, “by the washing of water with the word.” (Ephesians 5:26)

Galatians 3:27 says that, “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

There is great comfort and an urgent calling attached to being baptized. It’s clear that God’s gifts of life, love, and salvation are mediated in a miraculous way through baptism. We receive those gifts through faith – a work of the Holy Spirit who is also given us in baptism. Behind all those promises, furthermore, is a calling to live it out. Live as though you are redeemed. Baptism isn’t something that happened years or ever days or moments ago. Baptism is the entry point into the reign and rule of Jesus. We most fully express that truth in daily lives of faithfulness, obedience, repentance and faith. What a precious gift that is indeed!

On a personal note, today is the 48th anniversary of our wedding day. Diane and I were married on June 21, 1975 at the Lutheran Chapel of Hope next to the campus of SEMO University in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. I thank God for her daily!