Acts 7

Acts 7:54-60 (NIV84)

"54 When they heard this, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”  57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him, 58 dragged him out of the city and began to stone him. Meanwhile, the witnesses laid their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul.  59 While they were stoning him, Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” 60 Then he fell on his knees and cried out, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he fell asleep."

There are two things that really stick out to me here.

1. Verse 57.  They refused to hear the message that Stephen was preaching.  Revival isn't easy, and revival certainly won't be accepted by all people. Some people will accept the Truth and others might not, but we shouldn't let rejection stop us from preaching the gospel.  Stephen knew he was going to get stoned by the people, but he didn't even let death stop him from spreading the gospel.


2. Stephen forgave them.  It's important that during times of persecution and rejection that we don't hate our persecutors or those who rejected us.  Our number one desire shouldn't be revenge but it should be the redemption of our enemies.

Anyways, kind of short tonight but thanks for reading!

-JDWayt

Acts 6

Acts 6 is a short chapter, therefore, this will be a short blog.

Acts 6:1-7 (NIV84)

"1 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Grecian Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”  5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.  7 So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith."


Basically there was a conflict in how the food was being distributed in the early church.  The apostles decided that it wouldn't make any sense to take time out of preaching the gospel to do grunt work.  So they appointed seven men to make sure the situation was handled properly.

There are a few points that I really got out of all this.

1. Leaders can't do everything.  Although the apostles were doing miraculous things, they still couldn't be two places at once.  They had to appoint people to do a seemingly small job to make sure that the word of God was still being spread.

It's the same way at Under1.  As an intern I'm given easy tasks like setting up chairs, inputting lyrics into Pro Presenter, taking bottles back, pretty much grunt work.  But it wouldn't make sense for Bryan to sacrifice his time and energy into those things if it takes away from him spreading the gospel.  So, whenever I'm given a task, I have to make sure it's done well.  The smoother things go on the grunt work end, the easier it is to preach the gospel.

2. Out of that small ministry came Stephen.  Stephen was recognized as being full of the Spirit and wisdom.  Stephen had a heart for God and he was willing to take a behind-the-scenes role for the kingdom. Who would have thought that a man who was in charge of making sure widows were fed would be the first martyr?  Sometimes it's hard to remember that even the little things matter.  And if we are faithful with the little things, than God can trust us with big things.

well that's it tonight, thanks for reading

-JDWayt

Acts 5 (Part 2)

Ok so this Acts blog is coming along nicely.



Acts 5:38-39 (NIV84)

"38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.” "

This is pretty amazing.  The events that took place in the book of Acts happened almost two thousand years ago.  Here we are many many years later and we're still telling people about Jesus.

I think this can also give us hope.  If our intentions for revival are to glorify God, then we can be sure that things are going to work out.  If they are about ourselves, than we are destined to fail.

Acts 5:41-42 (NIV84)

"41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name. 42 Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ. "

The apostles rejoiced in their suffering.   They rejoiced because  they were becoming less and He was becoming more.

Anyways, tonight's post was kind of short.  It was actually supposed to be a part of last night's.

Thanks for reading!
-JDWayt

Acts 5 (part 1)

ok  so I have quite a bit for Acts 5 as well.

Acts 5:1-11 (NIV84)


"1 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife's full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles' feet.  3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? 4 Didn't it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn't the money at your disposal? What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied to men but to God.”  5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. And great fear seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then the young men came forward, wrapped up his body, and carried him out and buried him.  7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?” “Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”   9 Peter said to her, “How could you agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”  10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 11 Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events. "

Ok so I know it's a lot of verses but bare with me.  The reason God struck down Ananias and Sapphira was because they lacked integrity.  Revival requires integrity.  I've said it before but it's worth saying again.  Revival isn't about a growth in numbers or a growth in fame or a growth in finances.  Although those things usually are associated with revival, the only thing that matters is how much of it is focused on Jesus.

Integrity is important.  We need to be people who are willing to prove our integrity.  I think the biggest part of integrity is honesty.  I heard a saying once that stuck with me.  "It's better to confess than it is to admit."  It would have been better for Ananias and Sapphira to confess that they had held on to some of the money.


Acts 5:12-16 (NIV84)

"12 The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people. And all the believers used to meet together in Solomon's Colonnade. 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people. 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number. 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by evil spirits, and all of them were healed."

Verse 13 really sticks out to me there.  Everyone liked what they said, but no one wanted to join them.  The people wanted to wanted to follow but they didn't want to be persecuted like Peter and John.

This is a good lesson on leadership.  People get excited when a good leader is in charge, people like putting their trust in a good leader.  But the funny thing about being a leader is that you get the most crap and most recognition. People either loved or hated the apostles.

We should remember to encourage our leader for everything that they do.


Well my tablet is doing that thing again lol.  Here are the sections I will write on tomorrow.  I've really enjoyed Acts so far!

Thanks for reading,
-JDWayt

Tomorrow:

Acts 5:38-39 (NIV84)

Acts 5:41-42 (NIV84)

Acts 4 (part2)

Ok so I'm going to finish Acts 4 tonight so here it goes.

Acts 4:13-21 (NIV84)
"13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”  18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. 20 For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”  21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old."

3.  The change that happened in Peter and John was bold and visible. They're change was so bold that the Sanhedrin were surprised that the apostles were uneducated.  Peter's speeches  made it look like he devoted his entire life to studying this new way of thinking. In reality Peter was changed from the inside out by the Holy Spirit living inside of him.  They were surprised that an ordinary man was changed by and extraordinary God.  Peter was an ordinary, uneducated coward.  But he became one of the most extraordinary people in the Bible, noted for his boldness and wisdom.  When God changes ordinary people, the world is astonished.

4. When the Sanhedrin told Peter and John to quit talking about Jesus, they refused.  They were so full of God that they couldn't hold it in.  

Jerimiah 20:9 (NIV84)
"9 But if I say, “I will not mention him or speak any more in his name,”  his word is in my heart like a fire,  a fire shut up in my bones.  I am weary of holding it in;  indeed, I cannot."

I think Peter and John felt like Jerimiah did.  Peter and John had an unrelenting passion to preach the name of Jesus Christ.

I want that same unrelenting passion.

Acts 4:23-31 (NIV84)

"23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heaven and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: “ ‘Why do the nations rage  and the peoples plot in vain?   26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together  against the Lord  and against his Anointed One.’ 27 Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”  31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly."

5.  When the people found out that they faced opposition they prayed for boldness.

When I face opposition the first thing I usually pray for is justice.  I want God to eliminate my obstacles so everything becomes easy for me.  Really the thing I should be praying for is strength and boldness to face my opposition.

6. Their provision was spiritual.

This is what I was talking about earlier that provision is different than prosperity. God didn't bless them with a bunch of material things that would make it easier to spread the gospel, He gave them boldness.  Usually when I ask for provision from God I ask for material things.  But when I lack something spiritually, ironically, I don't usually turn to God for that.  I guess I need to trust God for spiritual provision as well as physical provision.


That's it again tonight, Thanks for reading.

-JDWayt

Acts 4 (part1)

Ok so there are a few things that strike me as interesting in Acts 4.  So this post will be a bit random and probably won't flow as well as some of the others.

I'll just go in order.

Acts 4:1-4 (NIV84)
"1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand."

1. Even though things didn't turn out so great for Peter and John, the Kingdom benefited greatly.

 Sometimes, as we're doing the things we're called to do, we can be in some discouraging situations.  Peter and John were thrown in jail for preaching the gospel, which is pretty discouraging.  In fact, it's possible that they didn't even see the five thousand people give their lives to Christ.  Sometimes in ministry we can feel like what we are doing isn't good for anything, but sometimes we don't get to see the response.  Maybe the thing we did changed one person's life forever, and if it did, than it was worth it.

Acts 4:5-12 (NIV84)
"5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”  8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected,  which has become the capstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”"

2. All credit was given to Jesus Christ.

Mattie Montgomery was a guest speaker at an event we had a couple of months ago.  Before he gave his message, there was a meet and greet in one of the rooms at the church. He was talking about what it's like to be in a band.  One of things he said really stuck with me.  He said that he has to let everything that's said about him pass through one ear and out the other, even the good things.  He made the point that it's easy to lest the negative things go but the good things that people say we take to heart, but that can lead to pride if we're not careful.

It would have been easy for Peter and John to claim that it was their own power that healed that man.  But instead they gave all credit to Jesus.

Well my tablet won't let me copy and paste any more from my Bible app so I'll have to finish Acts 4 tomorrow :p

Thanks for reading!
-JDWayt

Acts 3

Acts 3:11-15 (NIV84)

"11 While the beggar held on to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon's Colonnade.12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate, though he had decided to let him go.14 You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you.15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this."

This passage really struck me during unceasing, especially verse 12.

Peters response is one of humility.  Peter doesn't take any credit for the healing.  In fact, he says that it's not a surprise that the man was healed because the same power that Jesus had Peter now had.  This miracle was done to prove the validity of what the apostles were saying.

Whenever we do something great for the Kingdom it's only to prove to people that Jesus was who he said he was.  Healing is awesome, prophesy is awesome, dreams and visions are awesome, but God won't let supernatural gifts be used for anything other than to glorify His name.

Well I guess that's it tonight,

Thanks for reading,
-JDWayt

Acts 1&2

OK, so I've combined/edited my last two blogs because they go together so well.  Even if you've read the other two, read this one because everything flows together nicely. 

I've chosen to go through Acts because I believe it gives us a picture of two very important things.

1. It gives us a picture of the church before American culture.  Not that American culture is necessarily a bad thing, I just think it's important to know the principles on which the early church was founded.

2. It gives us a picture of true, genuine revival. The leadership team at Under1 believes that our ministry is in a season of revival.  Again I think it's important to look at the key things that made revival happen.

Disclaimer: When I talk about revival I'm not talking about a huge growth in numbers (although that goes along with it), I'm talking about God moving the hearts of people like never before. A church experiences a true revival when it's number one purpose is to glorify Jesus Christ.

Ok so, here we go!  I've found three key things in this early revival.


1.Obedience

Acts 1:1-5 (NIV84)

"1 In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. 3 After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”"

Ok so, after Jesus rose again he appeared to many people for forty days.  On one occasion, he gives them pretty a pretty specific command.  They are not allowed to leave Jerusalem until they receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 

Bryan said a while ago that "Revival begins with obedience."  I see evidence of this here in the first chapter of Acts.  The disciple's obedience proved that they had a desire to seek out God's will and not their own.  There are two lessons we can learn about obedience from the disciples. 

1.Obedience requires patience.
They were never told exactly how long it would take.  They were just told to wait for a few days. 
When God is going to do something big He rarely tells us how long it will take.  True obedience means being patient for as long as you need to be even if you don't know when or what the outcome will be.  The disciples didn't complain about having to wait, they just did it because they were obedient.

2.Obedience requires initiative.
They weren't told exactly what to do while they were waiting.  The disciples weren't told to pray they did it because they were seeking after God.

I hear people say that they want to get closer to God but they don't know how.  Many people (I used to be like this until Unceasing) think that once they get closer to God they will start reading their Bible more or they will start praying more or they will start giving more.  In reality, they have it backwards.  When you seek after God, that's when you feel closer.

It's like any relationship.  I'll say to someone "Hey we should hang out!"  Then later on they'll call or text me wanting to know if I want to hang out.  I'll text them back and tell them that I'm busy and we never end up hanging out.  

I feel like I do that to God sometimes.  I say to God "I want to be closer to You." Yet I spend my free time playing video games or watching movies or doing something other than spending time with God. Just like any relationship, it takes initiative on my part.

Which leads me to point number two.

2.Prayer

Acts 1:12-14 (NIV84)

"12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."

Another key point in revival is prayer.  We just finished a week of 'Unceasing' prayer at our church and it was epic.  Prayer is often something we take for granted but it's vital that we pray constantly.  How are we going to know what God's plan is if we don't talk to Him?


Like I said earlier.  We don't pray more as a result of being closer to God.  We get a deeper relationship with God by praying.  Spending time with God is something we should have a desire to do on a daily basis.

When I say prayer I'm not talking about a Christmas-list-type prayer.  I'm talking about earnestly seeking the mindset and a heart of God.  One of my favorite things to study in the Bible is the life of David.  Although David messed up he was still considered a 'man after God's own heart.'  You can read in the Psalms that David wasn't praying for material things, his desire was a deeper relationship with God.

3.Unity

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV84)

"1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

This brings me to the third key point in revival.  Unity. It is incredibly important that we are united.  Revival isn't something that one person can do on their own.  Revival is a team effort and the team is a team of Christ followers.  If we are going to see revival in this generation than we have to be willing to drop all of our disagreements and stand with each other.


We have to love our neighbor, be quick to forgive, and willing to resolve any conflicts.  As soon as the enemy gets a foothold, things can quickly get out of control.

So, there  are three things the disciples brought that were essential to starting a revival.
1. Obedience
2. Prayer
3. Unity

Now lets take a look at what the received as a result.

1.Boldness
Acts 2:14(NIV84)

"14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say."'

Peter was the one who denied Jesus three times after he was arrested.  Peter was constantly putting his foot in his mouth yet during his whole speech he is able to speak with boldness and confidence.  There is even more evidence of this later on when the early Christians start being persecuted. 


It's important tor recognize that there is a difference between arrogance and boldness.  Peter was confident in what he was speaking but he wasn't using the gospel to make himself look any better than anyone else.  

2.Response

Acts 2:37-41 (NIV84)

"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, everyone 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 who 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."

There was a response from the crowd that Peter spoke to.  In this case it was positive, but that wasn't always the case later on.  With boldness comes response.  The world reacts to boldness.  The world isn't changed by shy or timid people (wow do I need to hear that).   Bold people yield bold responses.

3.Provision

Acts 2:44-47

"44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

The people began providing for each other's needs.  Now, people weren't receiving mass amounts of treasure but they were receiving everything that they needed.  Provision is different than prosperity. Later on there are places where the only things the people received were literally the things they needed. However, we can be confident that we will receive everything we need.

So in summary, the disciples were obedient to God's command, they prayed constantly and they did it all together in unity.

Obedience+Prayer+Unity=Boldness+Response+Provision.


Well, I think this definitely clears things up. 


Thanks for reading, 


-JDWayt

Acts 2

  Ok so I'm going to start with something I forgot mention in the last blog.  I was going through my notes in my journal and I apparently missed a big point!

Acts 1:12-14 (NIV84)

"12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day's walk from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers."

Another key point in revival is prayer.  We just finished a week of 'Unceasing' prayer at our church and it was epic.  Prayer is often something take for granted but it's vital that we pray constantly.  How are we going to know what God's plan is if we don't talk to Him?  I could write a whole blog on the importance of prayer (which isn't a bad idea actually). In fact I might write a blog for each key point of revival....hmm...

ok so now for the Acts 2 stuff

Acts 2:1-4 (NIV84)

"1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them."

This brings me to another key point in revival.  Unity. It is incredibly important that we are united.  Revival isn't something that one person can do on their own.  Revival is a team effort and the team is a team of Christ followers.  If we are going to see revival in this generation than we have to be willing to drop all of our disagreements and stand with each other.

So, there  are three things the disciples brought that were essential to starting a revival.
1. Obedience
2. Prayer
3. Unity

Now lets take a look at what they got.

1. They received boldness.
Acts 2:14(NIV84)

"14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say."'

Peter was the one who denied Jesus 3 times after he was arrested.  Peter was constantly putting his foot in his mouth yet during his whole speech he is able to speak with boldness and confidence.  There is even more evidence of this later on when the early Christians start being persecuted.

2. They received a response

Acts 2:37-41 (NIV84)

"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, everyone 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 who 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."

There was a response from the crowd that Peter spoke to.  In this case it was positive, but that wasn't always the case later on.  With boldness comes response.  The world reacts to boldness.  The world isn't changed by shy or timid people (wow do I need to hear that).   Bold people yield bold responses.

3. They received provision.

Acts 2:44-47

"44 All the believers were together and had everything in common. 45 Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved."

The people began providing for each other's needs.  Now people weren't receiving mass amounts of treasure but they were receiving everything that they needed.  Provision is different than prosperity. Later on there are places where the only things the people received were literally the things they needed. However, we can be confident that we will receive everything we need.

So in summary, the disciples were obedient to God's command, they prayed constantly and they did it all together in unity.

Obedience+Prayer+Unity=Boldness+Response+Provision.

Well, that's it tonight, Good night and thanks for reading,  and if you haven't all ready, read my Acts 1 blog.

Thanks for reading all of this, Good night.

-JDWayt