Burunche’s Blog

Acts 4: 23 “On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 24 When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 25You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant,c 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 In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed. 28 They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen. 29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness, 30 as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”

31 After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.”

A miracle has taken place, Peter and John have been arrested and threatened by the religious authorities and then released. The believers in Jerusalem are holding a prayer meeting to celebrate; for all they knew, Peter and John might have been on their way to being crucified. And while these believers are affirming their faith, the Holy Spirit shakes the place where they are meeting and fills all of them again, so that they are able to witness boldly.

 This dramatic shaking by the Holy Spirit must have been an incredible encouragement for the disciples. Interestingly enough, this is the last recorded time that something this dramatic takes place at a prayer meeting in Jerusalem. After this, the Book of Acts records times when other groups of people were filled with the Holy Spirit, but nothing this literally earth – shaking. Why did God allow this particular sign of His favor at that point? Perhaps the early Christians needed another infilling of the Holy Spirit. Certainly, this shaking and infilling would have been extremely encouraging and would have confirmed that God approved of what they were doing.

Does God do this kind of thing today? Actually, there have been a number of recorded incidents in recent years in which roaring winds and a shaking of the entire place have occurred. The Sentinel Group, http://www.sentinelgroup.org , produces films in a series they call “Transformations.” The Transformations films record what happens when Christians come together to pray for transformation of their communities. In the second film in the series, “Tranformations II, The Glory Spreads,” there is footage from a baptismal service held in a remote Eskimo village. As new believers are testifying and being baptized, suddenly a high – pitched rushing wind can be heard and the entire place is shaking. All of this has been captured on the recording, despite the fact that at a point the man doing the recording turned off his microphone!

“Oh!” we think, “If only God would show up that way in my life! How wonderful it would be to have such an experience!” But God will show up anytime we turn our faces to Him and pray to Him. While the earth might not shake and we might not hear rushing winds, we can hear the still small voice of the Holy Spirit speaking in our hearts. God does not play favorites. Jesus told the Samaritan woman at the well that “a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for the Father is seeking such as these to worship Him. God is Spirit, and His worshipers must worship Him in spirit and in truth.” (John 4: – 24)

God is a rewarder of those who truly seek Him. When we quiet our hearts and pray, God always hears us, and He will answer those prayers.

PRAYER: Father God, thank you that you are a good Father who does not play games with your children! Thank you that you are more eager to meet us in prayer than we are to meet you. Lord, please let everyone who reads these words turn their hearts to you and seek you. Father, hear their prayers and give them your peace in their hearts! In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 4:13 “When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response. 15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.

16“What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no more 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 listen to you rather than God. 20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

21 So the Council members threatened them further and let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.”

Call him Lemuel. Everybody knew Lemuel; he had begged at the Beautiful Gate since he was in his mid – teens. And when Peter and John spoke to Lemuel and his lameness was healed, everybody in Jerusalem knew about it! Nothing the religious authorities could do was going to make any difference; this was far too good a story for it to be suppressed. No, Lemuel was healed and he even accompanied Peter and John into the Sanhedrin as a witness on their behalf.

There are many things that stand out in this story. One amazing thing is Peter and John’s persistent boldness. A second thing is that even the religious authorities recognized that Peter and John had been with Jesus. Not all these religious rulers were bad men; there were probably many who truly were seeking God, and their spirits bore witness that Peter and John were acting in the spirit of Jesus. Yet another surprising thing is that the rulers felt they could not punish Peter and John but only threaten them – threats that were already empty because all Jerusalem had heard of this healing. And perhaps one of the most amazing things of all was Lemuel’s willingness to accompany Peter and John to the Sanhedrin. As a cripple, Lemuel was barred from entering the temple proper; he could only remain in the outermost sections. But now Lemuel was whole and could enter the temple to worship just like anybody else for the first time in his life, a fact he was willing to demonstrate to the Sanhedrin.

Many times, we hesitate to talk about the great things God has done in our lives. We hint or beat around the bush in hopes that we won’t have to say anything controversial. But we must be witnesses to the truth. If we draw back and refuse to acknowledge the working of God in our lives, we cheat ourselves and those around us. Each time Peter testified, he became bolder and it became easier. Today, let’s be like Peter. Tell your friends what God has done for you. You never know; that might be the very message they need to hear.

PRAYER: Father God, today please give us holy boldness so that we can share with others the great things You have done and are doing in our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

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

When we read this story in Acts, it’s important to remember that both Peter and John were observant Jews who had been raised to respect the religious authorities. The Bible mentions two different groups, the Pharisees and the Sadducees; and it is the Sadducees who are leading the soldiers to arrest Peter and John.

The Pharisees believed in the coming of a Messiah, although they did not recognize Jesus as that Messiah. Sadducees were essentially liberal elitists who incorporated the concept of free will into their understanding of the Mosaic Law. They endeavored to preserve their priestly caste, and actively took part in political discourse to maintain their influence over their fellow Jews. The Pharisees, on the other hand, were more religiously committed to keeping the statutes of the Oral as well as Written Law, and regularly took part in traditional forms of worship in the temple. They rejected foreign ideologies and philosophies such as Hellenism, and created numerous laws to keep the Jews from interacting with gentiles on a daily basis.

The Sadducees came from the Jewish aristocracy and had received a humanistic education. Sadducees did not believe in the coming of a Messiah, nor did they believe in the resurrection of the dead. (For more information about these groups, check out the descriptions on Wikipedia.)

Members of the Sadducees: 1. Administered the state domestically, 2. Represented the state internationally 3. Participated in the Sanhedrin, and often encountered the Pharisees there. 4. Collected taxes. These also came in the form of international tribute from Jews in the Diaspora. 5. Equipped and led the army 6. Regulated relations with the Roman Empire 7. Mediated domestic grievances.

So, when Peter began preaching that Jesus was the Messiah and that the religious authorities had killed Jesus and that Jesus had risen from the dead, the Sadducees were infuriated. This man was preaching things that they steadfastly refused to believe! In addition, crowds were gathering and accepting what Peter said, especially after the miracle healing of the lame man at the temple. And as the Jewish civil authorities who interacted with the Roman authorities, the Sadducees were also very nervous. The Romans wanted everything to remain as quiet as possible – no crowds, no excitement, nothing that would even hint of rebellion. Now here are these men publicly making outrageous claims, with thousands believing their words. No wonder the Sadducees gathered up soldiers and other religious leaders and arrested Peter and John!

Christians throughout the ages have taken unpopular stands that have gotten them imprisoned, beaten, and even stoned or killed. Richard Wurmbrandt, a Romanian pastor who was imprisoned many times for his faith, was beaten on the soles of his feet so many times that when at last he was free and was speaking in public, he would have to sit down, because it was too painful for him to stand. Today pastors in China are being thrown into prison and tortured. Christians in Africa and Asia have become the target of Muslim extremists. Sometimes Christians in other countries have even been crucified.

What motivated Peter and John? What motivates Christians today? Everybody is going to serve some purpose. It is in the nature of human beings to worship. We will either worship the One True Living God and acknowledge Jesus Christ as His Son, or we will worship something less. Peter and John had walked with Jesus, lived with Jesus, watched Jesus do miracles, watched Jesus die a shameful death on Calvary, and watched Jesus rise from the dead and ascend into heaven. They could not deny the reality of what they had seen. Christians have experienced oneness with God; we cannot deny that reality either.

PRAYER: Father God, let everyone who reads these words come to know You and Your Son Jesus! Amen!

Acts 3: 11 “While the man clung to Peter and John, all the people were astonished and ran to them in the walkway called Solomon’s Colonnade. 12 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you surprised by this? 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 and rejected Him before Pilate, even though he had decided to release Him. 14 You rejected 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, and we are witnesses of the fact.”

Hoookaaay!!!! So things are heating up there at the temple. It’s just after 3 PM when many people would come to the temple to pray, That was the main reason the lame man had had someone carry him to the temple at that time. No point in sitting around begging unless there are people from whom to beg. So now the man who got healed is “walking and leaping and praising God,” and making lots of noise while he’s doing so. There are probably hundreds of people pushing and shoving and crowding in to find out what’s going on. And since Peter has an audience, he’s going to explain what has happened. The whole sermon is two or three times as long as the verses quoted here. The main thing is that Peter is mincing no words about what happened to Jesus and how Jesus arose from the dead. It’s not going to take very long for the religious leaders to hear about what is going on and to come and arrest Peter and John.

But Peter is amazing! This is the same man who didn’t even want to acknowledge that he was from the same area as Jesus or that he knew Jesus. Now Peter is challenging the religious leaders on their own territory. What has made the difference?

God sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, and nothing after that was ever the same. We don’t know what the other disciples were saying or doing because their actions were not recorded, but it’s quite possible that the other disciples were healing people and witnessing to them just as Peter and John were.

God hasn’t changed! In 1947 Franklin and Aniece McCorkle came to Ghana as Assemblies of God missionaries. One reason Franklin wanted to come to Ghana was because it was a British colony where they spoke English. Franklin was sure that he could never learn any tribal languages. By the time the McCorkles returned to America in the mid – 1970’s, Franklin was fluent in seven of the languages of Northern Ghana and could quote proverb after proverb. Certainly, Franklin worked and studied, but God empowered Franklin to learn all those languages.

God has not changed, neither does God play favorites! The same God who empowered Peter to preach and the other disciples to be fearless in their witnessing is still at work today. Do you feel a stirring in your heart to do something but you are afraid? Find a quiet place and ask God to come be with you. Put your concerns before God and then be quiet and see what He will speak into your heart. Perhaps God will give you new visions of things you have not even thought of. If you don’t ask, you will never know! Peter didn’t become a successful preacher in a day; he followed Jesus for three years and then spent time praying, even before Pentecost. Ask God for His perfect will, but hang on! You might find yourself preaching in the street.

PRAYER: Father, please let us seek Your Face. Lord, open our eyes to see the wonderful things You want to do in our lives. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Acts 3:1 One afternoon Peter and John were going up to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 2 And a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those entering the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple, he asked them for money.

4 Peter looked directly at him, as did John. “Look at us!” said Peter. 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 6 But Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!c ” 7 Taking him by the right hand, Peter helped him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. 8 He sprang to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and leaping and praising God.

9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

When Jesus sent out the disciples, they evidently did miracles; however, that was when Jesus was still on earth. It’s possible that the disciples kind of figured that Jesus’ power was working long – range. But now Jesus has ascended into heaven, and it’s just the disciples and the Holy Spirit. Will the same power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead really work through the disciples if Jesus is no longer here on earth? The answer is YES! ABSOLUTELY YES!!!

Once more, Peter takes the lead, even though John is also there and is a man of great faith. But it is Peter – blessed, stumbling, fumbling, but persevering and daring – Peter is the one who speaks up, speaks out, and pronounces the words of faith that lead to the healing. Could John have said those same words? Certainly. Would the man have been just as thoroughly healed? Absolutely. But perhaps John already sensed what was going to happen. Perhaps John might even have been the one who first stopped to look at the beggar.

Why was Peter the one who got used? Perhaps the Holy Spirit used Peter in this fashion because Peter still needed confirmation that he was actually doing the will of God. Failing Jesus as Peter did must have left an indelible impression on his life. And God, ever gracious and loving and kind, was restoring Peter by using him. May God grant us the grace to be used in this fashion!

PRAYER: Father God, help us that we will be willing to be used and that we will not hold back out of fear of failure. Thank you that you are no respecter of persons and that you will use anyone who will yield himself or herself to you. In the matchless Name of Jesus. Amen.

Acts 2: 38 Peter replied, “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 This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.”

40 With many other words he testified, and he urged them, “Be saved from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who embraced his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to the believers that day.

Peter was just a regular guy! In fact, before Peter met Jesus, he was really just a big dumb fisherman – the kind of guy who relied more on muscle than on brains. Everybody in Peter’s home village was dumbstruck when Peter went off to join Jesus as one of his followers, and nobody thought it would last. “Peter? Ah! As for that man, he’ll be back pulling nets within a few weeks! No way is that guy serious about spiritual things!”

But, the nay – sayers were wrong! And Peter did follow Jesus. Oh, Peter choked up and denied Jesus at one point, but after that conversation with Jesus on the shores of the Sea of Galilee just before Jesus ascended, Peter never wavered. And when the Holy Spirit descended on all of the disciples at Pentecost, Peter was the one who stepped forward and explained to the marveling crowds what was going on. And people listened! And not only did the crowds listen, but 3,000 of them “embraced his message” and were baptized.

From Fisherman to Preacher – Peter’s transformation was nothing short of sensational! And we read that story and think “well, that’s great! But that was then and this is now. God probably doesn’t do that stuff any more.” Nothing could be further from the truth! Each and every day, God is transforming people, taking them from WIMP to WOW! It was not Peter who sat down to think up a message for those people that day. The Holy Spirit spoke through Peter. God used Peter, and God can use each one of us, if we will only let Him.

PRAYER:Father God, we thank you that you are the same yesterday, today, and forever. We thank you that you can use any one of us if we will only allow you. And we thank you most of all for sending Jesus to die for our sins, shedding his blood on Calvary. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Acts 1: 1 “In my first book, O 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 presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 And while they were gathered together,a He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ”

His name was Luke and he was a doctor, possibly a Greek physician. Luke was not one of the twelve disciples, but he was a very careful historian who recorded the Gospel that bears his name as well as the Book of Acts. As a doctor in those times, Luke had to take very detailed histories to be able to diagnose his patients – after all, there was practically nothing else to go on apart from the physical exam. So Luke interviewed as many of the disciples and the other followers of Jesus as he could before he began writing. And now Luke is turning his attention to the time just after the crucifixion.

There was a period of forty days during which Jesus appeared to the disciples and taught them things that they had been unable to understand previously. And one thing that Jesus promised was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Luke had already mentioned this unusual baptism in Luke 3:16 John (the Baptist) answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

None of the believers doubted that John the Baptist was a prophet, and that he was speaking about Jesus. But the disciples were probably perplexed about this second baptism. And now Jesus himself is also mentioning a baptism of the Holy Spirit. The general reaction among the disciples might have been “Huh?” But the one thing the disciples did understand was that Jesus wanted them to stay in Jerusalem and to wait on God to move.

Today many of us are sheltering at home and feeling confined and frustrated. We may have viewed most of the TV programs we wanted. We have read and re – read our books. We may have completed all our home improvement projects. What’s next? May I dare suggest that you pray and ask the Heavenly Father for guidance. Perhaps God is giving you this time so that you can draw closer to Him and know more about Him. Perhaps God has been trying to get your attention but your days were so hectic that it has been difficult to think about anything other than surviving and making it through until the following day. Rather than becoming frustrated, consider that God has given you a precious gift of time in which you can become closer to Him.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you are keeping us healthy. But Lord, we are bored and frustrated and concerned. Please help us to use this time to draw close to you. Give us small tokens of your love. And help us to seek your face as we never have before. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

Acts 1: 1 “In my first book, O 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 presented Himself to them with many convincing proofs that He was alive. He appeared to them over a span of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. 4 And while they were gathered together,a He commanded them: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift the Father promised, which you have heard Me discuss. 5 For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. ”

His name was Luke and he was a doctor, possibly a Greek physician. Luke was not one of the twelve disciples, but he was a very careful historian who recorded the Gospel that bears his name as well as the Book of Acts. As a doctor in those times, Luke had to take very detailed histories to be able to diagnose his patients – after all, there was practically nothing else to go on apart from the physical exam. So Luke interviewed as many of the disciples and the other followers of Jesus as he could before he began writing. And now Luke is turning his attention to the time just after the crucifixion.

There was a period of forty days during which Jesus appeared to the disciples and taught them things that they had been unable to understand previously. And one thing that Jesus promised was the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Luke had already mentioned this unusual baptism in Luke 3:16 John (the Baptist) answered all of them: “I baptize you with water, but One more powerful than I will come, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

None of the believers doubted that John the Baptist was a prophet, and that he was speaking about Jesus. But the disciples were probably perplexed about this second baptism. And now Jesus himself is also mentioning a baptism of the Holy Spirit. The general reaction among the disciples might have been “Huh?” But the one thing the disciples did understand was that Jesus wanted them to stay in Jerusalem and to wait on God to move.

Today many of us are sheltering at home and feeling confined and frustrated. We may have viewed most of the TV programs we wanted. We have read and re – read our books. We may have completed all our home improvement projects. What’s next? May I dare suggest that you pray and ask the Heavenly Father for guidance. Perhaps God is giving you this time so that you can draw closer to Him and know more about Him. Perhaps God has been trying to get your attention but your days were so hectic that it has been difficult to think about anything other than surviving and making it through until the following day. Rather than becoming frustrated, consider that God has given you a precious gift of time in which you can become closer to Him.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you that you are keeping us healthy. But Lord, we are bored and frustrated and concerned. Please help us to use this time to draw close to you. Give us small tokens of your love. And help us to seek your face as we never have before. In the mighty and precious Name of Jesus. Amen.

I Peter 1: 1 “Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To the exiles of the Dispersion throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, chosen 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father and sanctified by the Spirit for obedience to Jesus Christ and sprinkling by His blood: Grace and peace be yours in abundance.”

When Jesus first met Peter, Peter was throwing a dragnet into the Sea of Galilee. That first morning, all Peter was thinking about was how many fish would he catch and how were they going to handle things once they caught the fish, and what price could he get for the fish that day. And then Jesus passed by, and nothing was ever the same again.

By the time Peter was writing his letters to churches, he was writing to churches throughout Asia Minor. Through the years, Peter has matured and has become an internationally recognized leader whose words are carried at great effort to men and women who may have never met Peter.

What happened to change Peter? The Holy Spirit descended upon the disciples at Pentecost, and the disciples were transformed. Before Pentecost, Peter probably didn’t fancy himself as a public speaker, but under the anointing of the Holy Spirit, Peter preached to crowds in Jerusalem and 3,000 people got believed his words and became followers of Jesus.

Perhaps today you are facing new challenges, challenges for which you feel totally unprepared. You might wish that you were smarter, stronger, more resilient, more patient – the list can go on endlessly. But your shortcomings are not important. What is important is this one question: are you serving the on true living God or are you following something less? If you are serving the one true living God and He has called you to do something, He will also equip you and inspire you as you go.

Peter did not receive all his preparation the day Jesus called him. As a matter of fact, Peter made several glaring errors and even denied Jesus three times. Even after Pentecost, Peter still had to have his vision of what God wanted him to do enlarged. Peter’s spiritual growth was gradual. One of my favorite praise songs starts out this way, “I have made you too small in my life.” The question God is asking today is “how big is your God?”

If you are serving the God who spoke the universe into existence with a single word, then nothing is too difficult for him. Today, go be quiet with God and ask Him what He wants you to do. Then ask Him to empower you. He is faithful. If He calls, He will empower.

PRAYER: Father God, sometimes we are really afraid! We feel that you are calling us to works that are far bigger than we are. Help us to trust that if you call us, you will also equip us as you did Peter and the other disciples. Thank you for your love and your mercy and your watch care. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.

Acts 1: 15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (a gathering of about a hundred and twenty) and said, 16“Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled which the Holy Spirit foretold through the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide for those who arrested Jesus. … 21 Therefore it is necessary to select one of the men who have accompanied us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, from John’s baptism until the day Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of His resurrection.”

23 So they proposed two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, “Lord, You know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two You have chosen 25 to assume this ministry and apostleship, which Judas abandoned to go to his rightful place.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.

Poor Peter! Nearly 2000 years later and people are still taking pot shots at him! Why did Peter approve of casting lots? Wasn’t he advocating gambling? Why did Peter decide that now was the time to replace Judas? Was Peter wrong and was Paul the one who should have replaced Judas? The arguments go on and on.

First, let’s look at the matter of casting lots. In that day and age, casting lots was an approved method of arriving at a decision, with the stated implication that God was the one who was in control and that God could give a perfect answer. At no time were the disciples less than reverent about this procedure; on the other hand, this is also the last mention of casting lots as a means of arriving at a decision among the disciples. Shortly after this, the Holy Spirit descended, and there was no more need for casting lots.

Now, what about Matthias? For information, let’s check the Encyclopedia Britannica, which states: “Jesus’ choice of 12 Apostles points to a consciousness of a symbolic mission—originally there were 12 tribes of Israel—that the community maintained after the Crucifixion. Acts reveals that Matthias accompanied Jesus and the Apostles from the time of the Lord’s Baptism to his Ascension and that, when it became time to replace Judas, the Apostles cast lots between Matthias and another candidate, St. Joseph Barsabbas. St. Jerome and the early Christian writers Clement of Alexandria and Eusebius of Caesarea attest that Matthias was among the 72 disciples paired off and dispatched by Jesus. Soon after his election, Matthias received the Holy Spirit with the other Apostles (Acts 2:1–4). He is not mentioned again in the New Testament.

It is generally believed that Matthias ministered in Judaea and then carried out missions to foreign places. Greek tradition states that he Christianized Cappadocia, a mountainous district now in central Turkey, later journeying to the region about the Caspian Sea, where he was martyred by crucifixion and, according to other legends, chopped apart. His symbol, related to his alleged martyrdom, is either a cross or a halberd. St. Helena, mother of the Roman emperor Constantine the Great, reputedly transported Matthias’ relics from Jerusalem to Rome.”

There is nothing to indicate that Peter made a mistake; in fact, if there were 120 disciples in that upper room, this means that 119 other godly men agreed with Peter. And by all accounts, Matthias had a very honorable career. Most of the other disciples were not mentioned in the Bible again either.

Why is the story of Matthias important? Most of us are like Matthias; we live lives of obscurity. Few people may ever hear about us, but that does not mean that God has not called us with a holy calling, nor does it mean that God is not at work in our lives. If God had not wanted Matthias to replace Judas, He could have moved in the hearts of the other disciples to disagree with Peter. No, Peter was carrying out God’s will. And what must it have meant for Matthias to be chosen to replace Judas? Perhaps Matthias had been searching for a sign of God’s favor and calling and now this was God’s way of answering Matthias’ prayers. We won’t know until we reach heaven. But we do know that God has a special calling for each one of us, even in the middle of a pandemic. Today, find somewhere to be quiet before the Lord and ask Him to show you if there is some new thing He wants you to do for His praise and His glory.

PRAYER: Father God, we thank you for the example of Matthias! We thank you that you call the humble and the obscure to do your bidding. Lord, here we are. Please use us as you see fit. In the mighty and precious Name of King Jesus. Amen.