Unlike Peter and John, we rarely face physical persecution in America…However, there is an entirely, and arguably more difficult form of attack instead: the need to be accepted, to obtain status, worldliness, and self-centeredness.

The true healer for the true sickness, sin, is Jesus. If you believe this, are you amazed?

Peter used this miracle, this blessing, as an opportunity to show people that Jesus is alive, true, and good

We’re all looking for a miracle. We want God to make our lives better. More comfortable and pleasurable. We want him to make our lives more exciting. We want to be shocked and awed.

More and more it seems that people are seeing past the mirage of superficial relationships and longing more and more for deeper community.

Like every sermon that is preached, Peter called the audience to respond.  The people were moved by his words and they wanted to know how to respond.

Faith is not blind trust in the face of contrary evidence. Rather, biblical faith is confident trust in God whose promises have been proven true from generation to generation.

We are witness to this magnificent and miraculous once-in-history event of the Apostles and disciples of Jesus being filled with the Holy Spirit in such dramatic fashion that there was a rushing wind, and visible flames of fire above the disciples’ heads, with languages pouring out of their mouths that they did not know, proclaiming the good news of the Gospel!

Country bumpkins were fluently speaking languages from the North, South, East, and West of Jerusalem – languages and dialects they had no business knowing – and the crowd heard the preaching of the wonders of God. They asked one another, “What does this mean?”

The waiting game doesn’t necessarily mean we can’t do anything.