Peter

Act 2:14-15 

14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: 15  For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

Peter is making reference to verse 13 where they mocked them, saying they were drunk with new wine. He tells them clearly that they are not drunken. This is speaking of the other tongues they were speaking in. They didn't know anything about what they were doing, because the way they were speaking was a strange thing to them. In the next verses Peter began to preach and explain further.

Act 2:16-17

16  But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; 17  And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy (preach), and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

The things he's talking about here, are the things that will be done as a Holy Ghost filled, child of God.

In verse 21, Peter continues and ministers a salvation message to them.

Act 2:21-22

21  And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. 22  Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

He's almost finished in verse 36... now he's bringing them to a close, letting them know what they need to do to make it to heaven (verses 37-41).

Act 2:37-41  

37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? 38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40  And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation. 41  Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

Isn't that amazing how through the power of God, Peter was able to win three thousand souls, souls that were added to the The Church of God that same day! We need to be just like that, able to minister to people at the drop of a hat, no matter what circumstances may come our way. We need to crucify the flesh, and swallow our fears and just do it. Just like Sister Destiny talked about in her most recent devotion, "Here am I Lord, Send Me." Truly that is the spirit we must all have.

And when we tell the Lord this, we need to make sure that we are sincere. Why? Because all too many times we say, "Here am I, send me, Lord," but our hearts and minds are going two different directions. One says, "YES, LORD, YES!", and the other part says, "Well, maybe, Lord..." but that's not how we need to be. God wants a willing vessel, like Peter was. So ask yourself this question here and now... Am I a Peter?

-[Matthew Branscum]

--The devotion "Here I Am Lord, Send Me" being referred to above is attached below!

Here I Am Lord, Send Me!

Making decisions is not easy. Moving to a new location is not easy. Understanding God's plans is not easy; however, obeying God's will and trusting in the Lord is required. I don't want to be someone that runs from God like Jonah. I want to do whatever God asks of me.

The Great Commission: Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

God has called all Christians to do this. We MUST "go" and do the work of the Lord. He calls each and every one of us to "go" to different people and places. When God calls you to go, are you willing?

Jonah was a man that God called to go to Nineveh. Jonah ran from God and bad things happened. As we all know, Jonah was swallowed by a big fish after being cast out of his ship during a raging storm. If Jonah would have just obeyed God to begin with, we know that everything would've gone better. God will supply our every need if we just obey and trust in Him.

In Isaiah 6:5-8, we see a different account.
Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar: And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I: send me.We should all have this attitude. No matter what flaws we think we have or how insignificant we may be, God knows that we are capable of what He calls us to do, and He will make sure that we get the job done. All we have to do is say "Yes, Lord, Here am I". To make this offer to God, takes SACRIFICE. A sacrifice is "the destruction or surrender of something, for the sake of something else. Sometimes it could be a job, a house, a friend, a car, a comfort zone, or maybe even something more painful like leaving a parent or child. Whatever God brings us through, He will bring us out of. There is a reason for EVERYTHING that happens, and we have to trust Him on that. Don't be a Jonah. Don't run from the will of God. Surrender all to Him, and let God control your life. "Here am I, Lord, send me." 

-[Destiny Turner]