when to say no - part 3
Key Scripture: Acts 2
Acts is one of my favorite books of the Bible. If you are not too familiar with the Bible, I will give you a quick rundown. The book of Acts is written as a sequel to the gospel of Luke, these two books go hand in hand. The book of Luke tells the story of Jesus, but with unique details that are not in the other gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). Luke was a doctor and that is very evident in his writing. His attention to detail, facts, and science is very clear. He is telling the story of Jesus in a factual way with evidence to prove his story is truthful to those around him. He is building the case of the real story of Jesus for others to believe. He includes many dates, locations, and true accounts of eyewitnesses that walkedwho with Jesus. The book of Luke ends with Jesus ascending into Heaven and the disciples heading into the city of Jerusalem with an attitude and heart of worship but also wondering what is next for them.
Now, our story picks up in Acts, which is also written by Luke. The book begins with the disciples waiting in Jerusalem.
Act 1:4-5 “While he was with them, he commanded them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the Father’s promise. ‘Which,’ he said, ‘you have heard me speak about; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit in a few days.’”
The disciples are waiting and confused about what Jesus is speaking of. They knew Jesus was going to leave them. He spoke of returning to the Father, and the disciples remaining on earth to spread the gospel. The man they loved so dearly was leaving them for good to return to the Father but told them about a new baptism of the Holy Spirit. They had seen baptisms of water, but never of the Spirit.
Acts 2
When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.
Now they were staying in Jerusalem, God-fearing Jews from every nation under heaven. When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. Utterly amazed, they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans? Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? Parthians, Medes, and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?” Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”
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. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
“‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.
I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.’
“Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs, which God did among you through him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men,[d] put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.
“Fellow Israelites, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and his tomb is here to this day. But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne. Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay. God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
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. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words, he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three were added to their number that day.
They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer. Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles. All the believers were together and had everything in common. They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need. 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, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
A few days passed, and the disciples were waiting. Jerusalem was crowded due to the Feast of Weeks. The Jews were commanded to travel to Jerusalem to remember and celebrate God giving the Torah to the Hebrew people, and to thank him for his blessings to the people. It is exactly 7 weeks after Passover.
The city was crawling with people. The Bible accounts for 15 different nationalities of people in the city.
In high school, I went to Paris. I had such a great week exploring and learning about European culture. As I was arriving at the Charles de Gaulle airport to go back to America, I was in shock at the amount of culture around me. Although I had just spent a week surrounded by French culture, at that moment I was overwhelmed. This is the largest international airport in France, and it was full of all different types of people rushing to make their flights. Many different languages were yelled at, written, and advertised. I was overwhelmed, to say the least. I feel that I got a tiny taste of what Jerusalem is like that on the day of Pentecost. Many different people, speak many different languages, all with the same goal of celebrating the Feast of Weeks.
Acts 2:1-4 “When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them.”
This is why Jesus told them to wait. This is what they were waiting for. I have many moments from the Bible that I wish I could see and be a fly on the wall. This moment is at the top of my list. The Spirit of God descending on humanity.
After this Peter explained to the crowds who Jesus was. He called the people to repent of their sins and accept Jesus as the Lord of their lives.
Peter says in Acts 2:38, “Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
The Bible tells us that three thousand people were baptized that day! Peter tells us what to do, repent, be baptized, and the spirit of God will live within us. If you have not accepted Jesus as the Lord of your life and want to, skip ahead to page NUMBER to read more about how to do that because it is the best decision you will ever make, and that chapter will add a lot of context to the rest of the story.
Throughout the rest of the New Testament, we see the Holy Spirit clearly in the Bible. As a believer, the Spirit of God will lead you if you listen and let him.
Growing up in the church, the Spirit of God was mentioned but I had no true understanding of it. I was told it was a helper, but what did that mean?
In college, my faith grew immensely. I had always believed in the Bible and knew that Jesus was my Lord and Savior. I wanted a close relationship, but I truly did not know how to do that well. I read my Bible, prayed, and went to church but I did not know what it was like to cling to God’s word as my hope and to talk to God as my friend. In my sophomore year of college, I began reading my Bible with a commentary, and it made the Bible make sense. I understood so much more, and I could not put the word down. I was also doing life with girls who were also walking very closely with the Lord. We encouraged each other in faith through honesty, vulnerability, and accountability. During that time, I felt that I knew God fully as my savior and as my friend.
Throughout my entire relationship with my ex, I prayed for God’s will over us. Whether that be with us ending together or apart. I asked God to make his plan clear to me in our season of engagement. I asked if this season of engagement and marriage was not of him that he would make that known to me. I loved this guy, but I felt as if something was wrong.
I had a lot of concerns for our future and discussed them many times with him. I left our conversations feeling more unsettled. There is only so much guesswork that you can handle about the rest of your life. I prayed. I read the Word. I sought counsel for others, even if they did not know what I was directly asking about. The entire time, I felt as if the Spirit was telling me to flee, but I did not want to be the girl who broke off her engagement. That was embarrassing. I had bought the dress, the invitations were ready, and all the plans were made. But should you get married just to not hurt your pride?
I asked God why my soul was unsettled, and convinced myself again that this was normal. I planned a wedding, worked a part-time job, and was taking 18 college hours. Stress should be a bit normal, but it should not be all-consuming. I asked God for wisdom and guidance, and he made clear what I needed to do.
Early one morning, when I was not sleeping again, I remember very clearly God saying, “Run”. That is the clearest I have ever heard the Lord. It was not a shout or a yell, but a demand from God. When He says to do something we are called to be obedient, even if it is hard, uncomfortable, and life-altering.
Later after mustering up the courage, I voiced my concerns to a few close people that I trusted. I told them everything. The things I had been keeping inside myself for months. I laid out my heart and explained the conviction that I had been feeling. They agreed with me that there were logical reasons to be concerned but the choice was mine was mine.
Another “fun” aspect of my personality is I do not love making decisions. For a typically non-anxious person, it stressed me out! I have gotten better at this over the years, but it is still a weakness for me. I have to think through everything, make lists, rethink, and reevaluate. In my head, all I could see was how my actions would hurt people. I think as a Christian and especially a woman, it can be easy to put everyone before yourself. In my mind, I was still trying to put him before myself. It is not wise, logical, or Biblical to marry someone out of fear of hurting them, but that is where I was at. I finally came to the realization that I was not making this decision for him, or myself, but rather the Lord. He had called me to say no and I had to be obedient to that.
I knew that this marriage was not God’s plan for me. I cried to them knowing the pain that would come and the pain that I would cause for other people but I knew it was better than a painful lifelong marriage.
Because of walking so close to the Lord, I knew that he had used the Spirit to save me from that marriage. I had prayed for wisdom throughout our entire relationship, and God provided through the conviction of the spirit telling me to leave. I asked God for strength, and with the Spirit I had that hard conversation on a cold Saturday afternoon. I asked God for peace in my decision, and his Spirit brought me that daily. I asked God to reaffirm that I made the right choice, and he did that tenfold.
The Spirit is a powerful and wonderful gift from God when we allow it to lead. We must step back, and give the Lord permission to guide us in his ways. When we try to stay in “control” we fail.