Acts 1

Acts 1:1

The Book of Acts was written by Luke. The “former treatise” referred to is the Gospel that bears his name. From his exacting use of the Greek language, we know Luke was an intelligent man. We also know from Col_4:14 that he was a doctor. Many Bible scholars and historians further believe that, since the slaves of wealthy men usually held the position of physician, Luke was a slave. Scholars and historians believe Theophilus was Luke’s owner who, following his own conversion to Jesus Christ, freed Luke to travel with the apostle Paul. I am intrigued as I stop to consider the incredible energy and effort Luke expended to communicate the gospel to his former owner. After all, Luke didn’t say, “Today I am writing the Bible. I had better keep my wits sharp because people will be studying these words for many centuries.” No, for all Luke knew, he was simply writing to one man, which is the same mentality our Lord had. Jesus was the Good Shepherd who left the ninety and nine to find one who was lost (Mat_18:12). He was the Great Communicator who conversed with one woman at a well (Joh_4:7). He was the gifted Teacher who sought out one man in a tree (Luk_19:5). In his Gospel, Luke had written of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus, but that was only the beginning. The Book of Acts is the continuation of the gospel story. And the story goes on. Africa and South America are experiencing great revival. And only now are we beginning to discover the depth and breadth of the church in communist China. Jesus is still working, folks. That’s what makes being a Christian so exciting! That’s always the divine orderdoing first, then teaching. If you want to impact your children, if you want to have power in ministry, follow this simple principle: Do it before you teach it. Our Lord moved with incredible authority, and those who heard Him were “astonished at his doctrine” (Mat_7:28) because He didn’t only teach the Word theoretically, He lived it out before them.

Acts 1:2

After His Resurrection, Jesus “dropped in” on His disciples over a period of forty days, causing them to understand that even though they would no longer see Him visibly, He would be in their midst in reality. “I’m not going to believe this resurrection stuff unless I can put my hand into the wound in His side and the nail prints in His hands,” said Thomas (see Joh_20:25). The following week, when Jesus said to him, “Put your hand in My side. Touch My wounds,” Thomas’s eyes were opened, and he realized that, even though he hadn’t seen Jesus, Jesus had seen him. My prayer is that, like Thomas, we would grasp the fact that, even though we may not see Him or feel Him, Jesus truly is with us. The Greek word for “seen” is optanomai, from which we get our word ophthalmologist, or eye doctor. It literally means Jesus was being “eyeballed” by them, “stared at,” or “scrutinized.” The disciples didn’t gaze at Jesus with wispy, dreamy looks. No, they stared at Him. Wouldn’t you? If your leader had been crucified, but came back on the scene from time to time, wouldn’t you eyeball him? Not only did His disciples see Him, but according to 1Co_15:6, there were five hundred eyewitnesses to whom Jesus appeared following His Resurrection. We might not hear Jesus audibly or see Him visibly as the disciples did, but He continues to speak to us “of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God.” How? Through pains and problems. If you had a hard day today or a hard week, a hard year, or a hard life, understand this: It’s the Lord speaking to you concerning His kingdom, saying, “Child, this is not your home. I don’t want you to sink your roots here too deeply because all of this is going to pass away quickly. I know that if I don’t allow dark days to poke you and prod you to look heavenward, you’ll put your time and energy into things that are destined to burn, and you’ll be disappointed for the next billion years to come.” So don’t be upset and bitter when times are tough. Realize they are God’s reminder to seek first the kingdom (Mat_6:33).

Acts 1:4

There is so much confusion today about the baptism in the Spirit. People get hung up and miss out because they don’t understand there are three relationships Jesus talked about that a person can and should have with the Holy Ghost. He is with us when we are convicted of our need to be born again (Joh_14:17); He comes in us the moment we open our heart to the Savior (Joh_20:22); and He comes upon us when He empowers us for service (Act_1:5). The Gift of the Spirit A Topical Study of Act_1:4-5 Vance Havner was right on the money when he said, “We will move this world not by criticism of it, nor conformity to itbut by combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.” The early believers found this to be true, for even their enemies referred to them as those who “turned the world upside down” (see Act_17:6). They did it without a single media consultant, church growth seminar, management strategy, or slick presentation. They impacted the Roman Empire and the entire known world without buildings, busses, or budgets. They turned the world upside down through one thing: the power of the Holy Spirit. In verse Act_17:8, Jesus promised that after the Holy Spirit came upon them, they would be witnessesnot that they would witness, but that they would be witnesses. Truly, the early believers had such joy in their hearts and such love in their lives that it was undeniable something radical had happened and that Jesus must be real. Gang, it’s not “witnessing” that will turn your world upside down. It’s being a witness, an example of what the Lord can do in a marriage and in a family, at your job and at your school. How exciting it is to see our world impacted by the power of the Spirit upon our lives. What a joy it has been to see Applegate Christian Fellowship growwithout strategies or demographic studies, slick programming or hypeby watching the Holy Spirit do His beautiful work in a very simple way. I once received a book in the mail entitled Marketing the Church. After thumbing through it, I was greatly grieved by it, as I was reminded once again that the present trend to get the church to be culturally relevant is the way of the world, not the way of the Lord. The Lord has a better way: not by might, nor by power, but by His Spirit (Zec_4:6), igniting individuals who will be witnesses of His reality and who, in turn, will draw people to Him like moths to a flame. That’s the way it worked in the Book of Acts. The early church never heard of “marketing the church.” They were simply in love with Jesus Christ and were experiencing the power of the Holy Ghost. As a result, the world was permanently altered. Many years ago, before the first Sunday service at Applegate Christian Fellowship, one of the brothers shared this word of prophecy to a group of us who had gathered in a living room to pray and seek the Lord: “The Lord has given me a vision. He showed me a map in which our valley was ignited by a fire, which in turn generated sparks that ignited other fires all around it.” He continued, “I believe this means that the Lord will ignite our fellowship, and from it will come many other fellowships.” As a twenty-three-year-old, I wrote that prophecy in my journal, filed it away, and thought, We’ll see. For at that point, it was my prayer that if God’s grace were upon us, Applegate Christian Fellowship might blossom to a group of one hundred people. Then the Lord began to move in ways that were completely unpredictable and totally unplanned. The fellowship began to grow and grow, not because of our strategy or slickness, but in spite of us! And as we grew, we began to establish other fellowships round about usin Grants Pass, Medford, and other communities in this area; then north into Roseburg, Eugene, and Washington; and south to California, Mexico, Honduras, and Jamaica. Reading this journal entry some time ago, I thought, Lord, You did it just like You said You wouldnot by might, nor by power, but by the simple, significant work of Your Spirit. Our hearts have been touched, our lives are being changed, and people are seeing not our strategy, but Your reality. I remember our first Sunday together. We met in a place called Grange Hall past Little Applegate Road. At that time, Oregon and California were in the midst of a significant drought. But as I was teaching, rain began beating down on the tin roof. The congregation started laughing, which made me kind of nervous, but I went on anyway. After the service, I walked outside, grabbed Tom Patrick, and said, “Tom, what was all the laughing about?” Tom answered, “Before you moved here, a prophecy was given to us that God would rain upon us and pour out His Spirit upon this ministryand that it would happen simultaneously with rain falling physically. So, when it started pouring while you were preaching, we started rejoicing!” I could go on about how, in the earliest days of this ministry, prophecies were given and visions shared that have come to pass, each one by the power of the Spirit of God. “Not by might, nor by power, but by my spirit, saith the LORD of hosts” (Zec_4:6). We shall see, as we study Acts together, that the early church impacted the world in a greater way than any other group in history because they were ignited by the power of the Spirit. That was their simple key. Maybe your worldyour kids, your marriage, your business, or your schoolis “wrong-side up.” How will it be impacted? How will it be turned upside down and therefore made right? The same way the world has been impacted globally: by the power of the Holy Ghost upon your life. What’s needed is not more programming, not more fleshly striving, not more clever organizing. It is the power of the Spirit that will make things start happening. The power of the Spirit will change you, your marriage, your family, your business, and your service for Jesus Christ. It will change every aspect of your life. Keep in mind that the disciples in Acts 1 were already born again and had already received the indwelling of the Spirit. How do we know this? Because following His crucifixion, as the disciples met behind locked doors in the Upper Room, worried that someone would discover them, Jesus appeared to them, breathed on them, and said, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost” (see Joh_20:19-22). But, as they were about to discover, the indwelling of the Spirit is only one of three relationships available to a believer. The Holy Spirit with You In Joh_14:17, Jesus said to His disciples, “The Holy Spirit is with you, but He shall be in you.” Those prepositions are important. The Holy Spirit is with a person when He begins to talk to that person about becoming a believer. You never would have been born again unless the Holy Spirit had been with you, whispering, “God loves you. You’re a sinner, but Jesus died in your place.” Whether it was through a meeting at church, or at a Billy Graham crusade, whether it was over the radio, or through a friend, it was the Holy Spirit with you who began to tug on the strings of your heart, drawing you to salvation. If the Holy Spirit had not been with you, you could not have been born again. “There is none that seeketh after God,” wrote Paul (Rom_3:11). “We are born again not of the will of man, but of God” (see Joh_1:13). A person can’t, on his own, say, “Hmm. I think I’ll be born again.” The only way someone can be born again is for God to sovereignly choose to send His Holy Spirit to work with him. The Holy Spirit in You When you opened your heart to Jesus, the Holy Spirit came into you. He indwelled you. You were born again. You were regenerated. In John 20, the disciples had the Spirit in them, just as He is in every one of you who has been born again (Joh_20:22). You have the Holy Ghost. The question is: Does the Holy Ghost have you? You see, Jesus not only breathed on His disciples, He also instructed them to go to Jerusalem and wait for the promise of the Father (Luk_24:49). What is the promise of the Father? It is the third relationship Jesus spoke of concerning the Spirit. The Holy Spirit upon You The Spirit of God is available not only to work with you to become a Christian, or to come into your life once you open your heart to Him, but He is now available to come upon your life and to empower you to see your own world turned upside down and made right-side up. In the Old Testament, when the Holy Ghost came upon men like Moses and David, Gideon and Ezekiel, Samson and Bezaleel, it was to empower them for service. So, too, Jesus said to His disciples, “The Spirit is in you, but when the Spirit comes upon you, you will be empowered for unique ministry and service, and then you will be My witnesses” (see Act_1:4-8). So it was that these born-again disciples, one hundred twenty in number, huddled together in the Upper Room for ten days, waiting and praying with one accord. Suddenly, on the Day of Pentecost, they heard the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Why wind? Pnoe means “wind” in Greek. It also means “breath” and “spirit.” Ruwach means “wind” in Hebrew. It also means “breath” and “spirit.” Since both Hebrew and Greek have one word for wind, breath, and spirit, the breath of Jesus upon His disciples in John 20 and the mighty rushing wind in Acts 2 are unmistakable illustrations of the Spirit. The mighty rushing wind filled the room, tongues of fire sat upon each of the disciples, they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and the world hasn’t been the same since (Act_2:1-5). The same is true today. The Spirit of God is made available not only to work with you to become a Christian, and to come into you once you open your heart to Him, but to come upon your life and to empower you in your service for Him. We no longer have to wait for the Spirit as the disciples did. On the Day of Pentecost, GOD made the power of the Spirit available to the church corporately and to all believers individually. The power of the Spirit is a gift that has already been given and that is available to you even today. What do you have to do to receive or appropriate that gift? The same thing you did to become a Christian… The Power of the Spirit Is Appropriated by Believing For GOD so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son…Joh_3:16 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?Luk_11:13 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of GOD, even to them that believe on his name.Joh_1:12 Just as God gave His Son, He gives the Holy Spirit. How did you receive the Son? By faith. How do you receive the power of the Spirit? The same way. For some, when you asked Jesus into your heart, tears rolled down your cheeks, you felt a weight lifted from your shoulders, and you felt warm inside. For others, it was not an emotional experience at all. You simply said, “Okay, I’ve prayed the prayer. Now what?” So, too, when some receive the power of the Spirit, they speak in tongues, prophesy, or see visions. But others receive it and say, “Now what?” As with the salvation experience, some have an emotional response, while others don’t. But as with the salvation experience, all who receive the gift of the power of the Spirit look back and see their lives radically altered from that moment on. While I was a student at Biola University, the Spirit came upon my own life, but I didn’t have a tremendous emotional experience. The Lord touched me, and I knew He impacted me at that moment, but it wasn’t until later that I began to see some significant changes: My faith wasn’t dry, as it had been previously. Bible study was no longer merely a discipline or a drudge. Sharing the Word was no longer an obligation. You see, although I had the Holy Spirit for many years, it wasn’t until He had me and flowed from me that Bible study became my passion and sharing the Word my joy. Suppose someone came forward today to receive Christ, saying, “I want Jesus in my life,” and he prayed the sinner’s prayer. Then the next day he came back, saying, “I really want the Lord in my life,” and he prayed the sinner’s prayer again. And the third day, and the fifth day, and the eighteenth day, he came again and again and again, saying, “Please, I want the Lord in my life.” What would you tell that person? Hopefully you would say, “By grace are you saved through faith. It’s the gift of God (see Eph_2:8). You don’t need to keep begging or pleading or crying. Just embrace what He has already given you!” Why then do we have an entirely different mind-set when it comes to the power of the Spirit? We go to meetings. We pray with intensity. People lay hands on us and say, “Come on, brother. Hold on. Pray through.” Then someone else comes along and says, “Let go, brother. Let go.” So we hold on. We let go. And finally we give up because much of classic Pentecostalism has subtly transmitted the message that we have to prove ourselves worthy by our intensity or purity to receive the power of the Spirit. But that’s not what Scripture teaches. In Acts 8, after Peter and John laid hands upon them, believers in Samaria were empowered with the Holy Spirit. Simon, the resident magician, observed the scene and said, “Wow! That’s neat. Hey, Peter, I’ll buy that trick from you” (see Act_8:14-19). Peter looked at Simon and said, “Your money perish with you. The gift of the Holy Ghost cannot be purchased” (see Act_8:20). The gift of the Spirit cannot be purchasednot with money, intensity, purity, or anything else. It is a gift to be received by faith. At this moment, you can be a recipient of the power of the Holy Ghost upon your life if by faith you simply say, “Thank You, Father, for the promise. Jesus, do the work You said You would. Baptize me with Your Spirit.” “Wait a minute,” you say. “My Baptist background doesn’t confirm this. 1Co_12:13 says: For by one Spirit we have all been baptized into one body. So what’s this about a second “coming upon” of the Spirit?” The moment you opened your heart to Jesus Christ, the Spirit baptized you, immersed you, and plunged you into the body of Christ. 1Co_12:13 speaks of the baptism into the body. But that’s an entirely different baptism than that of Jesus baptizing you into the Spirit. Check your concordance, and you will see a number of baptisms mentioned in the Word. There’s the baptism of John (Act_1:22), the baptism of repentance (Act_13:24), the baptism of suffering (Mat_20:22), and the baptism into Moses (1Co_10:2). In fact, there are at least seven different baptisms in Scripture. “But doesn’t Eph_4:5 say there is one Lord and one baptism and one faith?” Yes. But, again, that speaks of the unity of the body. Study carefully before you build any theology upon an isolated verse. The Preparation of the Spirit Comes Through Waiting “Wait a minute,” you say. “Didn’t you just say we no longer have to wait for the Spirit?” Yes. We don’t need to wait for the Spirit. But we need to wait on the Spirit. That is why Jesus didn’t say to the early believers, “Receive the power of the Spirit right now.” He could have done it that way, but instead He said, “For ten days, lock yourselves in a room and wait on Me that I might pour out the Spirit of promise upon you.” Now, if the power of the Spirit is available right nowand it isthen what’s the purpose of waiting on Him? There are several reasons… Transition After a psalmist came to a profound point, he would often say, “Selah” or, “Stop and think about it.” So, too, concerning the dynamic of the Spiritthe new song of the Holy Ghost. I suggest for some, “selah” means not merely taking someone else’s word for it, but thinking it through themselves as they wait on the Lord and study His Word. Many of us came out of a dispensational background and were taught that there is no second blessing; that there is no baptism with the Spirit; that the gifts of prophecy, healing, tongues, and visions were for an earlier dispensation and are no longer available for us today. Personally, I had to go through a couple of years of transitionof rethinking and reevaluatingbefore I received the empowering of the Spirit by the laying on of hands. Protection The danger facing the early believers was not in failing to do something, but in trying to do something. Look what happened… As they were praying in the Upper Room, Peter said, “The Scriptures declare that someone should take the place of Judas. So let’s draw straws here between these two guys to see which one of them God wants to use” (see Act_1:15-26). A man named Matthias drew the long straw and was chosen, but he’s never again mentioned in the Book of Acts. I believe Peter’s plan was a big mistake. Why? Because Peter spoke before the empowering of the Spirit. Using his own logic and analysis, he said, “We’ve got to replace this guy, and here’s how we’ll do it.” Shortly thereafter, however, Paul the apostle came on the scene, and I believe Paul was the one intended to fill the office of Judas Iscariot. Did God throw up His hands and say, “Oh no! I wanted to use Paul. But I’m stuck with Matthias. Now what am I going to do?” Of course not. God used Paul mightily, regardless of what seems to be Peter’s mistake. Vision It was in the dungeon that the Lord said to Jeremiah, “Call on Me, and I’ll show you things you never would have imagined” (see Jer_33:3). It was when Abraham was well-advanced in years that God said, “Look now toward heaven, and count the stars if you are able to number them. So shall your descendants be” (see Gen_15:5). As we wait on the Lord, He directs our vision beyond even prison walls and physical limitations in order to give us His vision of what He wants to do in our lives. Evaluation After the Spirit of the Lord carried the prophet Ezekiel to a valley full of dry bones, He told Ezekiel to preach to the bones (Eze_37:4). When Ezekiel preached, there was a great noise as the bones started to connect. But Ezekiel realized that although his preaching had produced commotion, there was no creationthe bones were still dead. God then told him to prophesy to the wind, the ruwach, the Spirit. Ezekiel was no longer to prophesy to the people, but to intercede in the Spirit on behalf of the people. What happened? The bones came to life. The rattling bones became a mighty army when creation replaced commotion (Eze_37:1-10). The same thing happened in the Book of Acts. One hundred twenty believers in an upper room were wondering what to do and where to go. When the mighty rushing wind filled the room, however, the dry bones became living witnesses who turned the world upside down. And the world has marveled ever since.

Acts 1:6

“Are You finally going to establish Your kingdom?” the disciples asked Jesus.

Acts 1:7

“It is not for you to know,” answered Jesus. I have this phrase underlined in my Bible. What makes me think I need to know everything? Certain things are just not for me to know.

Acts 1:8

The steam in a locomotive does not exist to toot the whistle. Its purpose is to power the engine and move the train. So, too, the empowering of the Spirit is not given for people to feel “Holy Ghost goose bumps,” emotional highs, or warm fuzzy feelings. The Spirit comes upon people in order that the message of the gospel might be moved throughout the world. Jesus didn’t say, “You will witness.” He said, “You’ll be witnesses. Things will happen in a naturally supernatural way in and through you that will witness My reality.” Billy Sunday used to say, “The Lord has anointed me to preach to the guttermost parts of the earth.” What made Billy Sunday tick? What drove D. L. Moody, R. A. Torrey, or Charles Finney? Read their biographies, and you will see that, without exception, each of these men had an undeniable encounter with the Spirit.

Acts 1:9

When the temple was dedicated, Scripture records the cloud of glory filling it (1Ki_8:10). Here in Acts, I believe Luke is speaking of this same cloud of glorythe shekinah glory of the Father.

Acts 1:10

Some have suggested that the two men in white apparel were Moses and Elijah, which would correspond with their appearance during the Transfiguration in Matthew 17. On the Mount of Olives, there is a church called the Church of the Ascension. If you go there today, guides will show you a footprint that is supposedly the place from which Jesus took off when He ascended to heaven. Yet Luke 24 says that Jesus traveled with His disciples past the Mount of Olives to Bethany before He ascended (Luk_24:50). When people don’t read the Word, they are vulnerable to traditions and myths that have no biblical base at all.

Acts 1:13

Prayer produces unity, and unity empowers prayer. When you pray with people, you experience a glorious unity that allows a greater release of blessing. That is why Jesus said, “If two or three of you agree in prayer, there’s a dynamic released, and things will happen” (see Mat_18:20). As a result of this prayer meeting, the church would soon no longer consist of one hundred twenty believers hiding away in an upper room, but would, in a single day, explode to number over three thousand (Act_2:41). Renewal and revival continue to take place in the Catholic Church today as many are opening up to the power and the Person of the Spirit of God. I say to those who are considering such things, “Look at Mary. There she was in the Upper Room when the Spirit came downthe first charismatic Catholic!” This is the first and last time Mary is seen in the Book of Acts. In some quarters of the Catholic Church, there is a skewed theology concerning Mary. They do not see her as simply an especially blessed woman, but as a co-redemptress. In Jerusalem today, there is a Catholic Church called the Church of Mary. Located on Mount Zion, for many centuries it was thought to be the spot where Mary was buried. However, when the Catholics changed their theology and decided that Mary never died, but instead ascended into heaven, they permanently shut the doors of the Church of Mary. In Rome, a Catholic Church next to the railroad depot is also called the Church of Mary. In this church, a two-sided crucifix depicting Jesus on one side of the Cross, and Mary on the other is prominently displayed. Dear friend, Mary did not supernaturally ascend into heaven. She did not die on the Cross. She cannot gain favors for those who pray to her. When Jesus was told His mother and brothers wanted to speak with Him, He answered, “Who is my mother? and who are my brethren? Whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (see Mar_3:33-35). In Joh_2:5, we find the last recorded words of Mary when she said to the servants at the marriage feast, “Whatever He [Jesus] saith unto you, do it.” She didn’t say, “Tell me your problem, and I’ll take care of it.” She said, “Whatever He saith unto you, that’s what you need to do.” Mary is seen here in the midst of the disciples, but not in a place of prominence. She is the most blessed of all womenuniquely and singularly chosen by God to bring forth His Son. She is honored, indeed, but she does not have special pull or power with God. James and Judesons of Joseph and Mary and half brothers of Jesuswere in the Upper Room. This is interesting, because the Gospels make it clear that they had previously been cynical, skeptical unbelievers. What changed their minds about their Brother? His Resurrection. When James and Jude saw Jesus resurrected from the dead, they became believers in Him. James went on to write the Epistle of James; Jude, the Epistle of Jude. If anyone could have questioned the deity of Jesus Christ, it would have been His own brothers, yet here are James and Jude, numbered among the believers.

Acts 1:15

Notice that Peter was a student of prophecy. He said, “This Scripture must be fulfilled.” He was absolutely certain that prophecy would come to pass. So am I. Not only was Peter a student of prophecy, but he believed in the divine inspiration of Scripture, saying it was the Holy Spirit who spoke through David. All Scripture is inspired (2Ti_3:16). It’s God-breathed, gang. And if you ever get involved in a church or become part of a Bible study group where the teacher says, “Well now, we can’t be sure if this verse or this section is inspired,” I would encourage you to immediately stand up, walk out, and never go back. Why? Because once you start to say, “I’ll decide which part of the Bible is inspired and which part isn’t,” you suddenly become the judge of the Bible rather than allowing the Bible to judge you. And it’s amazing what verses we will cross out given the opportunity!

I’ve often encouraged people to go through their Bibles and meditate on all the verses they don’t have underlined. We have all the promises starred and all the blessings highlighted, while verses like, “Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution” (2Ti_3:12) are strangely unmarked!

Acts 1:17

We know from Mat_27:10 and Zec_11:13 that this field was originally a potter’s fieldthe field outside the house of every potter wherein he would throw any of his marred creations that, because they had become hardened, could not be reshaped. Over the years, due to the accumulation of broken pottery, the potter’s field would thus be useless for anything but a burial ground. What happened to the money for which Jesus was betrayed? It was used to purchase a potter’s fielda useless field full of broken pots and dead bodies. The picture to me is powerful: The blood money of JesusHis work on the Crosswas spent to redeem useless vessels and lifeless bodiesus. “Contradiction!” cry the skeptics. “Doesn’t Mat_27:5 say Judas hanged himself?” Judas did hang himself, then the rope broke, and he was disemboweled as he fell to the ground. Thus, rather than contradicting Matthew’s account, Luke confirms it.

Acts 1:19

The next time you feel like a cracked pot, the next time you feel useless, the next time you feel there’s no hope for you, remember Aceldamathe field of bloodfor even the place where the traitor died was purchased with the blood of Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:20

Making application to Judas, Peter quoted from Psa_69:25 and Psa_109:8. This tells me Peter was no ignorant fisherman. He knew the Scriptures. And I strongly suspect Peter’s knowledge of the written Word came from hanging out with the Living Word, Jesus Christ.

Acts 1:21

The one who took Judas’ office was to have been a witness of the Resurrection. Paul will use this same argument concerning his own claim to be an apostle. When did Paul see the resurrected Lord? Some commentators believe, as do I, that Paul, following his conversion, was discipled personally by Jesus in the Arabian desert (Gal_1:17-18).

Acts 1:23

The casting of lots was a common practice in Old Testament times. If a person wanted to know God’s will, he would go to the high priest who had the Urim and the Thummim in his breastplate. The Urim and the Thummim were possibly two stones, one black and one white. When asked a question, the high priest would offer a prayer and then pull out a stone, perhaps black meaning “No” and white meaning “Go.” A specific example of an Old Testament character involved in the casting of lots is found in the Book of Jonah. Sailors on the boat cast lots to determine whose fault the storm was before they tossed him overboard (Jon_1:7). People today still think that casting lots is a nifty idea. Borrowing an idiom from the account of Gideon in Judges 6, they call it “setting out a fleece” (see Jdg_6:36-40). But that’s not the way of the New Testament. When Paul and Barnabas were commissioned for ministry in Acts 13, it was not through the casting of lots, but through the voice of the Spirit. How did He speak? I suggest it was through the gift of prophecy (Act_13:2). Next time you have a decision to make, or a struggle within, I would highly encourage you to get together with other brothers and sisters and say, “Would you pray with me about this?” While you may not get immediate vision or direction, God will indeed honor such prayer and will fulfill His promise to “write His will upon the table of your heart” (see Heb_8:10). It amazes me how reluctant we are to do that. We’ll talk to our spouses, we’ll wrestle with ourselves, but we will rarely ask someone else to seek the Lord with us. The one who does, however, will hear His voice in wonderful ways.

Acts 1:26

Although Peter knew the Word and was right in discerning that Judas needed to be replaced, I believe he and the other disciples erred when they chose two men and said, “Now, Lord, which of these two do You want?” I believe God’s choice was neither man. Rev_21:14 tells us that the names of the apostles are written on the twelve foundations in heaven. My personal conviction is that we won’t see Matthias’ name on any of those foundations. We’ll see Paul’s name. I believe Paul was the one who should have filled Judas’ office. I believe the disciples got ahead of the Lord by trying to make something happen before the power of the Spirit came upon them on the Day of Pentecost. That’s a mistake I make frequently. I’ll see a principle in the Word and say, “Okay, now how can I make this happen?” instead of saying, “I see the principle, Lord. Now I’m going to wait on You for the power of Your Spirit to bring it about.” Maybe you’re wrestling with a decision right now, saying, “Which one is it, Lord? This or that? Here or there? What do You want, Lord? Here are Your choices.” In Numbers 11, we see something so typical of what we do. The Israelites were murmuring, saying, “We’re sick and tired of this manna.” Hearing their complaints, Moses said to the Lord, “What am I supposed to do? You told me You would give them meat. Do You want me to kill the flocks and the herds we’re bringing into the Promised Land? Or do You want us to fish all the fish out of the Red Sea? Which is it, Lord?” But the Lord said, “Trust Me, Moses, and you’ll see that I have more choices than just those two. I have options you would never think about, even in your wildest dreams.” And suddenly quail by the thousands flew into the camp two feet off the groundright in the strike zone. The Israelites grabbed sticks and batted them down. I know that’s what happened because verse Num_11:32 says, “He that gathered least gathered ten homers.” Be careful about saying, “Okay Lord, is it this, or is it that?” because the Lord has options we’ve never even heard of. Wait on Him and listen for His answer. Like the children of Israel, you’ll hit one out of the park every time!