Acts 2:37-42
When the people heard this, they were very upset. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Friends, what shall we do?"
Peter said, "Turn back to God! Be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ, so that your sins will be forgiven. Then you will be given the Holy Spirit. This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live."
Peter told them many other things as well. Then he said, "I beg you to save yourselves from what will happen to all these evil people." On that day about three thousand believed his message and were baptized. They spent their time learning from the apostles, and they were like family to each other. They also broke bread and prayed together.
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Our little nephew, Timothy, is fascinated by the moon. Almost since he was born, I have read a “good-night” story to him that had a moon depicted on every page. When he learned to talk, “moon” was one of his first words. And I will never forget the first night he saw the actual moon in the sky and made the connection to the picture in his book. With wide eyes, he pointed and exclaimed in an excited voice, “MOON!”
We have spent many evenings looking at the moon. Last fall, my husband and I took Timothy outside several times at night to sit on our driveway and enjoy the moonlight. We would tell him, “Wherever you are, remember that you are seeing the same moon we see. Every time you look at the moon, you will know that Aunt Debbie and Uncle Greg love you very much!” The moon connects us in a way that makes sense to a two-year-old.
There is a lot of important “meat” in this scripture passage. But one thing I don’t want you to miss is the part where Peter says, “This promise is for you and your children. It is for everyone our Lord God will choose, no matter where they live.” In other words, wherever you are, the God who loved me enough to send Jesus did the same thing for you… and your children - and those yet to come. The same Holy Spirit who dwells in my heart can dwell in yours… and in the hearts of those for generations yet to be born. This is HUGE, and I don’t want you to miss it!
Does this mean that my grandmother’s faith and devotion to Jesus “covers” me and “gets me in?” If your father is a devoted, Spirit-filled Christian, is Peter saying that you are also a Christian because of your kinship? Absolutely not! Every person must choose to follow Jesus for himself/herself. BUT… the gift of salvation through Jesus is offered – and available – to each of us.
Consider this… the moon that shines from the night sky now is the same moon that shone over Bethlehem when Jesus was born. The God who created the heavens and earth – and the moon – is the same God who wants to fill you with His Holy Spirit and dwell with you each and every day. This is a gift too amazing to ignore… love, grace, mercy and forgiveness just for me – yet offered equally to anyone else who will ask and accept! Just as people living halfway around the world see the same moon that we see…they can feel the presence of the Holy Spirit just like we do.
Don’t you want this? Doesn’t it give you joy and comfort to realize that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow… and He offers each of us the opportunity to know Him uniquely – yet collectively? Doesn’t it amaze you see the moon and realize that every person who looks at that shining orb is loved by the same God… and can experience His salvation through the blood of Jesus Christ? I don’t know about you, but I find this overwhelmingly awesome… incredible… and a blessing I would never want to miss!
As Timothy grows in his understanding of many things, we will tell him more and more about our Heavenly Father and His precious Son, Jesus Christ. I think a good start would be to amend our reminder to him that every time he sees the moon, he will know that he is loved – not only by his aunt and uncle – but especially by God. In time, I pray this will bring him great joy and peace, as he comes to know the LORD personally and feels His presence daily.
What about you? Do you have this personal relationship with Jesus? Do you feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life? There is no better time to begin than today. Whether you are asking Jesus to forgive your sins and bring the Holy Spirit for the first time – or renewing your commitment – this is the perfect day to turn back to God. And the next time you look at the moon, remember how much you are loved – by those who surround you on earth… and most especially by the God who created it!
©2012 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment