A Journey with ACTS 1:20-22

Greetings Everyone,

Here is the next segment of my Journey with ACTS, I know it's been a while since my last post and I am sorry for those of you that were on the edge of your seat waiting to see what I find next. I've been in a bit of a loll recently, but more on that another time. Feel free to share your thoughts.

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Peter continued, “This was written in the book of Psalms, where it says, ‘Let his home become desolate, with no one living in it.’ It also says, ‘Let someone else take his position. “So now we must choose a replacement for Judas from among the men who were with us the entire time we were traveling with the Lord Jesus— from the time he was baptized by John until the day he was taken from us. Whoever is chosen will join us as a witness of Jesus’ resurrection.” - Acts 1:20-22 NLT

Peter had moved to replace the one that had betrayed them. He saw that everyone was in need of something to do and gave them a task to complete. Was it from God? We don’t really know but he used some compelling proof and it worked. The believers were reassured so much so that they felt this was indeed the next step. Replacing the betrayer was a reasonable step to take in preparation for what was to come.

Together, they outline a criteria for this replacement and then begin to make their way through the candidates. In modern terms, they were interviewing and narrowing down their search. All the while hoping that God would lead them to the right person. If you think about it, this is a great example of how to proceed when we aren’t really sure what’s next.

I’d like to think this would help us determine what God’s is when we are unsure. Peter does this quite well and we can learn from his example, but we must always remember to seek guidance when we find ourselves in such a scenario.  God’s plan may not always be clear to us, as it was in this instance for Peter and the others, but they are there. It’s usually just a matter of narrowing down the possibilities.

We are never promised that His will just be revealed to us, but we are promised that if we seek him, we will indeed find him. Now is the time for us to step out and do so.

Yes, Judas had betrayed them and yes, there was a need to bring someone new into the fold, so to speak. But there is a time and a place for that. Peter may have thought that the present moment was the right time for that, and it may have been, but there is also the possibility that it wasn’t. No one truly knows, what the next step was meant to be.

I would like to believe that replacing Judas was God’s will at this point for the disciples but something tells me, He had something else in mind.

5/23/16

Revised 6/24/16

Blessings in Christ and thanks again for visiting us at "The Gathering Room,"

Stand Strong and continue to beleive the teachings given to you...(2 Thes. 2:15b NCV)

M.J. Elliott