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May 26 | Acts 2:37-41


DAILY READING


REFLECTION

 

What Shall We Do?

By Pam Mann


God-fearing people from many nations heard Peter’s Pentecost sermon. It hit them hard. Boom! And then what happened?


They were cut to the heart.  Perhaps you are familiar with such an experience where a Bible message speaks powerfully to you. You are cut to the heart. You want to respond. You can’t keep on with the same old patterns of life. You ask the question which that Pentecost crowd asked: “What shall we do?”


In Peter’s response to their question, we learn what the Spirit clarified for him that day. Peter hadn’t yet known baptism into Christ’s death and resurrection, as described by Paul in Romans 6. Paul hadn’t even met Jesus yet. Peter knew John’s water baptism only. But this very morning, the Spirit has come upon Peter, like a rushing wind, like tongues of fire. Had Peter recalled what John the Baptist said about Jesus baptizing with the Spirit and with fire?


With the same zeal that had Peter jumping into the water one night as the Lord walked on the sea toward the fishing boat, now Peter jumps into his response to “What shall we do?”  1. Repent.  2. Be baptized.  3. Receive the Holy Spirit.


No one present knew what would happen after doing those three things. But the Spirit was moving so powerfully that morning that 3,000 souls were baptized! How many of these devout people thought of the Tower of Babel punishment being reversed, as they heard people speaking their native language without ever using a Duolingo app?


What shall we do? Step 1. Repent. If God is on the move and I want to join Him wherever He goes, I will turn away from my same-old, same-old selfishness. I will go with God. Step 2. Be baptized!  Step 3. Receive the Holy Spirit. Steps 2 and 3 seem to merge. There’s the cleansing action of baptism’s water and there’s also my openness to the power that God wants to pour into me to do His will. That morning in Acts 2, did people recall Isaiah 11:2? And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom, understanding, counsel, and might; the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord. Or did they think of Ezekiel 36:25-27? I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.


Sure, you can stay with same-old, same-old. Or you can embrace the adventure and truly

live. Perhaps you recall the 1999 movie Matrix. Morpheus, in a pivotal scene, tells Neo, "You take the blue pill... the story ends. You wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to. You take the red pill... I show you how deep the rabbit hole goes".


Like the crowds hearing Peter preach that Pentecost morning, we too ask, “What shall we do?” The adventure awaits. There will surely be hardship and suffering. But, even on the tough days, there will be joy in God’s presence and power to live in His Spirit! What shall you do?


PRAYER

Lord Jesus, thank You for Your resurrection power, for Your Spirit’s presence, and for this call to repent, be baptized, and receive Your Spirit. Count us in! Where You go, we will go!


ABOUT THE AUTHOR


PAM MANN


I first joined UALC when my husband (then my fiancé) and I were college students involved in youth ministry. God has used UALC to nurture our family’s faith, even in our years outside the U.S. I’ve participated in UALC ministries with kids, art, prayer, exercise, ESL, and Bible teaching. I do all the fun church things.




 
 
 
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