The One Year New Testament
October 16
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Acts 1:12-26
Acts 1:12-26
12 Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away. 13 And when they had entered, they went up to the upper room, where they were staying, Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot and Judas the son of James. 14 All these with one accord were devoting themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.
15 In those days Peter stood up among the brothers (the company of persons was in all about 120) and said, 16 “Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke beforehand by the mouth of David concerning Judas, who became a guide to those who arrested Jesus. 17 For he was numbered among us and was allotted his share in this ministry.” 18 (Now this man acquired a field with the reward of his wickedness, and falling headlong he burst open in the middle and all his bowels gushed out. 19 And it became known to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the field was called in their own language Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.) 20 “For it is written in the Book of Psalms,
“‘May his camp become desolate,
and let there be no one to dwell in it’;
and
“‘Let another take his office.’
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.” 23 And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who was also called Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed and said, “You, Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which one of these two you have chosen 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place.” 26 And they cast lots for them, and the lot fell on Matthias, and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.
Reflection
In Acts 1:4, Jesus told his disciples not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the arrival of the Holy Spirit. Rather than taking the mission into their own hands, the immediate response of the apostles was to devote themselves to prayer while they waited (v. 14).
Christians today should adopt the same attitude of dependence upon God, knowing that the true power needed for the disciple-making mission comes from God alone (v. 8; cf. 2:1–12; 4:8–13, 31). Though we now have the Spirit these believers were waiting for, we should continue to prayerfully seek God, asking him to empower us with his Spirit and use us for the sake of his purposes in the lives of others.
1 Peter 3:18-22
1 Peter 3:18-22
18 For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh but made alive in the spirit, 19 in which he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison, 20 because they formerly did not obey, when God's patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. 21 Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, 22 who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, with angels, authorities, and powers having been subjected to him.
Reflection
Here is one of the richest, clearest, and briefest New Testament summaries of the work of Christ. Theologians describe the heart of the gospel as penal substitutionary atonement. Jesus paid the penalty for sins (penal) as a substitute in our place (substitutionary) to undo the effects of our sin and restore us to God (atonement, or “at-one-ment”). This is precisely what we find in this verse: Christ “suffered once for sins [penal], the righteous for the unrighteous [substitutionary], that he might bring us to God [atonement]” (1 Pet. 3:18). The penal substitution is the fundamental heart of the gospel. All the other countless benefits of Christ’s work flow from this.
Because of the work of Christ proclaimed in the gospel of grace, we are restored to God. The wreckage we have introduced into our lives through sin and failure and error is canceled. All is forgiven, and one day we will be with Christ in the new earth, in perfect joy. The act of baptism does not accomplish this salvation, but indicates what God accomplishes for us through faith (v. 21). Our baptism is a pledge that gives us the knowledge that we are made eternally secure by Christ’s work on our behalf through faith.
Psalm 38:15
Psalm 38:15
15 But for you, O Lord, do I wait;
it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.
Thoughts For Prayer
In God’s love for us, he brings us through seasons that require us to wait for him. Embrace these times as opportunities for great growth, asking God to change you as you look to him for his timing and will.
Missions Prayer Requests More
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July 12, 2025
Supported Workers: Shoreline Church
Country: United States of America
Praise the Lord for the wonderful opportunity to share the gospel with kids and parents during the Baking, Brick Building, and Fishing mini camps this year. Pray for the Ambassadors Soccer Camp hosted by Shoreline that takes place in Painesville from July 15-19. Pray for safety for the soccer coaches traveling to Ohio, and that they make edifying relationships with their host families. Pray that it will be an opportunity for the church to further relationships with the local community and to share the gospel. Thank the Lord that the Greater Cleveland Youth For Christ Jail Ministry cookouts held at different facilities went well. The purpose of these cookouts was to build relationships with incarcerated youth and their guards. Please pray that many will be led to attend chapel and Bible studies.
Falkland Islands (Latin America). Population: 3,469, Believers: 10.8%. Most of the population is very nominal in what faith they may have. Pray for a renewal of faith. Pray for believers in their witness to fellow Islanders and to fishermen, oilmen, and tourists of different nationalities who stop off in the islands. Faroe Islands (Europe). Population: 56,002 Believers: 28.8%. The Faeroese need revival. Pray for the Spirit to continue impacting the church in the Faeroe Islands; pray that Christians will be wise in engaging the postmodern and secular attitudes that increasingly challenge the primacy of the Bible and Christian tradition. From Operation World DVD-ROM 2010 and www.operationworld.org
The One Year New Testament Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, used by Permission. NIV Bible copyright International Bible Society.