PRAYER OF CONSECRATION
Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.
Jesus, I belong to you.
I lift up my heart to you.
I set my mind on you.
I fix my eyes on you.
I offer my body to you as a living sacrifice.
Jesus, we belong to you.
Praying in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, amen.
Acts 2:32–41 (NIV)
God has raised this Jesus to life, and we are all witnesses of it. Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
“Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.
CONSIDER THIS
Since we are now in the back-to-school season of the year, how about we do a quick pop quiz!
Get out a clean sheet of paper. There’s only one question:
What Bible verse/text from the Old Testament is quoted the most in the New Testament?
Okay—write your answer (and yes you can use your Acts Journal instead of a piece of paper).
If you wrote, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength,” you got it wrong. If you wrote, “Be holy as I am holy,” you got it wrong. They are definitely quoted, as are many others, but not the most quoted by a long shot.
The most quoted verse in the New Testament from the Old Testament is Psalm 110:1.
“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
And yes, it was hiding right there in plain sight in today’s text. Peter chose this text for the day of Pentecost birthday of the church verse of the day.
“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
Yep! That was the favorite verse of the early church. And it comes in a whopping twenty-four times across the New Testament. There’s not even a close second. It reveals to us the essence and ethos of the whole story of God. It is a reclamation story. God is reclaiming his territory. Reclaiming? How does God lose God’s territory? To be sure, God never lost his territory.
The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it; for he founded it on the seas and established it on the waters. (Psalm 24:1–2)
The hardest class in my first year of law school (if not all of law school) was Property Law. I will always remember my stunned surprise to learn the law of adverse possession. The law basically says that if I set up shop on your property in a way that is open, notorious, exclusive, intentional, and continuous for seven years then I can legally claim ownership of the property and enter a process to get the title from you. It just seems so . . . well . . . wrong, doesn’t it?
The doctrine of adverse possession (aka squatter’s rights) gives us a helpful analogy to understand how the enemies of God have usurped the property of God (all of creation and especially his image bearers—aka us) from Genesis 3 forward. On the day of Pentecost, Peter officially gives public notice that the reign of adverse possession is over. The beginning of the end is begun. Starting in Jerusalem, moving into all Judea, and then Samaria, and onward to the end of the world—the new day has dawned. Jesus, the resurrected, ascended Lord of Heaven and Earth, is now officially reclaiming it all and he will do it through building his church.
In his crucifixion, the enemy of sin has been defeated. In his resurrection, the enemy of death has been defeated. Let’s be clear though. It is not over yet. The enemies of the Lord Jesus abound. Though they have been stripped of authority, they are still squatting on his property. Though they have been defeated at the cross they retain every shred of rogue power that we will grant them in our lives. Though they be served notice and are in the grip of defeat, the world, the flesh, and the devil remain formidable opponents and they do not release their hold willingly and without a fight.
When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”
Remember question 1 on the day of Pentecost: What does this mean? Well, this is question 2: What shall we do? Peter was ready.
Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
It takes us back to question 1: What does this mean? Repent is a word and concept we have understood badly. We will turn there tomorrow. For now, revel a bit in this word of the day—even moreso—the Word of the Ages.
“‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
THE PRAYER OF TRANSFORMATION
Lord Jesus, I am your witness.
I receive your righteousness and release my sinfulness.
I receive your wholeness and release my brokenness.
I receive your fullness and release my emptiness.
I receive your peace and release my anxiety.
I receive your joy and release my despair.
I receive your healing and release my sickness.
I receive your love and release my selfishness.
Come Holy Spirit transform my heart, mind, soul, and strength so that my consecration becomes your demonstration; that our lives become your sanctuary. For the glory of God our Father, amen.
THE QUESTION
How did you do on the Pop Quiz? Good news! It’s not going to count on your grade. ;0) How does this analogy of adverse possession help you understand our story better? Journal out some of the implications for life you are beginning to see? What might “repent” mean when thought through this lens of adverse possession? One more journal prompt: Where do you see our enemies exercising the doctrine of adverse possession in your life?
THE HYMN
Today we will sing “O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing.” I’ve heard tell there are seventeen verses. We have nine in our hymnal. Today we will sing the first four and tomorrow the next five. It is hymn 1 in our Seedbed hymnal, Our Great Redeemer’s Praise.
For the Awakening,
J. D. Walt
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4 Responses
A few years ago the Lord laid this epiphany upon my heart. When Jesus gave what we term The Great Commission, He was in affect proclaiming a declaration of war on the forces of evil who had illegally occupied God’s own possession, all of creation. Today’s post drives home the fact that now empowered with the Spirit of the Living God, it was time to take the fight to the enemy. Every soul saved from the bondage of sin and death from, Satan’s clutches, is an advancement of the kingdom of God. The enemy continues to exercise his illegal possession of God’s creation when we vainly attempt to fight this spiritual battle using the weapons of the flesh, secular politics for example, instead of the whole armor of God.
The Lord “wows” me!
Be ever “wowed” by Jesus,
This Jesus who God raised to life!
This Jesus who is now everywhere!
This Jesus who is the Lord and the Christ,
The Creator in human flesh!
This Jesus who is seated
At the right hand of the Father
And is One with Him!
This Jesus who God’s sent ones preached
And demonstrated with their daily lives!
This Jesus who is now building
The members of His body together
On the rock of direct personal revelation!
This Jesus who is pouring out His Spirit
On all flesh — whosoever will receive.
This Jesus who is Christ in you,
The hope of glory.
Don’t be distracted by “another Jesus.”
Adore and obey the living, present One,
Our Lord whose enemies
Are being made His footstool.
The “wow” of Christianity isn’t big numbers, big speakers, big singers, or big events. Be wowed by this Jesus!
“In his crucifixion, the enemy of sin has been defeated. In his resurrection, the enemy of death has been defeated. Let’s be clear though. It is not over yet. The enemies of the Lord Jesus abound. Though they have been stripped of authority, they are still squatting on his property. Though they have been defeated at the cross they retain every shred of rogue power that we will grant them in our lives. Though they be served notice and are in the grip of defeat, the world, the flesh, and the devil remain formidable opponents and they do not release their hold willingly and without a fight.”
Truth, JD!
It goes on around us, and inside others, inside us.
But, through Jesus, the evil one no longer has the authority. His squatting days inside our minds are over. But, he’ll always try to get one over on us. So, be alert, and of sober mind, for he is looking to devour the unsuspected. The ones who are not aware of his schemes.
So, beware and be aware.
2 Corinthians 11:14
And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
Staying 💪’n Christ
Ephesians 6:10
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might.
Thanks Doc! I’d be really curious to hear your thoughts on what enemy’s disguise as an angel of light looks like? In addition to JD, your reflection always gives me a lot to chew on! Thanks 🙂