By Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain to you; listen carefully to what I say.” (Acts 2:14)
Spring! This is the time of year when the flowers bloom again, the birds come back looking for places to build their nests and our lawns grow fast enough to need mowing. Over all, it is a time of new beginnings.
The Day of Pentecost was a day of new beginnings for Peter. As he stood up to proclaim the gospel to the people of Jerusalem, he experienced something he may have thought was beyond his reach. Consider what had happened before this day.
Peter had told Jesus that he would never deny Him or leave Him. However, after Jesus was arrested- Peter denied Him three times. Peter wept bitterly over his failure and then left the scene. Figuring that it was all over, he went back to his fishing nets. He probably thought he was disqualified from ever doing anything for Jesus again. Can you imagine the relief he felt when he was able to stand before the city of Jerusalem and proclaim Jesus to all of those people?
You know, we are allowed new beginnings, also. We may feel that we have let the Lord down. We may think we can never do anything for Jesus again. This is simply not true.
God’s Word declares that He is not a respecter of persons. In other words, He does not love one person more than the other. He is willing to help everyone. So, if Peter was given a chance for a new beginning- we can be given the same opportunity.
So as we enjoy the spring weather, let us think about new beginnings. Let us seize the opportunity to begin again. After all, God is waiting to help us do just that.
Dave Snyder is an Ordained Bishop with the Church of God – Cleveland, Tennessee. Before entering the ministry on a full-time basis, he was a school teacher. He also coached middle school basketball for eight years.
Dave and his wife, Sara, have two children — Craig and Karen. They also have one ten year old granddaughter — Breanna.
Dave and Sara pastored in West Virginia for thirty-six years. Sara is now retired from the banking industry, and Dave is retired from pastoring. However, Dave currently serves as prison Chaplain for the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Writing essays, articles, and devotionals is a real passion for Dave. He also enjoys playing musical instruments and singing.
by leaps and bounds 