Receiving April 5, 2008, worship scriptures

Please read and participate in the spiritual exercise at: http://charistis.blogspot.com/2008/03/receiving-word-as-spirit-and-life.html
After you receive the April 5 scriptures, then let the following notes expand your receiving.

Prayer for receiving
Eyes that see, ears that hear, a heart open and vulnerable in Your presence. This is what I seek. Please enable me to receive Your Word as spirit and life.

Acts 2:14a, 36-41 (selections and reflections)
"'...God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.'" (vs. 36)
"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'" (vs. 37)
"Repent... be baptized... receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." (vs. 38)
Sin. Conviction. Repentance. Baptism. Receiving the Holy Spirit. Salvation.
The way from to sin to salvation is complete and completely clear--in so few words.
It is an utterly simple matter of the heart. It is also profound. Each baptized person can ask: Was my baptism like that? Was it to-the-heart and complete? Whatever may, in retrospect, seem lacking is something that can still be added. Baptism begins what is culminating forever after! Revisit baptism, grow into baptism and the conviction, repentance, and reception of the Holy Spirit that go with baptism.

Psalm 116:1-4, 12-19 (selections and reflections)
"'O LORD, I implore You, deliver my soul!'" (vs. 4)
"You have loosed my bonds..." (vs. 16)
Verses 4 and 16 keep happening over and over: recognizing need and receiving freedom.

1 Peter 1:17-23 (selections and reflections)
"...conduct yourselves...in fear." (vs. 17)
Some explain it away saying fear doesn't mean fear. But I think fear does mean fear. What fear doesn't mean is neurotic anxiety and stress, or cowardice. These are impostors that keep me from conducting myself in fear. I'm not seeking or sharing a no-fear Christianity. Instead I'm seeking real fear that is fueled by knowing we were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold (so valuable! so useful!) but with the precious (far-beyond-price) blood of Christ. That is not something for easy familiarity.

Luke 24:13-32, 45-53 (selections and reflections)
"'Ought not the Christ to have suffered these things and to enter into His glory?'" (vs. 26)
The Christ you were hoping for wouldn't have suffered these things? The Christ you wanted wouldn't have entered into His glory?
Are suffering and glory any more accepted today than when Jesus joined Cleopas and his companion on the way to Emmaus? Both suffering and glory take us beyond our comfort zone.

"And beginning at Moses and all the Prophets, He expounded to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself." (vs 27)
"Then He said to them, 'These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.' And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures." (vss. 44, 45)
Jesus Christ is known and received through the whole Old Testament as well as New Testament.
The more complete my Christ, the more complete my faith, hope, love and worship.