“Be saved from this perverse generation.”
Acts 2:40b
Tuesday, October 11th, 2022
by Ken Pullen
You may be convinced the most important things are the outcome of an election, the nation in which you reside and its government, the endless going nowhere and accomplishing nothing verbal debates pertaining to the COVID-19 vaccines, Roe v. Wade, and the U.S. Supreme Court, battling back against the escalation of homosexual indoctrination at every level and within every institution, to boycott this or that, protest a current irritant, the latest bugaboo, or to foolishly imagine accommodating sin is being loving and doing what Jesus would do as the ears itch and everything blurs in the ever increasing in speed and intensity erosion and demise of all the foundations on earth — but all that really matters is one thing and only one thing…
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” – NIV
“Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” — ESV
“Be saved from this crooked and unjust generation!” — Amplified Bible
“I beg you to save yourselves from what will happen to all these evil people.” — CEV
“Save yourselves from the punishment coming on this wicked people!” — Good News Translation
Acts 2:40b
No matter the translation of the words the apostle Peter exhorted to those gathered in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost mean the same thing. Save yourselves from the crooked, perverse, and unjust people of the world. For it is the people and nothing else in which evil lies and is revealed. The disciples of Satan, and his doctrine of lying, lusting, being self-absorbed, and confused while deluding themselves that they are enlightened. Impossible to be enlightened when a person is not only in darkness but they are darkness!
How to save yourself?
Well, no person is capable of bringing about their own salvation as all have sinned and fall short of God’s sinless requirement for obtaining salvation. There is only one source throughout history for this individual salvation to transpire. When we reach a point such as this there is only one thing to always do. Get ahold of a Holy Bible. Open it to the words within being read, considered, and deeply meditated upon;
The Coming of the Holy Spirit
When the day of Pentecost arrived, they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire house where they were sitting. And divided tongues as of fire appeared to them and resteda on each one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.
Now there were dwelling in Jerusalem Jews, devout men from every nation under heaven. And at this sound the multitude came together, and they were bewildered, because each one was hearing them speak in his own language. And they were amazed and astonished, saying, “Are not all these who are speaking Galileans? And how is it that we hear, each of us in his own native language? Parthians and Medes and Elamites and residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene, and visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabians—we hear them telling in our own tongues the mighty works of God.” And all were amazed and perplexed, saying to one another, “What does this mean?” But others mocking said, “They are filled with new wine.”
Peter’s Sermon at Pentecost
But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day.b But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel:
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares,
that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh,
and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
and your young men shall see visions,
and your old men shall dream dreams;
even on my male servants and female servants
in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,
blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood,
before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day.
And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.’
“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus,c delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men. God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him,
“‘I saw the Lord always before me,
for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced;
my flesh also will dwell in hope.
For you will not abandon my soul to Hades,
or let your Holy One see corruption.
You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will make me full of gladness with your presence.’
“Brothers, I may say to you with confidence about the patriarch David that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him that he would set one of his descendants on his throne, he foresaw and spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was not abandoned to Hades, nor did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I make your enemies your footstool.”’
Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “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. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.
Acts 2 — English Standard Version
It is about the most important moment in history. And about the Jews and pagan Gentiles who historically about 2,000 years ago determined to have God Who came to earth fully truly God while also fully truly man in Jesus Christ the Lord murdered [having knowledge every person on earth has a hand in the murder of the Lord Jesus Christ, for every person is a sinner in need of salvation, which only He can make possible] — which was necessary and the fulfillment of the prophets, and the only acceptable Sacrifice for all the sinners, which was and is and will be every person ever born to have opportunity to have that sin blotted out and forgotten — forgotten for eternity — and to be forgiven. By nothing more than the free gift of the grace of God, faith in the Lord and in all His Word, and to live a life obedient than to the Lord and His Word…
Simply, but most importantly, the most important act any person can undertake, the most important words that can ask…
“What shall we do?”
And Peter said to them, “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.
And…
“Be saved from this perverse generation.”
Acts 2:40b
Many, most of us who have been baptized and consider ourselves Christians are in need most of all repentance. Not having the politician we like elected, or the Supreme Court to come down with an opinion we agree with.
Each of us needs repentance and a turning truly, firmly, completely to the Lord our God and away from this world!
Not getting caught in the snare of endless debate going nowhere, wasting time, wasting words, putting anything temporal or of the world before the spiritual and the Lord. Putting anything of this world before those things eternal, of God and righteousness in His sight.
Stop the noise and confusion and that is all it is. Not a solution. Not making America or where you may reside better, more godly, what have you.
Can’t you pause to see that? That the only thing that matters is our pursuit of God and not our earthly pursuits.
Why continue wasting so much time that the Good and Great and forbearing God blesses with?
To vax or not vax is not the question or truly of much importance. To vote or not vote, or who to vote for means nothing eternally. To this or that and remain mired, stuck in all things of this world to distract, delay, and destroy an individual’s walk with and pursuit of God. And if we’re claiming the mantle of Christian and we’re truly a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ, truly a child of God rather than a child of disobedience and this world and thusly the devil who has dominion on this earth for a season why are we making every earthly matter matter more than our pursuit of God and our increasing in spiritual wisdom, understanding and knowledge of His Word.
Are we all so Bible literate, so Bible fluent, so all-knowing of God’s Word we no longer need to devote time there? Our eyes, ears, minds, spirits, souls, bodies, and our entire being is spent being here there, and everywhere else except still and before the Lord. In prayer. In His Word. In heavenly and eternal matters rather than all the nonsense, fleeting, meaningless in truth matters going on here.
Stand firmly and boldly against the onslaught of evil. The wiles of the devil. But don’t make all the matters of this evil world matter more than our time in the Word of God. Not merely reading, not merely reading favorite parts and bits. But eating of God’s Word. Devouring God’s Word. Living solely on the eternal nourishment of God’s Word!
Living as only the life that can be afforded — in Christ. Not to imagine taking that on and then spending so much time in other pursuits and interests.
Why have so many lost all interest, devotion, and focus of that which they claim to love so much and find such joy in and claim has saved them? The Lord Jesus Christ when He is truly, in reality, given little consideration while everything else under the sun in this lost, perverse, evil-filled world takes priority. In reality.
“Be saved from this perverse generation.”
Not being consumed by it. Not being consumed by this evil, corrupt, perverse, and lost generation, this lost world of people wallowing in darkness as they are darkness. Rather than tell them your political ideological leanings and sing the praises of the land in which you inhabit why not instead tell them about life and death, eternity, salvation and it only being possible through the Son, only possible through the Lord Jesus Christ and in truth? That’s all that matters. Not the outcome of any election, if you’re anti-vax or pro-vax, or red state blue state — what is the reality of your spiritual state?
In this escalating spiritual war.
Daily. Hourly. Always. Put on the full armour of God and maintain it [Ephesians 6]. Go to bed in the full armour of God and awaken if blessed with another day by the Lord wearing the full armour of God never removing it, for to do so makes us indistinguishable from the world, and if we speak mainly, most of the matters of the world not maintaining, not keeping on the full armour of God how is there to be any light emanating from us, which is the Father that is supposed to be dwelling within us?
Now is not the time for a reduced salt diet!
That does not mean becoming so entangled in the issues of this temporal world. Which delights Satan more than it delights the Lord, of which I feel very confident in.
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