Yvette Walker's Blog, page 8

Peter heals and preaches boldly

Photo by Egor Myznik on Unsplash

In this week’s Bible Study:

Part two of our study of the Book of Acts.

Christian books giveaway.

How to get more!

In the six weeks leading to Pentecost, I’ll post an extra newsletter studying the book of Acts each week. Our regular newsletter will post at the end of the week. I hope you join me in this study! I’m using the NIV translation, except where noted.

Acts, chapters 3-4

It’s after Pentecost in the Book of Acts, and Peter is boldly speaking and healing people. It’s a far cry from the timid apostles back in the Upper Room, hiding, afraid for their safety. Jesus has visited them, gone to heaven, and they have been sent the advocate that he promised.

The Holy Spirit has come upon them and given them wisdom and strength. Peter, along with John and the others, is feel his power and using it. This week, we see the healing of a lame beggar.

The beggar isn’t expecting this. He would wait outside the temple for offerings of gold and silver. Peter tells him he doesn’t have any of that, “but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.”

He takes his hand and raises him to his feet. The beggar is overjoyed!

Bold and filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter does something that Jesus did not do at the beginning of his ministry healings. He takes the opportunity to preach and tell the onlookers what has happened and who he attributes the power to.

He praises God and proclaims Jesus is Lord, ordained from Moses and the prophets. He does not mince words, blaming the Israelites: “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are witnesses of this.”

Peter’s speech lands him and John in prison. The Sadducees did not like them preaching about Jesus and the resurrection. Even after a night in jail, Peter is still full of the Spirit:

Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’

Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” — Acts 4: 11-12

But because the beggar is with them, lame no more with a crowd of witnesses, they had to let them go. Threats and cautions not to preach didn’t stop Peter and John, who went back to the other believers and prayed mightily. Later, at the end of chapter 4, they sell their possessions and share what they have with others.

What is most significant to me in these two chapters are the prayers and bold statements from the apostles. These words are powerful and just. They are discipling thousands. It’s so moving reading what the believers are saying and doing in what is clearly still a dangerous time. Persecution is coming.

Next week, we’ll move on to chapters 5-8, which sets up our introduction to Saul!

Your sister in Christ,

By the way, if you liked receiving this, like and comment!

Last week, I asked for your interpretation of what happened at Pentecost. Foreign or Angelic tongues? You agreed it was foreign languages.

Be sure to listen to the latest podcast episode!

Christian fiction and non-fiction

There’s still time … I’ve teamed up with 10+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Inspirational Fiction & NonFiction books to 2 lucky winners!

Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader? 😁

You can win my novel, “SIXTY,” plus books from authors like Jan Thompson and Jo Grafford.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here 👉 https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/azbb-

inspirational-fiction-non-fiction/

Good luck and enjoy!

Support the ministry!

I hope you are enjoying this study of the Book of Acts. If so, consider giving to support the ministry. For as little as $7 a month, receive extras, like the video podcasts of my guests, early copies of my books and other video interviews exclusive to paying supporters of this newsletter.

Or if you are a Patreon member, you can subscribe that way, too!

Your support helps continue this ministry and you get exclusive content, like free copies of my books. Thanks!

Support this ministry

The Acts of the Apostles

In this week’s newsletter:

Part one of our study of the Book of Acts.

Christian books giveaway.

How to get more!

In the seven weeks leading to Pentecost, I’ll post an extra newsletter studying the book of Acts each Monday. Our regular newsletter will post at the end of the week. I hope you join me in this study! I’m using the NIV translation, except where noted.

Acts, chapters 1-2

When I started reading the Bible for myself in 2019, really for the first time as an adult, I started in Acts. Not the Gospels or Paul’s Letter to the Romans, because one thing always got me about the aftermath of the crucifixion and the resurrection:

I couldn’t imagine how sad I would be after losing my Lord, my Savior, my friend. I mean, three years with Jesus and all they saw and experienced, and poof, he’s gone.

I couldn’t imagine the deep and profound depression they must have felt, even after seeing him a few times. Especially Peter, but the others, too.

How could they get along on their own?

For me, Acts is an answer to that question, and an answer to our own desire to deepen our relationship with Jesus, who isn’t here in the material world.

Yes, he’s certainly here in the spiritual, through the Holy Spirit, which can most certainly affect the material. But he’s not walking with me, telling jokes, eating breakfast and otherwise breaking bread.

In the first chapter, which many experts say is a continuation of Luke’s Gospel, the writer tells us that they went into an upstairs room where they were staying, and they constantly prayed:

Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the hill called the Mount of Olives, a Sabbath day’s walk from the city. When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers. — Acts, 1:12-14

Praying with the community of believers is the only way I could get through. We begin to see the boldness return to Peter after his failing, post-Last Supper, when he denied Christ three times. Peter is the one who realizes they have to replace Judas Iscariot, and calls for a vote, where Matthias is appointed.

I noticed something else: the number of Jesus’ in-crowd, more than 12. Because Peter says,

Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, so one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, beginning from John's baptism to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection. — Acts, Chapter 1: 21-22

We aren’t told how many men were with them constantly (and we have to assume there were other women) but we do know there were more than 12. This reveals more about the community around Jesus.

In chapter two, we get to Pentecost (yes, it comes quickly in the 28 chapters of Acts) and we see the boldness heighten. Most of you know the Pentecost story: the roaring wind, the flames that settle on the heads of the apostles, and the speaking of other languages. I had always thought this was angelic tongues, but Acts suggests that these were other real languages that people around them could understand.

OR, if it was angelic tongues, the spirit gave the public the gift of interpretation in their own language at that moment. We can’t be sure here. What do you think? Take the poll below.

There is so much to unpack here but I just want to mention one more thing: Those who thought they were drunk. It never made sense to me that people assumed they were drunk, because drinking doesn’t give you a skill of speaking a new language! That might give more credence to the speaking in angelic tongues theory.

But something occurred to me. When you can’t understand something, don’t you fall back on your own experience? And if you had seen friends and family drunk before, babbling, in your own language, might you just describe it away?

But Peter, continuing his boldness, rebukes that:

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 this to you; listen carefully to what I say. These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning! No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:

“ ‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood and fire and billows of smoke. The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.

And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’

Next Monday, we’ll move on to chapters 3 and 4.

Your sister in Christ,

By the way, if you liked receiving this, like and comment!

Be sure to listen to the latest podcast episode!

Christian fiction and non-fiction

Today, I have another fun surprise to share with you...

I’ve teamed up with 10+ fantastic authors to give away a huge collection of Inspirational Fiction & NonFiction books to 2 lucky winners!

Oh, and did I mention the Grand Prize winner gets a BRAND NEW eReader? 😁

You can win my novel, “SIXTY,” plus books from authors like Jan Thompson and Jo Grafford.

Enter the giveaway by clicking here 👉 https://www.booksweeps.com/giveaway/azbb-

inspirational-fiction-non-fiction/

Good luck and enjoy!

Get more!

For as little as $7 a month, receive extras, like the video podcasts of my guests, early copies of my books and other video interviews exclusive to paying supporters of this newsletter.

Or if you are a Patreon member, you can subscribe that way, too!

Your support helps continue this ministry and you get exclusive content, like free copies of my books. Thanks!

Support this ministry

The book of Acts.

STARTING MONDAY, APRIL 8: Over the next seven weeks, we will delve into the Book of Acts, as the remaining apostles figure out how to live in a world with Jesus. When I became a reborn believer — or seeker, as I like to call it — this was the first book I came back to.

A question always lingered for me. Having lived with Jesus for three years, how did the apostles manage without him? It must have been heartbreaking. But we see Jesus move, sending the Holy Spirit, and creating a powerful group of evangelists. Let’s dig in! Will you join me?

Why I got married on Good Friday

Here is a bonus Holy Week newsletter! Read or listen to this story, published here in 2022.

It's Holy Week, and it’s a very special week to me for more than the reasons you might think. I’d like to share my story of how I got married on Good Friday. This was originally published on Medium.com.

I’ve been thinking a lot about Jesus lately:

We remember that He went to the grave for our sins, and then came back to life!

I’m reading a Bible app devotional about Holy Week through the book of Mark;

“The Chosen,” a series about the life of Christ has live-streamed through Holy Week;

And my sixth wedding anniversary is Friday — yes, you read that right, on GOOD FRIDAY!

You might think that is a strange day to get married, but we chose it for an important reason. My husband, Tim, and I met on Good Friday in 2015, and I strongly believe that God brought us together. When he proposed on my birthday in June 2016 I knew instantly what day we would wed.

Good Friday appears to be a day of sadness and death and fear, but it also is a day of love, hope and redemption.

On the Positively Joy podcast, The Rev. Dr. Leah Schade and I talked about how movies depict the life of Christ and some, like “The Last Temptation of Christ,” and “The Passion,” feature all the blood and gore of a horror movie.

But remember all the people Christ came in contact with, even on His way on the Via Dolorosa, including Simon of Cyrene, who helped carry Jesus’ cross. He was forced by Roman soldiers, but Simon had compassion for Jesus.

Think about the criminals he was hanged beside. One only thought of himself, asking Jesus to save them, but one was transformed just being near Jesus, and asked him to remember Him in Heaven.

It is hope, compassion and kindness that Jesus evoked to most who were near Him. And that is why I was happy to be married on Good Friday.

Technically, the wedding day was Friday, April 14, 2017. That was Good Friday in 2017 but since then, Good Friday, like Easter, moves around on the calendar.

We celebrate the day every Good Friday:

In 2018, it was March 30

In 2019, it was April 19

In 2020 it was April 10

In 2021 it was April 2.

In 2022 it was April 15 (just one day after the real date. We got pretty close that year!)

In 2023 it was April 7.

And this year, it’s March 29. Always a Friday. Always our anniversary.

I looked back at the ceremony. Our officiant Wendy Meyer told us that day, “Nothing beats a marriage built on Christ.” In my vows, I told Tim:

You are the kind of man I need, but in the past, my shortcomings might not have allowed me to pick you. BUT GOD has his own plans. The song “Spirit of the Living God” by Meredith Andrews goes:

“When you speak and when you move

When you do what only you can do

It changes us, it changes what we see and what we seek.”

Yvette and Tim on the beach, with wedding officiant Wendy Meyer.

The Living God changed me and what, and who, I sought. In his vows, Tim told me:

In my eternal life, it is my desire to seek God’s face so that I may be with Him in the next. He then quoted Ecclesiates 4:9–10: “Two are better than one because they have good return for their works. If one falls down his friend can help him up.”

Here where earth, sky and ocean meet, I pledge my love to thee.

Getting married on this very special day, mere days before Easter, made me feel like we were partnering with the Savior. Co-laboring, as a good friend calls it, with God’s ultimate plan for us.

Good Friday isn’t about pain, it’s about relief. It’s about sacrifice in love. It’s about redemption and provision.

And our wedding and marriage aren’t about each other — Tim and Yvette — it’s about the love of Christ, and how that love keeps our marriage holy. Amen!

Happy Holy Week, and Happy Easter season! I pray that you find Jesus right where you are. In your marriage, in your family and in your own life.

It’s not about us. Our marriage is a holy partnership with God.

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, consider listening to and following the Positively Joy podcast.

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Listen to my podcast here.

Check out my personal website here.

Positively J.O.Y. - Just. One. Yes! is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Have dinner with friends

Photo by Rey Proenza on Unsplash

In this week’s newsletter:

Holy Week: Holy (or Maundy) Thursday

Christian books for adults and kids.

How to get more!

Jesus ate with friends a lot. Some of His meals were casual dining on the road with His apostles as they went to spread the good news. Some were more formal affairs, like the wedding at Cana and His momma’s request for the wedding trick of water into wine. And some were with people not everyone considered friendlike: tax collectors and other people considered unholy.

Jesus understood times with two or more could be special. I wonder, though, do we get together for meals with friends like we used to? Especially before the pandemic.

I LOVE to entertain. I get it from my mother who used to invite big groups of grownups over for food, music, and, yes, imbibing. I was a pre-teen who used to hang around the parties and watch everyone have such a good time.

Today, my husband and I don’t drink so we offer mocktails and other nonalcoholic choices. But the food and the music? Oh yes! And great conversation, something Jesus encouraged.

Jesus was a great storyteller, as we know, and I imagine that he imparted some special information over a meal a time or two.

Let’s get back to the practice of eating with friends, shall we? Even 30 minutes over coffee! Researchers from the University of Oxford found that “shared meal times make us feel connected and promotes bonding.”

Pinky promise: it’s good for the soul.

I hope this encourages you today and all of Holy Week. Come back tomorrow for a special Good Friday post.

Your sister in Christ,

By the way, if you liked receiving this, like and comment!

Be sure to listen to the latest podcast episode!

Christian fiction and non-fiction

How’s your Holy Week going? Make it better by taking advantage of these book promotions. This month, it’s a selection of fiction and non-fiction, for kids and adults. And, it’s always fun to showcase other Christian free and low-cost titles.

Follow me on Facebook, Amazon

Did you know I have written five non-fiction books, one translation, one audiobook, and one novel? Plus some shorties!

Follow me on my Amazon Author page and you will get notifications when I write new books.

Like my brand new Facebook Author page and stay up to date just on my books.

"Trial of the Heart," the highly anticipated second installment in the thrilling Linda Radcliffe Chronicles series, is now available for pre-order at an unbelievable price! If you haven't had the chance to dive into the action-packed world of Linda Radcliffe yet, now is the perfect time to start. https://amzn.to/43g3JP7

Start your journey with "Sixty," the first book in the series, available now. Follow Linda Radcliffe as she embarks on a journey filled with mystery, suspense, and heart-pounding adventure. Grab your copy today and prepare to be captivated from the very first page. https://amzn.to/4cfVW8g

Both the e-book and paperback editions of "Trial of the Heart" will be released simultaneously this Fall, but why wait? Lock in your pre-order now at this unbeatable price.

REMINDER: Subscriber-only feature ends soon!

Just for subscribers, free or paid: The first chapter of Trial of the Heart, the sequel to “Sixty!” Just send proof of purchase of “Sixty” and a photo of an Amazon review or a social post about “Sixty,” to yvette@positivelyjoy.com, and I’ll send it to you!

There are spoilers, so please read “Sixty” first!

Get more!

For as little as $7 a month, receive extras, like the video podcasts of my guests, early copies of my books and other video interviews exclusive to paying supporters of this newsletter.

Or if you are a Patreon member, you can subscribe that way, too!

Your support helps continue this ministry and you get exclusive content, like free copies of my books. Thanks!

Support this ministry

Climbing out of the numb place

Photo by Mark McGregor on UnsplashIn this week’s newsletter:

A reminder of why I started.

Christian books for adults and kids.

How to get more!

I love this photo …

Not so much because of the climbing, but because of the people helping each other climb.

An incredible reader reminded me of this. She decided to become a paid subscriber and support my work because, as she said, she needed encouragement to get out of a “numb place.”

Thank you so much, Nicole Walker (nope, we’re not related as far as I know) because sometimes … I wonder if it’s just me.

When I started Positively Joy — first the podcast, then the ministry — it was because God told me so and I wanted to be obedient. But I had to understand WHY he was asking me to do this, and slowly he revealed that my testimony was all about finding the joy of knowing Him, even when I felt numb.

And I did feel numb for a part of my life: During a troubled marriage, after the divorce, when I began to feel like I was just going through the motions in my faith.

When I saw Nicole’s note, a warm feeling came over me. I smiled. Not because Nicole is in the numb place, but because I felt like it was a God wink, letting me know that there are others who need help climbing out of that desert.

Testimonies can be dramatic and they can be the opposite. I never really thought I had a testimony because I didn’t have an exciting story to tell.

I just felt like I was sleepwalking through life. But that is my testimony and it could be yours, or someone you know.

I have learned that God is the antidote of feeling numb! He gives us so much joy in his grace, wisdom and faithfulness.

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. — John 15:9-11

It’s such a simple message: Love God, follow Him, and be filled with a joy that completes you.

But it’s so difficult for many of us. If you are having trouble getting out of your numb place, please write me at yvette@positivelyjoy.com or follow me on Facebook.

I hope this encourages you today and all week.

Your sister in Christ,

By the way, if you liked receiving this, like and comment!

Be sure to listen to this week’s episode: Jen Hardy on women over 50

Christian fiction and non-fiction

I love presenting these book promotions. This month, it’s a selection of fiction and non-fiction, for kids and adults. And, it’s always fun to showcase other Christian free and low-cost titles.

Follow me on Facebook, Amazon

Did you know I have written five non-fiction books, one translation, one audiobook, and one novel? Plus some shorties!

Follow me on my Amazon Author page and you will get notifications when I write new books.

Like my brand new Facebook Author page and stay up to date just on my books.

"Trial of the Heart," the highly anticipated second installment in the thrilling Linda Radcliffe Chronicles series, is now available for pre-order at an unbelievable price! If you haven't had the chance to dive into the action-packed world of Linda Radcliffe yet, now is the perfect time to start. https://amzn.to/43g3JP7

Start your journey with "Sixty," the first book in the series, available now. Follow Linda Radcliffe as she embarks on a journey filled with mystery, suspense, and heart-pounding adventure. Grab your copy today and prepare to be captivated from the very first page. https://amzn.to/4cfVW8g

And for all you eager fans awaiting the next chapter in Linda's story, "Trial of the Heart" is now available for pre-order at the incredible price of just 99 cents! Secure your copy now and be among the first to experience the next thrilling installment in this epic series. Don't miss out on this special pre-order offer! https://amzn.to/43g3JP7

Both the e-book and paperback editions of "Trial of the Heart" will be released simultaneously this Fall, but why wait? Lock in your pre-order now at this unbeatable price. Get ready to immerse yourself in a world of intrigue, danger, and unforgettable characters. Pre-order your copy of "Trial of the Heart" today and get ready for an adventure like no other!

SUBSCRIBER-ONLY FEATURE! (FREE OR PAID)

The first chapter of Trial of the Heart, the sequel to “Sixty!” Just send proof of purchase of “Sixty” and a photo of an Amazon review or a social post about “Sixty,” to yvette@positivelyjoy.com, and I’ll send it to you!

There are spoilers, so please read “Sixty” first!

Get more!

For as little as $7 a month, receive extras, like the video podcasts of my guests, early copies of my books and other video interviews exclusive to paying supporters of this newsletter.

Or if you are a Patreon member, you can subscribe that way, too!

Your support helps continue this ministry and you get exclusive content, like free copies of my books. Thanks!

Support this ministry

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In this week’s newsletter

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Christian books for adults and kids

How to get more!

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