Look progressives warned Democrats about this, but this Tara Reid story It's not going to go away any time soon And it's only going to get worse for Joe Biden as the evidence mounts now Before we had the evidence that I'm about to get to I believed Tara Reid when I heard her me too story I listened to the podcast that she went on with Katie Halper and I thought that everything she said made sense You know, she was convincing and what she's saying It's not absurd like we all see Joe Biden's inappropriate conduct his touching of women and invasion of personal space This isn't something that's super unbelievable Numerous women have come out and explained how Joe Biden has made them feel uncomfortable, but I mean these types of things They at least like if you don't have Evidence then the information needs to be put out there We have to investigate this as much as we can have the authorities get involved and at a minimum Americans just have to know but the problem is that the media didn't really touch the story until Bernie Sanders dropped out We have individuals and me too activists like Alyssa Milano Claiming that Bernie Sanders supporters were trying to weaponize this story against Joe Biden And you know, it's really disappointing that Democrats aren't being consistent Because we really don't have a reason to not believe Tara Reid Oftentimes victims in these types of stories They have nothing to gain and everything to lose I mean look at what happened with Dr. Christine Blasey Ford when she came out with her accusations against Brett Kavanaugh Her life was ruined. She couldn't return to her home because she faced so many death threats So Tara Reid could have remained silent. She's been silent for decades, but she chose to speak out Maybe she wanted some closer. Maybe she just wanted the American people to know But what matters is that these claims are taken seriously and up until this point They haven't been not by the media not by the Democratic Party and not by Joe Biden himself But that's gonna change very soon because they can't not take it seriously because this story is getting very serious If it wasn't already serious for you so Tara Reid's mom called into Larry King live in the 1990s when he was on CNN and You know, she Talked about this accusation Tara Reid told her about what Joe Biden did and even though she didn't name Joe Biden she referred to him as a prominent senator and Tara Reid confirms that this was in fact her mom who called in This is a key piece of evidence because if People see this they're gonna realize that Tara Reid isn't just making this up to impact the 2020 election This was something she was dealing with back in the 1990s. This isn't new This is a real story. Take a look We're back couple more phone calls on this very important topic our guests are for me United States senator Howard Baker Richard Allen former national security advisor and Lois Romano of the Washington Post San Luis Obispo, California. Hello. Yes. Hello. I'm wondering what a Staffer would do besides go to the press in Washington. My daughter has just left there After working for a prominent senator and could not get through with her problems at all And the only thing she could have done was go to the press and she chose not to do it out of respect for it Or she had a story to tell but out of respect for the person she worked for she didn't tell it But these are the people who do come to the lowest for monos, right the staff worker who says I want to let you know about what's going on I don't know the guy down the hall Mm-hmm, and a lot of these people have a sense of obligation They feel that this public official should be accountable if it's something This is utterly devastating for Joe Biden career ending and It's sad that this wasn't taken seriously sooner but you and I know why this wasn't taken seriously sooner and You know this confirms a couple of things here that Tara Reid did genuinely admire Joe Biden She worked for him She was a Democrat and she didn't want to destroy his career They were genuinely struggling with this and also you know as Tara's mom pointed out She didn't feel like she had any recourse like they didn't know who to talk to the only one was the media where she would Act as a whistleblower So this is clearly referencing Tara Reid's accusations This is huge. This is a really big deal and there's even more evidence because Tara Reid's neighbor corroborates the fact that she told Someone about this now she told multiple people her brother her late mother but also her neighbor and Her neighbor is saying she was told about this in the 1990s when it happened So again, this isn't just something that she's choosing to conveniently do now She told people about it at the time that it happened and she just never spoke out So as Huff posts Haley Miller explains Linda Lacasse told Business Insider in a report published Monday that Reid confided in her about the alleged assault in 1995 or 1996 when the two women lived in the same apartment complex in Morro Bay, California This happened and I know it did because I remember talking about it Lacasse told the outlet Reid was one of at least eight women last year to publicly accuse Biden of inappropriate touching She said at the time she worked in his Senate office when she was in her mid-20s and that he would make her Uncomfortable by running his fingers up her neck or putting his hand on her shoulder So now we're seeing more details about the pattern of inappropriate behavior with which is something that lines up With what we see from Joe Biden on TV Him inappropriately touching women so often that eight women spoke out now Some women has said that this didn't bother them the way that Joe Biden interacted with them But enough women did to where eight of them spoke out So it's not just that Joe Biden allegedly sexually assaulted her right and penetrated her with his fingers He was making her feel uncomfortable by touching her inappropriately as we've seen him do ourselves with our very own eyes So this is a very serious story and if Democrats ever wanted to be taken seriously again They would call on him to drop out Because he has not Officially clenched the nomination. He hasn't reached that magic 1991 number half the states haven't voted yet. Are they really going to do this? Are they really going to nominate an alleged rapist? This is unbelievable. This is unbelievable and guess what? Republicans are Capitalizing on this story. You thought that Bernie Sanders supporters Alyssa Milano. We're trying to weaponize this story This is going to be weaponized like you'd never imagine by Republicans who don't actually care about the details Who aren't principled because Trump junior is already tweeting about this? He responded to a Nancy Pelosi tweet that she made about dr. Christine Blasey Ford and you know He tweeted far too few people are recognizing Tara Reid sheer bravery in sharing her story today And as you can see I mean he's basically using her words against her and pointing to her hypocrisy But let's be clear Trump junior doesn't actually care about Tara Reid's allegations. He's also a hypocrite He has no room to talk he accused Democrats of politicizing the allegations against Brett Kavanaugh And he even made fun of that story on Instagram But because Democrats didn't take this story seriously now you have people who aren't principled who just don't care They're going to beat Joe Biden over the head with this story until the selection is over and They did this to themselves because we had this information before the primary was over But the media didn't want to talk about it Democrats didn't want to speak out. I mean we saw What was said to Al Franken? What happened he was forced to resign for doing less than what Joe Biden is accused of doing and They're gonna do it. They're going to go through with the nomination of an accused rapist giving Americans the option between a rapist and a rapist Which do you prefer? Someone who rapes more or less.  They're just motivated by politics if their team does something bad They're not gonna say anything, but if the other team does something bad, they're gonna make a huge case about it It's really really disgusting and it's honestly heartbreaking to see this because This me to story or this me to movement rather is important, right? I think that women should feel empowered to speak out against men in power who abuse their positions of power I mean this story Symbolizes everything that the me to movement has tried to beat but Democrats who purported to represent that movement are Not helping women beat this system of oppression Against women from men in power. They're just choosing to sit on it. In fact conveniently Nancy Pelosi came out with an endorsement of Joe Biden And you know, I don't have to remind you of the significance of this to have the highest ranking woman in power Conspicuously choose to endorse Joe Biden now as the evidence piles up and here's the thing as a Bernie Sanders supporter Let me just say this I am not under the you know Delusion that Democrats are going to say all right Joe Biden's been accused of rape. Let's bring back Bernie Sanders That's not what they're going to do but what they can do is They can actually endorse the idea of Democracy playing out because we still have a lot of states that haven't voted yet and Encourage Joe Biden to step down like I get that people made Their choice for Joe Biden more people voted for Joe Biden He got millions more votes than Bernie Sanders and the other candidate, right? So yes democracy is something that we have to factor in but most voters didn't know about these allegations When they voted for Joe Biden when they made their selection between Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders or Joe Biden and Bernie and other candidates So this is deeply irresponsible and if they did want to beat Donald Trump They would encourage Joe Biden to step down Or at least get him to commit to step down if he's elected in favor of letting his VP win I don't know but just to not do anything. It's it's not acceptable It's not acceptable because now Whenever Democrats rightfully Call out, you know a Republican who's been accused of something like this. Nobody's gonna take them seriously Why would they because now they're proving the Republicans? Right, so nobody stands for anything and Democrats are just going to go through with this You know rather than trying to be responsible. They double down and they endorse Joe Biden All right, but Evidence is mounting and people are going to have questions about this. So at a minimum Democrats should at least speak out either for or against Joe Biden at least say something about this.


The rain held off Sunday in Brainerd and the fans were treated to some spectacular side-by-side racing at the NHRA Lucas Oil Nationals as championships were awarded across all four pro divisions. Starting in the pro stock bike division, it was an all-harley final. Eddie Craywick had never lost a final this year and Andrew Hines had never won. Stayed that way, Craywick wins for his third championship at BIR. In the pro stock cars, Tanner Gray Fowl starts the beginning. Derek Kramer coasts to the finish for his second championship of the year. Funny Car division, Jack Beckman was 14th in qualifying but he showed up on Sunday. He takes home the championship with a 3-9-6-1 but the top fuel division stole the headlines on Sunday as part-time racer Billy Torrance at the age of 60 wins his first top fuel event of his career defeating Antron Brown. The pit crew goes absolutely bananas, they're pumped up. Here are the winners once again. Kramer clenches a spot in the countdown with a win. Beckman moves to fourth but now more on Billy Torrance, the part-time racer who picks up his first ever top fuel event win. At this level there's pressure on everyone to win for your sponsors and you know people that people that are you know you're promoting out here certainly I was I just wanted to win because we raced for fun and and Antron is a tremendous racer and you know you just got to be on your game to get after him. Before the race he was planning on racing in just four of the final six races but now him and his crew well they're going to rethink that decision. I'll check with check with those boys you know that that's the deal the logistics of it is you know but they may you know they may want to now you know it's nothing nothing like winning one makes you want to win another one. If you enjoyed this segment of Lakeland news please consider making a tax deductible contribution to Lakeland PBS.


know we're ready to get into today's class? Okay Ma'am, I'll pray. Yeah, please Kiran, thank you. Father God, we just come before you throw in once again, Father God. Father God, I'm just submitting to your hand, everyone, Father God. I always throw in Father God. He just gives you wisdom and knowledge, Father God, that we can understand our subject, Father God. Father God, everything I'm just submitting to your hand, take care of everything, Father God. Thank you, Father God, for listening our prayer. Thank you, Father God. We honor you, we trust you, Father God, we give you praise and glory, Father God. Almighty Jesus, I pray. Amen. Amen. Amen. Thank you. Thank you, Kiran, for leading in that word of prayer. So we will get started today, continuing in the book of Acts. So far we have seen about the ascension of the Lord Jesus, a hymn ministering to the disciples and his followers before he goes up into heaven. He encourages the believers to wait for the baptism in the Holy Spirit. And we know that the believers waited for a long time. They were in the upper room in one accord. And by this time, in Acts 1, we've also seen that Peter leading the disciples encourages them to find that 12th disciple who, because of Judas' betrayal, had left. And now they finally, they trusted God, they prayed and they selected that 12th disciple. And together with 120 people, they were in the upper room praying in one accord. They were earnestly praying. Then in the last class, the most exciting part of the birth of the church, which is, as those scriptures begin to tell us, it's so beautiful. Verse 2 acts, 2 verse 2, it begins with and suddenly. And suddenly. So there is an element of the church waiting upon the Lord where they knew that this is going to happen. And yet, scripture says, and suddenly. So that's an amazing combination right there. We are waiting on the Lord and yet in that, there is a suddenly and the Holy Spirit is poured out on the believers. Now, how does it come? The description of the Holy Spirit at that point is like a rushing mighty wind. So the word wind is relevant because of its meaning in the Greek and in the Hebrew. Now, we know that wind, breath, all these terms were used for the Holy Spirit. So along the same lines, God releases the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and that Holy Spirit comes forth as that rushing mighty wind. And it fills the house. We saw how there were tongues of fire divided tongues of fire on every single believer.  And one of the first signs of being filled with the Holy Spirit that we observe here is speaking in tongues. And then we looked at the fact that because they were in Jerusalem, celebrating the festival of Pentecost, there were people from other nations devout men, it says, from other nations who were also visiting Jerusalem. So when the others heard the believers speak in this manner, they were amazed. They came out to listen to what was going on and something incredible transpired before their eyes. They could hear people speaking in their own languages glorifying the works of God. And I showed you the map of people from at least 15 different regions who heard their own languages. So this is a form of tongues where people can hear earthly languages. Later on, when we study the book of Corinthians, first Corinthians, Paul talks about a different kind of tongues there where he says that we can speak in tongues to edify ourselves and we can speak mysteries unto the Lord. So that is a different tongues for personal edification. But the tongues that we see here, it is tongues where the people are speaking earthly languages. And when this happens, they are wanderstruck. You see the response, we looked at this in the last class, there is two kinds of people. One who say it's amazing, they were amazed. And there is another category of people who said, whatever could this be, is it possible that these people are full of new wine? Therefore, there was one category that was praising what God was doing but there was another category which was mocking or which was putting down the work of the Holy Spirit among God's people. And isn't that true even today when we have God working in various ways? Some are able to accept it but some find it difficult. Moving forward, Peter as the early leader of the church, he rises up and he begins to address the people. So you must remember that there is a crowd gathered, devout men from many nations and they have seen the work of the Holy Spirit. But someone needs to explain to them what is going on and that is what Peter does. So first probably, he spoke in Greek, the language that the people understood. So he was no longer speaking in tongues to communicate to all of them but he spoke an intelligent message in his own language and he addressed them to tell them what exactly is going on. So he calls them to attention and says, men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words. So he is beginning his sermon, first sermon and he is informing them that whatever they have seen, it is actually the fulfillment of Joel's prophecy from Joel chapter 2. And he shares that entire prophecy, how he says, you know, in the last days it shall come to pass. God says, I will pour out of my spirit on all flesh your sons and your daughters shall prophesy your young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams and on my men servants and on my maid servants, I will pour out my spirit in those days and they shall prophesy I will show wonders in heaven above and signs in the earth beneath blood and fire and vapor of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness the moon into blood before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord and it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. So he narrates this but remember I told you in verse 16 he says this is that so though the manifestation of the work of the Holy Spirit was slightly different, they spoke in tongues, the people in the upper room but in Joel's prophecy it was more about dreams visions and all of that yet you know Peter by the Holy Spirit is able to reconcile the two, he is able to connect the two and he says this is that so he gives them an explanation for what they are seeing. Now would this have helped the people who came there, do you think they would have understood when he said this is that and then narrated Joel's prophecy what do you think? Yes ma'am maybe they understood. Okay why why do you think they understood? Because ma'am they have knowledge they have they know know what retain the Bible and what is prophecies. Okay and remember we said that they are devout men isn't it who have come from various nations so if they are devout men they are devout Jews they are people who are given to their own scriptures and they are waiting upon God for the prophecies to be fulfilled okay which is why they would have understood and even Peter being a Jew himself he knows about Joel's prophecy alright so that is how he is basically just giving them an explanation they already know about Joel's prophecy and anybody who is devout they would be waiting for the fulfillment of God's word and you will notice in what Peter is doing the ministry of Peter even earlier he said that you know it is written that there will be 12 disciples right one one has already left he has betrayed but we have to select the 12th one so he went by the word of God and whatever God's word had given to them whatever was ministered to them he wanted to see the fulfillment of that word and even here you know he is talking in terms of the scriptures look at his sermon it's based on scripture whatever was spoken that is being fulfilled okay so in line with the same thing he introduces Jesus of Nazareth so part of his sermon for these unbelievers at that point is to reveal who Christ is and this is the center of Peter's sermon so from verse 22 that's what we need to do today you know from verse 22 he introduces Jesus and he is not giving them a confused message notice how he says Jesus of Nazareth very clearly okay so this is that Jesus who you already know he is that and he says attested by God by miracles wonders signs which God did through him in your midst as you yourselves also know so Peter is introducing the Lord Jesus as a man but he's saying that this man was approved by God and how was he approved by God through the works of the Holy Spirit that were released through his life now he also talks about how Jesus was delivered to a trial and a very difficult death through the very works of man okay but then you notice Peter again emphasizes and he says that this going through the difficulty right it is determined purpose and foreknowledge of God so why did Jesus suffer he gives them the explanation this is also a part of God's plan redemption which he prepared through the work of the Lord Jesus Christ and then he says that you know you people you have taken him you have crucified him and you know you have put him to death but God raised him up and lose the pains of death because it was not possible that he should be held by it so he talks about the righteous life of Jesus because of which even death could not hold him we know that the wages of sin is death but you know Jesus could not receive those wages because though he was tempted in every way just like a human being he never really sinned and so where is the question of him being held by death so Jesus was loosed it says from the pains of death so he was resurrected and the boldness of Peter to actually speak this message clearly about Jesus of Nazareth whom they had seen being put under trial you know at Passover so it's not far behind I told you roughly about two months prior all this had taken place so what is Peter actually saying he's trying to let the listeners know that Jesus is the Messiah so he talked about Jesus he talked about the sacrifice which was based on God's purpose and now he moves on to speaking in their own language okay so he brings up the name of David and he says David concerning God concerning him which is Jesus says this okay so he merits and this is these are scriptures from the Psalms I will read it out for you he says I foresaw the Lord always before my face for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken therefore my heart rejoiced and my tongue was glad moreover my flesh also will rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Hades nor will you allow your holy one to see corruption you have made known to me the ways of life you will make me full of joy in your presence so when David is writing these things okay he says he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken okay and then David is saying that more of my flesh will also rest in hope for you will not leave my soul in Hades but is this applicable to David? it is not because David as a human being actually died and he did not rise from the dead so by quoting these scriptures from Psalms what Peter is trying to do is to say that a patriarch or a very highly revered man of the Jews David was also pointing to this man Jesus Christ as the Messiah so in their own context because they would appreciate they would honor the words of a person whom they honored so David is that individual and that is the reason Peter in the sermon is quoting what David said and said look even David he said that God is not going to leave his soul in Hades and then he goes on you know the explanation in the following verses there where he says look let me tell you David is Barrett right he is dead and Barrett and his tomb is with us even till today so David is already gone however who is this who has risen from the dead and then he points to the Lord Jesus Christ and you know he he says that I'll read verse 30 these are all important scriptures that's why I'm just reading it says therefore being a prophet and knowing that God had swore with an oath to him that of the fruit of his body according to his flesh he would raise up the Christ to sit on his throne okay so even David was pointing to this one person who will not die who is the Christ who would be actually one of his descendants and we understand that Jesus his lineage right he was a son of David remember we see that in the book of Matthew and even when people called out to him they would say like you know son of David have mercy on us so he was from the lineage of David and this is the Christ or the Messiah who did not taste death or whose flesh did not see corruption so he gives glory to the Lord Jesus and says that look whatever has happened it's not a mythological event or it's not in our imagination you people know this Jesus and he says you were all witnesses to his trial his death and know that you know it is David who has spoken about his resurrection as well now he's coming to the point where he he is kind of connecting whatever is happening in that place with this Lord Jesus Christ and so he says that look this Jesus is exalted and the father had promised to send us his Holy Spirit okay he says the promise of the Holy Spirit which is poured out on us which is what now you see and here so he's saying this Jesus he has done this part he has paid the price he's you know like now he's with the father and now what you see is the work of the Holy Spirit which was also promised right by God himself so based on whatever he is sharing he calls the people to repentance he calls them to acknowledge this man Jesus Christ as the Savior so the conclusion of his sermon here from verse 36 he goes on to say therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ so the point of his message is that the Lord Jesus is the Christ okay so what should the people do now that he has spoken to them about the Messiah a very beautiful verse verse 37 the response of the people see whenever we speak the word of God and it is from God it is being ministered in the power of the Holy Spirit man is a spiritual being okay as much as we appeal to the intellect of man the word of God appeals to the spirit of man I'm sure you all agree to that so when people heard this message okay of them being told that here is one greater than your Father David whom you honor and then Peter brings perspective and says the Lord Jesus are tested by God with signs wonders miracles and you know somebody who was predetermined and by the fore knowledge of God you know he did not he did not die he did not see corruption David is dead his tomb is right here you can all see it but you know I am here preaching the Lord Jesus as the one whom you crucified but I'm preaching him as Lord and as Christ now we have to understand that the message which Peter was bringing them was a message which they had been waiting for for many years because the Jews were waiting for the Messiah but finally finally you know that that one message which generations of Jews had waited for was being preached and they were being given the key to the problem which is the Lord Jesus is the ultimate Messiah he is the one he is that you know he is the one whom the whom God has sent for the restitution of our sins so when this message hit their spirit verse 37 we read it says they were cut to the heart okay so they were ministered to in their spirit man now how can this happen how can this happen that people are cut to the heart the word always finds its target right and God has created us as spirit beings and so the word of God when it is preached whether people acknowledge it or not you know it definitely touches them it definitely begins to work within them so all these people who are listening to Peter they were it says cut to the heart okay and when it is touching their hearts when they are understanding the message of the Christ what happens you know they themselves before Peter could tell them how they must respond to this message you know they are asking Peter and his associates standing over there he said men and brethren what shall we do you know wouldn't it be amazing if we stand up and preach today and people ask us okay you have preached now what do you want us to do what is the response that you are expecting from us but that was the result to the sermon which Peter preached because what did he preach he preached Christ he preached the word okay he preached exalting Christ and whenever we preach a message like that the power of the spirit is in it the power of the word is working and people respond in this case they definitely responded and Peter had to tell them next you know what to do so in verse 38 now he says repent and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit so they asked him what should we do now that we are aware that Jesus is the Messiah and he says we must repent okay we must accept him and one of the things that excuse me that a believer does as a you know as as a what do you call it like an action right an action of obedience to to letting the world know that now you're a believer is being baptized so he says repent and be baptized and the people of their times knew the meaning of baptism so he's inviting them to make a life decision and follow after Christ so he says repent and be baptized in whose name those days they were more aware of John's baptism but until now they did not know about being baptized in the name of Jesus Christ but remember in the great commission Jesus told them to do this work and said you go preach the gospel you know baptizing people in whose name in his name so now the church is beginning to do that work be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for what for the remission of sins so the work of the Messiah whatever you have been waiting for for your sins to be forgiven that is going to happen through the Lord Jesus Christ and you know he also adds to it because he has already spoken to them about Joel's prophecy and they are aware of the gift of the Holy Spirit so he says look when you do this when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ you will also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit okay because this promise is to whom this promise is not just to the listeners of Joel but this promise is for those in the last days right that's what Joel said but here Peter is explaining it further and he's saying this baptism in the Holy Spirit is to you and to your children and to all who are afar off as many as the Lord our God will call so today then we have this question okay can you and I be baptized in the Holy Spirit when we take the message of Jesus to people and they are saved can they be baptized in the Holy Spirit or was it only limited for that day of Pentecost back in Jerusalem the answer is yes you know for us who believe we are the ones who are afar off and we've been told that anyone as many as the Lord our God will call we are all eligible for the gift of the Holy Spirit so the Holy Spirit as a gift what the early church experienced on the day of Pentecost you and I can experience today and it says as many as the Lord our God will call so as we go ministering to people as we call them to receive this Christ whom we preach as we ask them to be baptized in the Holy Spirit we can also confidently preach about the baptism in the Holy Spirit and say that you too can receive this gift right and what does one need to do to get a gift is there any prerequisite to get a gift whenever we get a gift is there something we have to do no because it's a gift right so when we are given a gift it's not on the basis of you know our performance but it is more on the basis of the love of the one who is giving it to us so we just receive it and we say thank you right and that is what God has done for us in giving the gift of the Holy Spirit and we can receive that so everything that Peter was offering on that day it was you know God's love God's faithfulness God's goodness to the people where our sins are forgiven you know we can become children of God and we can also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit and how beautiful people actually responded to this message of the Lord Jesus Christ okay so I hope it's making sense to all of us are you able to receive this are you enjoying what you're listening to okay that's great okay that's great thank you so much okay and I hope you can are you is there any disturbance are you able to hear other sounds as well or you can hear only my voice no disturbance is very clear now today okay praise God okay because there's some construction happening near my house I'm just trying to avoid that sound okay excellent praise God let's continue thank you thank you class okay right so we have seen how successful that first sermon that Peter preached that day was and also just think about this on the day when they were praying it could have been like any other day isn't it because they had already been waiting Jesus told them to tarry you go and you wait you pray for the baptism in the Holy Spirit so they were waiting for you know at least 10 days and Peter did not know that that day the Holy Spirit is going to be poured out on them so think about this on that day he probably did not write a sermon and keep it ready okay today if Holy Spirit is poured out I'm going to start like this this is the introduction of my message this is the body of my message these are the three points nothing holy and suddenly acts to two it was poured out on them right and Peter just stood up how was he able to preach boldly how was he able to preach with clarity okay how was he able to bring people to a point of repentance it was empowered by the Holy Spirit okay and whatever he shared on that day came out of his life came out of his understanding of scripture came out of his understanding of his revelation of the Lord Jesus okay so that was really a message from his heart and you find the beautiful response to this kind of a sermon now this is not to say that we must not prepare for our sermons because the bible tells us that we must be diligent to study the word right we must rightly divide the word of God and it is going to take a lot of study to do that but there can also be occasions when we are just led by the Holy Spirit to speak about the Lord Jesus to speak his word okay and the response to that will be beautiful because we see that the power of the Holy Spirit accompanies the word which is being communicated and on that day it happened Peter's very first sermon and what is the response people were cut to the heart and they are saying men and brethren what do you want us to do we finally found the Messiah and then he tells them okay your action points are these repent be baptized okay and you will also receive the gift of the Holy Spirit okay now what happens we will continue so people heard this message and obviously they accepted the message so in the next passage here the section of chapter 2 you see the response of the people was this the end of Peter's sermon no because the continuing verse says that he added like he spoke a few more things he encouraged them he testified right so many things and no he when he said all these things those who gladly received his word were baptized so the people were actually happy to listen to this powerful message and on that day three thousand souls were added to them I told you about the birth of the church when we were talking about the introduction of acts in one day they went from 120 people to 3,120 people and how were they all baptized on the same day you know there were water sources around so these 120 people you know I'm sure it could not have been possible for just 12 people to baptize them so you know they would have baptized various people and taken the responsibility divided a bit among themselves and they were also baptized and then what happens to the people who come into the kingdom of God you know do we just leave them no because nowadays when we go ahead and preach the gospel people may respond to it then what shall we do we you know it's easy to go to a city preach and then forget about the people right okay we preach they accepted wow wonderful praise the Lord come back home but you know Jesus said baptizing them in the name of the Father the Son and the Holy Spirit and teach them everything right whatever I have spoken to you you teach them all those things so it's also about discipling the people and you see the early church doing that so now that people have been baptized three thousand people it's not like yeah okay go to whatever you want they have to be discipled isn't it so what does the group of leaders in the church do we are told these people continued steadfastly or rather they were committed okay with the apostles they were being taught the doctrine it is termed as the apostles doctrine so what is the apostles doctrine what do you think is the apostles doctrine which was being taught to them regularly continuously they were being taught okay what is the apostles doctrine you see a term they're called apostles doctrine in verse 42 so I'm asking you what is that you can share your thoughts so these were the teachings of the early church so what are those teachings I'm asking you what the received from the Jesus especially preach the gospel and those who believe correct in the name of the Father Son and the Holy Spirit and they're asking the tradition of tradition means the doctrine of taking the Lord's table taking part in the Lord's table and living by faith those kind of things I believe what I my understanding yes thank you Thomas yeah that's true yes Kiran you want to add to that yes yes man the Paul what Paul received from God revelation and he prays and takes that though that the doctrine okay okay Kiran yeah Kiran I I understand what you're saying but say at this point Paul is not there it's only the 12 apostles okay with the other elders in the church so what is the apostles doctrine the apostles doctrine as Thomas pointed out it's the teachings of Jesus because they they were living with Jesus and day and night he had things to tell them and you if you recall Acts chapter one verse three he taught about the kingdom of God so there must have been a lot of themes he covered regarding the kingdom of God and whatever else he taught right he taught about the heaven he taught about hell he taught about what else finances he taught about you know worship what is true worship what what kind of worship the father is seeking he taught about you know the the miracle the works that he did he said believe the works that I did so so many things Jesus taught them so part of the apostles doctrine is what Jesus taught them okay so they were preaching they were passing it on just the way he told them in the great commission whatever you have learned from me you pass it on you baptize the people and you teach them everything that I have taught you so they were teaching whatever they had learned and not just that the apostles also believed in the uh you know the the uh the Torah the the books the old covenant books right so they believed in in what was given handed over to them because they trusted in it because even Jesus uh as a devout Jew you know he would have also read those scriptures and he also was devoted to those scriptures so whatever they had learned from the Jewish scriptures they were devoted to the to the Torah and they in addition to that they had Jesus's teaching so when we say apostles doctrine it is inclusive of these two things okay so that is what they were passing on to the believers so when it comes to us today discipling our people uh thank god we have the the Bible in place so we have uh other books of the Bible as well and we have Paul coming in later into the scene and the revelation that he brought so we are teaching the Bible okay we are teaching the final scripture that is available in the word of god for us but in those days they did not have the Bible so the apostles doctrine was what was handed over to anyone who accepted Christ so what is going on in the fellowship of these believers one is the word is being taught okay that's a practice which the early church followed then what else we are told they fellowshiped so they were coming together right they were coming together meeting together that is also another practice that you observe here what else do you see uh you see the breaking of bread so the practice of communion because Jesus told them practice this do this in remembrance of me and they were clear about uh this sacrament of the church so they were practicing the communion and they were also praying together so four things initially that you find within the early church the word is being taught and that is the apostles doctrine uh they are fellowshiping together they are breaking bread and they are also meeting together in prayer so when the church is functioning in this way you know the life of the church or the journey of the church the way the church is flowing uh in in those early times what do you expect god to do in their midst and through them the following verse uh I mean at verse 43 we read that great fear came upon every soul and many wonders and signs were done through the apostles so when people are following after god in this way you also see the work of the Holy Spirit so how does the Holy Spirit manifest himself you know he he comes through in signs wonders his gifts and all of that so many wonders were done among the people and who were the ones who were performing these these signs at this point we are told that the apostles so the apostles were walking the way Jesus walked earlier how did Peter preach about Jesus he said a man are tested by God with signs wonders miracles and now whatever Jesus did you remember uh in uh John 14 verse 12 and Jesus says that and you shall do greater things than these okay now the church is moving in that whatever Jesus did they are able to do it so through the hands of the apostles many signs and wonders were done so there was an atmosphere for the work of the Holy Spirit to be done in the early church so we are seeing a very powerful work being established right at the start and how marvelous you know the outpouring of the Holy Spirit the word is being taught Jesus is being revealed people are accepting Christ people are baptized they are added to the church and then this beautiful life of the church is flowing right so you have the word being taught people fellowshiping communion happening you know people giving themselves to prayer and the Holy Spirit is working at the same time and I told you the work of the Holy Spirit the book of acts is about what it is about the acts of the Holy Spirit through God's people and the acts are now taking place and Jesus that's why he had told the believers you hold on you wait till you are you receive power from on high okay and then you shall be my witnesses so that has started now they have begun being witnesses of God in the city of Jerusalem so this is the church of Jerusalem that was born okay and all these things are taking place now you also notice you know another practical aspect of the life of this Jerusalem church spiritually yes all these things were going on but we are told that those who believed they were together and they also had many things in common now why do you think this happened why did they have to have things in common imagine with me they are sharing their possessions why would they need to do that again in the next verse verse 45 it says they sold their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had need so why why did the church have to do that yeah in the army church nobody had any need they looked like their own brother and sister whatever they had they shared together and lived together okay okay wow good thanks Thomas that's true that's true anyone else would you like to add your comments to it so yes the word is working and the spirit is working there is that sense of brotherhood among the people that's one reason another reason is because remember I told you people had come from different places to worship in Jerusalem and that was a common practice during Pentecost they would they would gather in that manner so people did not have maybe I don't know you know they came to Jerusalem and they decided to stay longer they may not have prepared for it so they did not have things they may not have had food right so when people are in that kind of a need the church decided to provide for them right and thankfully they all had this heart of giving selflessly you know when we talk about the kingdom of God one of the characteristics of the kingdom of God is living sacrificially selflessly loving others so you see that being demonstrated the kingdom of God is being demonstrated when people are in need so the church of Jerusalem had many people who were in need because they had left their own places and they were staying in another place okay and which is why the church had to take care of them and that could be one of the other reasons why some people you know they they were even willing to it says sell their possessions and goods and divided them among all as anyone had needs so needs were met in the early church so in this way you know they continued we are told they continued how often like this it says daily daily with one accord this is the kind of fellowship which they are having we are told and where are they having this fellowship they are having this fellowship it says in the temple and also house to house so today you know we meet in the church right church for a lot of us it is a building or it could be an auditorium where we gather it could be a big hall where we meet and lately it's online we gather it's sort of a virtual temple okay so which is okay which is good can believers meet in homes will that be holy enough will that be reverent enough to worship the Lord the early church did that they not only met at the temple but they also met house to house so there's nothing wrong in gathering together in our homes and worshiping the Lord together and you know their fellowship was very simple it was very beautiful we are told they worshiped the Lord they spent time in God's word and it also says they ate their food with gladness and simplicity of heart so they kind of you know blessed one another and spend time with one another and it was just so genuine so simple so beautiful the kind of life that the early church had so ultimately as they were doing this we are told that you know they were also favored by the people around them okay and God added to this kind of a simple genuine believing church how how often did God add souls to them we are told in verse 47 that daily people were being saved and they were being added to the church so on day one what was their number logistics 3,120 but daily people were being added how many people were being added you know we're not very sure of that it's not recorded for us here but we know it could have been hundreds of people on a daily basis being acted because of the way God was working in their lives you know and the way the church was able to live its beautiful believing life in Christ okay so at this point we will take a small break we will come back we'll talk a little bit more about the early church have a little bit of discussion and then continue into chapter 3 okay so all right let's let's take a break now and we will be back soon thank you


By 1959, murder had already become sadly commonplace in Washington, D.C., so it was rare when a single homicide attracted much attention, unless that homicide involved a well-known congressman, a famous composer's son, and an attempted cover-up by the President of the United States. With those elements combined, it's no wonder that Washington society was stunned in February 1859 when they heard of a murder that occurred in Wealthy Lafayette Square. Welcome, Weirdos, I'm Darren Marlar and this is Weird But True, a companion to Weird Darkness. On this date, February 19, 1859, one of the most colorful and eccentric politicians and Civil War generals in American history, Daniel Sickles, was cleared of murder charges, but his defense was a novel one, and like nothing that American courts had ever seen before. It seems that the respected politician murdered his wife's young lover because he was insane at the time. It was the first time that such a defense had ever been attempted in the United States, and, bizarrely, it worked. The scandalous event involved Representative Daniel Sickles of New York and his friend Philip Barton Key, the son of star-spangled banner composer Francis Scott Key. Sickles murdered Key in broad daylight, practically in front of the White House, with a number of witnesses present, but thanks to some help from President James Buchanan and the new legal defense of temporary insanity, he got away with it. Sickles was well-known in Washington. He was married to the beautiful daughter of an Italian music teacher and his wife, Lisa, was described as being charming and well-educated, along with being very attractive. After his marriage, Sickles worked in London for the Foreign Service for a short time and then was involved in the election campaign of President James Buchanan. He and his wife moved into their home on Lafayette Square and became a major part of Washington's elite society. Twice weekly, they entertained the influential of Washington and the House became the center of both social and political circles. Sickles later succeeded in winning back his congressional seat in New York and this caused him to start spending a lot of time away from home, leaving his wife, who had been just 17 when they married, to fend for herself. While Sickles was away, Teresa began being spotted in the company of handsome widower Philip Barton Key. Everyone in Washington was soon talking about the affair, which was not carried out very discreetly. Key even rented his own house in Lafayette Square just a block away from the Sickles home so that they could get together as often as they liked. Rumor had it that they met at least three times each day. Key would stand in the park in front of Teresa's home and wave his anchorchief at her whenever he wanted to meet. Sickles missed all of the signs of the affair, which had started on a sofa in his own parlor. Meanwhile, Key grew even bolder, ignoring warnings of violence that could result if the affair was found out. He boasted that he carried a weapon in his pocket, just in case. Gossip about an improper relationship between Teresa and Key eventually made its way to Sickles, but it was an anonymous note that convinced him of the affair. The note, which had been slipped under his door, read, in part, I do assure you Key has as much use of your wife as you have. Sickles investigated and found that the allegations were true. According to House Clerk George Woodridge, the revelation unmanned him completely. The congressman's exhibitions of grief were so violent that Woodridge assisted him in retreating to a private room near the House chamber to avoid a public scene. Ironically, Sickles himself was not above scandalous accusations. He was censured by the New York State Assembly for escorting a known prostitute, Fannie White, into its chambers. He also reportedly took her to England, leaving his pregnant wife at home and presented White to Queen Victoria, using as her alias the surname of a New York political opponent. But his wife's affair unhinged him. He was enraged and distraught over the affair. He went home and confronted Teresa with what he knew. That same evening, she wrote a long and detailed confession, which was very explicit for those prudish times. She implored her husband to spare her, which Sickles did, but only after she signed the confession in front of two witnesses. That night, Teresa slept on the floor of her friend Octavia's room, while Sickles stayed in the bedroom. Servants later told of hearing sobbing coming from both bedrooms that night. Sickles told a friend the next day, I am a dishonored and ruined man. The next morning, Bill of Key, not realizing that the affair had been found out, walked past the Sickles house and waved his handkerchief at the window. When Teresa failed to respond to his signal, he left, but came back and tried again later on in the day. On his third trip to the park, Key was met by the Sickles dog, which ran out of the house when he saw him. Key made a show of playing with the dog, waving his handkerchief the entire time. Sickles, however, had seen the less than subtle signals and shouted at George Woolridge and another visitor, Samuel Butterworth, that villain has just passed my house. Butterworth tried to placate his friend, arguing that a public scene would only provide more gossip about the affair. Sickles brushed him off, stating that the whole town knew of it anyway. By now, the congressman was well past reason and hardly concerned about appearances. Arming himself with two derringers, Sickles rushed out of the house and into the park. He screamed at Key, Key, you scoundrel, you have dishonored my house, you must die. As Key thrust his hand into his jacket, Sickles fired, but the shot only grazed the other man. Sickles raised his hand to fire again, and Key grabbed him by the collar of his coat. As they struggled, the gun fell to the ground. Sickles pulled away from him and drew the second gun. Key pleaded with him, don't murder me. Then he threw a pair of opera glasses at Sickles as a desperate attempt to ward off his attacker. Sickles was undeterred and fired again. This time, the bullet struck Key, penetrating near his groin. Key murmured that he was shot and collapsed against a tree. Sickles stood over him and pulled the trigger again. The gun misfired. As Key cried in desperation, Sickles calmly reloaded the derringer and pressed it close to his former friend's chest. He fired again, and this time the shot was fatal. Even so, Sickles was still not finished. He placed the muzzle against Key's head and again pulled the trigger. It misfired again and he stepped away. Thomas Martin, a Treasury Department clerk, had witnessed the murder and he ran to the scene. Sickles turned to him and asked, Is the scoundrel dead? Several men picked up Key's body and carried him to a nearby house, where he died a short time later. As he watched them go, Sickles stood at the edge of the park and mumbled the same phrase over and over again. He violated my bed. Sickles turned himself in to the authorities immediately after the murder. At about the same time, President Buchanan received news about the incident from a young page, J.H.W. Bonnetz, who had witnessed it. After hearing the report, Buchanan lied to Bonnetz to try and protect his friend. He told the page that he should get out of town right away. Otherwise, he might be jailed and held without bond as a witness to the crime. Apparently, the President was unaware that others had witnessed the murder too, but his tactic worked on Bonnetz. The page took some money that was offered to him by Buchanan and left Washington on the first train. Before he was taken to jail, Sickles was permitted to make a short visit to his home. A large crowd was gathered outside hoping for a glimpse of the famous killer. He was escorted inside and he found Teresa lying on the bedroom floor, stricken with grief. He uttered only one sentence to her before he left. I've killed him. News of the murder spread throughout the city and dominated newspaper headlines for days to come. Editorials were written that inflated the importance of the killing, stating that if it reflected the moral decay of society in general, and more specifically, the increasing lawless conditions of Washington. Sickles was indicted for murder and his trial was a spectacular one. He hired eight of the nation's most prestigious lawyers to defend him, including Edwin Stanton, who would later become Lincoln's secretary of war. The prosecution was hampered from the beginning. Robert Owald, who was appointed by President Buchanan to replace Philip Key as Washington's district attorney, was an inexperienced lawyer and incapable of handling such a complicated case. Despite pleas from the Key family, the President was still trying to help Sickles, Buchanan refused to replace him. The courtroom was crammed with curious spectators when the trial began and people outside peered in the windows, hoping to catch a look at the proceedings. The case itself should have been simple. Sickles stalked and killed Key in an act of remorseless revenge and had done the deed in the open with plenty of people watching. He was obviously guilty of the crime with which he had been charged. But the defense complicated the case by arguing that Sickles had been temporarily insane at the time of the murder and that Key's defilement of his wife had made him that way. The insanity defense had been well established in American courtrooms, but at that time there was no precedent for what the defense called an irresistible impulse. Sickles, his counsel attested, had acted in a transport of frenzy that was fleeting in nature. He could not resist this impulse and acted in a manner that could not be stopped. For this reason, they said, he was not guilty of the crime. The jury agreed and after deliberating for less than an hour, Sickles was acquitted. The verdict was followed by a spontaneous celebration in the streets of Washington, including a parade that was led by the U.S. Marine Band. Sickles was not exactly proclaimed a hero, but his actions were certainly understood by most. They believed that Sickles had a right to stand up for his honor and one of the jurors in his trial, William Hopkins, even told newspapers, I would not have been satisfied with a derringer or a revolver, but would have brought a howitzer to bear on the seducer. Sickles had been grievously wronged and the public was prepared to welcome him back to his proper place in society. But then, Sickles did the unthinkable. He reconciled with his wife. All of the goodwill that had followed the trial suddenly vanished and the public was in an uproar. Newspapers turned against him, as did many of his friends. Sickles was not ruined by the murder, but for forgiving his wife. Public reaction was so angry that Sickles was compelled to justify himself in a lengthy newspaper statement that was reprinted all over the country. In the letter, he made no apologies for murdering Key and for taking back Teresa. Instead, he appealed for the right to conduct his personal family life in private. The open letter did little good. Sickles was considered a joke and was ostracized by his fellow members of Congress. Despised and the object of ridicule, Sickles decided not to run for reelection, but his colorful career was far from over. When the Civil War began, Sickles raised a contingent of men from New York and organized them for battle. His patriotism so impressed President Lincoln that he assured Sickles a position after the war. He managed to wrangle a commission and rose to the rank of Major General. At Gettysburg, Sickles continued his controversial career by gloriously disobeying orders. He decided to move his corps forward from its assigned position in General Meade's fishhook across the battlefield. This jeopardized the entire Union line at the same time that Longstreet's Confederates were moving to attack the very place that Sickles had been ordered to hold. During the battle, Sickles' right leg was hit and horribly mangled by a cannonball. On his way to the field hospital where the leg would be amputated, Sickles calmly sipped wine and smoked a cigar. The wound ended his active service, but he displayed the stump of his leg as a sign of his valor and heroism. In fact, he was so proud of his wound that he donated the shattered leg to the Army's National Medical Museum where it remains on display today. For years after, he visited the leg on the anniversary of its removal. Despite his one-legged disability, Sickles remained in the Army until the end of the war and was disgusted that Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant would not allow him to return to a combat command. In 1867, he received appointments as Brevet Brigadier General and Major General in the regular Army for his services at Fredericksburg and Gettysburg respectively. When the war ended, President Andrew Johnson kept Lincoln's promise to find Sickles a position in government and appointed him military governor over the Carolinas during Reconstruction. Sickles described his new position, I am a sort of sultan, a sort of Roman consul. I was not only the military commander, I was the governor of these two states. I was the court of chancery of these two states. I was a sort of puba. Soon after the close of the Civil War in 1865, he was sent on a confidential mission to Columbia to secure its compliance with a treaty agreement of 1846, permitting the United States to convey troops across the Isthmus of Panama. From 1865 to 1867, he commanded the Department of South Carolina, the Department of the Carolinas, the Department of the South and the Second Military District. In 1866, he was appointed Colonel of the 42nd U.S. Infantry and in 1869, he was retired with the rank of Major General. Sickles served as a U.S. Minister to Spain from 1869 to 1874 after the Senate failed to confirm Henry Shelton Sanford to the post and took part in a controversial affair that almost had the U.S. in a war with Spain. His inaccurate and emotional messages to Washington promoted war until he was overruled by Secretary of State Hamilton Fish and the war scare died out. In 1867, Teresa Sickles died at the age of 31. General Sickles remarried four years later to Carolina Creech, whom he had met while serving as the Yankee King of Spain, as he called it. He was forced to resign in 1873 but not before reportedly carrying on a steamy affair with the deposed Queen Isabel II. Not surprisingly, his second marriage was a disaster, and he and his wife estranged for almost 30 years when she refused to return with him to the United States. Sickles managed to stay busy, though. He was President of the New York State Board of Civil Service Commissioners from 1888 to 1889, Sheriff of New York in 1890, and again a representative in the 53rd Congress from 1893 to 1895. For most of his post-war life, he was the chairman of the New York Monuments Commission, but he was forced out when $27,000 was found to have been embezzled. He had an important part in efforts to preserve the Gettysburg Battlefield, sponsoring legislation from the Gettysburg National Military Park, via private lands and erect monuments. One of his contributions was procuring the original fencing used on East Cemetery Hill to mark the park's borders. This fencing came directly from Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C., where he had killed Philip Barton Key. Of the principal senior generals who fought at Gettysburg, virtually all, with the conspicuous exception of Sickles, have been memorialized with statues at Gettysburg. When asked why there was no memorial to him, Sickles supposedly said, the entire battlefield is a memorial to Dan Sickles. However, there was in fact a memorial commissioned to include a bust of Sickles, the monument to the New York Excelsior Brigade. It was rumored that the money appropriated for the bust was stolen by Sickles himself. The monument is displayed in the peach orchard with a figure of an eagle instead of Sickles' likeness. Sickles lived out the remainder of his life in New York City and was said to still be a womanizer in his old age. He died on May 3, 1914, at the age of 94. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Except for that one leg, of course. It is still on display at the National Medical Museum. Please subscribe so you don't miss future episodes, including my podcasts, Weird Darkness and Daily Dose of Weird News. If you liked this video, please give it a thumbs up. If you'd like to support the show, you can get exclusive patron-only content for as little as $5 per month. Content you can't find anywhere else online. Learn more by clicking the link in the show notes or visit MarlarHouse.com and click on Become a Patron. Thanks for watching and I'll see you next time, Weirdos.