When we allow the Spirit to work, when we put ourselves in the best places for God to use us, miracles occur. God's purposes for life here will be fulfilled, no matter what. Peter and John, all the apostles, actually, got that. They also got that they were a key part of that plan, took action, and there was no denying what was happening. The world around them, in disbelief, could only try to ignore or discredit them. God would have none of that.
In Acts 4, immediately following the miraculous healing of the lame beggar, Peter and John are arrested, simply for teaching the people and declaring Jesus as resurrected. 5000 had gotten saved by this teaching, and the religious elite were nervous and unsettled. Peter and John had credited this resurrected Jesus for the miraculous healing, and here stands in the midst of the crowd the very same healed man! Unsatisfied, they are asked by whose authority they performed such a feat. Cue Peter, he's got another sermon to deliver.
He points to the healed man, and points he people to God, who raised Jesus Christ. The end of this mini-sermon is completed by one of the most popular verses in sharing the Gospel, verse 12, "And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."
The text describes Peter and John as having "confidence" while being "uneducated and untrained." The religious leaders make it clear that they cannot deny the healing that took place. Their answer to their "problem"? Just don't preach Jesus anymore, and all will be OK. Peter and John quickly retort that they will obey God in this matter, rather than man. They simply cannot stop speaking about and teaching what they have seen and heard, what they know to be the truth about God and salvation.
When the religious leaders saw all those people simply praising and glorifying God, what else could they do but let them go? Notice that the people were not disturbing the peace, causing riots, none of that. They were simple glorifying God, inviting others to do the same.
Christians, we'll be faced today with opportunities to be bold, to speak of for God, and to most around us it will not be an "acceptable" message. And if we truly believe this message about "no other name under Heaven...", then really, what else can we say but the truth? Like the apostles, we should let the world judge what they think of us having a higher allegiance to God, as opposed to man. What they think really does not matter. I'm more concerned about what God thinks. How about you?
Holding Fast to the Name of our Creator
Thursday, October 25, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Model Traits - Acts 3
I suppose it might seem too easy to describe a scene like that in Acts 3. A familiar account of Peter and John, a lame beggar, a miraculous healing, and another sermon by Peter. Just another day’s work for the apostle. As we are reading through this book at home, I am trying to pull out features and characteristics of the Christian walk, as on display to those to whom that message was brand new, and from the viewpoint of those who first brought that message to others.
I see at least four remarkable traits in Peter here, which we would be wise to own ourselves.
First, Peter (and John) had his priorities straight. It was time to pray, he prayed. Granted, he very likely did not just wait for the appointed times to pray, but we see him faithful to his relationship with the Lord. Do we regularly take such time, daily? Would our routine of prayer be disrupted by unforeseen events today?
Second, Peter is humble. Sure, he is bold and brash, but he wants nothing to do with the credit for the healing that takes place. He knows from where his strength comes. He gets the big picture and the small part he plays (though major by our standards, perhaps). How well do we judge our role in God’s plan? How eager are we to be used, seriously?
Third, we see Peter ready to make use of an opportunity. People were praising God, in sheer amazement. We might be content to praise God, too, and generally talk about how wonderful and awesome He is. That would be fine, and Peter takes it to a different level. He asks the people why they are amazed. They love the healings and the miraculous “shows”, and will even praise God for them. Yet they fail to connect the dots; this same God they are praising is the one whose Son, their messiah, they just killed. It is this same God who just raised that messiah from the dead! And Peter drives the point home with stating that it is that very same Messiah, Jesus, who strengthened the lame beggar and healed him. How equipped are we to take ANY conversation, ANY event, and turn it toward a conversation about Christ?
Finally, Peter remains focused on the right task. He rightly reminds people of the Scriptures they should already know. While it is a wonder of God that the events took place as they did, He already told them of these days and events they were witnessing. Peter, speaking on behalf of God, as an apostle, reminds them that God said long ago that He would raise up “another prophet”, to whom the people should listen and follow. That person was Jesus Christ, Peter says, and he offers them the challenge to repent and follow the Savior. Where is our focus today?
Pray with me today for clear opportunities to discuss Christ. Pray for our humility to point people to Him, as opposed to us. Pray for the desire to learn, to be ready to defend the faith we say is dear to us. I praise our Savior, and strive to please Him today.
Holding fast to the Name of our Creator
I see at least four remarkable traits in Peter here, which we would be wise to own ourselves.
First, Peter (and John) had his priorities straight. It was time to pray, he prayed. Granted, he very likely did not just wait for the appointed times to pray, but we see him faithful to his relationship with the Lord. Do we regularly take such time, daily? Would our routine of prayer be disrupted by unforeseen events today?
Second, Peter is humble. Sure, he is bold and brash, but he wants nothing to do with the credit for the healing that takes place. He knows from where his strength comes. He gets the big picture and the small part he plays (though major by our standards, perhaps). How well do we judge our role in God’s plan? How eager are we to be used, seriously?
Third, we see Peter ready to make use of an opportunity. People were praising God, in sheer amazement. We might be content to praise God, too, and generally talk about how wonderful and awesome He is. That would be fine, and Peter takes it to a different level. He asks the people why they are amazed. They love the healings and the miraculous “shows”, and will even praise God for them. Yet they fail to connect the dots; this same God they are praising is the one whose Son, their messiah, they just killed. It is this same God who just raised that messiah from the dead! And Peter drives the point home with stating that it is that very same Messiah, Jesus, who strengthened the lame beggar and healed him. How equipped are we to take ANY conversation, ANY event, and turn it toward a conversation about Christ?
Finally, Peter remains focused on the right task. He rightly reminds people of the Scriptures they should already know. While it is a wonder of God that the events took place as they did, He already told them of these days and events they were witnessing. Peter, speaking on behalf of God, as an apostle, reminds them that God said long ago that He would raise up “another prophet”, to whom the people should listen and follow. That person was Jesus Christ, Peter says, and he offers them the challenge to repent and follow the Savior. Where is our focus today?
Pray with me today for clear opportunities to discuss Christ. Pray for our humility to point people to Him, as opposed to us. Pray for the desire to learn, to be ready to defend the faith we say is dear to us. I praise our Savior, and strive to please Him today.
Holding fast to the Name of our Creator
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Stand and Deliver, Learn and Be Used - Acts 2
Peter took his stand, he raised his voice, and he pleaded with people to listen to him.
I like Peter. I like Peter a lot! He gets a bad rap, well-deserved, for his denial, for being impetuous, for being, well, himself. But that same “himself” was the leader Christ put in charge by declaring him the rock upon which He would build His church. This apostle, a lowly fisherman, made choices that allowed God to use Him in spite of his flaws and weaknesses. He and the others are so foundational to our faith, what great role models they are.
The Spirit had just descended to the upper room of believers, and the Gospel was being heard in different languages, each foreigner in town for Pentecost heard the message in his/her native tongue. To the onlooking naysayer, the apostles were accused of being drunk at 9:00 a.m. Peter sets them straight.
He quotes Scripture. QUOTES IT! He did not have a lesson prepared, he had no notes, no copy of Scripture in front of him actually. He did not say “everyone, please open your scroll to the writing of the prophet Joel.” He saw and experienced what happened, and recalled what he must have heard and read many, many times. And he nailed the message.
He quotes Joel. He quotes David, applying each writing perfectly. Granted, we read Scripture and know Luke was inspired to write it, and at this time, Peter was indwelled with the Holy Spirit. And throughout the Bible we find God using people’s talents, skills, and willingness to do great things for Him. God directed Peter’s speech, no doubt. And still God knew that Peter knew His Bible. I firmly believe Peter recited the prophecies so well because they were so much a part of him and his walk. God helped him recall the words, no doubt there either.
Peter took the initiative among his group, and the Lord used that to see thousands accept Christ. So what did it for Peter? His knowledge? Or his action? YES! Peter could not have done what he did without his knowledge of Scripture, and that necessarily meant he had to be willing to learn, continually, never stop growing through knowledge. He also needed to be willing to step up, take a stand, and act on what he knew. There would have been no message from him that day without that.
Knowledge puffs up, but only if no action accompanies it.
Zeal without knowledge is sin.
Basically, one without the other is just plain foolish. Not my words.
Christians today can typically fall prey to an imbalance in these two aspects. We must take a stand today for God’s truth, who else will? We must be willing to be the one who will challenge the false teacher, the godless bureaucrat, and defend our Savior. We must be the one who will learn and ever grow in knowledge, never shying away from something to be learned.
Knowledge with action makes for a servant of the Most High God. I am thankful to Peter for demonstrating both. Do I know my Bible well enough to quote it to people when the situation applies? Do I seek out those situations? Am I willing to learn more and more of what I don’t know, in order to be come a better “doer”? Are you?
I like Peter. I like Peter a lot! He gets a bad rap, well-deserved, for his denial, for being impetuous, for being, well, himself. But that same “himself” was the leader Christ put in charge by declaring him the rock upon which He would build His church. This apostle, a lowly fisherman, made choices that allowed God to use Him in spite of his flaws and weaknesses. He and the others are so foundational to our faith, what great role models they are.
The Spirit had just descended to the upper room of believers, and the Gospel was being heard in different languages, each foreigner in town for Pentecost heard the message in his/her native tongue. To the onlooking naysayer, the apostles were accused of being drunk at 9:00 a.m. Peter sets them straight.
He quotes Scripture. QUOTES IT! He did not have a lesson prepared, he had no notes, no copy of Scripture in front of him actually. He did not say “everyone, please open your scroll to the writing of the prophet Joel.” He saw and experienced what happened, and recalled what he must have heard and read many, many times. And he nailed the message.
He quotes Joel. He quotes David, applying each writing perfectly. Granted, we read Scripture and know Luke was inspired to write it, and at this time, Peter was indwelled with the Holy Spirit. And throughout the Bible we find God using people’s talents, skills, and willingness to do great things for Him. God directed Peter’s speech, no doubt. And still God knew that Peter knew His Bible. I firmly believe Peter recited the prophecies so well because they were so much a part of him and his walk. God helped him recall the words, no doubt there either.
Peter took the initiative among his group, and the Lord used that to see thousands accept Christ. So what did it for Peter? His knowledge? Or his action? YES! Peter could not have done what he did without his knowledge of Scripture, and that necessarily meant he had to be willing to learn, continually, never stop growing through knowledge. He also needed to be willing to step up, take a stand, and act on what he knew. There would have been no message from him that day without that.
Knowledge puffs up, but only if no action accompanies it.
Zeal without knowledge is sin.
Basically, one without the other is just plain foolish. Not my words.
Christians today can typically fall prey to an imbalance in these two aspects. We must take a stand today for God’s truth, who else will? We must be willing to be the one who will challenge the false teacher, the godless bureaucrat, and defend our Savior. We must be the one who will learn and ever grow in knowledge, never shying away from something to be learned.
Knowledge with action makes for a servant of the Most High God. I am thankful to Peter for demonstrating both. Do I know my Bible well enough to quote it to people when the situation applies? Do I seek out those situations? Am I willing to learn more and more of what I don’t know, in order to be come a better “doer”? Are you?
Monday, October 22, 2012
Too Many Questions - Acts 1
We often ask the wrong questions, the answers to which don't always point to meaningful activity in the Christian life. OK, maybe that statement does not cover every inept attitude we have or wrong action we take. Yet it's time to ask better ones, the right ones.
Our family just started reading through Acts again, as we wanted to revisit the evangelism and zeal of the very first church group. We often call them the early church, and when we look at what they accomplished with the power of the very same Holy Spirit we claim to have, we should find some great role models when God speaks to us through them.
Acts was written by Luke, who accompanied Paul and others on several of the journeys you’ll find here. He picks up where he left of in his gospel. I want to focus today on the questions asked or implied in this chapter. I’ll paraphrase for conversational tone:
First question: “Jesus, are you restoring the kingdom of Israel now?”
Jesus’ answer: “It’s not for you to know that now, I have other work for you to do besides worry about that.”
Second question, implied: “OK, so Jesus just went up, into the clouds. Hmmm, let’s stand here and look up for a while. What should we do now?” (Granted, this would have been an incredible sight)
The angels reply: “Why are you standing around here looking up? He’ll come back again the same way.”
The rest of the chapter is devoted then to the replacement of Judas, which was foretold in prophecy and had to be done, as wisely understood by Peter. A common fisherman, Peter knew his Bible (the Septuagint then). There’s lesson number one for us. We would do well to emulate him in that aspect, for sure.
But think of the questions we are asking at times. We continually want to know what is going to happen, and when, and why, and what will it look like when it does, and so on. I truly believe it is important, crucial, even, to properly understand the end times, what the “caught up together…in the clouds” means, why there will be a literal seven-year Tribulation and 1000-year literal reign on earth. Where we interpret the Gospel literally, understanding the supernatural resurrection, so too must we recognize a literal Creation, and literal book of Revelation, knowing it’s apocalyptic nature literally.
However, if we spend our time constantly delving into that conversation, waxing eloquent about the millennial kingdom, about which we know very, very little, we miss the point of what God has for us to do…NOW! I saw lost people being led to Christ yesterday, I saw saved people asking, begging to be discipled, not being spiritually fed where they are now. God’s glory was on full display, because people were focused on the here and now work! What a tremendous praise!
We talk and talk at times about Christ’s return, which is imminent and certain. Amen! But how often do we catch ourselves standing and looking for that time, and getting little or nothing done now? I’ll answer that, WAY TOO OFTEN!
Praying today for renewed and refreshed desire to pay attention to what God has for me to do to make a difference now. Praying for more and more lost people to seek the truth, and more and more saved people to desire to grow. It happened yesterday, and I was privileged to witness it. Pray with me that we can make and take many more opportunities to continue the efforts He desires, clearly seeing and pursuing the opportunities He places before us.
Our family just started reading through Acts again, as we wanted to revisit the evangelism and zeal of the very first church group. We often call them the early church, and when we look at what they accomplished with the power of the very same Holy Spirit we claim to have, we should find some great role models when God speaks to us through them.
Acts was written by Luke, who accompanied Paul and others on several of the journeys you’ll find here. He picks up where he left of in his gospel. I want to focus today on the questions asked or implied in this chapter. I’ll paraphrase for conversational tone:
First question: “Jesus, are you restoring the kingdom of Israel now?”
Jesus’ answer: “It’s not for you to know that now, I have other work for you to do besides worry about that.”
Second question, implied: “OK, so Jesus just went up, into the clouds. Hmmm, let’s stand here and look up for a while. What should we do now?” (Granted, this would have been an incredible sight)
The angels reply: “Why are you standing around here looking up? He’ll come back again the same way.”
The rest of the chapter is devoted then to the replacement of Judas, which was foretold in prophecy and had to be done, as wisely understood by Peter. A common fisherman, Peter knew his Bible (the Septuagint then). There’s lesson number one for us. We would do well to emulate him in that aspect, for sure.
But think of the questions we are asking at times. We continually want to know what is going to happen, and when, and why, and what will it look like when it does, and so on. I truly believe it is important, crucial, even, to properly understand the end times, what the “caught up together…in the clouds” means, why there will be a literal seven-year Tribulation and 1000-year literal reign on earth. Where we interpret the Gospel literally, understanding the supernatural resurrection, so too must we recognize a literal Creation, and literal book of Revelation, knowing it’s apocalyptic nature literally.
However, if we spend our time constantly delving into that conversation, waxing eloquent about the millennial kingdom, about which we know very, very little, we miss the point of what God has for us to do…NOW! I saw lost people being led to Christ yesterday, I saw saved people asking, begging to be discipled, not being spiritually fed where they are now. God’s glory was on full display, because people were focused on the here and now work! What a tremendous praise!
We talk and talk at times about Christ’s return, which is imminent and certain. Amen! But how often do we catch ourselves standing and looking for that time, and getting little or nothing done now? I’ll answer that, WAY TOO OFTEN!
Praying today for renewed and refreshed desire to pay attention to what God has for me to do to make a difference now. Praying for more and more lost people to seek the truth, and more and more saved people to desire to grow. It happened yesterday, and I was privileged to witness it. Pray with me that we can make and take many more opportunities to continue the efforts He desires, clearly seeing and pursuing the opportunities He places before us.
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