Jeremiah 29:11 – “…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
Jeremiah 29:13 – You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.
Who among us can with complete accuracy tell us exactly will happen over the next year with every detail of every day, every week and every month? Every detail including what hour, what minute and what second we will rise every day. Who knows how many strokes we will use to brush our teeth every day? Who knows every thought that we will think in the year. Who knows what other people will say and do for us or against us? Exactly how many miles will we travel in the year? Who will be kind to us and who will do or say things that hurt us? How will we react? How many hair follicles do we have and how many will we have every single day for the next year. Each second what is everything we will see or what will we hear? Then, who can tell us all these things about each one in our family? Do we know all these things about everybody we know and love? Do we know what our neighbors will do and how that will impact our lives? Who will die and who will live? Will our pets be okay tomorrow, next month, or even alive at the end of the year? Which one of us knows exactly all these things about us and about all these things in the world? No person on earth has this wisdom. Only God knows all these that have ever happened, all things that are happening and all things that will happen. We know this, but can take that fact for granted.
We ought not to take the omniscience of God for granted. That He who knows all things that will ever happen to us and around us has said that He has wonderful and good plans for all of us should bring peace. He who is always good and always loves us is He who is able to make even the impossible happen to fulfill His plans for us. He has said that He does not plan to harm us. His plans for us are so good they will inspire us to not lose faith but to look forward to the good and loving plan He has for us. We should calm our hearts with the knowledge that He who is able has good plans for us.
Let’s view the world with spiritual eyes that the Holy Spirit is everyday bringing into sharper focus. Focus that increasingly allows us to see everything through the eyes of God. He is not afraid. He is not concerned. He sees that there is no power of any being that can resist what He determines will happen. How are we to judge whether or not a good thing can come out of a bad. Do we understand whether something bad is, or is not, something that will bring good? We don’t know the future. We don’t know everything about what has happened. Job had no idea that what he went through would be a great encouragement to billions of people. Only God knew that.
Do we truly know God, who and what He is, enough to trust Him in all matters? Those who truly know Him trust Him. The trust we have in God is manifested reveals how much we love and trust Him. If our faith in Him is weak then our knowledge of Him is weak. Those who know and love Him are not concerned about being “only human” because their eyes are not focused on self but on God.
God promised that all who seek Him will find Him. Yet He will remain hidden to the proud who will not humble themselves and seek Him with a pure heart. When we ask questions, let Him answer in His almighty wisdom. We too often seek answers in what we think is our almighty wisdom. Then we will not know the peace of God if we are proud and value our thoughts over His thoughts. Seek answers from God and follow His answers in order to find peace. Trust God, not self. Then we will have peace that surpasses understanding. What if we are go through a tough trial and God has a plan to use our trial to lead other people to glorify His name, is that okay with us? It should be if we humble ourselves before Him and if we love and know Him. It will be if we trust Him more than ourselves, if what is important to us is not self but that God is glorified, then it should be.
God has a plan for us, not any plan, but a plan that God has stated is good and will prosper us. He has said that if we seek Him will all of our heart we will find Him. God does not lie. If God said it, then it is so. Family, let us seek God, let us know, love and trust Him. He is worthy of our trust. After all, the love of God is on full display through Jesus. For God so loved the world… Let us trust God and so we will have peace. Not ease, but peace. All of us who are hurting, even suffering, we know that God knows. God has a very good plan for each of us. He loves us. He will answer. Let’s have peace. God is good and He loves us and for those who truly know that, there is peace. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withProverbs 27:17 – As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.
True friends can speak truthfully to each other. But words should be followed with true help. It is no use to tell a drowning person to swim to the shore when the drowning person does not know how to swim. That person needs someone to help them get out of the situation and then to teach them to swim. And the person drowning must allow someone to help them.
As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another means that a friend is willing to say or do what is necessary to help their friend, even if it hurts. But then the one who wants to help must stick around to help the person. What if a friend does or says something that hurts or offends? A good friend will help the offending friend to learn and grow past the offending ways. A person who loves will be willing to love the person through the sharpening. God is desiring to sharpen us and sometimes it hurts, but it always for our benefit (Proverbs 3:12, Hebrews 12:6). May we love each other enough to sharpen each other, even though it sometimes involves work, patience, perseverance and love. If we truly have loved, then we will help sharpen each other. If not, we don’t truly love.
If we truly love others, as God has called us to do, then we will tell people the truth. The biggest truth we tell them is the Gospel of Jesus. We tell them that it is not by works (trying to be good) that anyone has true peace with God. We share with them that it is only by faith in Jesus that we come to eternal peace and unity with God (Ephesians 2:8-10, 1 Timothy 2:5-6). Love each other. Sharpen each other and tell each other the truth and so please God. Praise God who gave us the Truth, Jesus Christ to and for the world!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 4:31 – After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
“After they prayed…” What had they prayed? They had been threatened and imprisoned by the same people who had insisted on the killing of Jesus (Acts 5:30). Peter and John fully understood the threat, “shut up about Jesus or else!” After they had been threatened and released they went back to their own people and with them praised God and prayed that they would be strong and not back down. They prayed that they would move forward and be strong in the Lord. They had been warned to stop or suffer severe, perhaps fatal consequences. Yet they did not dwell on the threats but reminded themselves who God is and how great He is (Acts 4:24-26). They didn’t look at the ones who threatened them but instead looked at God. David did the same thing when facing Goliath. Moses saw the Red Sea in front of him and all the Israelites, but Moses instead looked to the power of God and not the circumstances. David slew Goliath because God was with him. The Lord God told Moses “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:13-14) Then the Lord told Moses to stop crying out to Him but to do what Moses had been told to do. Move out and trust God. God parted the Red Sea with a mighty wind that pushed back the Red Sea and dried the land so that His people could pass through on dry land (Exodus 14:21-22). The Lord also moved the pillar of cloud from God that was leading them moved to the rear of them to keep the Egyptian army from advancing. After the Israelites were safely through the Red Sea, then God removed the pillar of cloud from blocking the Egyptians and they rushing into the Red Sea to pursue God’s people. Once between the walls of the Red Sea, God stopped the divide and the Egyptians were swallowed up by the sea (Exodus 14:23-23-31). So Moses could see the Red Sea before them all and he had to see the impossible with eyes of faith. God said to cross and they crossed. Nothing that opposed David or the people of Israel mattered. They only thing that matters is what God had for them to do. Giants were slain and a sea parted by the hand of God. The will of God prevails. His hand is for us! (Isaiah 41:10).
As the forefathers before them, the disciples of Jesus did not fear the threats of the leaders who threatened them, but believed what Jesus had been teaching them and also listened and yielded to the Holy Spirit. Threatened by rulers to stop obeying Jesus’ words that He would remain with them, they obeyed God and God blessed them for that.
The place where they had met was shaken. Family and Friends, this was not an emotional shaking but a shaking of the building that they were in. At Pentecost the power of the Holy Spirit filled them. Power was flowing in. Here the Holy Spirit was again filling them with supernatural power and the power was flowing out of them. So much power was flowing out of them that even the room shook as they boldly spoke the Word of God. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” (Hebrews 13:8) Family that kind of power is still being shown in many parts of the world. Parts of the world who read and believe that Jesus is the same for us today as He was for the disciples then. After all, when He prayed for them He also prayed for us (John 17:20-21). Of course, how and when the Lord moves miraculously is always up to Him. We should continue to believe and continue to pray for God’s mighty hand to move through and among us. If the dead are not raised, okay, that is the will of God. Praise God! If they are raised, okay, that is the will of God. Praise God! We pray in faith believing in God’s ability to do what we ask and at the same time joyfully and thankfully yield to His will. Let His will be done and let His praise be always on our lips. Let’s not back down, but always may the army of God advance. We have work to do. Praise God!
Power, Power, Wonder Working Power
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withBecause of these verses poor Peter has been the example of lacking faith. However, before he began to sink, he was exhibiting some awesome faith, I know I’ve never walked on water!
Skipping ahead to Acts 3:1-10 we find Peter and John going to the temple. This is after Pentecost where, in Jesus’s words, they received “power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you.” Peter and John came upon a man who had been crippled since birth. The man could not walk. Peter looked at the lame man and told him “I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!” Wow! Peter didn’t say I will pray that the Lord will heal you and maybe He will. He said a powerful word of faith with a sure faith that God was going to perform a miraculous healing. He said “rise up and walk!” This was likely done in front of many people at the busy temple. If the man didn’t rise and walk, they would have ridiculed him. But Peter, in a sure faith, yielding to the unction of the Holy Spirit, was telling that man to get up and walk because God was healing him!
This Peter whose faith wavered in the dangerous sea, spoke with unwavering faith and the Lord healed the lame man. If Peter had had that same faith when on the sea, he would not have sank. Praise God that He had received “power” from the Holy Spirit and now had the faith Jesus had taught them and desired for them to walk in.
That gives us hope! 1 Corinthians 6:11 states that the Jesus and the Holy Spirit are doing the work of bringing us along to walk closer with God. They are remaking us to be more like Himself. Just as Peter in Acts 3 was not the same being as he was in Matthew 14, so the Lord is remaking us to be more like Him. One day we will be with the Lord, and the reworking of us will be complete. Be confident and be sure that our God will complete the work in us that He began (Philippians 1:6). This is another sure thing from God. Our hope is not in the things of this world, but in the things that are of the Spirit. We hope in the eternal things of God and no-one can take those things from us (Matthew 6:19-21). Rejoice Family, our redemption is now, and also it proceeds, and it is sure! Oh praise God for His power, love and faithfulness! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withMark 6:30-44 – The apostles gathered around Jesus and reported to Him all they had done and taught. 31 Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, He said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” 32 So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. 33 But many who saw them leaving recognized them and ran on foot from all the towns and got there ahead of them. 34 When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, He had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So He began teaching them many things. 35 By this time it was late in the day, so His disciples came to him. “This is a remote place,” they said, “and it’s already very late. 36 Send the people away so that they can go to the surrounding countryside and villages and buy themselves something to eat.” 37 But he answered, “You give them something to eat.” They said to him, “That would take more than half a year’s wages! Are we to go and spend that much on bread and give it to them to eat?” 38 “How many loaves do you have?” he asked. “Go and see.” When they found out, they said, “Five—and two fish.” 39 Then Jesus directed them to have all the people sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in groups of hundreds and fifties. 41 Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then He gave them to his disciples to distribute to the people. He also divided the two fish among them all. 42 They all ate and were satisfied, 43 and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces of bread and fish. 44 The number of the men who had eaten was five thousand.
The Lord loved the Apostles and recognized that they would benefit from spending some alone time with Him. Though they were doing the will of God, they needed their alone time with Jesus. They, as we, needed to set time aside to enjoy Jesus. Even in ministry we need to take a break in the presence of God to enjoy His love and presence. So Jesus and the Apostles launched on a boat to go to a quiet place and be with each other. Family, make the time, don’t wait for it, make the time, prioritize our time, to spend alone time with God. If we are exhausted and empty we will be of little use to others. We all need to refill every day.
The lost were described by Jesus as “sheep with a shepherd.” But these were not those who did not want a shepherd, they were looking for someone to help them, to take care of them. He had compassion on them. Compassion is not pity. It comes from a loving heart. A loving heart is compassionate even to strangers. A right heart seeks to help and be a blessing. Jesus loved all the people who came to Him. Compassion involves action (James 2:15). He saw their need and moved to help them in their need. Pity is temporary. Compassion does not stop till the need is met. Do we have compassion and move to help those in need?
Jesus told the disciples to feed the people. They were so many and they didn’t know how it could be done. It is amazing that they did not simply ask Jesus what to do. Hadn’t they seen the power of God move in this way before? Instead they began to try to figure out what they could do to accomplish what Jesus wanted them to do. It is amazing that they wouldn’t right away look to Jesus for the answer. Amazing, yes, but typical of them, and of us. When we set out to do the will of God, too often we can set out to do the task without seeking first our “marching orders” from Jesus. “But seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness…” (Matthew 6:33) Every day and in every way, we need to first seek and find Jesus and then to follow Him.
Jesus did the miracle that was needed. It starts with His love for all the people. His compassion flows from His love. Family, if we are compassionate we will remain compassionate until the need is resolved. We won’t pray only once for the needy, we will continue to pray until the need is resolved. We will not forget about them. We will not be too busy, but will make time to pray and do all else that God would have us do. Family, do we really love as we are called to love? Are we truly compassionate as we are called to be? I confess, I could do much better! How about you?
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 4:27-30 – Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
“Indeed Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed.” Proverbs 19:21 “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.” Job 42:2 “I know that you can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Isaiah 14:27 “For the Lord Almighty has purposed, and who can thwart him? His hand is stretched out, and who can turn it back?” So since these verses agree with each other what does that mean compared to V27? Did God, who knows all things, allow Herod, Pontius Pilate and the rulers of Israel to do this against His plans? No, not at all. We must not think of how God has planned as like how a man plans. A man plans without a sure knowledge of the future. Even the best made plans of man have failed. But God who knows all things, including how we all react to every situation, knows how to bring about His will. Let us not think like a person who is not born from above and so does not understand God and doesn’t know what He has revealed to us through His Word. We know that even in Genesis 22:8 that God was prophesying through Abraham that the Messiah would be provided by God Himself and that the Messiah would be a sin offering. Daniel 9:26 foretells that the Messiah, the Anointed One, will be put to death. Jesus said in John 15:13 that He would lay down His life for us. In John 10:18 Jesus tells of His life saying “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” Jesus said that He would be handed over to men and they will kill Him and then He would rise in three days (Mark 9:31). The death of Jesus was what the Father had sent Jesus to go through for our sake (John 3:16, John 14:28-31). No these men, who thought they were in control were known by God and He knew what they would do in response to all in their life. God, for our sake, put Jesus into the hands of the men who would kill Jesus so that Jesus could shed His blood and become the One who takes the sin of all men upon Himself so that we may have peace with God. They conspired, but God knew. He always knows. His will always is done. Jesus dying for our sins so that He would redeem us was always, before all of creation, the plan of God. God knows all.
“They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.” Here it is clearly stated that the will of men had very little, nothing, to do with Jesus death. God had foretold of the death of the Messiah for the sins of man. All that happened was as God foreknew, as God had ordained. No surprises. No great victory by the enemy. The only great victory was the victory of Jesus that He purposed and did for our sake, in obedience to the will of the Father, and His own will. Praise God!
“Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” These disciples of Jesus, having been imprisoned and threatened, knew that the one in control is God. They did not shrink away and pray for God to use somebody else. They prayed for boldness to preach the Gospel in the face of opposition and danger. To do it boldly. They prayed that they would continue to see God heal people and that they would to perform miraculous signs and wonders in the name of Jesus. They didn’t want to put on a show. They cared not for the praise of men. They wanted fulfill the great commission to preach the Gospel to the world. The signs and wonders were only to get the attention of the unsaved to lead them to the Light of God to the world, who is Jesus.
So should we pray that we would be used by God, however God desires, to glorify the name of Jesus by telling people that only through Jesus is there peace between God and man. Praise our Mighty God who, in the face of untold wickedness in the world, remains in control. Family, God is in control. We will be with Him in Heaven. Praise God! Yes, let’s praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 4:23-26 – On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them. 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? 26 The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.
“On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them.” After Peter and John were released they went back their own people. They went back to the family and friends who loved them, who also loved Jesus. They went back to the people who believed the same as them. As the saying goes “Birds of a feather flock together.” They went back to their family of God. Family, we all know many people, some are Believers and some are not. When God has done something great in our lives we want to share it with other Believers so that they can also be blessed and rejoice and praise God with us. If we run to those who do not believe, it is very likely they will not understand. (Though certainly we want to also share the things that God does with non-believers also.) Family who do we “hang out” with. Who do we spend the most time with? Do we spend most of our time with non-believers, or with believers? Non-believers will not believe the miracle or understand the joy. Also, they don’t have the ability to encourage us in the Lord. How can they give what they do not have? Yes, we love the non-believer, but only in the Believer is the Holy Spirit dwelling and moving through (Romans 8:9). Love and visit with the non-believer. Love and live with fellow Believers.
“When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.” When we pray we should start off by considering who we are praying to (Matthew 6:9-10). We must remember that He is the Creator of all things and that He is the Sovereign Lord over all. We do not pray to the open air. Our prayers have a real and divine target. We pray to God, praise God! We pray to God and we know that with God all things are possible (Mark 10:27). If we want to have power of faith in our prayers, we must consider who we are praying to. Also, we should consider how many great things God has done in our lives. When we remember that we are praying to the only omnipotent God who has already lovingly answered so many prayers, we will pray for faith. It is with faith that we present our prayers to God (James 1:6-8).
“You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: “‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?” After the disciples of Jesus heard the testimony of Peter and John they, remembered scripture (Psalm 2:1-2) and knowing that they were seeing the fulfillment of it, they praised God. Family, we cannot remember scripture if we have not read and studied it. If we have not read and studied the Word of God then we cannot recall what was never known by us. If we don’t know the Word of God how will we know if it is being fulfilled? In our day scripture is being fulfilled in the news we hear and see. Some of it has to do with prophecies of the end times, and some of it has to do with the Truth of the Word. Consider how a growing percentage of the population of the world scoffs at the Word of God and considers it foolishness. Even as they do so they fulfill what God has stated two thousand years ago: “Above all, you must understand that in the last days scoffers will come, scoffing and following their own evil desires. 4 They will say, “Where is this ‘coming’ he promised? Ever since our ancestors died, everything goes on as it has since the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:3-4) Read and study the Word because in it are the Words of Life.
The disciples of Jesus were witnessing the fulfillment of this scripture. Both Jew and Gentile rose up against the sovereign will of God as fulfilled and seen in the person Jesus.
“The kings of the earth rise up and the rulers band together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.” Too often we think it is “all about” us. To some degree it is, but ultimately it is all about our Father God and Lord Jesus Christ. The fight to destroy the name and person of Jesus continues. When we are threatened, hurt, and even killed, it is not mainly because of us. It is a stab at the heart of God and His sovereignty. It is an attempt by the evil one to yell his lie to the world that Jesus is not alive but that He is dead. And even if He is alive, the evil one wants the world to believe that He defeated Jesus the Savior of the world. The enemy claims he defeated Jesus and so Jesus is not master of all that is seen but that he is. The devil told Jesus to worship him and He would give the world to Jesus to rule over. Jesus rejected the devil and chased him away. (Matthew 4:8-11) In His obedience to the Father, Jesus was proclaimed the eternal King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus rules over all. Jesus knew who He was and who He is. Though the powers of the world rise against Him, they are all already defeated. Jesus has risen and has ascended and is coming back to rule and reign. That is one hundred percent certain. Just as all of scripture that was meant to be fulfilled to date has come true, so is that truth. Jesus is coming and Family, let’s be found being faithful to Him! Oh, the love of God burns within. May the love of God be a fire that overflows us and sets the world on fire for Him! Whatever we must endure, may the name of God be praised and worshiped! Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 4:21-22 – After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
“After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.” The trial of Jesus by these power hungry men who fought for their riches was done in secret, at night while the people slept. The trial against Jesus was illegal according to their laws and traditions. Afterward they could tell the people whatever lies about Jesus that they wanted to. They judged Jesus over things they did not understand because they would not understand. This trial of Peter and John was during the daylight. The public was available to witness the trial and to judge the outcome of it. Due to the presence of eye witnesses who had seen the healing that had happened in the name of Jesus, these rulers were bootstrapped with no way to punish Peter and John. If they beat or imprisoned Peter and John after such a wonderful miracle, the Jewish people who were not in the rulers syndicate would have rioted. What were the facts? A man had been supernaturally healed and Peter and John had said it was done by the power of the name of Jesus, whom the leaders had killed. These were undeniable facts. Peter and John were guilty of nothing nefarious. The ordinary Jew, the common people, believed that what had been done through Peter and John was of God. The leaders were not going to be able to (not at this time) beat or kill these Apostles of Jesus. So they threatened them again and let them go. Not because of being just or kind, but because they could do nothing else at the time without causing a riot.
“For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.” The man had been handicapped and unable to walk for over forty years. Most, if not all of the people, had seen him sitting at the temple and begging. The people were happy for this man and were praising that God had healed this man. Peter and John had said that God had expressed His mercy to this man through the name of Jesus. If we project ourselves into the same type of situation, seeing a man whom we know who had been physically crippled since birth and to be instantly and completed healed, shouting, jumping and dancing in joy, how amazed would we be? We certainly would not want the persons through whom the healing came to be imprisoned and beaten for having prayed to Jesus and healed the man. Since the man is healed, shouldn’t they at least hear what these men were saying?
Family, Peter and John were steadfast in their witness for Jesus. Or it could be expressed that they were stubborn in their faith. The rulers opposed them and wanted them to stop speaking of Jesus to the people. Yet they could not release the Truth that they were firmly convinced of. Even if threatened with imprisonment or death, they would not turn from the Truth. Yes, they had seen Jesus die, but then, gloriously, they had seen Him resurrected from the dead and had seen Him ascend to Heaven. No there was no stopping them from telling all they had seen and heard (Acts 4:20). Neither should we! May we be stubborn for Jesus! Let us live in gratitude to Jesus that is lived out in all we do and all we say. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with
Mark 8:36 – What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?
Perhaps, more than any other verse, the Lord has used this verse to keep me focused (not that I have never temporarily lost proper focus). This scripture grabs me. In the end, we all will stand before Him and answer to Him. (Romans 14:10-12) Praise God for His grace. Ultimately there is only one question of highest importance and that question is “Have I loved and served God through Jesus Christ.” (Acts 4:12, 1 Timothy 2:5) If the answer is “no” then it matters not if I make millions, or have served millions, or have become powerful in business and of great influence. It doesn’t matter if I have done a million good deeds and if everyone thinks I am great if, when I stand before the Lord Jesus He says to me “…I never knew you…” (Matthew 7:21-23) That prospect for me, for those I love and for those I know, is horrifying!
When my sons were wee ones, I repeatedly reminded them that it is of no eternal value to have the praise of man and not of God. I would teach them this verse and would often ask them what is most important in life. They would say, with the full enthusiasm of a child “Jesus!” Yes, I told them this from very young. Remembering their sweet faces and lovely voices in response is one of my greatest memories. I also have, and will, tell this to anyone who will listen. Jesus, what we do with Jesus, is ultimately, the only eternal thing that matters.
There are no parties in hell. No one in hell is concerned about power. There is only suffering. But in Heaven, there is no suffering, only the love and rule of God. I want to be in heaven. It is my highest goal for myself and for all I love and know. So Family, what is the most important thing in our lives? What do we burn for? If it is Christ, we will have what we burn for. If it is not Christ, we may achieve anything and everything else, and then burn for it.
Seek God, with all that we are (Mark 12:30), and our place with Him is sure and secure. Truly, with all that is within me, I hope we all eternally party…in heaven (Revelation 19:6-9). That’s the best! That’s the sure destiny for all who love and serve God through Jesus. Praise our loving and good God! Embrace Him and find that He is embracing you. Praise God!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob withActs 4:18-20 – Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.
Wait, let’s wrap our minds around this. So the Sanhedrin had no convincing arguments against the miracle performed and the testimony of Peter and John. Fact – they were responsible for the death of the innocent Jesus (Acts 2:22-23). Fact – When Jesus died on the cross, the veil (About sixty feet high and four inches thick) in their Temple that separated the Holy of Holies from the rest of the Temple was suddenly torn in half, though not by any human hand. Fact – Jesus rose from the dead and many saw him. Fact – When Jesus rose from the dead many “Holy People” also rose from their graves and went into Jerusalem where they were seen by many (Matthew 27:52-53). Fact – The supernatural event at Pentecost, attributed to the person and name of Jesus was witnessed by a huge crowd and talked about in all of Jerusalem. Fact – A man lame from birth was prayed for in Jesus name and the man was completely healed and began to leap and dance around and that was witnessed by many (including themselves) and then a huge buzz spread through the city. So now, after an undeniable supernatural event and a supernatural healing, which the Sanhedrin could not explain and not deny, they were going to warn these disciples of Jesus to stop being excited, committed and devoted to Jesus? They wanted to shut up these people? Well it is easy to see why God described these leaders as “stiff-necked” who too often resisted God. (Exodus 32:9, Deuteronomy 9:13, 2 Kings 17:14, Nehemiah 9:16, Jeremiah 17:23) But then again, how often are we “stiff-necked?”
Peter and John, serving the risen Savior (whom they had seen and touched (1 John 1:1)) who is the King of kings and Lord of lords, were not about to let any person on earth dissuade them. Whether they had to suffer (and they would) or die (Peter was martyred), they would not be deterred or stopped in the mission that Jesus gave them to take the Gospel to all the earth (Mark 16:15). They served God the Son and so they served God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. They were His servants that were sent by Him and protected Him. There is no way that any man, or any group of men, were going to make them shrink from what Jesus had commanded them to do. Their minds raced with the joy and pleasure of Jesus. Their hearts burned. No, they were going to spread the news of Jesus wherever they were and whenever they could!
How about us? Do our minds race as the Word of God explodes within? Do our hearts burn with a growing love for Jesus? Are the revelations given by the Holy Spirit like a river that cannot be contained and must be released through our mouth? That is how Peter and John were, and certainly we likewise serve the Lord. Certainly they were uniquely empowered, but we also are empowered and protected by God. Let us let the fire out of our heart and the Word of God from our brains out of us and release it to the world. Let nothing stop us. With God with us, who can oppose us? Praise God! He is so very good and He loves us so very much!
Psalm 150:6 – Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!
Micah 7:7 – But as for me, I watch in hope for the Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear me.
Micah 6:8 – He has shown You, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.
by Bob with