Acts 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.