Acts 4:1-4<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0The priests and the captain of the temple guard\u00a0and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2\u00a0They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.\u00a03\u00a0They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail\u00a0until the next day.\u00a04\u00a0But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew\u00a0to about five thousand.<\/i><\/p>\n
John 16:33\u00a0<\/b>–\u00a0I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace.\u00a0In this world you will have trouble.\u00a0But take heart! I have overcome\u00a0the world.<\/i><\/p>\n
1 Peter 4:12<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cThe priests and the captain of the temple guard\u00a0and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 When we speak the Word of God, when we talk about Jesus with joy and without shame, people will notice.\u00a0 As we share the Word of God there are shock waves sent out into the spiritual world.\u00a0\u00a0Isaiah 55:11<\/b>\u00a0states that the Word of God when sent forth, always accomplishes what God has sent it to do.\u00a0\u00a0 When we speak the Word of God to each other, and also to non-believers, it is released into the spiritual world and the physical world.\u00a0 In this world that is so dark spiritually it is a flaming arrow that awakes the dead and brings the hisses of evil.\u00a0 Since the world is dark the released Word of God changes the very nature of what it passes through.\u00a0\u00a0 Dark becomes light.\u00a0 This happens most notably in the spirit, but also in our world as the evidence of what happens in the spirit is evidenced in this world.\u00a0\u00a0 As evil has strongholds in the world, often in the form of laws forbidding God\u2019s righteous Word, when the Word is released the evil in the spirit and in the world is affected.\u00a0 If we speak the Word of God in the workplace there will be an immediate reaction that the Word of God is not welcome there.\u00a0\u00a0 Evil will rise up against the Word and is at the same time rising up against God Himself.\u00a0\u00a0 Like those who rejected the incarnate Word of God, those who reject the written Word of God also reject God Himself.<\/p>\n
Peter and John spoke a message from God to the World and those who oppose God immediately came slithering out.\u00a0 Yet, not only those who oppose, but also those who from the dark saw the light and with honest curiosity came to seek.\u00a0 Those who oppose the work of God will include those who teach a false message, especially where money is concerned.\u00a0 So it was at this time that those who perpetuate evil (a false message) came running out to attempt to put out the light.\u00a0 But the light was seen.\u00a0 The wild fire of the Holy Spirit had drawn in the genuinely curious.\u00a0 The opposition can only distract those who genuinely were not drawn because of the hardness of their hearts.\u00a0 The true seekers are drawn in and they see and understand and they stay.\u00a0 The Author of the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, knows the hearts of people and knows what the response to the Word will be.\u00a0 We, let the blazing arrow go and are witnesses to the work of God.\u00a0 Set the Word free and we see the response of the hungry and the response of evil.\u00a0 We must be careful how we consider what we see and hear because not all that don\u2019t respond are evil, they are not ready yet.\u00a0 All we know is that they have not responded and beyond that, only God knows.<\/p>\n
Some of the response from doing the will of God and speaking His Word will cause us trouble and some of it will bless us.\u00a0 We are not surprised by opposition (1 Peter 4:12<\/b>).\u00a0 Neither are we frightened because Jesus has warned us that with doing God\u2019s will opposition comes.\u00a0 But we need not fear because Jesus has overcome the world and therefore the victory that He had is shared with us (Romans 8:11<\/b>).\u00a0 We rejoice not in the journey, but that our eternal address has been secured by the King of kings and Lord of lords.\u00a0 Because of the great miracle that the Lord used Peter and John to do, both the true seekers and the hateful and fearing came running.\u00a0 Again, God used a miracle to draw people to Him.\u00a0 Peter and John will face a challenge, but God will see them through it.\u00a0 Family, let us not shrink from what the Lord will have us do, but excitedly launch into the adventure, with eyes wide open, as we see God\u2019s will jump from the oceans.\u00a0 Let us release the power of God to the world and watch God work.\u00a0 Praise our God!\u00a0 Oh yes, praise our God!<\/p>\n
Psalm 150:6<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.\u00a0 Praise the Lord!<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 7:7<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0But as for me, I watch\u00a0in hope\u00a0for the\u00a0Lord, I wait for God my Savior; my God will hear\u00a0me.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>\n
Micah 6:8<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0He has shown You, O man, what\u00a0is\u00a0good; And what does the\u00a0Lord\u00a0require of You but to do justly, to love mercy, And to walk humbly with Your God.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Acts 4:1-4\u00a0–\u00a0The priests and the captain of the temple guard\u00a0and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2\u00a0They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.\u00a03\u00a0They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1192],"tags":[82,103,100,94,90,17,10],"class_list":["post-1369","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-devotion","tag-acts","tag-isaiah","tag-john","tag-micah","tag-peter","tag-psalm","tag-romans"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1369"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1370,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1369\/revisions\/1370"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1369"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1369"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.Bob4God.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1369"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}