Acts 4:31<\/b>\u00a0–\u00a0After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.\u00a0And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit\u00a0and spoke the word of God\u00a0boldly.<\/i><\/p>\n
\u201cAfter they prayed\u2026<\/i>\u201d\u00a0 What had they prayed?\u00a0 They had been threatened and imprisoned by the same people who had insisted on the killing of Jesus (Acts 5:30<\/b>).\u00a0 Peter and John fully understood the threat, \u201cshut up about Jesus or else!\u201d\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 Yet they did not dwell on the threats but reminded themselves who God is and how great He is (Acts 4:24-26<\/b>).\u00a0 They didn\u2019t look at the ones who threatened them but instead looked at God.\u00a0 David did the same thing when facing Goliath.\u00a0 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.\u00a0 David slew Goliath because God was with him.\u00a0 The Lord God told Moses\u00a0<\/span>\u201cDo not be afraid.\u00a0Stand firm and you will see\u00a0the deliverance the\u00a0Lord\u00a0will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see\u00a0again.\u00a014\u00a0The\u00a0Lord\u00a0will fight\u00a0for you; you need only to be still.<\/i>\u201d\u00a0<\/i>(Exodus 14:13-14<\/b>)\u00a0 \u00a0Then the Lord told Moses to stop crying out to Him but to do what Moses had been told to do.\u00a0 Move out and trust God.\u00a0 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<\/b>).\u00a0 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.\u00a0 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\u2019s people.\u00a0 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<\/b>). So Moses could see the Red Sea before them all and he had to see the impossible with eyes of faith.\u00a0 God said to cross and they crossed.\u00a0 Nothing that opposed David or the people of Israel mattered.\u00a0 They only thing that matters is what God had for them to do.\u00a0 Giants were slain and a sea parted by the hand of God.\u00a0 The will of God prevails. His hand is for us! (Isaiah 41:10<\/b>).<\/p>\n 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\u2019 words that He would remain with them, they obeyed God and God blessed them for that.<\/p>\n The place where they had met was shaken.\u00a0 Family and Friends, this was not an emotional shaking but a shaking of the building that they were in.\u00a0 At Pentecost the power of the Holy Spirit filled them.\u00a0 Power was flowing in.\u00a0 Here the Holy Spirit was again filling them with supernatural power and the power was flowing out of them.\u00a0 So much power was flowing out of them that even the room shook as they boldly spoke the Word of God. \u201cJesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.<\/i>\u201d (Hebrews 13:8<\/b>)\u00a0 Family that kind of power is still being shown in many parts of the world.\u00a0 Parts of the world who read and believe that Jesus is the same for us today as He was for the disciples then.\u00a0 After all, when He prayed for them He also prayed for us (John 17:20-21<\/b>).\u00a0 Of course, how and when the Lord moves miraculously is always up to Him.\u00a0 We should continue to believe and continue to pray for God\u2019s mighty hand to move through and among us.\u00a0 If the dead are not raised, okay, that is the will of God.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 If they are raised, okay, that is the will of God.\u00a0 Praise God!\u00a0 We pray in faith believing in God\u2019s ability to do what we ask and at the same time joyfully and thankfully yield to His will.\u00a0 Let His will be done and let His praise be always on our lips.\u00a0 Let\u2019s not back down, but always may the army of God advance. We have work to do.\u00a0 Praise God!<\/p>\n Power, Power, Wonder Working Power<\/p>\n