The Eternal Adventure Chapter 3
The First Miracle
Recap: Jesus has left the Mission in the hands of the 11 disciples as well as the others he was with in the 40 days after is Resurrection. He told them to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit has descended and empowered them. On the Day of Pentecost, that event occurred in a public setting where many saw the results of the Holy Spirit's actions. Peter spoke boldly to the crowd, connecting Hebrew prophecies to the event as well as the death and resurrection of Jesus. Over 3000 people received Jesus as there Savoir and Lord that day. The result was the formation of a Christian community where they worshipped and studied God's words together, shared their material possession to those who had needs, as well as sharing meals and intimate times together.
Peter and John went to the Temple one afternoon to take part in the three o’clock prayer service. As they approached the Temple, a man lame from birth was being carried in. Each day he was put beside the Temple gate, the one called the Beautiful Gate, so he could beg from the people going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for some money. Acts 3:1-2
Here is the South Steps into the Temple where this event probably took place.
Peter and John looked at him intently, and Peter said, “Look at us!” The lame man looked at them eagerly, expecting a gift. But Peter said, “I don’t have any money for you. But I’ll give you what I have. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, get up and walk!”
Then Peter took the lame man by the right hand and helped him up. And as he did, the man’s feet and anklebones were healed and strengthened. He jumped up, stood on his feet, and began to walk! Then, walking, leaping, and praising God, he went into the Temple with them.
All the people saw him walking and heard him praising God. When they realized he was the lame beggar they had seen so often at the Beautiful Gate, they were absolutely astounded! They all rushed out to Solomon’s Colonnade, where he was holding tightly to Peter and John. Everyone stood there in awe of the wonderful thing that had happened. Acts 3:3-11
Do You believe in Miracles?
Here are some famous thinkers opinions:
"Faith in miracles must yield ground, step by step, before the steady and firm advance of the forces of science, and its total defeat is indubitably a mere matter of time." Max Planck 1858-1947
"All the tales of miracles, with which the Old and New Testament are filled, are fit only for impostors to preach and fools to believe." Thomas Paine 1736-1809
"Miracles do not happen." Matthew Arnold 1822-1888
Miracle: an event that cannot be explained according to the laws of nature and is considered to be an act of God or something extremely lucky that would not normally be possible.
Miracles by definition are supernatural events, or the results of extreme chance. For members of the family of God, chance events are rare. Miraculous manifestations of the presence of God are not. They are common and expected. They are often referred to as “Signs”. They serve a dual purpose of meeting an immediate need, as well as proclaiming who God actually is.
We all have a time in our lives where we need a miracle.
"Miracles are not contrary to nature, but only contrary to what we know about nature." Saint Augustine
With God too, anything is possible, because after all, He is the Creator who exists above the timeline and who operates outside the physical laws of this universe. When He wants to do something, it will happen. And when it goes against the laws of physics, medicine, economics, behavior, and relationships, we are astounded, and proclaim it to be “a miracle.”
Remember that Jesus asked His disciples to wait in Jerusalem until the Holy Spirit had empowered them before they went forth as His Witnesses.
Some of the results of this supernatural empowerment include the spiritual gifts that are listed in 1 Corinthians 12 and Romans 12. According to the Bible, these “empowerments” are possessed to some degree by each member of the Body of Christ and are to be used to serve others and bring attention to our Lord Jesus.
The South Steps and Mt of Olives in the distance.
Here are the facts of this miracle:
- Peter & John were on their way to worship at the Temple;
- They passed a man who had been born lame, who was over 40 years old, and had been brought to the gate of the Temple to beg for alms for many years;
- Jesus had probably passed this man many times on his way into the Temple;
- With sudden inspiration, Peter proclaimed that God was going to allow this man to walk;
- When he lifted the man by his right hand, the man’s feet and ankles were healed and strengthened;
- The formerly lame man was able to walk and leap, and this resulted in him loudly and unabashedly proclaiming that God had indeed intervened in nature and healed him;
- The crowd at the Temple took notice, and were ‘astonished’.
The Greek word used in the text for astonished is ekstasis, which means “an ecstasy in which the mind is for a time carried, as it were, out of or beyond itself and lost: great astonishment.”
Miracles take us out of our standard way of thinking into a realm where all norms are laid aside. Suddenly we are open to a new way of belief. Deep Desires only hoped for are now possible.
Principle: God loves to take us out of our own minds and into His.
Think for a moment. What are some of your deep desires that you long to see fulfilled?
Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart. Psalms 37:4
Principle: God wants you to keep on praying. Get out of your mind and into His. Let Him fill you with His desires for your life. Let them become yours. And He will satisfy and fulfill your heart.
Buildings in front of the South Steps
Peter sees an opportunity with this miracle and addresses the crowd.
11 While he was clinging to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them at the so-called portico of Solomon, full of amazement.
12 But when Peter saw this, he replied to the people, “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this, or why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His servant Jesus, the one whom you delivered and disowned in the presence of Pilate, when he had decided to release Him. 14 But you disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 15 but put to death the Prince of life, the one whom God raised from the dead, a fact to which we are witnesses. 16 And on the basis of faith in His name, it is the name of Jesus which has strengthened this man whom you see and know; and the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect health in the presence of you all. Acts 3:11-16
Peter points out that it was not him that caused this miracle, but rather Jesus of Nazareth, who was rejected by the authorities and the people, and crucified, who was responsible for this healing. Jesus is alive, and Peter and the others are witnesses of his resurrection. Now he softens his speech to appeal to the crowd.
“Friends, I realize that what you did to Jesus was done in ignorance; and the same can be said of your leaders. But God was fulfilling what all the prophets had declared about the Messiah beforehand—that he must suffer all these things. Now turn from your sins and turn to God, so you can be cleansed of your sins. Then wonderful times of refreshment will come from the presence of the Lord, and he will send Jesus your Messiah to you again. For he must remain in heaven until the time for the final restoration of all things, as God promised long ago through his prophets. Acts 3:17-21
Peter announces that according to the Jewish prophets of old, Jesus had to die for our sins. Now it was the responsibility of all to turn from our own sinful paths, and return to a personal walk with the Lord, who will forgive us of all our sins. When we make this decision, we will enter a time of refreshment by being in God’s very real presence.
It is interesting to note that the Greek word for refreshment is “anapsyxis”, which has the sense of refreshment, relaxation from burdensome circumstance, or a state of cheer after a difficult time. (from the Dictionary of Biblical Languages with Sematic Domains).
It can also mean "a recovery of breath”.
In the normal course of this life, with all its cares and problems, Peter declares that once we enter into a personal relationship with God, things will change.
Principle: Jesus, our Lord, will be there to bear our burdens and provide us with cheerful relief, refreshment, and relaxation in this life as well as in the next. This is one of the practical benefits of being a member of God’s family.
Peter finishes his speech with some cultural connections of Jesus with Moses, Samuel, and Abraham. These Old Testament characters understood who Jesus is, and spoke about Him, and the effect He would have on mankind.
“Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up a Prophet like me from among your own people. Listen carefully to everything he tells you (Deuteronomy 18:15).’ Then Moses said, ‘Anyone who will not listen to that Prophet will be cut off from God’s people and utterly destroyed.’
“Starting with Samuel, every prophet spoke about what is happening today. You are the children of those prophets, and you are included in the covenant God promised to your ancestors. For God said to Abraham, ‘Through your descendants all the families on earth will be blessed.’ (Genesis 22:18)
When God raised up his servant, he sent him first to you people of Israel, to bless you by turning each of you back from your sinful ways.” Acts 3:22-26
Was this an effective message? Did Peter connect the dots for his audience? Luke records:
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the leading priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees came over to them. They were very disturbed that Peter and John were claiming, on the authority of Jesus, that there is a resurrection of the dead. They arrested them and, since it was already evening, jailed them until morning. But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so that the number of believers totaled about five thousand men, not counting women and children. Acts 4:1-4
Yes, Peter’s message was clear to the religious authorities, who were mostly from the Sadducee party, which did not believe in a future resurrection. They were incensed that Peter was proclaiming this event through the resurrection of Jesus. They sent John and Peter to jail. The crowd however responded positively to Peter’s message, and now over 5000 men, along with many women and children, were members of the Christian community.
Principle: Its important to know your audience and step into their world when proclaiming the Gospel.
What an event! What a miracle! What a harvest!
I have sat many times on the South Steps of the Temple in Jerusalem, in the area where this miracle probably took place, contemplating this event. The irregular width of the steps, so that one could not just approach God without thinking about his steps, often cause deep contemplation of my own steps..
A group of Randy Smith's disciples in 2006
How many times did Jesus pass by this man born lame who would be just a few years older than Jesus? Did he pass him by with a smile on his face, knowing what was in store for this invalid in only a short time? Did he stop and speak with this man, encouraging him that indeed God knew his situation, and cared? Did Jesus hint to him that God had a plan to use him in a way that he could not even imagine? I can’t help but believe that Jesus did stop to speak with this future disciple; Maybe more than once.
I have spent the past four decades walking with Jesus, involved in discipleship and evangelism ministry. In these years, I don’t think I have seen even close to 500 come into the kingdom because of my efforts.
Yet this man, who often passed his days without much going on, with little hope beyond meeting the needs of today, with thoughts of how God had cursed him from his birth, was used through his faith to bring thousands into the Kingdom. Somehow, I find great encouragement in that.
This may be a word for you who have often felt forgotten by God.
Principle: You have a Divine purpose in your life. Be ready! Your season is coming, and here. God knows what He has planned for you. Regardless of age, young or old, regardless of experience, God has you in mind today, and will put you where He wants to to do what He has called you to do.
Luke continues:
5 The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. Acts 4:5-6
The day after this amazing miracle, Annas the High Priest, along with Caiaphas, John, and Alexander and all their cronies called Peter and John before them to explain their actions. Imagine the scene: Learned Men who were the spiritual leaders of the nation of Israel, who had devoted their lives to God, His Laws, as well as the traditions of the rabbis. In front of them stood two Galilean fishermen, and a formerly lame 40-year-old man who had lain at the gates of the Temple for many years.
- On one side were the religious elite; on the other were common men.
- The religious leaders were dressed according to the personal wealth they possessed.
- The fishermen and beggar were attired in rugged clothing, displaying their low station in life.
- The elite had heard of and taught about the miracles of God for generations, but they personally had not experienced any supernatural involvement with God.
- These common men had just performed an electrifying miracle.
The contrast could not have been more stunning.
They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Leaders and elders of our nation, are we being questioned because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? Let me clearly state to you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed in the name and power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the man you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead. For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says,
‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’
There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of heaven for people to call on to save them.” Acts 4:7-12
The stone that the builders rejected? Why did Peter pull this seemingly obscure verse from the book of Psalms? What is he talking about?
There were three events in Jerusalem which required the attendance of all Jewish males- Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Tabernacles. It was the custom of the traveling families to sing the “Songs of Ascent”, Psalms 120-134, as they journeyed up to Jerusalem, which sits at 2800 above sea level. Jericho, in the Jordan Valley, is seven miles east of Jerusalem and 830 below sea level. It was a steep walk uphill from Jericho to Jerusalem!
According to the rabbinical traditions, when the pilgrims reached the top of the Mount of Olives, they shifted to singing Psalm 113, and then Psalm 114 as they began the descent into the Kidron Valley. Psalm 115 and Psalm 116 were sung as they looked down on the Temple and walked through the graveyards along the valley. Psalm 117 is a short one (two verses) for the steep uphill walk from the bottom of the Kidron valley to the Temple gate, and finally, as they entered the Temple, it was common practice to sing Psalm 118.
Listen to the words of this prophetic song that every Jew for generations sung during these three annual pilgrimages.
Open for me the gates where the righteous enter, and I will go in and thank the Lord.
Those gates lead to the presence of the Lord, and the godly enter there.
I thank you for answering my prayer and saving me!
The stone rejected by the builders has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous to see.
This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Please, Lord, please save us. Please, Lord, please give us success.
Psalm 118:19-25
This verse was so significant that in one of his conversations with the religious leaders, Jesus applied this passage of Scripture to Himself in the parable of the vineyard in Mark 12, where the owner sends a number of his servants to collect the rent for the vineyard from the tenants, who beat all and eventually kill some of the servants. Finally, the owner sends his son, thinking they would not dare to kill him, but the tenants do, since he is the heir.
“What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do?” Jesus asked. “I’ll tell you—he will come and kill those farmers and lease the vineyard to others. Didn’t you ever read this in the Scriptures?
‘The stone that the builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.
This is the Lord’s doing, and it is wonderful to see.’” Mark 12:9-11
We could conceive in our minds an understanding of this passage: How Jesus, the true foundation of the Kingdom of God, was rejected by the religious leaders because He didn’t obey their laws and traditions, and did not fit into their perceptions of who the Messiah would be. We could be satisfied with this understanding.
But there is an even more meaningful, even more electrifying illustration of this principle.
When the Assyrian Empire was sweeping through the northern Kingdom of Israel in the 8th Century B.C., many refugees fled this conflict to the city of Jerusalem. It was during this time that the King of Judah ordered the building of an extension of the city wall to encompass those “daughters” of Jerusalem who were residing outside of the city walls. A portion of this wall is visible in the Jewish Quarter of the Old City today.
One of the quarries where the stones were cut for this wall is to the west of the ancient wall. This quarry was active until the 6th century B.C. when the Babylonians conquered Judah. For over 500 years the quarry sat abandoned, used only for the burial of the dead. Amid this quarried area is one promontory of rock that has cracks running throughout the limestone. The stone cutters quarried about this cracked rock, as it was unsuitable for construction.
When the Romans arrived in the First Century B.C, they used this outcropping of rock of the abandoned quarry to execute their prisoners. This promontory was visible to all travelers who were heading west on the coast road, and this “public visibility” was important for the terror control that the Romans wanted to exert on their subjects.
The Scriptures record that Jesus was led outside the city to the “Place of the Skull” where he was crucified. When His body was removed, it was taken to a nearby tomb which had never been used.
Today the Church of the Holy Sepulcher sits atop this site.
When you enter the door to this church constructed in the 11th and 12th century, you can take an immediate right turn, climb 28 steep steps, and find yourself standing before a glitzy altar that sits on top of this outcropping of rock.
Recently, archeologists covered the top of this rock with plexiglass panels, which clearly reveal the cracks running through the rock.
Descend down the back stairs and you are standing in front of the ‘Chapel of Adam’, where these fractures are upfront and close.
Less than 150 feet away from the chapel is the Syrian Chapel, where in the 1890’s the walls of the Holy Sepulcher were moved further out in an expansion effort, revealing a series of First Century “kohem” style tombs.
These individual tombs became popular in the First Century A.D. (probably because of Hellenistic influence) and proves that this area was clearly a burial ground during the time of Jesus.
In the 2016 renovation of the Edicule, the traditional burial site structure below the open dome of the Holy Sepulcher, as the archeologists removed the marble slab where Jesus’ body was said to have been laid, they discovered another marble slab with an etched cross in the middle and below that a part of a tomb from Jesus’ day, previously unknown, with hollowed out bedrock where a body was laid.
I have stood often in front of the altar at the top of the promontory and sat for long periods in the Chapel of Adam. I have taken many of my friends into the tombs on the side of the Syrian Chapel.
The physical evidence for Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection is overwhelming and compelling.
As you stand looking at the cracks running through the stone that was rejected by the builders in the 8th centuries B.C., and where the Son of God died for your and my sins, you cannot help but be stunned by God’s grand design to demonstrate His presence among men, and His Grace to invite us into His family.
The stone that the 8th century builders rejected has indeed become the cornerstone for your and my salvation! It is a powerful image for any who visit this site and connect the Biblical Scriptures.
Peter finishes with a message that rocked the theology of the Sanhedrin which continues to create waves in our modern society: Jesus is the source of our salvation and the only way to be reconciled with God. Christianity is superior to all the world religions.
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.” Acts 4:12
It is important to remember that Christianity was born in the Roman world where many gods were worshipped. Yet Peter and all the other apostles, evangelists and teachers proclaimed that Jesus was greater than any Greco-Roman god, and the only true God. This is a universal claim to the absolute truth that Christians have declared for the past two millennium.
We live in a similar pluralistic world, where many religions abound. Modern society often tells us who are followers of Jesus that our claim to be the one true religion is too exclusive, too narrow, and downright arrogant. We are told that because we have Muslin, Buddhist, and Hindu neighbors, we cannot claim that Jesus is the only way to heaven but must recognize that all religions are valid.
We are told that we can believe in Jesus, but we must not proclaim that he is better than all the other teachers in history.
It is at this point that we must remember the things that Jesus said about himself:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was born, I am.” John 8:58
“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me. John 14:6
“Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins have been forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Get up and walk’? 24 But, so that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins,”—He said to the paralytic—“I say to you, get up, and pick up your stretcher and go home.” Luke 5:23-24
For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 39 This is the will of Him who sent Me, that of all that He has given Me I lose nothing, but raise it up on the last day. 40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him will have eternal life, and I Myself will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:38-40
Among the great teachers in history, Jesus is the only one who said
1) I am eternal
2) I am not here to show you the way because I am the only way to heaven.
3) I have the authority to forgive sin and the power to heal.
4) I myself will resurrect all believers from the dead on that last day.
Mohammed, Siddhartha, Plato, Gandhi, nor any other made such claims.
Toyohiko Kagawa (1888-1960), was a young Japanese orphan who met a Christian missionary couple who taught him English. In the process he converted to Christianity and became a leader of the Jesus movement in Japan in the early 20th century. He was a prolific writer and well known for his social activism.
One of his more famous quotes expresses the exclusivity of Christ:
“I am grateful for Shinto, for Buddhism, for Confucianism. I owe much to these faiths. Yet they could not meet me at the moment of my deepest needs. I was a pilgrim journeying on a long road that had no turning. I was weary. I was foot sore. I wandered through a dark and dismal world where tragedies were thick. Buddhism teacher great compassion, but since the beginning of time, who have ever said ‘This is the blood of my covenant which is poured out for the remission of sin?’”.
Toyohiko is correct.
No one in history proclaimed that his blood would pay for all sin.
Either Jesus is right, or he is wrong, but he is not like the leaders of any world religion.
He is either a liar, a lunatic, or indeed Lord of this universe.
Millions in the pluralistic Roman society recognized the brilliance of Jesus’ teaching and the compelling purity of his character, They believed the evidence of Jesus’ resurrection and they concluded that indeed He is the Christ.
Since then, billions have received him as their Lord. Today, Christianity is experiencing phenomenal growth in Asia, Africa, Latin America, and even in parts of Europe and North America. The evidence of the Resurrection, His character and His teaching are still compelling. This is why a movement that began among a small group in a remote corner of the Roman Empire became in a relatively short time the official religion of the Empire, and continues to reach many across cultural lines in all parts of the world.
Now Luke and the Holy Spirit give us a most empowering principle of ministry.
The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men who had had no special training. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. But since the man who had been healed was standing right there among them, the council had nothing to say. Acts 4:13-14
The well-trained, well-educated members of the Ruling Council did not expect these Galilean fishermen to speak in such an eloquent and compelling manner. After all, they were “ordinary men with no special training”. The original Greek text uses a word here to describe Peter & John that is noteworthy: Idiotes.
This word means “illiterate and unskilled”. We get a word in our English language from this: Idiot.
In one of my moments of frustration with my four year old son Lukas, I told him to stop acting like an idiot. He asked me what an idiot was, and I quickly came up with a reasonable answer: “An idiot is someone who doesn’t know how to tie his shoes”
It was a few years later that he, Mikaela and I were walking through our neighborhood. As sometimes happened, they began loudly arguing. I told them to stop acting like idiots. Lukas looked at me and said: “Poppy, I know how to tie my shoes”.
I stopped, wondering why he said that, and suddenly I remembered. I started laughing, amazed at the memory of my son!
As these learned men stood with these ordinary men, they considered them men who could not tie their spiritual shoes and were unqualified to participate in any ministry. But they also realized something even more important: These were men who had spent time with Jesus.
Again, the contrast is evident: educated and trained men who had rejected Jesus’ teaching, miracles, and authority, who were powerless in spiritual matters versus “idiots” who had spent considerable time with Jesus, and who has accomplished a very evident miracle.
Here is the principle for all who have decided to follow the Great Commission mandate:
Principle: God loves to use ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things.
In 1984, I traveled to Honduras on what I thought was going to be a two-week trip to deliver some relief supplies to Nicaraguan Miskito refugees. My trip was extended, and eventually I made it back to Maui in May of 1986, to collect my things, and return to Honduras by July of that same year. It was that summer that we began Project Ezra, our primary school project, which has continued for over 37 years. I have no professional credentials as an educator. Yet God chose to use me along with other “idiotes” to put together a Christian education project that has lasted decades.
It was the year 2002 that my good friend and pastor from Hope Chapel Maui, Craig Englert, visited us on the Rio Coco. It was an intense two weeks of rain, mud, bugs, and hot weather as we visited our schools and worked with our teachers, pastors, and students. One afternoon Craig made this comment to me: “Mike, this project has certainly been a work of the Lord.”
Sensing a compliment coming from one of my closest friends, I replied: “Why do you say that Craig?”
His response was surprising, but spot on:
“I know you well, and on your best day you could never have pulled this off.”
He is right. God loves to use willing idiotes to accomplish great things for Him. Why? So that when people notice, they will be assured that God is indeed God and capable of using anybody to accomplish His great things!
A second principle from this passage is equally important:
Principle: Spending time with Jesus is the most important thing a Christian can do.
We all can adopt a lifestyle of living with Jesus on a daily basis.
We can talk with Him, read His Word, sing songs of worship to Him, hang out with His family members, and be involved in works of service with Him to the people around us.
The disciples did all this when Jesus was with them, and we have the opportunity to do the same today. It is our personal time with Jesus that really causes deep changes to take place inside us. Our intimate moments with Him help us realign our thinking to His thoughts and ways.
It’s like we are in a boat with a long rope tied to a dock. Standing on the dock is Jesus. As we pull ourselves closer and closer to the dock, we get closer to God. That is the effect of prayer, worship, reading His Words, and experiencing His presence.
It is in these private times that issues are discussed, frustrations expressed, and forgiveness given and received. Burdens are lifted, solutions are revealed, and refreshment is provided. And in the process, we begin to love our Lord even more.
Principle: Spending time with Jesus is the oxygen of our spiritual life. We cannot survive long without it.
Luke continues:
So they sent Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves. “What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny they have done a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. But perhaps we can stop them from spreading their propaganda. We’ll warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.”
So they called the apostles back in and told them never again to speak or teach about Jesus.
But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? We cannot stop telling about the wonderful things we have seen and heard.”
The council then threatened them further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God for this miraculous sign—the healing of a man who had been lame for more than forty years. Acts 4:15-22
Should we bow to the pressure of religious or political leaders and curtail our efforts to build the Kingdom?
According to Peter, not if God is telling us to!
Principle: Even when threatened with physical punishment and banishment we must have the courage to continue on the path that God has placed us. The important key is to hear from God and know what direction He wants you to go. When we meet with opposition, we must often pause and reconfirm God’s direction, and then press on with boldness and confidence.
Peter, John, and the formerly lame man were released, and returned to the other disciples. Where it might be natural to pray for protection against the threats of the authorities, these disciples asked the Lord for something different.
And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give your servants great boldness in their preaching. Send your healing power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
After this prayer, the building where they were meeting shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. And they preached God’s message with boldness. Acts 4:29-31
When God does something special in your midst, expect opposition from the world and from satan and his demons. Just as spiritual empowerments were considered normal by those First Century believers, this worldly and spiritual opposition was also part of their landscape.
Peter and the others understood this, and prayed not for protection, but for boldness in their preaching, and more miraculous signs and wonders.
Shall we not do the same?
Let us proceed with boldness in the ministry that God has called us to!
It is our time now. Our world needs a dose of genuine, loving Christianity
Our Study Group sitting on the steps outside the door of the Holy Sepluchre 2018
The South Steps are very special to me. I have spent hours there meditating on all those who walk up these steps, and especially my Lord, Savior, and Hero Jesus, and all that God did through them.
In 2006, we did a special dedication ceremony for our daughter Mikaela, who just turned 15, and our son Lukas who would soon turn 14.
Many of our family friends from Maui and Florida were there to lay hand on them and join in this dedication of their lives for the Lord and His purposes.
What an honor it was to dedicate our children at this very historically significant place for any worshipper of Yahweh. It was a special time.
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