April 20, 2014

Bold Resurrection Preaching

Acts 4: 23 - 31

Luke

As soon as they were freed, Peter and John found the other believers and told them what the leading priests and elders had said.  Then all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer. "O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - you spoke long ago by the Holy spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant, saying, 'Why did the nations rage?  Why did the people waste their time with futile plans?  The kings of the earth prepared for battle, the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Messiah.'

"That is what has happened here in this city!  For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus your holy servant, whom you anointed.  In fact, everything they did occurred according to you eternal will and plan.  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.    

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Thoughts....

'Jesus is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!'  This is the responsorial used in many churches today across the world, as the people of the world celebrate the anniversary of Jesus' resurrection on this chosen day.  A day on which all the foundation of Christianity rests....and hangs in a balance. 

This week we will be learning more about boldness, persecution, stepping up and out, eternal life.  I will also talk about the resurrection.  I will tell you more about the resurrection next week, as well.  Because this day is a celebration of the resurrection and families get together, many will not turn their computers on, let alone find time to come to the study table, if you will, to grasp the fullness of the resurrection.  So, I will continue on as usual with our chronological study of Acts.  I am not saying that the other things are more important.  Just that the resurrection is so much more important as the foundation of all we believe, and there is SO much Holy Spirit and I want to share, I want to insure there is a larger group of believers to receive and share thereafter.

So, moving on, Peter and John were very diligent at sharing all that went on around them.  They understood the importance of sharing the Gospel, and about sharing their experiences as leaders of the church, so that others would understand the lengths others would go to attempt to eliminate them and put a stop to the Gospel being shared; of the world seeing Christians for who they are:  loving, giving, kind, caring, competent, skilled, etc., and what they can do:  share truths, convict, raise folks up....even from death (physical and spiritual), heal, etc.  When they shared this on this occasion, 'all the believers were united as they lifted their voices in prayer' saying "O Sovereign Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them - you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit through our ancestor King David, your servant saying, 'Why did the nations rage?  Why did the people waste their time with futile plans?  The kings of the earth prepared for battle; the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Messiah.' 

Does this remind you of Matthew 25:40 which states, "I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!" 

Let's look at what that whole reference states which is Matthew 25:31-46:

"But when the Son of Man comes in his glory [to heaven], and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon his glorious throne [he is there now....seated at the right hand of God].  All the nations will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate them as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.  He will place the sheep [his children, brothers and sisters, those who believe in, follow him, obey him] at his right hand and the goats [those in the world who do not believe in him, nor follow him, or obey him, and are of Satan] at his left.  Then the King [Jesus] will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  For I was hungry, and you fed me.  I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink.  I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me clothing.  I was sick, and you cared for me.  I was in prison, and you visited me.'

"Then these righteous ones [the sheep who....hear his voice....and answer him] will reply, 'Lord [Jesus], when did we ever see you hungry and feed you?  Or thirsty and give you something to drink?  Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing?  When did we ever see you sick or in prison, and visit you?'  And the King [Lord Jesus] will tell them, 'I assure you, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'  [Note the exclamation point.]

"Then the King [Lord Jesus] will turn to those on the left [the goats lost in the pasture, if you will, living their life as they choose under the direction of Satan] and say, 'Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the Devil and his demons!  For I was hungry and you didn't feed me.  I was thirsty, and you didn't give me anything to drink.  I was a stranger, and you didn't invite me into your home.  I was naked, and you gave me no clothing.  I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'

"Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?'  And he will answer, 'I assure you, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.'  And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life." 

Again, yet another reference to help us understand that 'once saved, always saved' is not true.  They may call him Lord, but they knew him not.  Calling Jesus Lord and making him Lord of your life are two different things.  Herein lies a reference to show you the difference.  So, just like the believers who were lifting their voices in prayer were the sheep who hear his voice and follow him, there were goats in the midst 'butting with their heads', if you will. 

So we learn that God spoke by the power of the Holy Spirit through King David who prophesied.  The 'kings of the earth' refers to those who have a heavenly kingdom inheritance as believers in Christ and doers for him and of his word.  The 'rulers' refers to those who believe they rule on the earth, but they are of Satan.  For you can't be of God and of Satan.  You are either for God or against God, and those against God are of Satan.  We, who are Christians, are in constant battle against things of the earth and those who oppose God.  We battle by calling on the Trinity:  Father God, Lord Jesus, and Holy Spirit; and by  preaching the Gospel AS WE LIVE IT DAILY....in thought, word, and deed.....by those things we do for and with the Trinity.   [For those who say that the word 'Trinity' is not in the Bible and are opposed to it, I use it to refer to God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, and it is a common reference to them throughout the world.]

It is clear we will 'have to' battle, therefore we must be prepared for battle.  How we do that is to accept, receive, give, love, read, study, listen, obey, praise, thank, and talk to the Trinity.  How we do battle is to put into practice every day, every moment, what we learn.  And put on God's armor.  See Ephesians 6.

Luke goes on to share in todays lesson what was said, "That is what has happened here in this city!  For Herold Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you anointed."

Do you feel like the whole of the world around you has gone astray sometimes?  Does it seem as if those around you are lost?  They probably are.  We see this because we are Christians, we see things as God, Jesus, Holy Spirit see them....and it grieves their very souls....just like it grieves ours as recipients of the negative behavior of others.  When you are attacked, bullied, abused, hurt, suffer, etc., do not think you are alone.  Jesus suffers yet again when you suffer.  And he would gladly suffer for you, if it would insure you are his, that he would see you in paradise when the last trumpet sounds.  You are never in this world alone, once you accept Jesus as our Savior and make him Lord of your life.  When people hurt you, they are hurting Christ IN you.  Prepare for battle with him.

You've probably heard the phrase 'take up your cross and follow Jesus'.  As Jesus was persecuted and crucified, we are persecuted and crucified daily in many ways.  We die not, if we carry the cross of Jesus and subscribe, as well as commit, to his heavenly ways.  Tho' we may grow weary and faint, we must not give up the fight.  We are instructed accordingly in our lesson today in Acts 4:29-30, as the believers said through prayer, 'And now, O Lord, hear their threats, and give you 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."  Regardless of your life situation, or, what is going on around you, do not let if reside IN you.  Pray the prayers of the believers and trust that God will not only hear your pleas, he will answer them.  Pray with boldness!  Call upon God in Jesus' name by the power of the Holy Spirit!  Believe! 

'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.' 

What does this remind you of?  At Pentecost, many were filled with the Holy Spirit.  Did Holy Spirit come to baptize them again?  No.  They were already baptized with the Holy Spirit.  So why did he come again?  He will always come when you call, and will remain with you to walk with you and teach you how to walk this new (?) journey with him, God and Jesus.  You cannot perform miracles of God without him.  You can't preach the Gospel BOLDLY without him.  You can't be resurrected into heaven without him either.  Call on him, ask him to baptize you.  Call on him, ask him for every help, gift, fruit he will give you.  Abide with him....journey together so that when persecutions come, and they will, and the chasms are deep to cross, you will not fall in or get lost, but arise to cross them.  

What else might this reference remind you?  Could it also remind you of the time, after the resurrection, that the earth shook, rocks split apart, tombs were opened, the curtain in the temple was torn in two, the bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead and went into the holy city of Jerusalem appearing to many people, when Jesus gave up his spirit while hanging on a cross?  Matthew 27:50-54 

Or could this remind you of the time 'early on Sunday morning, as the new day was dawning, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went out to see the tomb [were Jesus was buried]?  And 'suddenly there was a great earthquake [which would have shook the earth], because an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and rolled aside the stone and sat on it.  His face shone like lightning, and his clothing was as white as snow.  The guards shook with fear when they saw him, and they fell into a dead faint. 

Then the angel spoke to the women.  "Don't be afraid!" he said.  "I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified.  He isn't here!  He has been raised from the dead [resurrected], just as he said would happen.  Come, see where his body was lying.  And now, go quickly and tell his disciples he has been raised from the dead [resurrected], and he is going ahead of you to Galilee.  You will see him there.  Remember, I have told you."  Matthew 28:1-7

Could the resurrection have been when Jesus went to the Father before he returned to earth again being able to then be touched as in John 20:17 and 27?  Or when he ascended as in Luke 24:50?  Stay tuned next week as we chat about the continuing saga in documented history of Jesus' life and resurrection. 

So, with boldness, I say, as was said before, 'Remember, I have told you',  Jesus 'has been raised from the dead'....resurrected!  

Alleluia!

May this Easter of resurrection celebration be a joyous one for you and yours.  Happy Easter!  Amen!

Jesus said to Thomas in John 20:29, "You believe because you have seen me.  Blessed are those who haven't seen me and believe anyway.  Alleluia!  Amen!

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 Let Us Pray

God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, I pray mighty nations of believers will rise up against Satan and those in the world who seek to repress, oppress, depress, suppress you and the people who are yours.  May we all come together as one voice praising you and worshiping you, as we go forth in your name proclaiming JESUS IS THE RESURRECTED LORD!  As I, and they, honor you in worship and praise on the anniversary of your resurrection from the grave, may we all praise you and thank you mightily for all you have done in all of our lives and those of our families, and for what you are about to do for all of us.  May we all show you our gratitude in mind, body, spirit and soul, and by what we do for and with you.  Thank you so very much.  We praise you for doing the same for all those who may come to know you through us, as we go forth in your name, and lead them to you.  Amen.

Dear God, Jesus, Holy Spirit, the world so needs you.  Only through you, Jesus, can anyone receive forgiveness of sins, enter heaven and have eternal life.  There is NO other way.  My prayer today is that all who read this, and all Scripture, will accept who you are, that you are, and how wonderful you are, and, believe in a way they have never believed before....with the whole of their heart, their mind, their body, their spirit, and their soul.  That they will believe in you, and believing, accept, and accepting, be willing to receive all you have to give them, listen to you, obey you, praise you and thank you, and then, go forth sharing with all who you are and what you have to offer.  God, I pray this for all in the world.  In Jesus' name, by and with the power of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

If you have not accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior and would like to do so, and you would like to be forgiven of your sins, pray the following, or any prayer from your heart:

God, I believe you created the universe....and me.  Please forgive me of my sins, especially of unbelief in you, Jesus, Holy Spirit.  I believe in you now.  I believe that you, Jesus, lived and died for me, so that I would have the opportunity to receive eternal life, and, that you lived again on earth and now live in heaven eternally.  Holy Spirit, I believe in you, that you were sent to help me know how to live my new life, and help me understand the importance of obeying you, God, and Jesus, so that I can receive eternal life and live in heaven.  I want to receive all the gifts and fruits you want to give me, Holy Spirit.  I want to make Jesus the Lord of my life.  I come to you now, Father God, Jesus, Holy Spirit in humble prayer, with thanksgiving for everything you have done for me and will do for me....and for others through me, as I BOLDLY go forth in your name.  Please heal me and make me whole.  Show me your way, your truth, your Light.  Thank you.  I'm learning to love you more and more.  Amen.      

I pray everyone will now make you, Jesus, LORD of their lives and live a life that leads to resurrection into heaven.  In Jesus' name I pray, by and with the Holy Spirit to Heavenly Father God.  Amen.

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Let us hear from Paul as he prays:  

When I think of the wisdom and scope of God's plan, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth.  I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will give you mighty inner strength through his Holy Spirit.  And I pray that Christ will be more and more at home in your hearts as you trust in him.  May your roots go down deep into the soil of God's marvelous love.  And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love really is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is so great you will never fully understand it.  Then you will be filled with the fullness of life and power that comes from God.

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Scroll down to read Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving...'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'.

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    One last thing....

 Jesus' Prayer of Thanksgiving

'The Unforced Rhythms of Grace'

"Abruptly Jesus broke into prayer:  "Thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth.  You've concealed your ways from sophisticates and know-it-alls, but spelled them out clearly to ordinary people.  Yes, Father, that's the way you like to work."

Jesus resumed talking to the people, but now tenderly.  "The Father has given me all these things to do and say.  This is a unique Father - Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge.  No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does.  But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen."

"Are you tired?  Worn out?  Burned out on religion?  Come to me.  Get away with me and you'll recover your life.  I'll show you how to take a real rest.  Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it.  Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.  I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn how to live freely and lightly.

   Matthew 11:  25-30

  The Message

And the people said,

"Amen."

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I now write most prayers in the position of ' I ' (first person) because most people are sitting at their computer alone, not in groups, and it allows those reading and praying to personalize the prayer as coming from them going to God.  Variations may appear on holidays when families may wish to use the prayer provided.  I encourage you to pray your own prayers as well.

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  Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996.  Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189.  All rights reserved.

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NOTE:  I said it long ago, but let me say it again.  If you are wanting to lead a group, start a church, or are confined in an institution, or live in a country where the Gospel is not preached, and you don't know what to say or how to say it, and yet feel led to share, teach, or preach, besides just reading straight out of the Bible and sharing what God puts on your heart, please feel free to share any or all of what I've written, if it will help you, as long as you include where it comes from, due to copyright laws.  Jesus gave God's love and healing freely, as well as his message.  Our responsibility is to get the Word out to those who need to hear it.  If what I've written....by the power and direction of the Holy Spirit....or what he has said through me....has helped you, it may help others that you know.  You are welcome to share it.  God calls all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with the world.  Please share it with the fullness of love that God, Jesus, Holy Spirit....and I....have given it.  Amen!

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