God Speaks
The Growing Church Faces and Deals with Various Problems: Religious/Civil Investigations, Prosecution, Imprisonment, Persecution, Poverty, Hypocrisy, and Partisanship
Verse of the Day: Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings! The God of our ancestors raised Jesus from the dead–whom you killed by hanging hiim on a cross. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins. We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” (Acts 5:29-32 NIV 2011)
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Watch TBR Day 321
We Respond
Acts 4
Reflection: It Is recorded in Acts 4 that, as it grew, the early Church had face up to and dealt with various problems:
1) Religious and civil investigations, prosecution and imprisonment (Acts 4:1-3, 5-7, 15-18, 21-22)
2) Miraculous healing and deliverances (4:8-10, 21-22, 31)
3) Unity (4:21, 24, 31-37).
Prayer: Lord God, may we, Your people, respond appropriately to police and community (religious or political) leaders who come to investigate what we are doing in Your name. May our focus be on the Resurrected Jesus Christ so that a great number of people will hear and believe. Don’t let us be afraid of being arrested for doing right. Whenever we stand before officials may we be bold for Christ. May we proclaim that there is no one else who can save us; “for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” [Acts 4:12 ESV]. Make us so focused on You that we can’t help but speak of what we have seen and heard. May believers and unbelievers alike do whatever Your hand and Your plan has predestined to take place. “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and and grant Your servants to continue to speak Your word with all boldness, while You stretch out Your hand to heal, and signs and wonders are performed through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.” [Acts 4:29-30 ESV] May all those who believe be of one heart and soul, boldly testifying of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and Your great grace upon us all. With Barnabas as our example, may we willingly share with each other so that there is no one in need among us. AMEN
Action:(Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- If I face opposition for doing what is right in God’s eyes, with the help of the Hol Spirit, I will give a good testimony as Peter and John did.
- I will ask the LORD for courage and boldness.
- I will praise God using the Scriptures.
- I will share my time, possessions and/or money with others as God directs.
Acts 5
Reflection: Ananias’ and Sapphira’s hypocrisy was a deliberate deception. They wanted to appear as generous and “godly” as Barnabas (4:37) without having to sacrifice as much money, but the Holy Spirit knew and revealed the truth to Peter. Some people may question why God was so harsh in His judgment if He is a God of mercy. Such people are only looking at the surface. God knows our hearts and motives: He knows if a person is or will be repentant. God is also often harsher at the beginning of a new phase of His dealings with humankind. This way, as a good parent, He can warn against misbehavior while being free to show mercy later. In this case, God was dealing with lying, overweening pride, dishonoring God (especially the Holy Spirit), and polluting the purity of His church. Besides, God is always just. After developing a healthy fear and awe-filled respect for God, the church (especially the apostles) went on to witness many signs and wonders being performed in cooperation with the Holy Spirit. The rest of the people in Jerusalem held them in high esteem. The apostles were arrested for preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus despite being instructed not to do so. They were miraculously freed but had to appear before the Council. They remained faithful to Christ even when interrogated and flogged, and they even rejoiced that God had counted them worthy to suffer disgrace for the name of Jesus. They kept on proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.
Prayer: Dear true and loving God, thank You for being the source of all that is good and truthful. Please keep me (and all Your people) from deceiving or being deceived like Ananias and Sapphira were. May the fear of the Lord come upon me and other people so that we will not have to face Your severe judgment. May we again see many sick people healed and those oppressed by demons set free by Your Holy Spirit working mightily through Your people. May more and more souls be added to the Kingdom. Lord God, please protect us from jealousy either among ourselves or from opponents of the gospel. Please comfort and strengthen those who are being persecuted for their faith in You. Release them by natural or supernatural means when appropriate. May we stand firm and proclaim the full message of who Jesus is and what He has done for us. May those in authority (like Gamaliel) take a level-headed approach by closely examining issues and making wise recommendations. Don’t let us, as individuals or as a nation, find ourselves opposing You, Lord God. Most of all, may we never stop teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will ask the Holy Spirit to show me where I might be trying to appear more holy than I am. Then I will ask for His forgiveness and help to change.
- I will look for ways to help myself and others develop a healthy fear and awe-filled respect for God.
- I will cooperate with the Holy Spirit and other believers so that we might see many miracles, signs, and wonders that point people to Jesus and build up His kingdom.
- I will stand up for (and obey) Jesus and all He has said and done regardless of the consequences–rejection, arrest, jail, court appearance, or torture. I want to consider it an honor to suffer for Christ and His church as the apostles did. (Acts 5:40-42)
Acts 6
Reflection: Acts 6 is a short chapter (15 verses) that tells the reasoning and outcome of the Twelve choosing the first seven “deacons” (vs 1-7). The rest of the chapter (vs 8-15) focuses in on one of those deacons, Stephen. Stephen so lived out a life of faith and power from the Holy Spirit that God was able to use him to perform many miracles among the people, causing many of them to turn to Christ in faith, including many Jewish priests. This so enraged leaders from other Jewish communities that they spread lies about him and had him arrested. Stephen’s face was radiant as he spoke to the court. His testimony is covered in chapter 7.
Prayer: Father God and Jesus who is head of the Church, please help us recognize where there are interpersonal problems and deal with them sensibly and sensitively. Point us to men and women who are filled with the Holy Spirit’s wisdom, grace, and power like Stephen and his fellow deacons. Use all of us together to expand Your Kingdom. May even unbelievers see Your glory reflected in our lives and on our faces even when we are falsely accused. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will make an effort to get to know the needs of my fellow congregants and others in my community and work to meet them.
- I will meet with God through Bible study and prayer and ask Him to make me wise and fill me with His Holy Spirit.
- I will seek to carry out faithfully the tasks assigned to me by the leaders of my church and God Himself.
- I will cooperate with the indwelling Holy Spirit so that my life and face radiate Christ’s love to people around me.
Share: I plan to share what I’ve learned with __________.