4-25-21 Today in the Word

BELIEVER'S BOLD PRAYERS Shortly after Jesus’ resurrection, the disciples went into the Temple courts and healed a crippled man. The authorities opposed the crowds that soon gathered and tossed Peter and John into prison. The next day, they were questioned, “By what power, or what name did you do this?” (v. 7). Remember that in the eyes of these men Peter was not the renowned apostle we know today. He was just Peter, the fisherman from Galilee. With a Spirit-empowered boldness, Peter stood and proclaimed that salvation is found only through the resurrection of Jesus (vv. 8–12). Not knowing how to handle the situation and the undeniable fact that the cripple had been healed, they ordered Peter and John not to speak about Jesus any longer. However, Peter and John again replied with great courage that they could not stop speaking about Jesus and what they had “ seen and heard” (v. 20). After being let go, Peter and John returned to the other disciples and prayed for more boldness. Notice that their prayer was not centered on safety from the threats, but rather for the Lord “to enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness” (v. 29). The Lord answered their prayer as they were all immediately “filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly” (v. 31). The early believers went out with great boldness and proclaimed the simple message of Jesus all around the known world. John ended up being exiled to an island. Peter was murdered in Rome. Many other believers were killed at the hands of the Romans, oftentimes in cruel and humiliating ways. But even in the face of severe opposition, the church began to grow and build gatherings that proclaimed a bold message. At the core of their message was not a teaching but an event— the resurrection of Jesus— and they couldn’t stop talking about it. >> A bold message requires bold messengers. May we pray bold prayers like the early church, no matter what circumstances we face. PRAY WITH US Dear God, we know that the world hates you and hates us because of you. Strengthen our trembling hearts and grant us boldness to proclaim the gospel, even in the face of hatred.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

9-17-23 Not in a Billion Years

Not In A Million Billion Years :: By Dave Hubley Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles (There is a special message at the end of this article for those who might happen to read this and do not have Jesus in their life and are looking for peace and a way to better understand the present-day insanity and confusion.) Several years ago, I had a conversation with a guy in a waiting room while getting an oil change (in the car, not me). I don’t recall exactly how the conversation originated or how it progressed, but I have never forgotten it. As I recall, it had something to do with evolution and an article that was contained in a “waiting room magazine” that was available there. He made the observation that God was “something that man had made up.” I can’t recall the exact reason he used to justify his opinion, but it had something to do with the usual reasons people give: Weak-willed people needing a crutch, and blah, blah, blah. I engaged him in a “witness,
Read more

9-16-23 Santa Staleness

Santa Staleness :: By Edwin Tan Published on: December 24, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles My one and only trip to Israel had more than a profound effect on my present-day psyche. It might have been three decades ago, but there is more than a lingering aftertaste. It happened smack in the last fortnight of the year. Surprisingly absent were the familiar sights and sounds of the Christmas most people are accustomed to. Hardly any Christmas decorations in downtown Tel Aviv, if not any of the shopping thoroughfares across the Holy Land. Hanukah was a breath of fresh air – not anything resembling a Christmas carol most people grew up with did surface. The Christmas Eve service in a small Protestant church not far away from Jerusalem’s Old City was awesome; songs that truly celebrated the virgin birth of our Lord, which though seemingly unheard of, were a welcome inspiration to many a soul. There was even one sung in Arabic! So it began, my overt disdain for the secular Christmas t
Read more

9-15-23 Miracles 2

Miracles 2 :: By Jim Towers Published on: December 21, 2022 by RR10 Category:General Articles This story is a continuation of the exciting things God continues doing in my life. I was supposed to have died a while back, and sometimes I feel as though I may do so soon. But since I’m ready to meet my maker, I have no fear of death. In fact, my evangelistic zeal has only increased, especially as I see the fast approaching of the “Tribulation period” mentioned in the book of Revelation. Insofar as my acting career is concerned, I just finished filming a soliloquy featuring Melchior, one of the three Magi who followed the star to Christ lying in the manger, and am preparing to portray a Jewish Priest on stage. Like I said, God is working overtime in my life, and I will be appearing on stage singing Broadway show tunes sometime in March, so I have a lot of rehearsing to do. In the meantime, I will be signing Christmas carols acapella at a park here in Naples. Since it is a spontaneous th
Read more