Today I want to talk about how to deal with fear as a believer in Jesus Christ. I looked in The Barbour’s Bible Dictionary and it has two definitions for fear. The first one is an emotion aroused by danger or risk. The second definition of fear is used as respect or reverence to God. We should strive to be God-fearing people, but we should not be emotionally fearful of the circumstances of life and this world!
God-Fearing People
So, what does the Bible say about fear? Let’s look at what the Bible says about being God-fearing first. Deuteronomy 6:13 (NKJV) tells us, “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him and shall take oaths in His name.”. Additionally, Psalm 33:8 (NKJV) tells us, “Let all the earth fear the Lord; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him.”. So, everyone is to be God-fearing, but what does that mean? Well, Proverbs 9:10 (NKJV) tells us, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, And the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”. So, when one is God-fearing it is the start of wisdom. Wise men and women of God fear the Lord and are humble. To be God-fearing you must be humble and hate all sin and evil. Proverbs 8:13 (NKJV) says, “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil; Pride and arrogance and the evil way and the perverse mouth I hate.”. To be God-fearing you must put away the lust of the flesh because the lust of the flesh leads to death! 1 John 2:16 (NKJV) says, “For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world.”.
Are You God-Fearing or Flesh Fearing?
So, my next question to you is do you want to be a God-fearing Christian, or do you want to be so consumed with your circumstances and the things of this world? You cannot be both, otherwise, you are double-minded! Of course, fear will come naturally to all of us from time to time. If we want to walk in the fullness of what God has called for each of us, then we must put away our fears! We are only to fear God and nothing else! It is time that Christians stop worrying so much about earthly things and start learning how to fear God!
What Our Identity in Christ Says About Fear?
2 Timothy 1:7 (NKJV) tells us, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”. I think many people need to speak that over their lives every day, especially when the enemy comes to attack. If you are truly a born-again believer, then why are you worrying so much about your health, finances, family, and job? We should not be walking in a spirit of fear! We need to be walking in a spirit of power, love and sound mind. Time spent worrying about this and that is lost time with the Lord. You could spend an hour worrying and thinking about how you will pay that bill. But why not spend that hour in prayer, worship, or simply reading the Word?
What About Circumstances?
Lets look at the next verse, 2 Timothy 1:8 (AMP) says, “So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord or about me His prisoner, but with me take your share of suffering for the gospel [continue to preach regardless of the circumstances], in accordance with the power of God [for His power is invincible]”. We should not be afraid to tell others about God. We should continue preaching the Gospel regardless of our circumstances. The power of God is so powerful that He has given us a spirit of power, love and sound mind!
How to Deal with Fear?
It is time that believers learn how to tap into their spirit man and walk in the power, love, and sound mind that God has given us. How do you do this? How do you put away your fearful spirit, and walk in the God-given spirit of power, love, and sound mind? The first thing is to get the Word of God into you and speak it over your life. Also, spend time praying in the Spirit. I want to encourage you when you go to pray in the Spirit, ask God to let the Holy Spirit do intercession for you to help you put away your fear, and anything else in your life hindering you from walking in the fullness of what God has called you to do. I’d encourage you to make time for this, leave an hour and let the Holy Spirit make the intercession for you. Often, we don’t always know what is stuck deep down inside of us causing our problems, but the Holy Spirit does. So, we need to let Him pray for us. Romans 8:26-27 (NKJV) tells us, “Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God.”.
Final Thoughts
So, I’d like to challenge you to the question of if you are a God-fearing believer, or are you still fearful of your own circumstances? I want to encourage you to give time for the Holy Spirit to make intercession for you, and breakthrough will come! If we can learn to yield to the Holy Spirit in our lives, then we will begin to see drastic changes take place!
In this post I am going to discuss Acts 13:1-3, I am only covering three verses out of the Book of Acts, but God revealed several key points during this study on the importance of seeking God. There are some very important keys that every Christian should be applying daily to their life along with reading the Word.
A Divine Calling
Acts 13:1 starts off by telling us
that there was a group of teachers and prophets at the church of Antioch. Verse
two tells us that as they were worshiping God, and fasting the Holy Spirit
spoke to them and told them to separate Barnabas and Saul for a divine work God
has called them to do. In the next verse, as they were praying and fasting,
they laid hands on Saul and Barnabas and prayed over them before sending them
away to what God had called for them to do. Acts 13:3 (AMP) translates it as,
“Then after fasting and praying, they laid their hands on them [in approval and
dedication] and sent them away [on their first journey].”. It tells us that
the teachers and prophets laid hands on Saul and Barnabas in approval for the
work of ministry they will begin, and dedication to that calling. Many times,
when a new minister is ordained, a pastor certifying the new minister will
often lay hands on them and pray over them. This is something you might see at
an ordination service. This is something very important because it is one thing
to just hand someone a piece of paper certifying them to be a pastor, but it is
another thing to lay hands on them and pray for them. This should also be a
reminder that we need to be praying for our pastors, and other people in the
ministry field daily for God to give them wisdom, knowledge, and strength.
Fasting
If you look at Acts 13:1-3 you will see that they were not only praying and worshiping God but that they were fasting. My pastor calls fasting the ‘F’ word in Christianity. This is very important for every Christian to do if you want to truly seek God. Now keep in mind, if you have any medical condition, please consult with your doctor first before trying to fast. But it is always encouraged to start off small, such as skipping a mid-day snack or meal. Jesus fasted for forty days in the wilderness when He was tempted by the devil. Luke 4:2 (NKJV) tells us, “being tempted for forty days by the devil. And in those days, He ate nothing, and afterward, when they had ended, He was hungry.”. Jesus was very vulnerable during this time being without any food for forty days, but He still did not fall into the temptation of the devil. He continued responding to the devil what scripture said. This is one important way to deal with the attacks from the enemy, which is to declare what the Word of God says.
Worship
Another key that is shown in Acts
13:1-3 is that they were worshiping God. Many Christians just worship God when
they are in church on Sundays. We are to spend time worshiping God as much as
we can, not just once a week. John 4:23-24 (NKJV) tells us, “But the hour is
coming, and now is, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit
and truth; for the Father is seeking such to worship Him. God is Spirit, and
those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.”. We are to worship
God in spirit and truth, we need to worship Him with our full heart. Worship is
to be personal with you and God, not just what the words of the song are. We
not only need to sing along to other worship songs, but we need to sing our own
personal song to Him. Psalm 150:6 (NKJV) tells us, “Let everything that has
breath praise the Lord. Praise the Lord!”.
Praying in Tongues for Personal Edification
Another key that I want to talk about is prayer. The teachers and prophets were praying, fasting, and worshiping God in Acts 13:1-3. The church in the Book of Acts was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Now it is important to note that
there are four different types of tongues mentioned in the Bible. These are:
Tongues for a sign to unbelievers (public
ministry)
Tongues for interpretation (public ministry)
Tongues for personal edification (private time
with the Lord)
Tongues for intercession (private time with the
Lord, and when praying over someone)
I have covered these in detail in a previous post, in this post I want to cover tongues for education. 1 Corinthians 14:2 (NKJV) tells us, “For he who speaks in a tongue does not speak to men but to God, for no one understands him; however, in the spirit, he speaks mysteries.”. When we speak in tongues, we speak mysteries to God, these include promises in His Word and His plans for our lives. 1 Corinthians 14:39 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore, brethren, desire earnestly to prophesy, and do not forbid to speak with tongues.”. No Bible-believing church should forbid speaking in tongues, we should all be seeking the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. If the church you are in does not encourage you to speak in tongues for personal edification and/or not encourage you to seek all the Gifts of the Holy Spirit, then you are in a dead church. Churches without the Holy Spirit are powerless! Some of them just have salvation, which is important, but how can believers truly build up their faith as the Bible says? The answer is reading the Word, personal worship, fasting, and praying in the Spirit. Jude 1:20 (NKJV) tells us, “But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit,”. Keep in mind that Jude is the next to last book in the Bible, this right here cancels out any false doctrine that condemns speaking in tongues.
How Important is God to You?
So how much of God are you seeking?
Are you seeking Him by just going to church, or are you making time every day
to seek Him? Proverbs 8:17 (NKJV) tells us, “I love those who love me, and
those who seek me diligently will find me.”. Lamentations 3:23 (NKJV) also
tells us, “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks
Him.”. We need to diligently seek God daily; we need to have a desire to
spend more and more time with Him. There are 24 hours in each day, and 168
hours each week. If you are only seeking God by going to church once a week for
a two-hour service, then you are only giving Him one percent of your time. You
can’t expect much growth from just one percent of your time. I challenge you
this week to record your time with God. Keep track of how much time you spend
in the Word, prayer, worship, and even fasting. Try to improve each week until
you can get on a consistent schedule.
As I was spending time with the Lord today, I got hit with a word of wisdom. I felt led to share this as it is important for many people to hear regardless of where you are in your walk with the Lord.
The Word I Got
So, you have accepted Jesus as your savior, and maybe you have the Baptism of the Holy Spirit with evidence of Tongues. But what is your lifestyle? Besides making ends meat, what is your lifestyle?
Is it a sport or a hobby that defines your lifestyle? Is it drawing popularity to yourself? Is it money, luxury, expensive cars, or other material things? Is it building up your ego or pride? Is it an addiction you cannot seem to let go of? Is it pushing yourself so hard because you think you are not good enough?
What is your lifestyle? Is it one of the things I just listed? If so then there is a problem. Or is your lifestyle living your life as Jesus did? If not, then why isn’t it??
Are you seeking Him daily? Are you listening for His voice? Are you studying His Word with spiritual eyes or just by someone else’s side notes in your Bible? Are you worshiping Him out of spirit and truth?
If your lifestyle does not revolve around Him first then how can you expect to grow, and for Him to move in your life? When is the last time you got down on your knees and cried out to Him for a need, a revelation, forgiveness, or a fresh infilling?
His plan from the beginning of time was to have daily fellowship with you. Not just when you are sick or broke. If your lifestyle isn’t seeking Him daily, then what are you waiting for?
Maybe you can’t let go of your pride or ego. Maybe you can’t let go of that pain or addiction. But if you truly looked to Him daily, you’d understand and see His power at work.
So, what is your lifestyle? Is it like the people of the world’s lifestyle, or is it set apart?
Final Thoughts
When I got this word of wisdom two scriptures came to my mind, the first one is James 4:8 (NKJV) which says, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”. The second scripture that I’d like to point out is 1 Chronicles 22:19 (NKJV), “Now set your heart and your soul to seek the Lord your God. Therefore arise and build the sanctuary of the Lord God, to bring the ark of the covenant of the Lord and the holy articles of God into the house that is to be built for the name of the Lord.”.
It is time that all believers truly seek God on a daily basis. Going to church every week and inconsistently reading the Word will not result in much growth. It is time that all believers seek intimacy with Him. By seeking Him, I mean consistently spending time in the Word daily, praying in the Holy Spirit, and worshiping Him. Do you only know God by warming a church pew once or twice a week, or do you know God by seeking Him on a daily basis? You can make as many excuses as you want, but if you really want to know Him, you will do your part and put aside the time for Him.
In this blog post, we’re going
to look at two incidents that take place with Herod and two of the Apostles. It
has been a few weeks since I addressed the issue of the persecuted church. This
blog post is another reminder to continually pray for those in persecution. I
did some research and found that in the last year over 245 million Christians
are living in places of high levels of persecution. Also, 4,305 Christians are
estimated to have been killed because of their faith. Additionally, 1,847
churches have been attacked. I feel that one Christian persecuted is one too
many. These numbers are saddening. I encourage you to take some time regularly
to pray for the many Christians around the world who are being persecuted.
Herod Kills James
When we look at Acts 12:1-2,
we find that Herod had a goal to attack the Apostles of Jerusalem. He starts by
killing James the brother of John. In Mark 3:17, James and John are called the
Sons of Thunder. It is widely assumed that they were called this because of
their temperament. I feel this is a good fact to keep in mind about James and
John, it just shows us that God can use anyone.
Peter is Captured
In Acts 12:3-4 we find that Herod then captures Peter to be killed, however, he does not kill him right away because it is the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Herod has soldiers’ guard him during the four watches of the night. The four watches of the night were from sunset to 9 pm, from 9 pm to midnight, midnight to 3 am, and 3 am to 6 am. The soldiers would rotate based on these four watches of the night.
The Power of Prayer Shown
In Acts 12:5 (NKJV), the
church leads by example as Peter was in prison, “Peter was therefore kept in
prison, but constant prayer was offered to God for him by the church.”.
This verse should be an inspiration to us to pray for those being persecuted
for their faith in Jesus Christ. After these prayers are given by the church,
something amazing takes place! In Acts 12:7-11 we find out that an angel came
down and pulled Peter out of his chains and takes him out of the prison. At
first, when this happens Peter thinks he is having a vision, but afterward he
realizes that this angelic encounter is real. This just goes to show you that
the power of prayer has no limit when we fully trust God. I feel that the early
church in the Book of Acts had much more faith than what the average American
church has today. I feel this because they had some spirit-filled leaders who
truly sought God, and this, in turn, resulted in strong spirit-filled
believers. This is something we desperately lack in the American church today
because many churches want to look at the Bible with denominational eyes rather
than spiritual eyes. This results in many denominations that don’t believe in
the power of Jesus to set the captives free, heal the sick, deliver people from
demonic oppression, and much more! How can we fix America in the eyes of God,
when many churches don’t want to acknowledge that the same power the church in
the Book of Acts had is available to us today?
The Power of Jesus Sets Us Free!
As I was reading this passage,
I was reminded of two other scriptures. The first one is in John 8:36 (NKJV),
when Jesus said, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free
indeed.”. Another scripture I was reminded of was Psalm 142:7 (NKJV) which
says, “Bring my soul out of prison, That I may praise Your name; The
righteous shall surround me, For You shall deal bountifully with me.”. With
putting these two scriptures together, we not only need to think of the
persecuted church being set free, but also ourselves being set free. The power
of the name of Jesus Christ is so powerful, it will set people free from
sickness, depression, addiction, and many other types of bondages.
Peter Gives Testimony
In Acts 12:12-17 we find that
Peter goes to Mary’s house, and as he knocks on the door a woman by the name of
Rhoda answered and was shocked. She was so shocked that she forgot to let him
in, she thought that Peter had already been killed, but he was right there at
the door. She went and told the others, and they didn’t believe her, they
thought it was an angel at the door. When the others came to the door, they
were amazed, and Peter told them what happened. He then left and went away to
another place so Herod could not find his trail. Peter did what many of us
would do if we had that type of encounter, he told others of his testimony. Our
testimonies are so powerful and are often a sign to unbelievers. We may not be
able to win people over to Christ by only teaching them scripture alone, but
when you tell others about what Jesus has done for you, they will want what you
have!
Final Thoughts
In my next post, I will wrap
up chapter twelve and discuss what happens to the soldiers who were keeping an
eye on Peter overnight, along with what happens to Herod. So please be sure to
subscribe to this blog! I encourage you to take some time this week and think
about what Jesus has done for you in your life and then share it with someone
this week. Even if you share it with someone who is a believer, our testimonies
also build each other up, along with being a sign to unbelievers. I would also like
to remind you to continually pray for the persecuted church and encourage
others to do the same.
If you have not read my previous blog post, I encourage you to do so by clicking here. There is much information from chapter ten that plays a role in chapter eleven. In the previous chapter, we learned that the Gentiles received the message of the Gospel from Peter. Additionally, Peter had a vision from God that showed that the law of Gentile’s and Jew’s dealings being separated was no longer in effect. The news of Peter teaching the Gospel to the Gentiles eventually spread to the Jews, and they were not too pleased with it (Acts 11:1-3). The Jews felt that Peter was compromising what God’s Word says, however at this point in scripture they’re completely unaware of the revelation he had received from God in his vision.
Peters Defends His Ministry to the Gentiles
In Acts 11:4-17, Peter explains to them what took place in the previous chapter when he went to Caesarea. Peter also explains the vision he had from God, which he had three times. He then explains to the Jews that the vision God gave him was to show that the law of Jews and Gentiles having no dealings was no longer in effect. He also tells them the great testimony of the Gentiles receiving the Gospel message and accepting it. I would have loved to of been there to see the facial reaction of the Jews when Peter told them all of this! In Acts 11:18 (NKJV) we find out their reaction, “When they heard these things, they became silent; and they glorified God, saying, “Then God has also granted to the Gentiles repentance to life.”. The Jews were first in silence because of the shocking revelation Peter taught them, then they glorified God. I think all of us who seek God daily can relate in a way to their reaction. Think about when you are reading your Bible, and then you suddenly get hit with revelation knowledge, you might first be in silence re-reading scripture, and then you become excited of what God just revealed to you.
Taking it a Step Further
Let’s look at Romans 10:12-13 (NKJV) which says, “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, for the same Lord over all is rich to all who call upon Him. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”. Paul is telling us that there is no longer a distinction between the Greek and Jews. He is also telling us that God gives the same blessings to all believers regardless of their ethnicity. This means the same gifts of the Spirit are available to Greek and Jewish believers.
Important Revelation in Galatians
Let’s take this a step further, look at Galatians 6:28-29 (NKJV) which says, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”. Paul again is confirming what he told us in Romans 10:12-13, but he is taking it a step further. He is not only saying that your background does not matter, but also your gender does not matter either. All believers regardless of where they come from or their gender have the same seed. This shows us that if we all have the same seed, then God can use anyone, in any way He wills. This also confirms that any true believer can be called into ministry, it does not matter their background or gender. Some people argue the fact of woman pastors because of what certain scripture says, I believe if you look at the Bible in its entirety a woman can be used in ministry just as much as a man can. Can there be women today in ministry who are false prophets? Absolutely, just like there are many men in ministry today who are false prophets. How do we know if someone is truly called to ministry? Well, Matthew 7:16 tells us “You will know them by their fruits…”. There are many men and women in ministry who are very fruitful, while at the same time there are many who are not fruitful. Therefore, I pray that God gives us all a discerning spirit.
God Can Use Anyone!
One last scripture I would like to point out is 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NKJV) which says, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”. Paul again is confirming that we are all one in the body of Christ, it does not matter your background. I would also like you to keep in mind that in this same chapter Paul also lists the gifts of the Spirit in verses 4-11 when you put this in context it again confirms that all the gifts of the Spirit are available to all true believers. If all the gifts of the Spirit are available to all true believers, then God can use anyone as He wills.
Final Thoughts
This was a rather short blog, post because this expands on revelation from chapter ten, in my next post I will wrap up chapter eleven in the Book of Acts. I encourage you to take some time before you begin reading your Bible and ask God to open your spiritual eyes and ask Him to reveal to you a fresh revelation. You will be amazed at what you will learn!
Important Announcement
I would also like to encourage you to check out my YouTube Channel! I will be starting a series soon on the Gospel of John, which is one of my favorite books of the Bible. This series on the Gospel of John will only be available on my YouTube Channel, so be sure to subscribe by clicking here!
In this blog post, I am going to go over chapter ten from the Book of Acts. I will be doing a good bit of paraphrasing in this post, but I will include scripture links for reference.
About Cornelius
Let’s start by looking at Acts 10:1-2 (NKJV) which says, “There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment, a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, who gave alms generously to the people, and prayed to God always.”. Here we are introduced to Cornelius, after doing some studying, I have a few items I would like to point out about Cornelius.
He was a Centurion which were well known for their strong ability to lead.
He was God-fearing.
He gave alms (money or food for the poor).
He prayed always.
Cornelius’ Vision
If you read Acts 10:4-8 you will find out that Cornelius had a vision from God. Now I want you to take notice that Cornelius is a person who was God-fearing and always seeking God. This prompted God to give Cornelius a vision that will lead him to some great revelation. In this vision God gives him instruction to send men to Joppa to get Peter, and for them to bring Peter back so they can listen to what Peter has to say.
Peter’s Vision
Acts 10:9-15 (NKJV) goes on to tell
us, “The next day, as they went on their journey and drew near the city,
Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. Then he became
very hungry and wanted to eat; but while they made ready, he fell into a trance
and saw heaven opened and an object like a great sheet bound at the four
corners, descending to him and let down to the earth. In it were all kinds of four-footed animals
of the earth, wild beasts, creeping things, and birds of the air. And a voice came to him, “Rise, Peter; kill
and eat.” But Peter said, “Not so, Lord! For I have never eaten anything common
or unclean.” And a voice spoke to him again the second time, “What God has
cleansed you must not call common.”. There is so much here to take away
from Peter’s vision he had, but here are a few points for now:
This vision conflicted with the Jewish food laws of not eating unclean animals.
Peter had this vision three times, and we will see why when we get to verse 28 in this chapter!
God Commands Peter
In Acts 10:17-18, we see that the men sent by Cornelius had arrived and were seeking Peter. Then in verses 19-20, God commands Peter to accept them and to go with them as they request. The men that Cornelius sent begin to talk to Peter and tell him about Cornelius and why he sent them. So, they lodged with Peter for the rest of the day. Then, the following day we see that Peter left with them to go back to Cornelius. (Acts 10:21-23)
Peter and Cornelius Meet
In Acts 10:24-27 we see Peter and Cornelius meet, and Cornelius shows his willingness to listen to what Peter has to say. Acts 10:28-29 (NKJV) tells us, “Then he said to them, “You know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. Therefore, I came without objection as soon as I was sent for. I ask, then, for what reason have you sent for me?”. In these two verses we see not only was Peter’s vision from God in verses 9-15 to show us about unclean meats, but also the rule that Jews and Gentiles cannot associate with each other, was no longer in effect. In Acts 10:30-33 Cornelius then explains what he heard from God after fasting and shows again that he has trusted in what Peter has to say. This shows us that if we want God to give us revelation, then we must seek Him daily. Cornelius leads by example with seeking God regularly, we also find out that he had this vision right after fasting.
Peter Preaches to Cornelius’ House
Peter then does some preaching to the house of Cornelius in Acts 10:34-43. Below are a few important points from Peter’s preaching:
Acts 10:34: God is no respecter of person. It does not matter what your background is, God can transform and use anyone who is willing to fully submit to Him.
Acts 10:40-41: Peter also talks about Jesus being raised from the dead, but only certain people (chosen by God) were able to witness this.
Acts 10:43: Peter also discusses forgiveness of sins, which is only through believing in Jesus, not a priest in an enclosed room.
The Holy Spirit
In Acts 10:44-45 we see the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, and the Jews who saw this were amazed. Additionally, Peter discusses water baptism in Acts 10:46-48. He mentions the importance of baptism as a response to converting to faith in Jesus. As we all know water baptism is only symbolic, but it simply represents the old man being done away with and the new man coming forth.
Final Thoughts
There is much to take away from Acts 10, I encourage you to take some time and read the chapter in its entirety. We see two examples of people having visions from God who regularly sought Him. Many Christians have it wrong that it just ends with being born again. (being born again is absolutely required for the start of our walk). The Holy Spirit teaches us all things as promised by Jesus in John 14:26. The Holy Spirit knows all things and leads us into all truth as written in John 16:13 and 1 Corinthians 2:10.
In my previous blog post, we looked at the amazing change that took place in Saul’s life. He went from being a persecutor of the early church to a follower of Jesus Christ. In this blog post, I would like to look at another portion of the ninth chapter in the Book of Acts regarding the preaching Saul did.
Saul Starts Ministering
Starting with Acts 9:20-21 (NKJV) it tells us, “Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?””. Saul starts preaching about Jesus in the synagogues, this causes the people to be amazed. We must keep in mind these people are used to Saul being a driving force for the persecution of the followers of Jesus. Now Saul is a follower of Jesus. Acts 9:22 (AMP) continues, “But Saul increased in strength more and more, and continued to perplex the Jews who lived in Damascus by examining theological evidence and proving [with Scripture] that this Jesus is the Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed).”. Saul continued to grow in his ability to preach. This caused the Jews to be perplexed because his preaching had strong theological evidence and was based upon scriptures. I think it would be safe to assume he referred to certain Old Testament scriptures that pointed to Jesus Christ. Not only did he use theology and scriptures, but he used his testimony in action. Sometimes ministering to someone is not about how knowledgeable you are in theology and how well you have scriptures memorized, but your evident testimony. Often it is out testimonies that will lead others to Jesus Christ, along with Biblical truth.
Saul is Now a Target
Acts 9:23-24 (AMP) tells us, “After
considerable time had passed [about three years or so], the Jews plotted
together to kill him, but their plot became known to Saul. They were also
watching the city’s gates day and night so they could kill him”. The Jews
begin to plot to kill Saul, this is not simply a punishment from God, but
something that can happen when one is spreading the Gospel. Acts 9:25-26 (KJV)
goes on to say, “Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by
the wall in a basket. And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join
himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him and believed not that
he was a disciple.”. Saul gets to Jerusalem and the group of disciples do
not believe his claim to be a follower of Christ, simply because they
originally know Saul as a persecutor of the church. Sometimes we might even be
surprised when someone we know of comes to Christ. Maybe someone that bullied
you in high school became a minister and their life is different because of
Jesus Christ. The same Jesus that changed you and me, is the same one that can
change the other people around us regardless of their background.
Saul is Brought to the Apostles
Acts 9:27-29 (NKJV) continues, “But
Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. And he declared to them how
he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had spoken to him, and how he had
preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. So, he was with them at
Jerusalem, coming in and going out. And
he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the
Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him.”. Barnabas eventually convinces
the other disciples about Saul’s conversion. As Saul is with the disciples of
Jerusalem he continues to preach with boldness. Saul can preach with boldness
because number one he received the infilling of the Holy Spirit at his
conversion, and he is becoming obedient to the Holy Spirit. If you are like me,
you should be able to distinguish a minister who flows in the Holy Spirit and
one who does not flow in the Holy Spirit. The Jews are still attempting to kill
Saul because of him spreading the message of Jesus. I find it awesome to know
that Saul continues preaching despite the threat of persecution. I think this
is more amazing given the fact that he was a leader of the persecution before
he came to Christ. This just shows us an example of true conversion.
Saul Goes to Caesarea and Tarsus
Acts 9:30 (NKJV) goes on to tell
us, “When the brethren found out, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent
him out to Tarsus.”. Saul then goes to Caesarea and Tarsus, which I have a
map below to show you for a visual. Acts 9:31 (AMP) continues, “So the
church throughout Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace [without
persecution], being built up [in wisdom, virtue, and faith]; and walking in the
fear of the Lord and in the comfort and encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it
continued to grow [in numbers].”. As Saul continued with his ministry many
people were added to the church. This happened simply because he was a minister
for Jesus Christ who yielded to the Holy Spirit. This also resulted in the
people he ministered to being edified through his teaching and testimony.
After looking at these few verses
in Acts chapter nine I find it amazing to see the transformation that took
place in Saul’s life. This is also a reminder that God can call on anyone to be
a minister for Him. It doesn’t matter what the person’s background was before
their encounter with Jesus Christ. Romans 2:11 (GNV) reminds us, “For there
is no respect of persons with God.”. When Saul had his encounter with
Christ, when the light shined down from Heaven, he could have become angry with
God and been blind the rest of his life, but he chose to surrender to Jesus
Christ.
This Weeks Challenge
What about you? What took place in
your life when you fully surrendered to Jesus Christ? I would like to encourage
you to find one person this week to share your testimony with. Please share
your testimony with anyone whether they are a believer or unbeliever. Luke 8:39
(CSB) tells us, “Go back to your home, and tell all that God has done for
you.” And off he went, proclaiming throughout the town how much Jesus had done
for him.”. So, I challenge you this week to share your testimony with
someone, and if God leads you to someone who needs Jesus in their life,
minister to them, ask God to lead you with that person. Ministering to a person
might be a one-time event, or it might take several times to work with that
individual. We must be patient when we do personal ministry on a one on one
basis. Also please feel free to share your testimony in the comment section below.
As I continue my series on the Book
of Acts, I would like to look at the first part of chapter six. What we will
see take place is something major in the early church and is something that is
still done in many of today’s churches. This is the aspect of deacons, in
chapter six we will see the very first Christian deacons who are chosen. I am
sure all of us have been in a church or are in a church that has a deacon, or a
few deacons depending on the size of the church. The word deacon comes from the
Greek word diakonos which is also used in different forms for the words
minister and servant throughout the New Testament. Look at 2 Corinthians 6:4
(NKJV) for example, “But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of
God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses,”. The
original text for the word ministers in this verse is diakonoi, which stems
from the Greek word diakonos. This teaching is not only to be a historical view
on how deacons started in the early church but a reminder that all roles in the
church are important.
Time for a Change in the Early Church
Acts 6:1 (NKJV) starts off saying, “Now
in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a
complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were
neglected in the daily distribution.”. The church is continuing to grow,
and due to the growth, there is now the realization that it is time for a
change in the early church. Acts 6:2 (NKJV) tells us, “Then the twelve
summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we
should leave the word of God and serve tables.”. This is now the start of
the distinction of those who preach and those who are responsible for the
distribution of food, which will be the duty of the first deacons. This verse
also shows us the beginning of roles and responsibilities in the early church.
Just like in today’s church we not only have people who preach and teach, but
also people who do administrative duties, cleaning, cooking, and much more. It
is important that we all realize that every duty in the church is important,
that is why we each need to be willing to serve and bring glory to God.
Requirements of Deacons
Continuing on we find out the
requirements of the first deacons in the church in Acts 6:3 (NKJV) which says, “Therefore,
brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the
Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business”. The goal
was to find seven men who were of good reputation, wise, and filled with the
Holy Spirit. However, as the New Testament was written, much more guidelines
were given to us for designating deacons. 1 Timothy 3:7-13 (NKJV) which tells
us, “Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside,
lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. Likewise, deacons must
be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money,
holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. But let these also first be tested; then let
them serve as deacons, being found blameless.
Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate,
faithful in all things. Let deacons be
the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For those who have served well as deacons
obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is
in Christ Jesus.”. This scripture shows us the seriousness of giving
someone the responsibility of a deacon, this seriousness also applies to all
other duties in the church. Performing any duty in the church should be done
for the glory of God and done by true believers of God. Often churches just
want to fill positions quickly so they can get stuff done rather than test the
individual and get to know them truly and their seriousness to serve God.
The Seven First Deacons are Appointed
Acts 6:5-6 (NKJV) goes on to tell
us, “And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a
man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon,
Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch, whom they set before the apostles; and when
they had prayed, they laid hands on them.”. The Apostles laid hands on
these seven men in recognition that God truly called them to be deacons. This
is something we should all be doing in the church for when someone new begins
to serve in a role or responsibility, and that is to pray over them for God to
give them wisdom, knowledge, and strength to perform their duties for God’s
glory. We should also continually pray for our pastors, Sunday school teachers,
administrators, and other church staff regularly. 2 Timothy 1:6 (NKJV) tells
us, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you
through the laying on of my hands.”.
Continual Growth of the Early Church
Continuing Acts 6:7-8 (NKJV) says, “Then
the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in
Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith. And
Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and signs among the
people.”. The early church continued to grow due to the bold teaching
through the power of the Holy Spirit. It is also known that there were some
priests from the Temple who began to follow in the faith as well. This is
something that may not have been expected from the start of the ministry of
Jesus through the Apostles due to the strong rejection they had from the high
priests. But with God all things are possible, and religious spirits can be
conquered. The growth of the early church due to bold preaching that came
through the infilling of the Holy Spirit is a reminder to us that our churches
need the power of the Holy Spirit more than ever before. We are living in a
late hour before Jesus comes again, and the church should not be this weak
right now. It is my prayer that more churches cry out to God for a fresh and
new infilling of the Holy Spirit and begin to yield to the works of the Holy
Spirit. Acts 14:3 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore they stayed there a long time,
speaking boldly in the Lord, who was bearing witness to the word of His grace,
granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands.”.
Where Can You Be Serving?
In closing for this teaching, I
would like to remind you that all roles in today’s church are all important.
Whether you are preaching to the congregation, teaching Sunday School, making
up the bulletin, leading worship, cleaning, or any other duty it is very
important to the function of the church. And it is to be done for the glory of
God. I would encourage you to take some time and see if there are any ways that
you can be a help to your church for the glory of God.
As I continue my series on the Book
of Acts, I would like to teach from Chapter 4 and how it applies to us
Christians today. Previously I talked about the healing of the lame man done by
the Apostles through the power of the Holy Spirit. Today I would like to
discuss something that we all need to realize and that is the persecuted
church. There are many Christians around the world who become imprisoned,
tortured, or even killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. I myself live in
the United States of America where we are blessed to have freedom of religion
in 2019. However, I would like to give a warning, our freedoms will be coming
to an end one day, Christians in the United States will begin to be persecuted
and killed for proclaiming the name of Jesus. My question for you is, are you
ready to take a true stand for Jesus or are you just going to go with the flow?
Jesus took a stand for us sinners on the cross, so we should all be ready for
the day of persecution. I have heard many prophetic words on the persecution of
Christians coming to America, and I feel strongly in my spirit that the enemy
is planning to get some Christian blood in America. In this teaching I will
discuss the imprisonment of John and Peter, and what we need to do to be ready
for not just persecution but ongoing spiritual warfare that is going on right
now.
Let’s look at Acts 4:1-3 (NKJV),
“Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and
the Sadducees came upon them, being
greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the
resurrection from the dead. And they
laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was
already evening.”. John and Peter were arrested for teaching on the
resurrection of Jesus Christ. The Sadducees were the ones who were
predominately behind this because they did not believe in the resurrection.
Matthew 22:23 (NKJV) tells us, “The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no
resurrection…”. The followed the Pentateuch which is the portion of the Hebrew
Bible they deemed true. Regardless of what the Sadducees thought, we find out
many who heard the teachings about Jesus from Peter believed. Acts 4:4 (NKJV)
confirms this, “However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the
number of the men came to be about five thousand.”. We also see the number of believers grow
because of the power of the Holy Spirit.
As we continue on Acts 4:7 (NKJV)
tells us the leaders of the Sadducees began to question John and Peter on the
next day, “And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power
or by what name have you done this?””. With this questioned asked, we can
expect a great teaching from Peter. Acts 4:8-10 (NKJV) continues, “Then Peter,
filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of
Israel: If we this day are judged for a
good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, let it be known to you all, and to all the
people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before
you whole.”. Peter spoke boldly to these rulers and explains they did a good
deed in the mighty name of Jesus that resulted in a lame man to be completely
healed, this will be something these rulers will not be able to deny. Acts
4:11-12 (NKJV) goes on to say, “This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you
builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ Nor is there salvation in any other, for
there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be
saved.”. Peter tells the leaders that Jesus is the cornerstone of the church,
this was prophesized in Psalm 118:22 (NKJV), “The stone which the builders
rejected Has become the chief cornerstone.”. Peter also tells them that
salvation is only through Jesus Christ, John 14:6 (NKJV) tells us “Jesus said
to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father
except through Me.”. This was another great teaching given by Peter because he
spoke with the power of the Holy Spirit. Jesus also foretold of this very event
happening in Luke 12:11-12 (NKJV) when He said, ““Now when they bring you to
the synagogues and magistrates and authorities, do not worry about how or what
you should answer, or what you should say.
For the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to
say.”. We will also see that Mark gave an account of this in his gospel as well
in Mark 13:11 (NKJV) where Jesus said, “But when they arrest you and deliver
you up, do not worry beforehand, or premeditate what you will speak. But
whatever is given you in that hour, speak that; for it is not you who speak,
but the Holy Spirit.”. When we are dealing with spiritual warfare, we need to
allow the Holy Spirit to speak through us and guide us just like the apostles
did.
The rulers see the boldness of Peter and John. Acts 4:13 (NKJV) continues, “Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus”. They claim that John and Peter are uneducated and untrained in ministry. Let me tell you something you don’t need a degree from a highly ranked university or college to become a great minister. Don’t get me wrong coursework and training will help to prepare you, but not everyone is able to go to earn a full degree to step into ministry. There are many churches that offer small programs both accredited and non-accredited and they do successfully prepare people for ministry. A true minister will deliver a message only from the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. God can call anyone into ministry at any point in their life. Ephesians 4:11-13 (NKJV) tells us “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ;”. Additionally, 2 Timothy 1:6-8 (NKJV) tells us, “Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. Therefore, do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me His prisoner, but share with me in the sufferings for the gospel according to the power of God”. We should not be afraid of sharing the Gospel nor ashamed of sharing it. I feel in my spirit that there are too many secret disciples today too many people who publicly don’t want to admit they are a follower of Jesus Christ. This is something we can all be guilty of, but we must remember we need to share the Gospel at every opportunity we possibly can. We will also need to realize that people of this world will not always favor us because of our faith. People of the world would rather see Christians be more politically correct than Biblically correct. The only way to be a true Christian is to be Biblically correct, then politics can come second according to what is right in the Word of God. There are many Christians who are not voting accordingly to what the Word of God says is correct, and God is angry right now with America. It is time Christians take a stand and vote on values according to the Word of God, rather than what the mainstream media is brainwashing us with. Jesus told us in John 15:18-21 (NKJV), “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake because they do not know Him who sent Me.”.
Continuing Acts 4:14 (NKJV) says, “And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.”. The religious rulers cannot say anything against the miracle of the lame man. Acts 4:15-22 (NKJV) goes on to say, “But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.”. The religious rulers are going to try to put a stop to the spread of Christianity, however, we will find out that Christianity will continue to spread. There is no power of the enemy that can stand up against the power of the Holy Spirit, therefore we must pray with authority.
After John and Peter are let go,
they go back to their group of believers and inform them of what happened. We
will find out that they pray together as they face this giant. Acts 4:23-26
(NKJV) tells us, “And being let go, they went to their own companions and
reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. So when they heard that, they raised their
voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and
earth and the sea, and all that is in them,
who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations
rage, And the people plot vain things? The kings of the earth took their stand,
And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His
Christ.’”. We see that part of what they prayed comes from Psalms 2:1-3 (NKJV),
“Why do the nations rage, And the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth
set themselves, And the rulers take counsel together, Against the Lord and
against His Anointed, saying, “Let us break Their bonds in pieces And cast away
Their cords from us.””. Persecution because of faith in Jesus Christ was
prophesized in the Book of Psalms. We will see when they asked for boldness the
Holy Spirit gave them boldness. Acts 4:27-31 (NKJV) continues and tells us,
““For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and
Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered
together to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be
done. Now, Lord, look on their threats,
and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, by
stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done
through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” And when they had prayed, the
place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled
with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.”.
Peter leads by example and shows us how we need to seek God in both our personal trials and in spiritual warfare. When we are in a trial or dealing with spiritual warfare we need to put on the Whole Armor of God as it is told to us in Ephesians 6:10-20 (NKJV), “Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore, take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— and for me, that utterance may be given to me, that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains; that in it I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.”. So, my question to you is have you truly put on the whole Armor of God? Are you ready to face spiritual warfare? How is your prayer life right now? Are you only praying to just bless your meal? Are you only praying when a problem is coming your way? Or are you praying at every opportunity you can get in the valuable time the Lord has blessed you with? The truth is we all need to spend more time praying and more importantly praying in the Spirit. I just gave you a teaching on the gift of tongues, if you have not received that gift, I encourage you to seek God and ask Him for a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and for the gift of tongues. The devil hates when someone who is truly baptized in the Holy Spirit prays in the Spirit. I promise you the more time you spend praying in tongues the greater amount of change you will see take place to the spiritual warfare going on around you and in your own trails and weaknesses. If you need a deeper explanation on the gift of tongues, I encourage you to look back on that teaching I recently gave on my blog or YouTube Channel. I encourage you again to put on the full armor of God and do spiritual warfare and seek God on where you need to improve in your prayer life.
I would like to teach on chapter three from the Book of Acts as I continue my series on this powerful book of the Bible. Let’s look at Acts 3:1 (NKJV) which says, “Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour.”. There are a few things to take away here to help us get a good picture of the setting. First John and Peter are going to the temple, anytime a passage takes place at the temple you can expect for there to be crowds of people. Next, we will see this is taking place at the ninth hour of the day which is the hour of prayer. Now the ninth hour of the day according to the Jews would be 3 pm on our clock.
Acts 3:2 (NKJV) goes on to tell us,
“And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid
daily at the gate of the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms from
those who entered the temple;”. There
was a lame man left at the gate of the temple, and he was asking people for
alms which is money, food or donations for the poor. I looked further into the
word alms and found it comes from the Greek word eleemosyne which means
compassion or pity. Acts 3:3-4 (NKJV) continues on and says, “who, seeing Peter
and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter
said, “Look at us.””. The lame man sees
Peter and John coming and he asks them for alms, well we are going to find out
he will get something much greater than alms.
Acts 3:5-7 (NKJV) tells us, “So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.”. Peter and John did not have anything to give this man, except a miracle through the healing power of Jesus Christ. This man expected to receive something from Peter and John, even though he was expecting a donation he was in the right attitude to receive a healing. When we come to Jesus in prayer, we need to come expecting for Him to do the supernatural through the promises found in the Word of God. Also, notice how Peter did not pray a long prayer, he simply commanded healing in the name of Jesus Christ. John 14:13 (NKJV) tells us, “And whatever you ask in My name, that I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”. This type of miracle was one of the ones prophesized to be done through the power of Jesus Christ by Isaiah in Isaiah 35:6 (NKJV), “Then the lame shall leap like a deer, And the tongue of the dumb sing. For waters shall burst forth in the wilderness, And streams in the desert.”. Acts 3:8-9 (NKJV) continues, “So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. And all the people saw him walking and praising God.”. The man gave praise to God for his healing, this is a reminder for us to praise God when He does the supernatural for us. Psalm 107:1-2 (NKJV) tells us, “Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, Whom He has redeemed from the hand of the enemy,”. This miracle caught the attention of the crowd of people who were at the temple, Acts 3:10 (NKJV) tells us, “Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.”.
We will now look at Peters second sermon that we will find in the Book of Acts. If you have been following my series on the Book of Acts, you will see Peter’s first great sermon that is recorded in the Book of Acts. Peter sets the example of what sermons should be like today. Too often we have a watered-down gospel infiltrating our churches, especially the ones on mainstream media. I like to look at Peter’s sermons as ones that bring people to the conviction seat, which many churches today are lacking. The ministers of today’s churches need to get back to the basics of salvation and true conviction, we have too many unconverted people in the church today. Salvation is more than just saying the sinner’s prayer, there should be evidence in someone who is truly saved that they are a new creation through salvation. 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NKJV) reminds us, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”.
Acts 3:12-13 (NKJV) continues and
says, “So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do
you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power
or godliness we had made this man walk?
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified
His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate
when he was determined to let Him go.”. Peter is taking the opportunity to talk
about the Power of God to the crowd. Peter also goes onto say in Acts 3:14-15
(NKJV), “But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to
be granted to you, and killed the Prince
of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.”. Peter
takes the time to also remind the Jews that Jesus Christ was the Son of God,
that they crucified. Peter also tells them about the power in the name of Jesus
in Acts 3:16 (NKJV), “And His name, through faith in His name, has made this
man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has
given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.”. We need to
always be reminded that we have power and authority in the name of Jesus. As we
read on in this passage, we will find out why the Jews rejected Jesus. Acts
3:17 (NKJV) tells us, “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance,
as did also your rulers.”. The Jews rejected Jesus because of their tradition
and love of sin, this caused spiritual blindness. People will often have
difficulty understanding the Bible because of spiritual blindness, we need to
look at the Bible with spiritual eyes rather than intellectual eyes.
Let’s look at how Peter reminds the Jews that Jesus is mentioned throughout the Old Testament. Acts 3:18 (NKJV) tells us, “But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.”. The prophets in the Old Testament foretold of Jesus precisely. Isaiah 53:10 (NKJV) tells us, “Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He has put Him to grief. When You make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, And the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand.”. Continuing Acts 3:19 (NKJV) tells us, “Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,”. Peter is calling for the Jews to come to Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, he also mentions for them to be converted. This reminds us to get back to the basics of salvation when we lead people to Christ. We need to stop focusing on not only on how many people we can get to repeat the sinner’s prayer but, also how many people are truly converted from their old ways for Jesus Christ.
Peter continues speaking about how the Old Testament points to Jesus Christ. Acts 3:22-23 (NKJV) tells us, “For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’”. Moses foretold of a rising prophet, we will find this written out in Deuteronomy 18:15-19 (NKJV) which tells us, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your midst, from your brethren. Him you shall hear, according to all you desired of the Lord your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the Lord my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’ “And the Lord said to me: ‘What they have spoken is good. I will raise up for them a Prophet like you from among their brethren and will put My words in His mouth, and He shall speak to them all that I command Him. And it shall be that whoever will not hear My words, which He speaks in My name, I will require it of him.”.
Let’s now look at the seed through
Abraham. Acts 3:24-26 (NKJV) says, “Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and
those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also foretold these days. You are sons of the prophets, and of the
covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed,
all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ To you first, God, having raised up His
Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from
your iniquities.”. If you know the Old Testament well enough you will find out
that God’s covenant with Abraham points us to Jesus. It is critical to understand the seed that is
mentioned in this Blood Covenant between God and Abraham. Genesis 26:4 tells
us, “And I will make your descendants multiply as the stars of heaven; I will
give to your descendants all these lands; and in your seed all the nations of
the earth shall be blessed;”. Now if we go to the New Testament and look at
Galatians 3:26-29 it says, “For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ
Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is
neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one
in Christ Jesus. And if you are
Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.”.
So, the seed that will bless many nations is pointing to Jesus, isn’t that
amazing to know this is one of the many ways the Old Testament points us to
Jesus!
I covered a lot in this teaching from the first healing in the Book of Acts to how the Old Testament points us to Jesus. I would encourage you when you pray to expect God to do the supernatural for your situation according to His word. Just remember your prayers don’t need to be very long, you just need to pray with authority in the name of Jesus Christ. Also, many people view the Old Testament as unnecessary to read, this is incorrect thinking. We need to read the Bible in its entirety multiple times through our walk with the Lord. I encourage you to fully read the Old Testament and then go back through and study it slowly and you will begin to see how it points to Jesus. In my next teaching, I will continue onto Acts chapter four which will talk about the imprisonment of Peter and John.
