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Peter and John were instrumental of God in the healing of a man who had been lame from birth. After the man was healed, and the crowds were gathered together, Peter used this opportunity to speak to his fellow Israelites and to share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said to them, “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out… God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness” (see Acts 3:1-26).
But as they were speaking to the people, the religious rulers and people of prominence and influence among the people were greatly annoyed that the apostles of Christ were teaching the people about Jesus and that they were proclaiming his resurrection from the dead. And so they arrested the apostles and put them in custody until the next day. And the next day these rulers of the people gathered together in Jerusalem (see Acts 4:1-6).
We, too, when we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, and when we are doing the will of God for our lives in living for him and for his righteousness, and in ministering to the needs of the people, and in sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world, are going to face opposition, even from some religious leaders within the gatherings of the institutional “church.” And we may be called to answer for what we are doing, and why, too. Or they may just automatically reject us and cast us aside as unwanted.
Now we need to show respect to people in authority, but we are to speak the truth in love to them, too. We are never to compromise our faith and convictions of the Holy Spirit nor the truth of the Scriptures in order to be accepted and approved by people in positions of religious authority. But we should speak as being led by the Holy Spirit and not in our own flesh. Yet we should be bold in our testimonies for the Lord and for his gospel and say what he gives us to say without fear of their rejection of us.
And we need to be speaking the same message the apostles spoke to the people with regard to the gospel: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out… God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” For this is the gospel, that we must turn away from our sins, and we must turn to (or back to) God and to his will and purpose for our lives which is that we live holy lives pleasing to him in obedience to his commands.
For this is why Jesus died, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might now live for him and no longer for self. For he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin and for self so what we will now honor God with our lives. For by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as obedient slaves to God and to his righteousness.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
We also should not allow people in positions of prominence to intimidate us into backing down from sharing the truth of the gospel. We should know what the Scriptures teach, in their appropriate context, and we should follow what they teach, and do what they say, regardless of who might tell us otherwise, no matter who they may be. For just because someone has a religious degree (diploma) from a religious institution, or he (or she) has a particular title before his name, it does not mean that person is of God.
For so many people today who call themselves “pastors” of “churches” are not men called of God, but they are businessmen building their earthly kingdoms as instructed by their superiors and by their training classes and by their marketing schemes, goals, and missions. So they aren’t following the leading of the Holy Spirit, for they are being led by business models for how to grow their “churches,” i.e. their businesses. And so they model what they do after the ways of the world in order to attract the world.
And so many of them have now diluted and altered the character of God, of Christ and of his church, and of his gospel, in order to make them more attractive and acceptable to human flesh. And so if what you are teaching (or sharing) is what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught (in context), you are probably going to be opposed, and you may be asked to “shut up” and to not speak the truth of the Word of God but to let these businessmen be God’s voice to you, instead.
But we need to be courageous in standing up for the truth of God’s word, and we must continue in sharing the truth of the gospel no matter who or how many stand in opposition to us because they want to not offend the people of the world with the truth. Again, we need to speak as led of the Spirit of God and not in the flesh, and as those who are representing Jesus Christ and not ourselves. But we need to keep speaking the truth!
Courageous!
An Original Work / December 24, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures
The Word of God throughout taught.
Some people heard but did doubt.
Still others had faith in Christ.
By grace He purified them.
They turned from sin
And they obeyed Christ.
He opened up their blinded eyesight;
Turned them from darkness
To the true Light;
Forgave their sin by His might.
He strengthened them in their faith.
He said, “Remain my faithful.”
He called them to obedience.
By faith, they were so grateful.
By faith, they were to follow Jesus;
To daily sit and listen to Him;
To have such faith
That mountains could move;
To love those whom He gave them.
Be on your guard; courageous.
Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.
Take up the shield of your faith;
Protect against all evil.
Do not move from
The hope that you have.
Your faith in Jesus let it endure.
Hold to the truth;
Your conscience be clear.
Endure with perseverance.
But as they were speaking to the people, the religious rulers and people of prominence and influence among the people were greatly annoyed that the apostles of Christ were teaching the people about Jesus and that they were proclaiming his resurrection from the dead. And so they arrested the apostles and put them in custody until the next day. And the next day these rulers of the people gathered together in Jerusalem (see Acts 4:1-6).
“And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man, by what means this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you 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 is standing before you well. This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.’” (Acts 4:7-12 ESV)
We, too, when we are following Jesus Christ with our lives, and when we are doing the will of God for our lives in living for him and for his righteousness, and in ministering to the needs of the people, and in sharing the truth of the gospel with the people of the world, are going to face opposition, even from some religious leaders within the gatherings of the institutional “church.” And we may be called to answer for what we are doing, and why, too. Or they may just automatically reject us and cast us aside as unwanted.
Now we need to show respect to people in authority, but we are to speak the truth in love to them, too. We are never to compromise our faith and convictions of the Holy Spirit nor the truth of the Scriptures in order to be accepted and approved by people in positions of religious authority. But we should speak as being led by the Holy Spirit and not in our own flesh. Yet we should be bold in our testimonies for the Lord and for his gospel and say what he gives us to say without fear of their rejection of us.
And we need to be speaking the same message the apostles spoke to the people with regard to the gospel: “Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out… God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.” For this is the gospel, that we must turn away from our sins, and we must turn to (or back to) God and to his will and purpose for our lives which is that we live holy lives pleasing to him in obedience to his commands.
For this is why Jesus died, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might now live for him and no longer for self. For he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of living in sin and for self so what we will now honor God with our lives. For by faith in Jesus Christ we are crucified with Christ in death to sin and raised with him to walk in newness of life in him, no longer as slaves to sin but now as obedient slaves to God and to his righteousness.
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
“But when they had commanded them to leave the council, they conferred with one another, saying, ‘What shall we do with these men? For that a notable sign has been performed through them is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But in order that it may spread no further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.’ So they called them and charged them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered them, ‘Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.’” (Acts 4:15-20 ESV) Amen!
We also should not allow people in positions of prominence to intimidate us into backing down from sharing the truth of the gospel. We should know what the Scriptures teach, in their appropriate context, and we should follow what they teach, and do what they say, regardless of who might tell us otherwise, no matter who they may be. For just because someone has a religious degree (diploma) from a religious institution, or he (or she) has a particular title before his name, it does not mean that person is of God.
For so many people today who call themselves “pastors” of “churches” are not men called of God, but they are businessmen building their earthly kingdoms as instructed by their superiors and by their training classes and by their marketing schemes, goals, and missions. So they aren’t following the leading of the Holy Spirit, for they are being led by business models for how to grow their “churches,” i.e. their businesses. And so they model what they do after the ways of the world in order to attract the world.
And so many of them have now diluted and altered the character of God, of Christ and of his church, and of his gospel, in order to make them more attractive and acceptable to human flesh. And so if what you are teaching (or sharing) is what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught (in context), you are probably going to be opposed, and you may be asked to “shut up” and to not speak the truth of the Word of God but to let these businessmen be God’s voice to you, instead.
But we need to be courageous in standing up for the truth of God’s word, and we must continue in sharing the truth of the gospel no matter who or how many stand in opposition to us because they want to not offend the people of the world with the truth. Again, we need to speak as led of the Spirit of God and not in the flesh, and as those who are representing Jesus Christ and not ourselves. But we need to keep speaking the truth!
Courageous!
An Original Work / December 24, 2013
Based off Various Scriptures
The Word of God throughout taught.
Some people heard but did doubt.
Still others had faith in Christ.
By grace He purified them.
They turned from sin
And they obeyed Christ.
He opened up their blinded eyesight;
Turned them from darkness
To the true Light;
Forgave their sin by His might.
He strengthened them in their faith.
He said, “Remain my faithful.”
He called them to obedience.
By faith, they were so grateful.
By faith, they were to follow Jesus;
To daily sit and listen to Him;
To have such faith
That mountains could move;
To love those whom He gave them.
Be on your guard; courageous.
Stand firm in faith. Be thankful.
Take up the shield of your faith;
Protect against all evil.
Do not move from
The hope that you have.
Your faith in Jesus let it endure.
Hold to the truth;
Your conscience be clear.
Endure with perseverance.
