Sunday, June 22, 2008

it takes courage

Here is a little background of what has taken place when we come to this scripture passage:

* Healing of a lame man
* Peter preaches
* Peter and John arrested
* Peter and John face the Jewish leadership
* Peter and John told not to preach or teach in the name of Jesus

We see in scripture that Peter and John had compassion on someone. They had faith that God could do something to change the situation. They do something that literally reshapes a person's life and they find themselves arrested and thrown into jail. They have people screaming at them and telling them never to do this again. Look at how they pray!


taken from Acts 4: 23-31

"On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. "Sovereign Lord," they said, "you made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them. You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David: " 'Why do the nations rage and the people plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. Indeed, Herod and Pontius Pilate met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed. They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen. Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness. Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus. After they prayed, the place they were meeting was shaken. And they were are filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly." Acts 4: 23-31

* we know God is in control - verse 24
* He told us it would be this way - verses 25-27
* pray for boldness - verse 31
* He answers - verse 31

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