"Lord God, you made the heavens, earth and sea,"
The disciples prayed to Jesus as one,
After hearing of the temple melee;
"You spoke through David in the years long gone,
That rulers and kings would stand against you*;
Indeed, Pilate and Herod did conspire
With your own rulers, leaders of the Jew,
To kill you, the Holy One, Anointed Sire!
They did just what you willed ages ago!
Now, enable your servants boldly speak;
Give us pow'r to heal, wherever we go;
Let no soul be lost by our witness weak!"
The Spirit shook the house with renewed power;
Strengthened apostles went forth from that hour!
*Psalm 2:1-2
The High Priest of Israel thought that crucifying Jesus would end Christianity's threat to Judaism but he thought wrongly. Jesus' resurrection on the third day galvanized and sent His disciples forth with vigor; the arrival of the Holy Spirit to indwell each believer empowered them as nothing else could have. Now the priest's warning to Peter and John not to speak any more in the name of Jesus had the opposite effect on them. They grew absolutely fearless in their witnessing from that point on. Thousands died martyrs' deaths, but that only served to spur them on. Peter's healing of the lame man on the temple steps showed all Jerusalem the power of Christianity; instead of heeding the warning of the High Priest, the incident only made them resolve to speak more boldly in Jesus' name.
"When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 'What are we to do with these men?' they asked. 'For everybody living in Jerusalem knows they have done an outstanding miracle, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn these men to speak no longer to anyone in this name.'" (Acts 4:13-17)
Once again they underestimated the power of Jesus' name and the Holy Spirit. The apostles spread the gospel throughout the Roman Empire. Although the Romans destroyed Jerusalem in 70 A.D., Christianity became the official religion of the Empire in 326 A.D. In a real sense, the peaceful, meek and gentle Jesus Christ DID conquet the conquerers; He did it HIS way. "Not by might, but by my Spirit".
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Peter 'Beards The Lion'
Peter said, "Silver and gold have I none,"
To the man at the temple who was lame,
In answer to his habitual dun;
"Get up and walk, in Jesus the Christ's name!"
His feet and ankles strengthened, and he stood
And jumped, running ahead into the court,
Praising Jesus, showing priests that he could
Walk and run like others, with no support!
Barely two months since priests crucified Him,
Apostles did wonders in Jesus' name,
Where the guilty ones were, in front of them,
Making doubly sure the world knew who to blame!
Peter 'bearded the lion' in his own den,
Proving Jesus' power in front of men!
The complete story of this incident and its aftermath is found in the Book of Acts, chapters 3 and 4. I will summarize it here, but I urge you to read it for yourself. You will discover the immense courage of Peter in facing Annas, the High Priest, and the Sanhedrin; also, Peter was given the opportunity to preach the gospel to the religious leaders who had rejected Jesus and had Him crucified. As a result, Peter's second sermon resulted in 2,000 more converts to Christianity, including some Pharisees and religious leaders. Peter's sermon in Solomon's Colonnade so disturbed the Sanhedrin that they had Peter and John put in jail for the night.
"The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to all the people. They were greatly disturbed because the Apostles were teaching and proclaiming through Jesus the resurrection of the dead...But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand." (Acts 4:1-2;4)
"'By what power or what name did you do this?' Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that that man stands before you healed...Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:7-12)
Was this the same Peter who had denied knowing Jesus 3 times outside Caiaphas' house the night Jesus was on trial? Well, yes and no. He was the same man, with one vital difference---this man was indwelled by the Holy Spirit! The High Priest found no justification for punishing Peter and John and released them, commanding them not to preach in the name of Jesus.
"But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" (Acts 4:19-20)
To the man at the temple who was lame,
In answer to his habitual dun;
"Get up and walk, in Jesus the Christ's name!"
His feet and ankles strengthened, and he stood
And jumped, running ahead into the court,
Praising Jesus, showing priests that he could
Walk and run like others, with no support!
Barely two months since priests crucified Him,
Apostles did wonders in Jesus' name,
Where the guilty ones were, in front of them,
Making doubly sure the world knew who to blame!
Peter 'bearded the lion' in his own den,
Proving Jesus' power in front of men!
The complete story of this incident and its aftermath is found in the Book of Acts, chapters 3 and 4. I will summarize it here, but I urge you to read it for yourself. You will discover the immense courage of Peter in facing Annas, the High Priest, and the Sanhedrin; also, Peter was given the opportunity to preach the gospel to the religious leaders who had rejected Jesus and had Him crucified. As a result, Peter's second sermon resulted in 2,000 more converts to Christianity, including some Pharisees and religious leaders. Peter's sermon in Solomon's Colonnade so disturbed the Sanhedrin that they had Peter and John put in jail for the night.
"The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to all the people. They were greatly disturbed because the Apostles were teaching and proclaiming through Jesus the resurrection of the dead...But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand." (Acts 4:1-2;4)
"'By what power or what name did you do this?' Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, 'Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that that man stands before you healed...Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under Heaven given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:7-12)
Was this the same Peter who had denied knowing Jesus 3 times outside Caiaphas' house the night Jesus was on trial? Well, yes and no. He was the same man, with one vital difference---this man was indwelled by the Holy Spirit! The High Priest found no justification for punishing Peter and John and released them, commanding them not to preach in the name of Jesus.
"But Peter and John replied, 'Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God's sight to obey you rather than God. For we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.'" (Acts 4:19-20)
Friday, March 26, 2010
The Thirteenth Apostle
Christ's first apostles had much pow'r and will,
But knew not how the Spirit's wisdom to use;
They launched His church with zeal but little skill,
As only a sect of Judaic Jews!
Christ the King quickly showed Himself to Paul,
A brilliant Pharisee, who fast believed;
He spent three years with Christ and learned it all;
Paul set church doctrine straight, of error relieved!
He freed the gospel from the grip of Jews,
Spread it over the world for everyone;
God wanted all men to hear the good news,
That any who believed in Christ be won!
Called out of time, the last apostle, Paul,
Preached to Gentiles that salvation's for all!
Matthias, a faithful companion of Jesus, was chosen to take Judas Iscariot's place, after Judas hanged himself, as the 12th apostle. After Pentecost they formed the first Christian church in Jerusalem and began to preach there and to add converts, mostly Jews who believed that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah. However, they considered themselves a sect of Judaism and met on the temple's outer court. They met on Sunday instead of the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), because Jesus had been resurrected on Sunday. They met in homes. also. There were many things they began doing as a result of misunderstanding various doctrines taught by the Savior. For example, they required every member to sell their property and turn the proceeds over to the church---they shared everything in communal living. Also, they began requiring all Gentiles to be circumcised and to learn Mosaic law and customs before becoming a member of the church; they were "second class" members, because the Jews retained their prejudice against Gentiles.
Christ, who had risen to heaven and been given authority over all the world, knew they needed the aid of a good theologian and administrator, one who had a through knowledge of Jewish history and the new covenant of grace, showed Himself to Saul, a Jewish Pharisee who had become a great persecutor of the new sect. Saul, who changed his name to Paul later, instantly believed. He was led into the desert and taught for three years by Christ and the Holy Spirit, and called to be Christ's apostle to the Gentile world.
" 'For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins, according to Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James [his half-brother, who became pastor of the Jerusalem church], then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, for I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am...' " (1 Corinthians 15:3-9) [Brackets added)
Paul became the first missionary to the nations of the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean area. He established churches over the Empire and wrote letters explaining doctrines that comprise half the New Testament. The first apostles accepted him as one of them, though he fought the encroachment of Judaism into Christian salvation all his life. Largely due to Paul, circumcision and other good works are not imposed on believers, who are saved by God's grace through faith alone. He was martyred in Rome in 64 A.D.. In fact, all the apostles were martyred for their advocacy of Jesus Christ. Paul is credited with removing most of the heresy from Christianity, although various misinterpretations have attacked the faith throughout history.
But knew not how the Spirit's wisdom to use;
They launched His church with zeal but little skill,
As only a sect of Judaic Jews!
Christ the King quickly showed Himself to Paul,
A brilliant Pharisee, who fast believed;
He spent three years with Christ and learned it all;
Paul set church doctrine straight, of error relieved!
He freed the gospel from the grip of Jews,
Spread it over the world for everyone;
God wanted all men to hear the good news,
That any who believed in Christ be won!
Called out of time, the last apostle, Paul,
Preached to Gentiles that salvation's for all!
Matthias, a faithful companion of Jesus, was chosen to take Judas Iscariot's place, after Judas hanged himself, as the 12th apostle. After Pentecost they formed the first Christian church in Jerusalem and began to preach there and to add converts, mostly Jews who believed that Jesus was the long-promised Messiah. However, they considered themselves a sect of Judaism and met on the temple's outer court. They met on Sunday instead of the Jewish Sabbath (Saturday), because Jesus had been resurrected on Sunday. They met in homes. also. There were many things they began doing as a result of misunderstanding various doctrines taught by the Savior. For example, they required every member to sell their property and turn the proceeds over to the church---they shared everything in communal living. Also, they began requiring all Gentiles to be circumcised and to learn Mosaic law and customs before becoming a member of the church; they were "second class" members, because the Jews retained their prejudice against Gentiles.
Christ, who had risen to heaven and been given authority over all the world, knew they needed the aid of a good theologian and administrator, one who had a through knowledge of Jewish history and the new covenant of grace, showed Himself to Saul, a Jewish Pharisee who had become a great persecutor of the new sect. Saul, who changed his name to Paul later, instantly believed. He was led into the desert and taught for three years by Christ and the Holy Spirit, and called to be Christ's apostle to the Gentile world.
" 'For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins, according to Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James [his half-brother, who became pastor of the Jerusalem church], then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born. For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, for I persecuted the church of God. But by the grace of God I am what I am...' " (1 Corinthians 15:3-9) [Brackets added)
Paul became the first missionary to the nations of the Roman Empire in the Mediterranean area. He established churches over the Empire and wrote letters explaining doctrines that comprise half the New Testament. The first apostles accepted him as one of them, though he fought the encroachment of Judaism into Christian salvation all his life. Largely due to Paul, circumcision and other good works are not imposed on believers, who are saved by God's grace through faith alone. He was martyred in Rome in 64 A.D.. In fact, all the apostles were martyred for their advocacy of Jesus Christ. Paul is credited with removing most of the heresy from Christianity, although various misinterpretations have attacked the faith throughout history.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Most Productive Sermon Ever Preached
DR. CRITTENDEN'S FIRST BLOG SINCE BEING OUT OF THE HOSPITAL:
The Spirit made Peter a strong new man;
Gone was the foot-in-mouth bumpkin from birth.
He was able to lead men in God's plan:
"As in heaven, His will be done on earth!"
The commotion had caused a crowd to come;
Though speaking in language of Galilee,
Peter's words were heard in ev'ry tongue,
Preaching the good news that makes all men free!
"Jesus was sent to reign on David's throne;
Thus for humans' sins He did full atone,
And for eternal life opened the way!"
Three thousand souls believed at Pentecost;
Christ's church was born, a haven for the lost!
Please read the full Scripture passage Acts 2:14-40. Here is a part. Peter is speaking to the crowd:
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did among you, through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep hold on Him.'" (Acts 2:22-24)
"Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)
When Peter had finished, there was a great anguish in many of his listeners. They were struck to the heart at what they had done and pleaded how they might be relieved of their guilt. He told them to repent and believe and 3000 of them did so. This was the beginning of the first Christian church. The new converts added to the original 120 disciples. Note they were practically all Jewish. Peter's sermon can be justly termed 'the most rewarding sermon ever preached' in significance.
In 70 A. D., just 38 years later, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, though the Christians there were warned by an angel and saved by fleeing to Pella. Over one million Jews were slain; 300,000 were sold into slavery in other nations (See Zech. 11:1-4 for one prophecy of this.)
Israel was driven from the Promised Land for 1788 years, until 1948 when the United Nations granted them a thin sliver of the original land for their own, and modern Israel was established.
The Spirit made Peter a strong new man;
Gone was the foot-in-mouth bumpkin from birth.
He was able to lead men in God's plan:
"As in heaven, His will be done on earth!"
The commotion had caused a crowd to come;
Though speaking in language of Galilee,
Peter's words were heard in ev'ry tongue,
Preaching the good news that makes all men free!
"Jesus was sent to reign on David's throne;
Thus for humans' sins He did full atone,
And for eternal life opened the way!"
Three thousand souls believed at Pentecost;
Christ's church was born, a haven for the lost!
Please read the full Scripture passage Acts 2:14-40. Here is a part. Peter is speaking to the crowd:
"Men of Israel, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did among you, through Him, as you yourselves know. This man was handed over to you by God's set purpose and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put Him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised Him from the dead, freeing Him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep hold on Him.'" (Acts 2:22-24)
"Therefore, let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ." (Acts 2:36)
When Peter had finished, there was a great anguish in many of his listeners. They were struck to the heart at what they had done and pleaded how they might be relieved of their guilt. He told them to repent and believe and 3000 of them did so. This was the beginning of the first Christian church. The new converts added to the original 120 disciples. Note they were practically all Jewish. Peter's sermon can be justly termed 'the most rewarding sermon ever preached' in significance.
In 70 A. D., just 38 years later, Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans, though the Christians there were warned by an angel and saved by fleeing to Pella. Over one million Jews were slain; 300,000 were sold into slavery in other nations (See Zech. 11:1-4 for one prophecy of this.)
Israel was driven from the Promised Land for 1788 years, until 1948 when the United Nations granted them a thin sliver of the original land for their own, and modern Israel was established.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Receiving The Holy Spirit
The gift came to His believers waiting
On Pentecost Day; there was first a sound,
As of a violent rushing wind wailing;
It filled the house and the city around!
Then a broad lightning flash from Heaven came,
Breaking into many tongues at the room;
Each disciple's head seemed to be aflame;
Like Moses' bush, this fire did not consume!
A crowd gathered on the windows' side;
In diverse tongues they asked, What all this meant?
Knowing and speaking each tongue, they replied:
God, the Holy Spirit, had just been sent!
Now were Christ's disciples filled with power,
To preach the gospel in city and bower!
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever---the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him now knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:15-18)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
The Apostles and most of the believers in Jesus were of the poor and lower classes, as had been prophesied in Zechariah 11. They were mostly uneducated and were typical of those who we would call the working class. They were not accustomed to speaking in public, especially to rulers and courts. Jesus knew they needed a lot of help to spread the word of His kingdom around the world. Therefore, He sent the Holy Spirit, who is also God; however, He is invisible. Though He dwells within every believer and gives advice, power, and knowledge, He is not aggressive. In fact, most Christians have a hard time hearing His gentle nudging guidance. He speaks to the Christian in a still small voice that they usually confuse for the voice of their conscience.
The Holy Spirit is not your conscience. A person's conscience cannot be trusted to give sound advice. If you confuse your conscience as the advice of the Spirit, He will withdraw from speaking to you, getting quieter and quieter. This is called "quenching" the Holy Spirit; most Christians have quenched Him by not recognizing Him.
Pentecost was about 10 days after Jesus arose to Heaven. On that day, God the Holy Spirit came to the 120 disciples waiting in the upper room. Christianity was hanging by a thread. But His coming instilled strong confidence and will power into them. They were changed into fierce advocates for Christ. Through their efforts, aided by the Spirit, they "turned the world upside down." The Roman Empire persecuted them horribly at first, but in 325 A.D., the Empire installed Christianity as its official religion.
On Pentecost Day; there was first a sound,
As of a violent rushing wind wailing;
It filled the house and the city around!
Then a broad lightning flash from Heaven came,
Breaking into many tongues at the room;
Each disciple's head seemed to be aflame;
Like Moses' bush, this fire did not consume!
A crowd gathered on the windows' side;
In diverse tongues they asked, What all this meant?
Knowing and speaking each tongue, they replied:
God, the Holy Spirit, had just been sent!
Now were Christ's disciples filled with power,
To preach the gospel in city and bower!
"If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever---the Spirit of Truth. The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him now knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you." (John 14:15-18)
"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:8)
The Apostles and most of the believers in Jesus were of the poor and lower classes, as had been prophesied in Zechariah 11. They were mostly uneducated and were typical of those who we would call the working class. They were not accustomed to speaking in public, especially to rulers and courts. Jesus knew they needed a lot of help to spread the word of His kingdom around the world. Therefore, He sent the Holy Spirit, who is also God; however, He is invisible. Though He dwells within every believer and gives advice, power, and knowledge, He is not aggressive. In fact, most Christians have a hard time hearing His gentle nudging guidance. He speaks to the Christian in a still small voice that they usually confuse for the voice of their conscience.
The Holy Spirit is not your conscience. A person's conscience cannot be trusted to give sound advice. If you confuse your conscience as the advice of the Spirit, He will withdraw from speaking to you, getting quieter and quieter. This is called "quenching" the Holy Spirit; most Christians have quenched Him by not recognizing Him.
Pentecost was about 10 days after Jesus arose to Heaven. On that day, God the Holy Spirit came to the 120 disciples waiting in the upper room. Christianity was hanging by a thread. But His coming instilled strong confidence and will power into them. They were changed into fierce advocates for Christ. Through their efforts, aided by the Spirit, they "turned the world upside down." The Roman Empire persecuted them horribly at first, but in 325 A.D., the Empire installed Christianity as its official religion.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Redeemed By Grace
Did you know that you were condemned at birth?
Though hard for us to accept, Adam's sin
Makes guilty all humans that live on earth,
But Jesus died to pay debts for all men!
Don't blame Adam; we've all sinned on our own;
None has ever lived without sin but one;
That one was Jesus! Either God's unknown
Or known; if He's unknown, so is His Son.
Trusting Jesus is the only sure way
Of escaping hell, also, of keeping
The First Commandment! Nothing you can say
Will suffice to stop Satan from reaping!
Praise be to God, for redeeming our race,
By His love for us do we receive grace!
A lot of people live and die knowing nothing of God. Do you kow God? He created the universe and all of us. The first man God made in His image; his name was Adam. God loved to walk about the Garden of Eve with Adam. It was His desire nnd hope that He could dwell with men. But Adam disobeyed God's one commandment to him. God is a very just God; He condemned Adam and all His offspring to hell, for that was the penalty He had told Adam would result from sin; sin means disobedience to God, and the wages of sin is condemnation. He cast Adam out of the Garden and quit walking with him.
But God still loved men and women very much, though He hates sin and will not abide it. So He provided a plan whereby any person can escape condemnation; He came to earth as a man named Jesus, lived over 33 years, and did not sin once. Therefore, when He was unjustly crucified by His own chosen people, He became the sacrifice for all sins that men would commit. He extended grace to us; even though we can't earn it and don't deserve it, we can erase our condemnation freely by believing in Jesus as God. Even though Jesus died and was buried, He was resurrected back to life on the third day after death and lives today. Each of us can live again, too, by accepting His free gift. That is what grace is, the unmerited gift that saves us from condemnation.
No matter how good a person you are, if you don't know God and accept Jesus as Savior, you have sinned, so you can't blame Adam. The First Commandment God made to every person is that we must love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. That means, we must put God above everything in life, even our own family.
"For God so loved the world rhat he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," (John 3:16)
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)
"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.'" (Matthew 22:37-38)
Though hard for us to accept, Adam's sin
Makes guilty all humans that live on earth,
But Jesus died to pay debts for all men!
Don't blame Adam; we've all sinned on our own;
None has ever lived without sin but one;
That one was Jesus! Either God's unknown
Or known; if He's unknown, so is His Son.
Trusting Jesus is the only sure way
Of escaping hell, also, of keeping
The First Commandment! Nothing you can say
Will suffice to stop Satan from reaping!
Praise be to God, for redeeming our race,
By His love for us do we receive grace!
A lot of people live and die knowing nothing of God. Do you kow God? He created the universe and all of us. The first man God made in His image; his name was Adam. God loved to walk about the Garden of Eve with Adam. It was His desire nnd hope that He could dwell with men. But Adam disobeyed God's one commandment to him. God is a very just God; He condemned Adam and all His offspring to hell, for that was the penalty He had told Adam would result from sin; sin means disobedience to God, and the wages of sin is condemnation. He cast Adam out of the Garden and quit walking with him.
But God still loved men and women very much, though He hates sin and will not abide it. So He provided a plan whereby any person can escape condemnation; He came to earth as a man named Jesus, lived over 33 years, and did not sin once. Therefore, when He was unjustly crucified by His own chosen people, He became the sacrifice for all sins that men would commit. He extended grace to us; even though we can't earn it and don't deserve it, we can erase our condemnation freely by believing in Jesus as God. Even though Jesus died and was buried, He was resurrected back to life on the third day after death and lives today. Each of us can live again, too, by accepting His free gift. That is what grace is, the unmerited gift that saves us from condemnation.
No matter how good a person you are, if you don't know God and accept Jesus as Savior, you have sinned, so you can't blame Adam. The First Commandment God made to every person is that we must love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind. That means, we must put God above everything in life, even our own family.
"For God so loved the world rhat he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life," (John 3:16)
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'" (John 14:6)
"Jesus replied, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.'" (Matthew 22:37-38)
Monday, March 1, 2010
Awaiting The Holy Spirit
The disciples waited as commanded,
In the upper room, where so much took place,
Each recalling the events since they banded;
How things had unfolded at so swift a pace!
What was this "Holy Spirit" anywaY?
And How would it affect them when it came?
Through the windows they heard men say,
"Who was this Jesus?" "Was he really slain?"
It was Pentecost, and the city teemed
With pilgrims that had come from far and near;
Ev'ry man spoke his native tongue, it seemed;
The favored topic was Jesus this year!
Most were calloused to claims of Messiahship,
Yet this one from the tomb managed to slip!
"After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 1L3-5)
After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with His disciples on earth. He was in His spiritual body, which was exactly like His old body, but it was a perfect body. The nail and spear scars were apparent but healed. His disciples, including the apostles, numbered about 120; they were all believers in Him. Some had been with Him for the entire 3 years of His ministry.
He commanded them to wait for the Holy Spirit because their mission of preaching the gospel to all the world would be impossible without power and wisdom from Him. The Holy Spirit is God as Jesus is God; the Spirit enters the body of a believer and indwells there for the rest of his life. As it was then, so it is today; He (the Holy Spieit) is willing, even eager, to help the new believer to rid himself of the sinful nature with which he was born and to guide him in developing the traits of love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. He will guide the believer in giving him the words to say in telling non-believers about Jesus. He aids the believer in understanding scripture. Wirh His help, the small band of brothers and sisters in the upper room were able to "turn the world upside down" for Jesus. By 325 A. S. the Roman Empire dropped paganism and made Christianity the official religion of the nation. Today there are approximately 2.5 billion Christians in the world.
A word of caution about the Holy Spirit is necessary, however. The believer must co-operate with the Spirit by accepting His advice and consciously asking His help. He does not shout; He speaks in a quiet voice, one which is easily overcome by the bold incursions of the world. If the believer ignores His advice, He grows quieter and retreats, and will eventually fall silent. He can be "quenched" by inattention; that is the reason a great many Christians don't seem to live a life distinguishable from non-Christians.
In the upper room, where so much took place,
Each recalling the events since they banded;
How things had unfolded at so swift a pace!
What was this "Holy Spirit" anywaY?
And How would it affect them when it came?
Through the windows they heard men say,
"Who was this Jesus?" "Was he really slain?"
It was Pentecost, and the city teemed
With pilgrims that had come from far and near;
Ev'ry man spoke his native tongue, it seemed;
The favored topic was Jesus this year!
Most were calloused to claims of Messiahship,
Yet this one from the tomb managed to slip!
"After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: 'Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.'" (Acts 1L3-5)
After His resurrection, Jesus spent forty days with His disciples on earth. He was in His spiritual body, which was exactly like His old body, but it was a perfect body. The nail and spear scars were apparent but healed. His disciples, including the apostles, numbered about 120; they were all believers in Him. Some had been with Him for the entire 3 years of His ministry.
He commanded them to wait for the Holy Spirit because their mission of preaching the gospel to all the world would be impossible without power and wisdom from Him. The Holy Spirit is God as Jesus is God; the Spirit enters the body of a believer and indwells there for the rest of his life. As it was then, so it is today; He (the Holy Spieit) is willing, even eager, to help the new believer to rid himself of the sinful nature with which he was born and to guide him in developing the traits of love, peace, joy, patience, kindness, gentleness, and self-control. He will guide the believer in giving him the words to say in telling non-believers about Jesus. He aids the believer in understanding scripture. Wirh His help, the small band of brothers and sisters in the upper room were able to "turn the world upside down" for Jesus. By 325 A. S. the Roman Empire dropped paganism and made Christianity the official religion of the nation. Today there are approximately 2.5 billion Christians in the world.
A word of caution about the Holy Spirit is necessary, however. The believer must co-operate with the Spirit by accepting His advice and consciously asking His help. He does not shout; He speaks in a quiet voice, one which is easily overcome by the bold incursions of the world. If the believer ignores His advice, He grows quieter and retreats, and will eventually fall silent. He can be "quenched" by inattention; that is the reason a great many Christians don't seem to live a life distinguishable from non-Christians.
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