The Power Of The Holy Spirit

Despite the warning, Christians met each day,
Proclaiming Jesus the Christ; sick and lame
From far and near, were healed, where’er they lay,
By the apostles, all in Jesus’ name!
Their fame among the people grew and grew;
The apostles were jailed again by the priests;
The Sanhedrin puzzled o’er what to do,
At last scourged them, warned, and given release.
Cots and pallets of the sick filled the streets,
Hoping Peter’s shadow would pass and touch;
The Spirit powered many wondrous feats,
Enabling those first Christians to do much!
The same Spirit indwells Christians today---
“Dear Lord: Give us as great a faith as they!

“Then someone came and said, ‘Look! The men you put in jail
are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.’ At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They didn’t use force, because they feared that the people would stone them. Having brought the apostles, they made them appear before the Sanhedrin to be questioned by the high priest. ‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in the name,’ he said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty pf this man’s blood.’ Peter and the other apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus from the dead---whom you had killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him to his own right hand as Prince and Savior that he might give repentance and forgiveness of sins tor Israel. We are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him.’ When they heard this, they were furious and wanted to put them to death.” (Acts 5:25-33)

Then the Jewish leaders withdrew to discuss what they should do. A very wise elder named Gamaliel advised them to do nothing to the apostles.

“ ‘Therefore, in the present case I advise you leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is human in origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men, you will only find yourselves fighting against God.’ “ (Acts 5:38-39)

Truer words were never spoken. The mystery for us today is, after nearly 2000 years of growth and billions of believers in Jesus as the Christ, Judaism still stubbornly hangs to their refusal to accept Him as such. The Bible prophesies that when Jesus returns to earth, He will put a new heart in the Jews, they will turn to Him, and mourn their killing Him the first time He came.