Today Our Daily Bread Acts 4

Scripture selections are taken from the Rock Church Daily Bread Reading schedule for each month. “Lena’s Journalin’” are Lena’s comments on the specific passages from her Daily Journal.

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Acts 4:1-37

Nothing to Hide
1While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up, 2indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus. 3They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening. 4But many of those who listened had already believed the Message--in round numbers about five thousand!
5The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, 6Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander--everybody who was anybody was there. 7They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: "Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?"
8With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: "Rulers and leaders of the people, 9if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, 10I'll be completely frank with you--we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. 11Jesus is "the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.' 12Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one."
13They couldn't take their eyes off them--Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, 14but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright--so healed!-what could they say against that?
15They sent them out of the room so they could work out a plan. They talked it over: 16"What can we do with these men? By now it's known all over town that a miracle has occurred, and that they are behind it. There is no way we can refute that. 17But so that it doesn't go any further, let's silence them with threats so they won't dare to use Jesus' name ever again with anyone."
18They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John spoke right back, "Whether it's right in God's eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. 20As for us, there's no question--we can't keep quiet about what we've seen and heard."
21The religious leaders renewed their threats, but then released them. They couldn't come up with a charge that would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn't have stood for it--they were all praising God over what had happened. 22The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old.
One Heart, One Mind
23As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. 24Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: "Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. 25By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David:
Why the big noise, nations?Why the mean plots, peoples?
26Earth's leaders push for position,Potentates meet for summit talks,The God-deniers, the Messiah--defiers!
27"For in fact they did meet--Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself!-met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah, 28to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion.
29"And now they're at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, 30as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus."
31While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God's Word with fearless confidence.
32The whole congregation of believers was united as one--one heart, one mind! They didn't even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, "That's mine; you can't have it." They shared everything. 33The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale 35to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person's need.
36Joseph, called by the apostles "Barnabas" (which means "Son of Comfort"), a Levite born in Cyprus, 37sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.

~ Lena’s Journalin’ Today~
Have you noticed as we read through the New Testament (NT), that from the beginning of the announcements of who Jesus is/was, even beyond His resurrection, that the religious people, especially those who spent their entire lives studying laws of religion, and those who had climbed the authoritative “ladder” of leader success, always wanted to know WHO the preachers were and with what AUTHORITY they preached?
Have you also noticed that those who were not so religious and whom the religious community had disregarded, usually recognized and welcomed Jesus and His followers as though they were sent by God?
How we receive the gospel’s words to us individually, as from God or not, and through specific messengers is directly related to the love of God that is in our hearts. Sometimes knowing too much gets in the way of the ability to recognize by the spirit. The spirit of God is not found very easily inside of the reasoning of man’s mind. He is known by the spirit inside of the man.
Those who had studied so much did not even recognize God! They knew Him in the letter of the word, but did not know Him in a personal way, enough to recognize Him themselves.
There is only One name in which true eternal authority is executed, the name of Jesus. How can one know about Him without knowing Him? He is known in His word, but that word has to be made alive with living action following its book knowledge.
Think of God’s word as an instruction manual for life. If we do not act upon the instructions, they are NO good to us at all, may as well set the book down. It’d be better to take a few instructions and do them, live them, rather than to say we’ve read and know them.
Notice that even though Peter and John were not “scholars” and had no “formal” scriptural education, they were remarkably and visibly of and from God’s spirit? They were a living demonstration of God’s words, Jesus’ words were made alive for people to see. Seeing is the most impacting way of preaching, by demonstration. We can say a lot, but if there’s no proof, then the word has not been proven. People are looking for living truth and living proof!
Peter and John were so alive in Christ, they were willing to take risks, the same kinds of risks Jesus took, before a religious world, to show that world God’s love in demonstration.
What would it take for you, for me, to demonstrate that kind of love to our world? What kind of risks would it take for us to be the living word to others? I know one great risk; our own life, our own identity, our own goals, our own successes, our own self lives, these would be at great risk in order to truly demonstrate the kingdom of God to others.
I always think of what we have been given to develop God-likeness, and the 9 fruits of being filled with the spirit of God in demonstration. What would it take for me to demonstrate Him this way?
With:
Love
Joy
Peace
Patience
Gentleness
Kindness
Faith-full-ness
Goodness
And self-control?
What would that take today to demonstrate? It would take all of me, it would take the laying down of my own life to be after the reflection of His light in others. To lift someone else up, to my own pressing down. It would take preference, doing it someone else’s way without argument or discontent.
The religious are after their own kingdoms, their own agenda’s their own exaltations, and what it takes to get their needs met, even by using others to do so.
The righteous, are after His will, and the demonstration of His love towards a lost world.
It says the disciples gave all for each other, so that no one had any needs.
The Strong’s concordance definition for the word “all” means ALL!


Proverbs 27:17-19
17 You use steel to sharpen steel, and one friend sharpens another. 18 If you care for your orchard, you'll enjoy its fruit; if you honor your boss, you'll be honored.
19 Just as water mirrors your face, so your face mirrors your heart.
Psalm 122:1
1 When they said, "Let's go to the house of God," my heart leaped for joy.