Read Acts 15
Ministry is never problem-free because it requires working with people. Everyone has their pet doctrines that they feel they need to defend. Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch where some men from Judea come preaching you must be circumcised to be a believer. Isn't that something like you must clean the outside of the cup first? Anyway, that didn't fly with Paul and Barnabas so after arguing and getting nowhere they decided to go to Jerusalem and ask the head apostles. All along the way Paul and Barnabas stopped and encouraged the believers. When they arrived in Jerusalem they told the elders how the Gentiles were coming to know Jesus as their Messiah. This gave them great joy as they recognized this was fulfillment of prophesy. Paul and Barnabas told them of their main reason for coming and the apostles agreed that they didn't have to be circumcised but they did need to abstain from eathing food offered to idols, from sexual immorality, and from eating the meat of strangled animals, and from consuming blood.
To me those seem like strange things to set up as rules so I decided to look closer. How do they relate to us now in 2009? They are all sins against the physical body. Both idolotry and immorality defile your spirit. Idolotry and immorality are ageless sins. Our society is wrapt with idols. Toby Mac sings about how they were once "stars" now we call them "idols". How blatant yet we still worship them. We have magazines just to find out how movie stars are living their lives and spending their money. They tell us their excercise routine, what make-up they wear, where they shop for their clothes while their personal lives are in immoral shambles. But we still worship them.
Unholy blood seems to be a common theme in these taboos. The power of the cross is in the blood Jesus shed for us. Blood carries life. Our DNA is found in our blood. There are certain blood types that can't be mixed together or you will die. Blood is very special to God. It is important that we don't consume the wrong blood. The devil is into blood also. Think of all the rage about werewolfs these days. That is unholy blood. We are not to consume ourselves on this blood. Wasn't the argument about circumcism? That has to do with blood and sex. But it has to do with the law not the spirit. It is our heart that needs to be circumcised.
So ultimately they all have to do with life. The life is in the blood and sex is the beginning of life. If the source is bad the fruit will be worse. If the source is God then the fruit will be eternal. Lord, may we be used to produce eternal life.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Wed. Devo - How to be Abased and How to Abound
Read Acts 14
Human nature is amazing to watch. One moment you are a hero and the next you are being stoned. Even with signs and wonders following your words the hearts of men are still hardened. That is the journey Paul and Barnabas were on. It was a road of ups and downs, being exalted and being abased. No wonder Paul wrote in Phillipians 4: 11-13 that he knew how to be abased, how to abound, how to be full and how to be hungry; how to have more than enough, and how to suffer need. And in whatever state he was in to be content because he found he could do all things through Christ who gives him strength.
In today's reading they preach in Iconium and the word brought total chaos and division. The word of God is a two-edged sword that divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and thoughts and intents of the heart. You've got your soul, joint, and thoughts vs. your spirit, marrow, and intents of the heart. The truth leaves no gray areas. No one rides the fence. Truth mixed with miracles to back it up stirs up every demon in hell. Jealousy leads to murder. That is why everywhere they went their opposition wanted to kill them. The devil is out to KILL, steal, and destroy the works of God.
The people wanted to make Paul and Barnabas gods even though they tried to convince them they were human. There were Jews that had followed them from Iconium and Antioch to discredit them. They convinced the same people who wanted to worship them to stone them instead. By law he was dead, but as the disciples stood around him he rose up. This was a miracle. He not only got up from his stoning and was alive but he traveled to the next town and preached without any "down time". He even dared to go back through the cities where they had tried to have him killed and preached again. His message was that they had to go through tribulation to enter into the kingdom of God. Did someone preach that to you when you got saved? Maybe we would have changed our minds. But, it is the truth. Truth comes with a cost.......your comfort, your reputation, your time, your money, your life. But every time you will rise up on eagle's wings to new life.
Human nature is amazing to watch. One moment you are a hero and the next you are being stoned. Even with signs and wonders following your words the hearts of men are still hardened. That is the journey Paul and Barnabas were on. It was a road of ups and downs, being exalted and being abased. No wonder Paul wrote in Phillipians 4: 11-13 that he knew how to be abased, how to abound, how to be full and how to be hungry; how to have more than enough, and how to suffer need. And in whatever state he was in to be content because he found he could do all things through Christ who gives him strength.
In today's reading they preach in Iconium and the word brought total chaos and division. The word of God is a two-edged sword that divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, and thoughts and intents of the heart. You've got your soul, joint, and thoughts vs. your spirit, marrow, and intents of the heart. The truth leaves no gray areas. No one rides the fence. Truth mixed with miracles to back it up stirs up every demon in hell. Jealousy leads to murder. That is why everywhere they went their opposition wanted to kill them. The devil is out to KILL, steal, and destroy the works of God.
The people wanted to make Paul and Barnabas gods even though they tried to convince them they were human. There were Jews that had followed them from Iconium and Antioch to discredit them. They convinced the same people who wanted to worship them to stone them instead. By law he was dead, but as the disciples stood around him he rose up. This was a miracle. He not only got up from his stoning and was alive but he traveled to the next town and preached without any "down time". He even dared to go back through the cities where they had tried to have him killed and preached again. His message was that they had to go through tribulation to enter into the kingdom of God. Did someone preach that to you when you got saved? Maybe we would have changed our minds. But, it is the truth. Truth comes with a cost.......your comfort, your reputation, your time, your money, your life. But every time you will rise up on eagle's wings to new life.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Tues. Devo - Are You Experiencing Opposition?....Rejoice!
Read Acts 13
Saul and Barnabas were sent to preach to the Gentiles. After much prayer and fasting, they left for Cyprus. Since verse 1 says the church in Antioch had these certain teachers and prophets and "Barnabas" means "prophecy", I would think that he was the prophet and Saul was the teacher. After preaching in Salamis where everything went smoothly, they went to Paphos where things were not so smooth. First there was a certain false prophet named Barjesus. He was friends with the deputy of the coutry, Sergius Paulus who wanted to hear what Saul and Barnabas had to say. Then there was Elymas, the sorcerer who didn't want the deputy to hear the truth so he opposed Paul and Barnabas. Paul turned and rebuke Elymas and cursed him with blindness. (Isn't that exactly what God did to Saul?) When the deputy saw this power he was amazed and became a believer.
Paul and Barnabas left Perga and came to Pisidia and went into the synagogue because it was the sabbath. The priest read from the Torah then asked Paul and Barnabas if they had anything they wanted to say. Paul stood up and preached the whole Jewish history up to that present time. He then preached Jesus, the fulfillment of the law. The Jews heard and left, but the Gentiles asked to hear more next sabbath. When next sabbath came the whole town showed up. The Jews saw the crowds and were filled with jealousy. They argued the truth and reviled Paul and Barnabas. So Paul turned and told them that the opportunity of everlasting life had to be given to them (the Jews) first, but since they didn't want it they were going to offer it to the Gentiles. And this is what they did until the Jews stirred up the wealthy people to get them kicked out of town. Paul and Barnabas left for Iconium shaking the dust off their feet, full of joy and the Holy Spirit.
Give us the heart of Paul and Barnabas that we would be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit when we are being persecuted for righteous sake. It seems to be a given: it you are making progress in the kingdom of God, you are going to be opposed. Recognize the source and don't be defeated.
Saul and Barnabas were sent to preach to the Gentiles. After much prayer and fasting, they left for Cyprus. Since verse 1 says the church in Antioch had these certain teachers and prophets and "Barnabas" means "prophecy", I would think that he was the prophet and Saul was the teacher. After preaching in Salamis where everything went smoothly, they went to Paphos where things were not so smooth. First there was a certain false prophet named Barjesus. He was friends with the deputy of the coutry, Sergius Paulus who wanted to hear what Saul and Barnabas had to say. Then there was Elymas, the sorcerer who didn't want the deputy to hear the truth so he opposed Paul and Barnabas. Paul turned and rebuke Elymas and cursed him with blindness. (Isn't that exactly what God did to Saul?) When the deputy saw this power he was amazed and became a believer.
Paul and Barnabas left Perga and came to Pisidia and went into the synagogue because it was the sabbath. The priest read from the Torah then asked Paul and Barnabas if they had anything they wanted to say. Paul stood up and preached the whole Jewish history up to that present time. He then preached Jesus, the fulfillment of the law. The Jews heard and left, but the Gentiles asked to hear more next sabbath. When next sabbath came the whole town showed up. The Jews saw the crowds and were filled with jealousy. They argued the truth and reviled Paul and Barnabas. So Paul turned and told them that the opportunity of everlasting life had to be given to them (the Jews) first, but since they didn't want it they were going to offer it to the Gentiles. And this is what they did until the Jews stirred up the wealthy people to get them kicked out of town. Paul and Barnabas left for Iconium shaking the dust off their feet, full of joy and the Holy Spirit.
Give us the heart of Paul and Barnabas that we would be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit when we are being persecuted for righteous sake. It seems to be a given: it you are making progress in the kingdom of God, you are going to be opposed. Recognize the source and don't be defeated.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday's Devo - Refugee Set Free
Read Acts 12
About 8 years ago I had been studying my Bible and I was wondering where the people of the Old Testament went when they died since Jesus hadn't died yet and they couldn't go to heaven. I decided to ask God right before I went to sleep one night and when I woke up that morning the Lord said, "cities of refuge". I thought that was a funny thing for the Lord to say till I remembered my question the night before. I knew this was the answer so I studied about cities of refuge. They were the cities that every tribe had to set apart for the person who was accused of murdering someone and had no witness. He would flee to one of these cities and the judge would hear his case and if he was innocent he would be allowed to stay safely in the city until the death of the high priest. God showed me that before Jesus, the devil accused them all of murder and he was the avenger. When they died they could present their life before a judge (God) and if he thought they were innocent he would place them in one of these cities of refuge under the earth. There they stayed till The High Priest, Jesus, died. When he was buried, Jesus and he went down and preached salvation to these cities. Many believed and were taken with him to heaven. In Matt. 27:53-54 it said that when Jesus died, "the graves of many were opened and the bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." So what does that have to do with today's reading? I think today's reading is another glimpse into what happened when Jesus died.
Once again it is Passover. Herod the king is a type of Satan. He is kills James to be a type of Jesus being killed. Then he puts Peter in prison which is a type of Jesus being buried. It even gives us the hint when it says that these were the days of unleavened bread. Unleavened bread was when Jesus was buried. Prayer was made without ceasing for him. I think that was the prayer of heaven for Jesus and for the church and the prayers of those in these spiritual cities of refuge. Then the angel comes to Peter in prison, wakes him up and the chains fall off of him. This would be like the angel coming to the grave where Jesus was laid and waking him up from death and setting him free from death. He passes the soldiers and goes to Mary's house where many were gathered. Sounds like a city of refuge.
Peter stood at the door and knocked. Finally they opened the door and let him in and were astonished. (Didn't Jesus say that He stands at the door and knocks and if anyone hears his voice, he will come in and eat with them?)
Is this how it was underground. Did Jesus have to knock and knock until finally he got in to these cities of refuge and they were shocked. I says that they did receive him and believe what he said. Then it says that Peter went to another place where there were followers. So Jesus went on to the next city of refuge to tell them. Meanwhile the devil (Herod) is not happy when he cannot find Jesus. He punishes the demons responsible for watching over Jesus' death. Apparently Jesus did not win everyone over and some of the people that had died wanted to follow Satan. They set Satan upon his throne and proclaimed him to be their god. Immediately God kills Satan. Meanwhile in the kingdom of God the good news is spreading and multiplying.
If we could just get this......Satan is defeated. He really was killed at the resurrection. He could not hold Jesus in the grave. He can only deceive us into thinking he has power but we are the ones with the power because of Jesus. Lord, help us to walk in resurrection power!
About 8 years ago I had been studying my Bible and I was wondering where the people of the Old Testament went when they died since Jesus hadn't died yet and they couldn't go to heaven. I decided to ask God right before I went to sleep one night and when I woke up that morning the Lord said, "cities of refuge". I thought that was a funny thing for the Lord to say till I remembered my question the night before. I knew this was the answer so I studied about cities of refuge. They were the cities that every tribe had to set apart for the person who was accused of murdering someone and had no witness. He would flee to one of these cities and the judge would hear his case and if he was innocent he would be allowed to stay safely in the city until the death of the high priest. God showed me that before Jesus, the devil accused them all of murder and he was the avenger. When they died they could present their life before a judge (God) and if he thought they were innocent he would place them in one of these cities of refuge under the earth. There they stayed till The High Priest, Jesus, died. When he was buried, Jesus and he went down and preached salvation to these cities. Many believed and were taken with him to heaven. In Matt. 27:53-54 it said that when Jesus died, "the graves of many were opened and the bodies of the saints which slept arose and came out of their graves after his resurrection, and went into the holy city, and appeared unto many." So what does that have to do with today's reading? I think today's reading is another glimpse into what happened when Jesus died.
Once again it is Passover. Herod the king is a type of Satan. He is kills James to be a type of Jesus being killed. Then he puts Peter in prison which is a type of Jesus being buried. It even gives us the hint when it says that these were the days of unleavened bread. Unleavened bread was when Jesus was buried. Prayer was made without ceasing for him. I think that was the prayer of heaven for Jesus and for the church and the prayers of those in these spiritual cities of refuge. Then the angel comes to Peter in prison, wakes him up and the chains fall off of him. This would be like the angel coming to the grave where Jesus was laid and waking him up from death and setting him free from death. He passes the soldiers and goes to Mary's house where many were gathered. Sounds like a city of refuge.
Peter stood at the door and knocked. Finally they opened the door and let him in and were astonished. (Didn't Jesus say that He stands at the door and knocks and if anyone hears his voice, he will come in and eat with them?)
Is this how it was underground. Did Jesus have to knock and knock until finally he got in to these cities of refuge and they were shocked. I says that they did receive him and believe what he said. Then it says that Peter went to another place where there were followers. So Jesus went on to the next city of refuge to tell them. Meanwhile the devil (Herod) is not happy when he cannot find Jesus. He punishes the demons responsible for watching over Jesus' death. Apparently Jesus did not win everyone over and some of the people that had died wanted to follow Satan. They set Satan upon his throne and proclaimed him to be their god. Immediately God kills Satan. Meanwhile in the kingdom of God the good news is spreading and multiplying.
If we could just get this......Satan is defeated. He really was killed at the resurrection. He could not hold Jesus in the grave. He can only deceive us into thinking he has power but we are the ones with the power because of Jesus. Lord, help us to walk in resurrection power!
Friday, April 17, 2009
Friday's Devo - Evangelists and Prophets - We need them both.
Read Acts 11
Reading this chapter lets me see how far the Jews had come from the laws of God. Peter and John are rebuked by the apostles for eating with uncircumcised men. I looked in the law for any hint of warning against eating with the uncircumcised and all I could find was where the priests were not suppose to share the holy food with the uncircumcised. There were plenty of laws about being kind to strangers, because they were once strangers in Egypt. In Deu. 10:19 it even says to love the stranger. All throughout the Old Testament you read of non-Jews who God singled out to save: Rahab, Ruth, Naman. God's plan from the beginning was to save the world; He just used the Jewish people to display how God deals with His children. But the Jewish people became proud and arrogant and exclusive when it came to God. Cornelius was a good example of a non-Jew who loved God. It reminds me of us in the church. Sometimes we forget that we are saved by grace, not because we earned it. We are no better than the worse sinner.
The good news is that when the apostles heard the whole story they didn't harden their hearts, they softened them and were accepting of the Gentiles. Others that had only preached to the Jews started preaching to the Grecians also. A great number of them came to the Lord. Barnabus was sent to Antioch which is in Syria. He took Saul with him. Here, in this non-Jewish land is where they first used the term "Christians".
God rose up the prophetic voice that had been silent for so long and restored prophets to the church. One particular prophet prophecied that there would be a famine throughout the world and the church mobilized to be ready to help.
David Wilkerson is a modern-day prophet who has a church in New York City. God told him to be ready for something big was going to happen in NYC at the World Trade Center on 9-11. He had his church stay up all night the night before making peanut butter sandwiches and they were at ground zero the morning of 9-11 ready to help. That is the power and the necessity of prophecy. Nothing should take us by surprise because God promised that he would never do anything that he didn't first tell his prophets.
Lord, expand our territories and help us to reach out to people we unconsciously call "uncircucised" and may the church welcome the voice of the prophet.
Reading this chapter lets me see how far the Jews had come from the laws of God. Peter and John are rebuked by the apostles for eating with uncircumcised men. I looked in the law for any hint of warning against eating with the uncircumcised and all I could find was where the priests were not suppose to share the holy food with the uncircumcised. There were plenty of laws about being kind to strangers, because they were once strangers in Egypt. In Deu. 10:19 it even says to love the stranger. All throughout the Old Testament you read of non-Jews who God singled out to save: Rahab, Ruth, Naman. God's plan from the beginning was to save the world; He just used the Jewish people to display how God deals with His children. But the Jewish people became proud and arrogant and exclusive when it came to God. Cornelius was a good example of a non-Jew who loved God. It reminds me of us in the church. Sometimes we forget that we are saved by grace, not because we earned it. We are no better than the worse sinner.
The good news is that when the apostles heard the whole story they didn't harden their hearts, they softened them and were accepting of the Gentiles. Others that had only preached to the Jews started preaching to the Grecians also. A great number of them came to the Lord. Barnabus was sent to Antioch which is in Syria. He took Saul with him. Here, in this non-Jewish land is where they first used the term "Christians".
God rose up the prophetic voice that had been silent for so long and restored prophets to the church. One particular prophet prophecied that there would be a famine throughout the world and the church mobilized to be ready to help.
David Wilkerson is a modern-day prophet who has a church in New York City. God told him to be ready for something big was going to happen in NYC at the World Trade Center on 9-11. He had his church stay up all night the night before making peanut butter sandwiches and they were at ground zero the morning of 9-11 ready to help. That is the power and the necessity of prophecy. Nothing should take us by surprise because God promised that he would never do anything that he didn't first tell his prophets.
Lord, expand our territories and help us to reach out to people we unconsciously call "uncircucised" and may the church welcome the voice of the prophet.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Thurs. Devo. - 6.............9!
Read Acts 10
Cornelius, a Roman officer (I wonder if he has a ever lost an ear) is a devout follower of God who lives in Caesarea. He gives generously and has been fasting and praying when he is caught in a vision. It is the 9th hour and an angel comes to him with instructions: God has heard your prayer. Send men to Joppa and find Simon Peter who will further instruct you. So the next day he sends 3 men to go get Peter and bring him to Caesarea .
Peter is up on his housetop praying at the 6th hour and becomes supernaturally hungry. He is immediately taken into a trance where he sees a huge sheet coming down from heaven with all the unclean animals the law taught them not to eat. God tells him to kill these animals and eat them. Peter refuses out of conscience sake. God's voice says, that what He cleanses Peter may not call unclean. This happened 3 times. Immediately the Holy Spirit tells Peter to go down stairs because 3 men are looking for him. He is to go with them. He knows this is the answer to the dream and the 3 times meant 3 men whom God has cleansed.
Peter obeyed and went with them. Meanwhile Cornelius had gathered a group to hear what Peter had to say. Peter is realizing that God is bringing in a new covenant. Jesus didn't just come for the Jews, he came for the world. And the world is coming to Jesus. Peter preaches Jesus to these god-fearing Romans and they receive him. Then the Holy Spirit falls on them and they speak with tongues. Peter and his Jewish friends are amazed. Then Peter baptizes them in water.
It seems like this 6th hour/9th hour keeps coming up. I think you have to have the 6th hour of intercession to precipitate the 9th hour of pouring out. The number 6 is the number for man. That is what he can do....pray. The number 9 means "harvest". That is what God does.
Lord, help us do #6 to get #9.
Cornelius, a Roman officer (I wonder if he has a ever lost an ear) is a devout follower of God who lives in Caesarea. He gives generously and has been fasting and praying when he is caught in a vision. It is the 9th hour and an angel comes to him with instructions: God has heard your prayer. Send men to Joppa and find Simon Peter who will further instruct you. So the next day he sends 3 men to go get Peter and bring him to Caesarea .
Peter is up on his housetop praying at the 6th hour and becomes supernaturally hungry. He is immediately taken into a trance where he sees a huge sheet coming down from heaven with all the unclean animals the law taught them not to eat. God tells him to kill these animals and eat them. Peter refuses out of conscience sake. God's voice says, that what He cleanses Peter may not call unclean. This happened 3 times. Immediately the Holy Spirit tells Peter to go down stairs because 3 men are looking for him. He is to go with them. He knows this is the answer to the dream and the 3 times meant 3 men whom God has cleansed.
Peter obeyed and went with them. Meanwhile Cornelius had gathered a group to hear what Peter had to say. Peter is realizing that God is bringing in a new covenant. Jesus didn't just come for the Jews, he came for the world. And the world is coming to Jesus. Peter preaches Jesus to these god-fearing Romans and they receive him. Then the Holy Spirit falls on them and they speak with tongues. Peter and his Jewish friends are amazed. Then Peter baptizes them in water.
It seems like this 6th hour/9th hour keeps coming up. I think you have to have the 6th hour of intercession to precipitate the 9th hour of pouring out. The number 6 is the number for man. That is what he can do....pray. The number 9 means "harvest". That is what God does.
Lord, help us do #6 to get #9.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Wed. Devo - Let's Command Something.
Read Acts 9
Saul is still persecuting the church. Because of this great persecution the good news is spread to the whole earth like Jesus commanded in his parting words. Saul travels 150 miles to Damascus to persecute believers. On the way God arrests him instead. He is surrounded with the light of heaven which blinds him and speaks to him. God lets him know that his vigor is for the wrong side then he tells them to go into the city and await further instructions. God knew how to humble Saul. The leader who was merciless and relentless is now powerless and needy. In verse 8 he stood up and "when his eyes were opened" they had to lead him by the hand. The next verse it says that he was 3 days without sight. So that "eyes were opened" has to be his spiritual eyes since he was still physically blind. In the mean time God had his man, Ananias in Damascus praying. God appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to Straight street to the house of Judas and ask for Saul of Tarsus. Ananius had heard all about Saul and didn't want anything to do with him. After arguing with God about it and losing the argument, he went. He didn't mense any words he just walked in, laid his hand on him and commanded healing for his eyes and for him to receive the Holy Spirit. He got both, then ate something and went about preaching the very Jesus he had fought so much against. He became much more powerful now than before. The Jewish leaders didn't know what to do with him. They finally decided to kill him. God revealed this plan to the disciples and they let Saul down over the wall in a basket and he escaped. Saul went to Jerusalem and went to see the apostles who were afraid to meet with him. Barnabus finally got them to listen and they accepted him into the fold. Saul spoke so boldly the Grecians tried to kill him. He escaped to Caesarea, then to his home town of Tarsus.
So Saul rose from the spiritual death he was in and started preaching the good news and winning many new converts to the Lord. Peter is in Lydda and gets the privaledge of physically raising a man from the bed of affliction. Aeneas had been paralyzed for 8 years and Peter commanded him to rise up and walk. He did! He turned the towns of Lydda and Saron to the Lord through his testamony. Next he gets to actually raise a person from the dead. A devout follower of Jesus, Dorcus had died. They had placed her in a upper chamber and Peter went in and commanded her to arise. This also caused a great number of new converts.
This is where the church is going. Sadly to say, the only thing that seems to get us to rise up is persecution. It causes us to press in and know God better and in our desperation call out to him in bold confidence. God is wanting to release this same type of power on his church. Let's get hungry.
Saul is still persecuting the church. Because of this great persecution the good news is spread to the whole earth like Jesus commanded in his parting words. Saul travels 150 miles to Damascus to persecute believers. On the way God arrests him instead. He is surrounded with the light of heaven which blinds him and speaks to him. God lets him know that his vigor is for the wrong side then he tells them to go into the city and await further instructions. God knew how to humble Saul. The leader who was merciless and relentless is now powerless and needy. In verse 8 he stood up and "when his eyes were opened" they had to lead him by the hand. The next verse it says that he was 3 days without sight. So that "eyes were opened" has to be his spiritual eyes since he was still physically blind. In the mean time God had his man, Ananias in Damascus praying. God appeared to Ananias in a vision and told him to go to Straight street to the house of Judas and ask for Saul of Tarsus. Ananius had heard all about Saul and didn't want anything to do with him. After arguing with God about it and losing the argument, he went. He didn't mense any words he just walked in, laid his hand on him and commanded healing for his eyes and for him to receive the Holy Spirit. He got both, then ate something and went about preaching the very Jesus he had fought so much against. He became much more powerful now than before. The Jewish leaders didn't know what to do with him. They finally decided to kill him. God revealed this plan to the disciples and they let Saul down over the wall in a basket and he escaped. Saul went to Jerusalem and went to see the apostles who were afraid to meet with him. Barnabus finally got them to listen and they accepted him into the fold. Saul spoke so boldly the Grecians tried to kill him. He escaped to Caesarea, then to his home town of Tarsus.
So Saul rose from the spiritual death he was in and started preaching the good news and winning many new converts to the Lord. Peter is in Lydda and gets the privaledge of physically raising a man from the bed of affliction. Aeneas had been paralyzed for 8 years and Peter commanded him to rise up and walk. He did! He turned the towns of Lydda and Saron to the Lord through his testamony. Next he gets to actually raise a person from the dead. A devout follower of Jesus, Dorcus had died. They had placed her in a upper chamber and Peter went in and commanded her to arise. This also caused a great number of new converts.
This is where the church is going. Sadly to say, the only thing that seems to get us to rise up is persecution. It causes us to press in and know God better and in our desperation call out to him in bold confidence. God is wanting to release this same type of power on his church. Let's get hungry.
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