Acts 4:13-22
verse 13: When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
We hear a lot about God using ordinary people to do His work here on earth. Most of us are pretty ordinary. There are a few who choose to become further trained and educated In religion to be leaders and teachers. But for most of us, our knowledge of God comes from our own experience of Him in our lives, and from the Bible. Our witness to others is our own personal experience of God in our lives. We don’t need formal education for that. When I read something in the Bible which resonates with me and pulls me toward God, I know I am moving in the right direction. I don’t need special training for that. Jesus taught his disciples while walking along dusty dirty roads and sitting in fields and on hillsides. There were no special studies involved. We are all enough, with God.
Holy one, you take all comers, just as we are. We only need to accept you. You will show us the way. May we have the faith to trust you. We know you will move us forward, drawing us closer. Amen
Becky, transforming
In this reading for today, you can see where the Sanhedrin ( the ruling council in Jerusalem) was in an awkward position – both Peter and John were performing healing acts in the name of Jesus ( the man that the Sanhedrin had put to death). The Sanhedrin would rather have them out of the way, so they decide to forbid Peter and John from continuing. The Council felt quite possibly that they were in good shape either way – if the two stopped, the Council succeeded. If the two continued, it could be grounds for arrest. This is a wonderful example of exactly what Jesus desired – that His disciples go out into the world and preach and heal…
Acts 4: 13-22
How many times have we heard, “I’d have to see it to believe it.” The priest and Sadducee witnessed the miracles that Peter and John had performed but still they did not believe and continued to hide the truth. But they were still amazed at what Jesus had done for them. Today ( 2 Corinthians 5:7 ) When we walk by faith and not by sight, our changed life will convince people of God’s power. Will others see the difference In our lives by our actions and words. Just a continuation from yesterday, we may be afraid to share our faith for fear of rejection. This tells me that my faith is not strong enough because I allow…
20201009 Friday, Daily Devotion - Acts 4:13 (NIV)
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
The people who leave a message, challenge me to move to the next level of spirituality or motivate me to love God and His Word more were the people who had been with Jesus. The people who are trying to be with Jesus, walk with God or make a serious decision according to the Word of God always amaze me leading into deep thought. I want to be such a person whenever I meet those people who are trying to…
Acts 4: 13-22
20 “As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
Unlike Peter and John, we have not seen Jesus work. We have not had this great opportunity to see for ourselves what Jesus did while on earth, but we know in our heart that what we believe is true. Sharing this story with others, who may not feel the same as us, is difficult. Only recently have I felt comfortable speaking about God’s work with a few people outside of my church family. I am sure I have missed some opportunities to share God’s word. Hopefully, in time I will do better.
Dearest Jesus, you do so much for us every day.…
Acts 4:13-22
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, 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.
As transformers we would like to approach people and convince them that accepting the word of God would improve their lives many times over. It is a difficult topic to bring up in normal conversation. How much easier it would be to get someone’s attention if we could put our hand on a cancer sufferer and heal them. That would open the conversation very easily. Without…