“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 4:12
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you bold Christ-follower kids? Peter and John were bold Christ-follower guys. Acts 4 is about how boldly these unschooled, ordinary fishermen friends were willing to present a new belief paradigm that was centered on an incarnate guy Who was seen alive again after having been dead for a couple of days after he had been inhumanely hung on and nailed to a cross until he died. Peter and John had been discipled for up to three years by the 30 year old or so ‘step-son’ of a carpenter or of a mason as this incarnate guy – Who was God – as God the Son, went from the Galilean department in the land of Canaan to the Judean department in the land of Canaan teaching about Himself, performing miracles and accumulating a following of guys, gals and kids. Even after hearing for a couple of years the incarnate guy’s teaching that He was the ‘stone’ that builders – the leaders of the Jew people group’s guys and gals, would reject, Peter and John did not get it until after Jesus Christ – as God – as God the Son, had ascended into heaven and after God – as God the Holy Spirit, had come as a flickering flame on their heads and had indwelled in them – giving these two guys the Holy Spirit driven power boldness to heal infirmities, to confront injustice and to suffer ignominies. After having been indwelt with the Holy Spirit’s power – which enabled Peter and John to boldly and brashly speak absolute truth, to blatantly and boldly heal the affirmed and to bravely and boldly suffer being wronged, Peter and John took the lead in presenting a new religiosity belief alternative to their people group of guys and gals – who were Jews – who were God’s specially chosen guys and gals. The core foundation and underlying underpinning of the new belief prototype that Peter and John began to publicly, boldly preach and teach was the documented resurrection of Jesus Christ from being dead and entombed to living again and visibly walking about again on planet Earth – which no other guy or gal has ever been able lay claim to in his or her personal life portfolio.
After Peter and John had compassionately healed a crippled 40 year old guy in front of witnesses and because Peter and John had persisted in centering their message on the resurrection of Jesus Christ from having being dead to living again, Peter and John were confronted by Sadducees, some temple priests and the captain of the temple guard and jailed. During the hearing for Peter and John the next day in the city of Jerusalem in front of a gaggle of rulers, elders, teachers of the law, the high priest – Annas, and guys from Annas’ extended family, Peter – now having the Holy Spirit empowering him, boldly told the guys that the guy Who they had crucified – Who was Jesus Christ, had been raised up by Jesus’ Father – Who was God the Father, from death. Peter placed these Jew synagogue leaders into a caldron as to what to do with him and John when he told the leaders that their only real hope was to believe in Jesus Christ. Luke recounts Peter’s boldly articulated response in verse 12, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”” After the guys who had been confronting Peter and John told Peter and John not to preach or teach anymore in the name of Jesus, the ad hoc gang of Jew spiritual leaders let Peter and John go. After Peter and John were told to discontinue preaching and teaching about their mentor – Who was Jesus Christ, Peter and John possibly went to a place where Christ-follower guys and gals hung out – which was in an upper room in a house where Christ-follower guys and gals who were living in the city of Jerusalem would meet and pray together. After relating to their Christ-follower companions what had just happened to them, Peter and John prayed to God that He would enable His servants to speak His words with great boldness and that He would through the name of His holy Servant and Son – Who was Jesus Christ, stretch out His hand to heal and to perform miraculous signs and wonders through them. After Peter and John had finished praying, where they had been praying was suddenly shaken as God – as God the Spirit, arrived to empower every guy and gal who was present to be able to boldly speak the words that God – as God the Spirit, gave them to speak.
God – as God the Spirit, about 1970 years ago jumpstarted a burgeoning community of Christ-follower guys, gals and kids. Each Christ-follower guy and gal shared communally what they owned. The growing community of Christ-follower guys, gals and kids grew by the thousands. Because funds were being disbursed where needed, there were no needy Christ-follower guy or gal. Barnabas – a Jew from the Levi tribal clan whose residence was on the island of Cyprus, became an example of how the spirits of giving and encouragement became lifestyle models when Barnabas sold one of his fields and gave the apostles the money from the field to be distributed where there was a need. As possession sharing took place, the grace of God – as God the Father, was manifested among the guys and gals who were Christ-followers. Young guys and gals – known as the millennial generation, today want to live the early Christ-follower community type lifestyle. These young guys and gals desire to live a 24/7 Christ-follower life in community. These young guys and gals want their lives radically changed so that they as Christ-followers can better serve God. Your grandmaa and grandpaa are coaches for a World Race team. A World Race team will spend time on three continents visiting 11 countries during the 11 months of their World Race. Some of these young guys and gals have had God – as God the Spirit, manifest signs through them. What do you think would happen if you asked God for Him – as the Holy Spirit, to empower you with boldness to freely share your faith is Jesus Christ?
Acts 4 (919)