Today’s Podcast
Today’s Devotional
Today’s background scripture comes from Acts 4. And from it God says:
I love the Jewish Leaders’ question to Peter and John after making them cool their heels in jail overnight. They must have stayed awake all night crafting that question. It was remarkable, don’t you think?
“Who gave you the authority to create that spectacle in the temple yesterday?” What a question!
Of course, the spectacle involved a man over forty years old, lame from birth who stood at the name of Jesus, My Son. The power resident, even in his name, transferred through the faith of Peter, John, and the lame man caused him to walk out of the temple and into worship. The crowds saw the same man they had seen for forty years walking around, leaping before the Lord, praising Me for the miracle performed on his behalf.
What would you expect but the for the crowds to start praising with him? The temple atmosphere that day turned from one of somber, long faced prayers asking where I was to one of celebration thanking Me for My presence. It wasn’t just a spectacle. It was spectacular. And who authorized it? Me, that’s who! I want My people to celebrate when I’m there. I want people to sound the trumpets, clash the cymbals, let out all the stops. Why, because the God of all creation chose to visit you.
Their decision ended up being a little ridiculous, too. “Don’t talk anymore about what I’m doing through them.” How can they do that? How can anyone hold back the joy and excitement that happens when I intervene in life. Peter answered correctly and it shook their well-schooled, intellectual prowess to the ground. “Is it better that I obey you or God?”
What could they say? They were supposed to lead according to what I tell them, so how could they deny others doing what I tell them to do? What a great day to show a new day dawned for those who believe in Me.
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Bible reading plans include:
Ready – Acts 4:1-22
Set – Psalms 12; Acts 4
Go! – Exodus 21-22; Psalms 12; Acts 4
Acts 4:1-22
1The conversation continued for a few hours there in Solomon’s porch. Suddenly, the head of the temple police and some members of the Sadducean party interrupted Peter and John. 2 They were annoyed because Peter and John were enthusiastically teaching that in Jesus, resurrection of the dead is possible—an idea the Sadducees completely rejected. 3 So they arrested Peter, John, and the man who was healed and kept them in jail overnight. 4 But during these few afternoon hours between the man’s miraculous healing and their arrest, Peter and John already had convinced about 5,000 more people to believe their message about Jesus!5 The next morning, the Jewish leaders—their officials, elders, and scholars—called a meeting in Jerusalem 6 presided over by Annas (the patriarch of the ruling priestly clan), along with Caiaphas (his son-in-law), John, Alexander, and other members of their clan. 7 They made their prisoners stand in the middle of the assembly and questioned them.
Jewish Leaders: Who gave you the authority to create that spectacle in the temple yesterday?
Peter (filled with the Spirit): 8 Rulers and elders of the people, 9 yesterday a good deed was done. Someone who was sick was healed. If you’re asking us how this happened, 10 I want all of you and all of the people of Israel to know this man standing in front of you—obviously in good health—was healed by the authority of Jesus of Nazareth, the Anointed One. This is the same Jesus whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead. 11 He is “the stone that you builders rejected who has become the very stone that holds together the entire foundation” on which a new temple is being built. 12 There is no one else who can rescue us, and there is no other name under heaven given to any human by whom we may be rescued.
13 Now the leaders were surprised and confused. They looked at Peter and John and realized they were typical peasants—uneducated, utterly ordinary fellows—with extraordinary confidence. The leaders recognized them as companions of Jesus, 14 then they turned their attention to the third man standing beside them—recently lame, now standing tall and healthy. What could they say in response to all this?
15 Because they were at a loss about what to do, they excused the prisoners so the council could deliberate in private.
Jewish Leaders: 16 What do we do with these fellows? Anyone who lives in Jerusalem will know an unexplainable sign has been performed through these two preachers. We can’t deny their story. 17 The best we can do is try to keep it from spreading. So let’s warn them to stop speaking to anybody in this name.
18 The leaders brought the prisoners back in and prohibited them from doing any more speaking or teaching in the name of Jesus. 19 Peter and John listened quietly and then replied,
Peter and John: You are the judges here, so we’ll leave it up to you to judge whether it is right in the sight of God to obey your commands or God’s. 20 But one thing we can tell you: we cannot possibly restrain ourselves from speaking about what we have seen and heard with our own eyes and ears.
21-22 The council threatened them again, but finally let them go because public opinion strongly supported Peter and John and this man who had received this miraculous sign. He was over 40 years old, so his situation was known to many people, and they couldn’t help but glorify God for his healing.
The Voice Bible Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.
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