SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 9/23/2017 11:30 AM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 Be Aggressive in
Seizing Opportunities
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Acts 4:8-13
Message of the verses: “8
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, "Rulers and elders
of the people, 9 if we are on trial today for a benefit done to a sick man, as
to how this man has been made well, 10 let it be known to all of you and to all
the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, whom you
crucified, whom God raised from the dead-by this name this man stands here
before you in good health. 11 “He is the STONE WHICH WAS REJECTED by you, THE
BUILDERS, but WHICH BECAME THE CHIEF CORNER stone. 12 “And there is salvation
in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given
among men by which we must be saved." 13 Now as they observed the
confidence of Peter and John and understood that they were uneducated and
untrained men, they were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus.”
As we look at what
Peter was saying to these Jewish rulers we can see one thing for sure, and that
is he and John were not afraid to tell the truth to these rulers even though
when he told them the truth they were most assuredly offended as they were
instrumental in putting Jesus to death.
John MacArthur writes “Submission is not cowardice.”
Peter begins by asking
them if they were on trial for the healing of the sick man and by doing this he
was turning the tables onto the Sanhedrin and he subtly accused them of
injustice as there could be nothing wrong with healing a lame man.
Peter then continues
by saying “as to how this man was made well,” and this is what these men really
wanted to know and understand. They
could not deny that there was a great miracle done here, but how was it done
was their question. Peter then goes on
to tell them and he adds to tell all of Israel, “let it be known to all of you
and all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene” the one that you crucified,
“whom God raised from the dead by this name this man stands here before you in
good health.” It is because that Peter
and John were filled with the Holy Spirit that Peter was able to put the men of
the Sanhedrin on trial, which was not the reason they were brought in there, as
the Sanhedrin was putting them on trial, at least that is what they thought. This reminds me of when Jesus was on trial
before Pilate, when it was actually Pilate who was on trial before Jesus, or
when the soldiers came to arrest Jesus, it was really Jesus who was in charge,
as He always is, and the same goes here with the Spirit filled believers. Peter took this opportunity to really give
out the gospel message to these men, men who had put Jesus to death. John MacArthur writes “By pointing out that
they executed Jesus but God raised Him up, Peter showed them to be the enemies
of God. That approach was frequently
employed in Acts (cf. 2:23-24; 3:14-15; 10:39-40; 13: 27-30). Peter refused to compromise the gospel by
deleting what would offend the Sanhedrin.
He spoke courageously because he was devoted to the truth and entrusted
the outcome to his Lord. That is an
example for all persecuted believers to follow.”
The Sanhedrin had the
wrong idea of what the Messiah was like, and that was their most formidable
barrier to accepting Jesus Christ, for in their minds, and in many of the minds
of Israel, the Messiah could not die, but come in to, and in their case remove
the Romans, but like others today they had not studied the proper portions of
Scripture, places like Isaiah 52-53, and Psalm 22, which clearly shows the
Messiah must indeed die, and even how He would die. Peter uses Psalm 118:22 to show them their
error “The stone which the builders rejected Has become the chief corner
stone.” Jesus was indeed that Stone, and
they were the ones who rejected Him.
Jesus Christ is the true cornerstone, the most important piece of the
foundation of any building. “19 So then
you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the
saints, and are of God’s household, 20 having been built on the foundation of
the apostles and prophets, Christ
Jesus Himself being the corner stone, 21 in whom the whole building, being fitted together,
is growing into a holy temple in the Lord, 22 in whom you also are being built
together into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.”
We will continue to
look at these verses in our next SD.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Boldness in telling the truth of the gospel
is something that I believe the Lord gives to me when He has someone for me to
tell them the truth of the gospel.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Trust that the Lord will keep me calm and
give me the right words to speak as I teach Sunday school tomorrow on two
verses in Revelation chapter one that talk about the importance of knowing the
Jesus Christ will come again.
Answer to yesterday’s Bible question:
“Luke.”
Today’s Bible question: “What
kinds of garments did the high priest wear?”
Answer in our next SD.
9/23/2017 12:02 PM
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