Something Greater

Faith in His Name "His name...by faith in his name...has made this man strong whom you see and know, and the faith that is through Jesus has given the man this perfect health in the presence of you all." Acts 3:16 (ESV) The small church in Jerusalem has exploded into a community of believers following the breath-taking miracle of the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost. Inspired by the Spirit , Peter has experienced a radical change, from arrogant fisherman and spineless coward, to a passionate, powerful pastor and preacher. Peter and John have just seen a man lame from birth healed instantly at their faith-filled command to rise up and walk in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth. Peter preached to the amazed crowd that witnessed the healing, pointing to God as the One Who glorified Jesus as the Holy and Righteous One and the Author of Life , killed by the very people to whom Peter was preaching, raised from the dead by God three days later. NAME:

Essentials of Love I Corinthians 13:4-7 Love is patient, Is kind, Love does not envy; Love does not boast, Is not arrogant; Is not rude, Does not insist on its own way; Is not irritable, Is not resentful ; Does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth; Bears all things, Believes all things, Hopes all things, Endures all things! 1 Cor 13:4-7 (ESV) The Apostle Paul opened his letter to the church in Corinth by appealing for unity, joined in mind and judgement . Their wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and spiritual redemption was to be solidly founded upon Christ Jesus. This passage is a poem, perhaps a song. If we could read Greek easily and fluently, we would enjoy the rhythm and rhyme with which Paul wrote this. Paul is appealing to both our minds and our emotions. In the Corinthian church, Paul saw immaturity, jealousy and strife . The community of Corinth thought of the Christians in Corinth as exceeding all limits of sexual im

Christian Freedom "For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another." Galatians 5:13-15 (ESV) FREEDOM: eleutheria (freedom); from eleutheros (unrestrained, to go at pleasure, as a citizen, not a slave; exempt from obligation or liability); from erchomai (to come or go) We were called to freedom. Who called us to freedom, and how are we called? In what sense are we free as Christians? The Greek word means unrestrained , able to go at pleasure, as a citizen and not as a slave. The word means being exempt from obligation or liability. Paul described Christian freedom as " the freedom of the glory of the children of God ", in his letter to the church in Rome (Romans 8:21). "The law of

Love's Cover-up: Hiding Sin? Several verses in the Bible describe a radical, extreme level of love, requiring Christians to love others despite the other person's sin, even to the point of covering up or hiding their sin . "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them." Luke 6:27-31 (ESV) I am to love my enemies, doing good them who hate (detest, persecute) me. I am to bless (speak well of, to thank, to pray for good) them that curse (condemn me to doom). I am to pray for those who abuse (insult or slander) me. Even for one who strikes (repeatedly hits me with a stick) me on

Forgiven and Forgiving Jesus, my Lord, My Redeemer and Rescuer, My Ransom paid to set me free from sin's doom, I cannot forgive the one who has hurt me Because I do not feel forgiven for my sin. As long as I grip my sin like a bloody glove Used to commit murder, As long as I wear a veil of mourning To grieve over my sin, As long as I ignore Your forgiveness of me, I cannot forgive another. Oh! But when I see You! When I see You spending Your life for me, When I see You pay the ransom for my sin, When I see You witness for me before the Judge, I am set free! Now free, I see others differently. Others are gripping their sin and veiling their sorrow, Causing them to bitterly hate and judge themselves and others. Others are where I was. I forgive you. You hurt me like I hurt you. I forgive you because Jesus forgives me. Image courtesy of Marco Michelini