Something Greater

Trust and Obey "And someone came and told them, - Look! The men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people. - Then the captain with the officers went and brought them, but not by force, for they were afraid of being stoned by the people. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high priest questioned them, saying, - We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood upon us. - But Peter and the apostles answered, - We must obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. And we are witnesses to these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him." Acts 5:25-32 (ESV) The Jewish leaders were greatly perplexed (thoroughly ...

Safe! I sometimes have a hard day at work. No big surprise in that, right? We all have hard days at work, at home, at church. When I have a hard day at work, and I can't let go of the stress when I return home, despite the encouragement and care of my wife, I often will crawl into bed and have only one word of prayer that I can offer up to God: "Safe!" The warmth of the bed, the protection of my blanket, the quietness of the darkness, the security of my home create an image in my mind of safety. With one word, safe, I thank God for His oversight of my life, His guidance and direction and providence , despite the difficulty I've experienced in getting through the day. But my bed and blanket are only an image. Little force is required to violate the security and quiet of my home. My blanket provides small protection from the storms and raging violence of this world . It fails to protect me from even the smallest irritations and upsets. We are surprised...

When Glory Becomes Dim Listen: When Glory Becomes Dim (mp3) Watch: When Glory Becomes Dim (Powerpoint) "When the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. And Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and a report about him went out through all the surrounding country. And he taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all." Luke 4:13-15 (ESV) ENDED: synteleo (to complete entirely, to execute); from syn (with or together) and teleo (to end, complete, execute, conclude, discharge); from telos (the point aimed at as a limit, the conclusion or termination, result, purpose, impost or levy); from tello (to set out for a definite point, goal) Luke says that the devil ended every temptation of Christ. "Ended" is a word of finality...a word for successful completion. In what did the devil succeed? Jesus, after enduring without sinning the temptations of the devil, was empowered by the Holy Spirit to teach...

A Kingdom in Search of a People "Now many signs and wonders were regularly done among the people by the hands of the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. None of the rest dared join them, but the people held them in high esteem. And more than ever believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women, so that they even carried out the sick into the streets and laid them on cots and mats, that as Peter came by at least his shadow might fall on some of them. The people also gathered from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those afflicted with unclean spirits, and they were all healed." Acts 5:12-16 (ESV) PEOPLE: laos (a people) Many signs and wonders were done among "a people" . "A people" held the apostles in high esteem. "A people" brought their sick and demen-oppressed ones to the apostles for healing. "A people" in the Greek is in the genitive form, meaning possession. ...