Acts 4 (part1)

Ok so there are a few things that strike me as interesting in Acts 4.  So this post will be a bit random and probably won't flow as well as some of the others.

I'll just go in order.

Acts 4:1-4 (NIV84)
"1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand."

1. Even though things didn't turn out so great for Peter and John, the Kingdom benefited greatly.

 Sometimes, as we're doing the things we're called to do, we can be in some discouraging situations.  Peter and John were thrown in jail for preaching the gospel, which is pretty discouraging.  In fact, it's possible that they didn't even see the five thousand people give their lives to Christ.  Sometimes in ministry we can feel like what we are doing isn't good for anything, but sometimes we don't get to see the response.  Maybe the thing we did changed one person's life forever, and if it did, than it was worth it.

Acts 4:5-12 (NIV84)
"5 The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”  8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 He is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected,  which has become the capstone.’ 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.”"

2. All credit was given to Jesus Christ.

Mattie Montgomery was a guest speaker at an event we had a couple of months ago.  Before he gave his message, there was a meet and greet in one of the rooms at the church. He was talking about what it's like to be in a band.  One of things he said really stuck with me.  He said that he has to let everything that's said about him pass through one ear and out the other, even the good things.  He made the point that it's easy to lest the negative things go but the good things that people say we take to heart, but that can lead to pride if we're not careful.

It would have been easy for Peter and John to claim that it was their own power that healed that man.  But instead they gave all credit to Jesus.

Well my tablet won't let me copy and paste any more from my Bible app so I'll have to finish Acts 4 tomorrow :p

Thanks for reading!
-JDWayt