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For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.Eph 2:9 |
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| Archived Manna: | |
Dear
Friend,
If you do not already have a habit of gathering daily manna the first thing in the morning (we can look at the example given to us in Exodus 16 and find the pattern for make it a habit. Establish your life and your schedule to allow you the necessary time to do your daily collection first thing every morning to give you the strength to make it through the day. And remember that today’s manna will not be sufficient for tomorrow; tomorrow’s manna must be collected tomorrow morning. Wednesday, July 24, 2024
Today's Passage : Today's Passage :The Honor of Punishment Bible Verse:Acts 5:33-42 (ESV) "When they heard this, they were enraged and wanted to kill them. But a Pharisee in the council named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in honor by all the people, stood up and gave orders to put the men outside for a little while. And he said to them, “Men of Israel, take care what you are about to do with these men. “For before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him. He too perished, and all who followed him were scattered.” “ So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” So they took his advice, and when they had called in the apostles, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go. Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name. And every day, in the temple and from house to house, they did not cease teaching and preaching that the Christ is Jesus. " Message:
The high priests are not accustomed to defiance. Like most men, power has corrupted them and made them proud. The insolence of the apostles makes them angry and their anger, in addition to the merits of the case, impels them to kill the apostles immediately.
Head of Christ|Crown of Thorns by Cranach
But a cooler head prevails. Gamaliel, showing the reason for his fame, makes an excellent point. If Christianity represents nothing but a deviant sect, history predicts that it will simply die out. But if the apostles are preaching God’s will, the high priests — whose duty is, after all, not to protect their own power, but to guard the word of God — should not be suppressing them. Like many Pharisees (and perhaps even Pilate), he is willing to entertain their theology and the possibility that Jesus was a prophet.
So, for a second time, the apostles get off with a warning (although this one includes a whipping—and beatings in those days were severe). But even with the physical punishment, we see the apostles’ courage and faith grow yet another step. Now, not only are they unafraid of death, but also, they are disappointed that they were not punished more severely! They remember Christ’s words, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13),” and see the trial as a missed opportunity for to find ultimate glory in dying for Christ.
The Christ sect is gathering steam. It has grown from 120 to 5,000 adherents in Jerusalem, and people are starting to come to Jerusalem from the countryside just to be a part of it.
Meditation : Prayer : Oh God, hold me in the palm of your hand. I pray that you will mold me into what you want me to be. May I joyfully fill the role you have given to me and feel your peace deep in my soul, today and always,..........Amen |
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