Through the Bible - Psalms 102-104 , Romans 15:1-21
Good morning,
One of the things that I enjoy about reading the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) is how Jesus used, or should I say, enlisted ordinary men to accomplish extraordinary things.
The disciples weren't the cream of the crop. They hadn't been sought out to study under the rabbi's at the age of 13..
What Jesus did was call them to be followers of Him. They followed, and learned in ways that oftentimes were contrary to what the Rabbi's of the day would have had them do. They, along with Jesus, associated with the tax collectors and sinners.
Another favorite chapter in the New Testament for me is Acts chapter four where Peter and John stand up to the Pharisees. Not too long ago I shared Acts 4:12 and 13 as a verse for the day which stated that the Pharisees realized that what had made these men different was that they had been with, had been followers of Jesus.
For today's verse we'll go a little further on in the chapter to verse 20.
Acts 4:20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. NKJV
These disciples had a case of the "can't help it's". They couldn't help but tell what Jesus had done for them even in the face of threats of punishment, threats that would have sent most people of the day cowering, running for cover.
David Putman writes in "Breaking the Discipleship Code" Jesus didn't do everything by Himself; he modeled the way only to enable His twelve disciples to do likewise. In essence, He qualified the unqualified by showing them they had what it took to bring the kingdom of heaven to earth."
Have you ever felt that you couldn't help but tell others what Jesus has done for you? I hope so. When was the last time you told someone?
When the religious authorities tried to get the disciples to stop speaking, preaching and teaching about Jesus after His death there response was "we cannot help but speak of what we've seen and heard", no matter the cost.
Oh to be like them. Oh to be like Jesus.
In Christ,
Mike
Acts 4:13-23
The Name of Jesus Forbidden
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 16 saying,"What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a notable miracle has been done through them is evident to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name."
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said to them,"Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard." 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed.
NKJV
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