The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 734

 

The Devotional – Search the Scriptures – 734

Today’s Kick Start! – (NKJV) Isaiah 41 ¹⁰ Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’

 Personal Obedience—Walk in the Spirit and you will not carry out the deeds of the flesh.

Acts 4 ⁸ Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: ⁹ If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. ¹¹ This is the ‘stone, which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ ¹² Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.

JESUS CHRIST: He IS the same Yesterday, He IS the same Today, He IS God Forever!

 The apostles Peter and John, along with the others were called out for one specific purpose and that was to evangelize the known world of their time. Others have taken interest in these apostles and have sought to track their travels, these apostles must have accomplished the task assigned to them, since they all died martyrs for the cause of Christ. The exception is the apostle John who died an old man at the age of 96 on the Isle of Patmos after completing the book of Revelation.

 The main discussion in the book of Acts is the conversion that must take place in Judaism as the First Covenant gives way to the New Covenant, which we briefly covered earlier. The battle rages in these two covenants as the First Covenant clings to the law of Moses, and the New Covenant reveals and abides in the grace of God. This battle controlled by men under the deception of religion still rages. Anyone who studies church history can readily see that this battle of the ages.

 The parable of the ‘Good Samaritan’ (Luke 10 ^25-37) reveals an interesting truth concerning Judaism and Christianity. Samaritans are not Israelites, but a mixture of Jews and Gentiles, in our understanding we would call them ‘half breeds’. In this parable the Samaritan is a good man showing compassion on that certain person who fell into the hands of robbers. This compassion, is the grace and mercy of God in operation, and this is the edict of God placed on the New Covenant church of Jesus Christ.

 Judaism as it developed over time became hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. Sadly we see this very same pattern happening in the Church today. Acts 4 ¹⁰ let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by Him this man stands here before you whole. How far we have drifted from the Will of God? Far enough to overlook the Grace and Mercy of God and ignore the world as it falls into the hands of unprincipled and satanic deception. Proverbs 30 ²⁰ This is the way of an adulterous woman: She eats and wipes her mouth, And says, “I have done no wickedness.” In this case the adulterous woman is the ‘bride of Christ’ which is the church of today.