Video Bible Lesson - The Wisdom of Gamaliel by Shawn McEvoy

1/2 Hour of God’s Power with Scott Ralls

2/26/2020

The Wisdom of Gamaliel
by Shawn McEvoy
In the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.
>Acts 5:38-39
I mentioned previously that I intended to read through the Book of Acts. And I've been doing it. The best part is my son decided we could make that our bedtime reading each night. Talk about fun!
The other night we happened across the passage at the end of chapter five where the Pharisees are getting really tired of these disciples going around teaching and healing and collecting followers. People are bringing their sick into the streets in hopes that Peter's shadow might just fall upon them. Can't have that going on, now.
So it comes about that our heroes are summoned in, and about to face some serious flogging. At this point, a very respected Pharisee on the Sanhedrin requests that the disciples be sent out so he may address his brethren. His name is Gamaliel, and he proceeds to caution the Jews about how they deal with the Christian "threat." He cites two other recent examples of men who rose up, said some pleasant things, and led some people away, only to have their movements dwindle and die. Why did that happen? Obviously, reasons Gamaliel, they were human, and their quests were not of God.
He goes on to say that these followers of Jesus will go the same way... or maybe they won't. And if they don't, then anything the Sanhedrin would devise against them would fail anyway, because it would mean the movement was from God.
What an amazing way to look back on over 2,000 years of history since then. And sure enough, when I re-read this passage the other night, I remembered how our Western Civilization professor in college basically made the same statement Gamaliel did when he was explaining the historical spread of Christianity and the rise of the Church. He cited movement after movement that were "of men," and of which we no longer speak to this day. But Christianity? It remains alive, precious, self-sustaining, and powerful.
A few things that stand out about this story:
What's to worry about? We sure do still fret about things these days. No, I wouldn't dare suggest that everything we get up in arms about is actually a movement from above. Highly doubtful. But ultimately, the lesson is still the same - He's the one in control. His will be done.
As much as Gamaliel is the hero of this brief passage, it's still with the Christians, not the Council, where we can most relate. Why is this important? These Christians, our early brethren, were the ones who couldn't shut up about the good news, not the ones who were looking for things to rail against.
Our "religion" is one that is not of men. It is not a fad. It does not change. It has lasted. It will last until Christ returns.
Even with Gameliel's words ringing true, they didn't prevent the disciples from persecution. They were brought back into the room, and flogged. So their circumstances didn't really change much.
Even after a flogging, the disciples went their way grateful to have suffered as Christ suffered, and for His sake.
Even after being warned not to spread the gospel anymore, the disciples couldn't and wouldn't stop.
And don't forget...
Even a Pharisee can have a brilliant insight once in a while, thank goodness.
Intersecting Faith & Life: Think about other things that have happened in the world just since you have been born: fads, movements, cults, and so on. Then consider everything Christianity has outlasted, and will outlast. You and I serve a God who is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. What difference does that make in your life today?

#Jesus, #Christian, #Bible, #Salvation, #Heaven, #God, #HolySpirit

Streams in the Desert

Streams in the Desert

But he said to me, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may reside in me. (2 Cor 12:9)

The other evening I was riding home after a heavy day’s work. I felt very wearied, and sore depressed, when swiftly, and suddenly as a lightning flash, that text came to me, “My grace is sufficient for thee.” I reached home and looked it up in the original, and at last it came to me in this way, “MY grace is sufficient for thee”; and I said, “I should think it is, Lord,” and burst out laughing. I never fully understood what the holy laughter of Abraham was until then. It seemed to make unbelief so absurd. It was as though some little fish, being very thirsty, was troubled about drinking the river dry, and Father Thames said, “Drink away, little fish, my stream is sufficient for thee.” Or, it seemed after the seven years of plenty, a mouse feared it might die of famine; and Joseph might say, “Cheer up, little mouse, my granaries are sufficient for thee.” Again, I imagined a man away up yonder, in a lofty mountain, saying to himself, “I breathe so many cubic feet of air every year, I fear I shall exhaust the oxygen in the atmosphere,” but the earth might say, “Breathe away, O man, and fill the lungs ever, my atmosphere is sufficient for thee.” Oh, brethren, be great believers! Little faith will bring your souls to Heaven, but great faith will bring Heaven to your souls.
—C. H. Spurgeon

His grace is great enough to meet the great things
The crashing waves that overwhelm the soul,
The roaring winds that leave us stunned and breathless,
The sudden storm beyond our life’s control.

His grace is great enough to meet the small things
The little pin-prick troubles that annoy,
The insect worries, buzzing and persistent,
The squeaking wheels that grate upon our joy.
—Annie Johnson Flint

There is always a large balance to our credit in the bank of Heaven waiting for our exercise of faith in drawing it. Draw heavily upon His resources.

The Missionary Question.....Dr. Charles Stanley

The Missionary Question

Dr. Charles Stanley

Romans 10:11-15

At every missions conference hosted by my church, I give God the same message I've been repeating since my early 20s: "I'm available, Lord. I'll go to foreign fields if you say so." Until He tells me to pack my bags, I'm going to keep on sending others to work among unbelievers in distant and even remote lands.

Paul asked a series of rhetorical questions in Romans 10 that can be summed up like this: How will the world hear about Jesus if you do nothing? God uses Christians to spread the word that His salvation plan is available to all. He put us in families and communities and nations so we will mingle and share what we know. But some believers are called to carry the gospel farther than others. Those who stay behind are to offer prayer and resources for those who travel. 

If you're shaking your head and thinking, Mission work isn't where my heart is, I have news for you: Every believer is called to missions as either a goer or a sender. That call comes in dramatic ways for some, but for most of us, it is simply a biblical principle to be followed (Matt. 28:19). What's missing for those who don't have a "heart" for such work is passion. Christians who share and go and send are often excited about God's message for unbelievers—and it's possible for you to become more enthusiastic too.

I challenge you to ask the Lord, "Am I open to going anywhere You send me?" Our roots in a community should be sunk only as deep as God wills. If you aren't called to go, then choose to be a sender. Offer your prayers, your money, and anything else that will help to put others on the mission field.

What You Have in Common with Princess Diana’s Dress

What You Have in Common with Princess Diana’s Dress
TESSA AFSHAR

“Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” Psalm 90:17 (ESV)

In her younger years, my mother worked in the fashion industry in England and was employed by a couple of well-known designers.

At one point, she was assigned an elegant black evening dress. She had not been told the name of the client, because only the main designers met with the mysterious customer and conducted her fittings. It wasn’t until the dress was delivered and the client wore it that my mother realized she’d been working on a dress for Princess Diana.

This has become one of the legendary moments in our family: Our talented mother created a dress for the beloved princess. And she did not even know it at the time!

I think this story captures something about our work on this earth that we often overlook.

Our perspective in this world is narrow. We are unaware of all the “Princess Diana dresses” of our lives. It isn’t until we’re given the perspective of heaven that God will reveal to us the ordinary moments that were, in fact, extraordinary by heaven’s standards.

For the past year, I have been studying a woman in the Bible who embodies this reality: Priscilla. She was a wife, a friend, a worker of leather and a servant of Christ. In her own lifetime, Priscilla would probably not have been aware of how extraordinarily influential her simple choices would prove.

Priscilla hosted a house church alongside her husband, Aquila. They both taught the riches of the gospel. They ministered with Paul and even helped save his life.

But Priscilla could not have fully grasped the far-reaching consequences of those small gatherings in her home. She could not have known what every loving hug, modest meal, wise teaching or counsel from a spiritual mother would ultimately accomplish. She would have had no way of knowing how her every prayer, every God-drenched act of love, every sleepless night of service would help transform the world.

And transform the world it did. 

Priscilla, Aquila and their friends might have started with small house churches, but years later, their faith and service spread throughout the world. Greece became Christian. Rome became Christian. The Gentile world caught the fire of faith, and hearts turned to Jesus over the centuries. No small part of that changed world was a result of Priscilla’s simple faithfulness to the seemingly humble tasks God placed before her. She allowed God to establish the work of her hands. And she honored the words of the psalmist:

“Let the favor of the LORD our God be upon us, and establish the work of our hands upon us; yes, establish the work of our hands!” (Psalm 90:17)

I think of my own life today — how small and limited it sometimes feels. How ordinary. And yet, like Priscilla, when you and I choose merely to take one faithful step in this moment, to utter one weary, God-surrendered prayer about our work, we are fulfilling a much larger destiny than we could have thought or imagined. We are making princess dresses when it seems we are simply accomplishing our everyday responsibilities.

As daughters of Priscilla, we are spiritual mothers, tentmakers and prayer warriors. We host the Lord’s people in our homes and contend for the faith. We grow weary but press on. We feel overwhelmed but love valiantly. We face danger and stand firm. These are heroic decisions. Don’t doubt that. They are mighty in the sight of God. They are the stuff of eternity, the key to unlocking heavenly destinies. They turn mundane work into princess dresses.

If you’re sometimes tempted to believe your work doesn’t amount to much, or if you feel it’s small and unimportant — that your life is wasted on tedious things — then take a moment right now, and ask God to give you eyes to see the princess dresses He has entrusted into your care.

Lord, remind me that, like Priscilla, my ordinary work and my simple choices to love, persevere and pray in the midst of my labors lead to an extraordinary destiny. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

TRUTH FOR TODAY:
Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.” (ESV)

A Prayer for When God Wrecks Your Dreams

A Prayer for When God Wrecks Your DreamsBy Mandy Smith

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)

If there is a dream in your heart that you feel is being delayed? If you look hard enough, you may see another blessing in disguise. Some dreams of mine include being a wife and mother. I am single but I am grateful to God that He has been able to fulfill the emotional longings I have in unexpected ways.

I understand the heart numbing pain of a dream that has not come into fruition. It’s hard to consider a “wait” or a “no” to be loving, isn’t it? We can often feel neglected, lonely, heartbroken, tired, or hopeless.

In this society of social media overload, there are things that can pop up on a newsfeed that can cut deeper than any sharp-edged sword. Seeing someone receive a blessing you have cried, worked for, prayed for, and dreamed of while you are still in the “waiting room” is ridiculously hard. We are called to be joyful with our brothers and sisters in Christ, “Rejoice with those who rejoice;” but we are also called to “mourn with those who mourn.” (Romans 12:15)

Many times, when we receive a “dream come true” we talk about the faithfulness of God, and rightly so. But, being honest, I always come back to this next thought: “If my dream does not come true, if I never receive what I’ve knocked on heaven’s door for year after year, does that mean God is not faithful?” I hope you know what the answer is, but just in case, let me remind you and myself of this single truth:

God is faithful to us at all times whether our dreams come true, or not.

His faithfulness to me is saving me from an eternity apart from Him. When I look back at things I’ve gone through I also see a bigger picture of His faithfulness and His guiding hand in my life. He is faithful to complete His work in us but not to complete our dream to-do list. “…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)

God is still good. God is still omnipotent. God is still faithful to us because He is God and I am not.

May you be comforted by the assurance that staying rooted in the Lord is the most assured way to live a full, joyful, and “dream come true” kind of life: “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:7-8)

The only way we can have a content heart and a joyful life is letting Him love us, pursue us, and fill the heart numbing ache we have with His grace. That doesn’t always make it easy to let go of a dream or to let it sit still for a season, and I know God recognizes that. Don’t forget that we are what He dreams of and desires and He loves us so much. His will and dreams for us are more than we can even imagine…and that’s more than ok.

God, thank You that Your will and Your plan is always perfect. It might not be easy or always feel good, but I know You see the big picture and know what’s best for me. You are always good. You are always faithful. You always have steadfast love for your children. These are truths that will never be untrue- so help me live in light of those truths today. Help me have peace as I meditate on what it means that You are always good, faithful and full of steadfast love for me. Help me face today with confidence knowing that Your plan is greater than all of my dreams. Lord, I love You, thank You for the life I have in You. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Reading Revelation is Meant to Bless You (Not Scare You)...🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻

Reading Revelation is Meant to Bless You (Not Scare You)
By Quanny Ard

“‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’ He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.’” (Revelation 21:4, 5, NIV).

Revelation tells the end of our earthly story, but it also gives us a glimpse into eternity where there will be no more pain, sickness, or death. Can you imagine a world free from illness? No more doctor’s visits, negative prognoses, suffering or graveside goodbyes – these things will not even enter our minds in heaven.

I look forward to this in hope because I walked through some of my darkest days while watching my mother slowly decline and succumb to her terminal illness. It’s an experience like no other. This is definitely what I’d consider a major part of the gospel: a promised eternity without grief of any kind!

Revelation lets us know without a doubt exactly how important we are to God and how He will rescue us. As the other bookend of the Bible, Revelation, like Genesis, spells out the story of redemption in vivid detail. It echoes and completes His plan of salvation for us that began before time. Neglecting to read Revelation is like reading the best story ever, but not finishing it to find out how it ends! Spoiler alert: We are redeemed!

I encourage you to read through Revelation at least one time. It is a book that is meant to bless you and not scare you.

Revelation may not be the easiest book in the Bible to digest, and there are many resources (commentaries, topical Bible studies, etc.) available to help you in your quest to understand what God is saying. And remember, anyone that asks for wisdom will receive it (James 1:5, NIV).