“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.” (Acts 4:16-17)
These Jewish leaders had a problem, but they didn’t pray to ask God for His wisdom. If they had, they might’ve considered the healing of the lame man transpired in the name of Jesus or that Jesus was the Messiah. Not consulting God resulted in confusion. They referred to their problem as “this thing,” and Jesus as “this name.” As a result of this poor leadership, many Jews did not know Jesus.
King David, a great Jewish leader, depended on God when he encountered problems. He wrote in Psalm 18:7: “Though I walk in the midst of trouble, you preserve my life. You stretch out your hand against the anger of my foes; with your right hand you save me.”
We learn from King David that praising God and consulting Him in prayer saves us in the midst of trouble.
Father, in the midst of trouble, you save me from anger and preserve my life. Thank you. Now I can love and do your work from a place of peace. In Jesus’ name, I pray, amen.
I have often asked myself if Jesus arrived today 4/1/2021, if I would recognize what was happening. At this time thousands of years ago, people were being asked to believe someone was Jesus, the Son of God. He preformed miracles to make people understand that He was the Son of God. He was the true Messiah because he rose from the dead for everyone to see. He had followers that listened to Him teach and those who would never believe. There are still those that will never believe. We depend on church leaders to preach the Bible and make its words clear to us. Thousands of years later we are still doing the same thing and having the same problem. There are many pastors who are worthy and those that are not. This morning I have begun praying for someone in my family. I have resisted this because he makes me very uncomfortable and upset. I am going to continue to pray hard for him and pray that God listens to my prayers and answers them.
I am sorry I missed this post previously. I have learned that it is best to pray by thanking God in advance for example: “Thank you God for using me by the power of Your Holy Spirit to show Your love and grace to __________ so that he will have a relationship with you.” I try to think that by the power of the Holy Spirit everyone will come to know Jesus in this life or the next and believe in Him. It is so much better to believe in this life and be able to do His work and spread His love. I just said a prayer for those in your family who don’t believe, to believe and for those who do believe to have a closer relationship with God. Blessings, Jody
Your title for this devotion talks about unhealthy church leadership. I have heard that can cause real chaos and turn the ministry and the church upside down. The first church that I think of is Church of the Savior. I always feel like that is home plate for me. I love everything about that church, from the huge bell tower and pipe organ, right down to all the doors. Being in the sanctuary puts me instantly at peace. I have so many beautiful memories in that church with family and friends. It is one of the things that I miss the most in Cleveland. I was baptized there, married there and my daughter was baptized there. It will always be my favorite church, my favorite religious music, my favorite sermons. Even when I was in Notre Dame in Paris, I was comparing the bell towers. Happy place, happy memories. Sorry about the nostalgia!!
It is nostalgic for me also. I had many friends there who accepted me when I wasn’t accepted in school. I met most of my middle and high school boyfriends there, and all those boys were respectful of me. It was a place of refuge. The sanctuary was beautiful, but I was not as caught up in that beauty as you were. I loved the music also and loved hearing Mom sing it. I felt the teaching and sermons could’ve been better. I should’ve learned I could have a personal relationship with Jesus and more about what Jesus thought. But perhaps I wasn’t listening well enough. I’m praying for you and your family. Blessings, Jody