Friday, March 18, 2016
ACTS Chapter 4 to 5:11 The community of goods
ACTS 4 NLT
1 While Peter and John were speaking to
the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple
guard, and some of the Sadducees.
2 These leaders were very disturbed that
Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a
resurrection of the dead.
3 They arrested them and, since it was
already evening, put them in jail until morning.
4 But many of the people who heard their
message believed it, so the number of believers now totaled about 5,000 men,
not counting women and children.
5 The next day the council of all the
rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.
6 Annas the high priest was there, along
with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest.
7 They brought in the two disciples and
demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people,
9 are we being questioned today because
we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was
healed?
10 Let me clearly state to all of you and
to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus
Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the
dead.
11 For Jesus is the one referred to in the
Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become
the cornerstone.’
12 There is salvation in no one else! God
has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
13 The members of the council were amazed
when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were
ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized
them as men who had been with Jesus.
14 But since they could see the man who had
been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council
could say.
15 So they ordered Peter and John out of
the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
16 “What should we do with these men?” they
asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign,
and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it.
17But to keep them from spreading their
propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name
again.”
18 So they called the apostles back in and
commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you
think God wants us to obey you rather than him?
20 We cannot stop telling about everything
we have seen and heard.”
21 The council then threatened them
further, but they finally let them go because they didn’t know how to punish
them without starting a riot. For everyone was praising God
22 for this miraculous sign—the healing of
a man who had been lame for more than forty years.
23 As soon as they were freed, Peter and
John returned to the other believers and told them what the leading priests and
elders had said.
24 When they heard the report, all the
believers lifted their voices together in prayer to God: “O Sovereign
Lord, Creator of heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them—
25 you spoke long ago by the Holy Spirit
through our ancestor David, your servant, saying, ‘Why were the nations so
angry? Why did they waste their time with futile plans?
26 The kings of the earth prepared for
battle; the rulers gathered together against the LORD and against his
Messiah.’
27 “In fact, this has happened here in this
very city! For Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate the governor, the Gentiles, and
the people of Israel were all united against Jesus, your holy servant, whom you
anointed.
28 But everything they did was determined
beforehand according to your will.
29 And now, O Lord, hear their
threats, and give us, your servants, great boldness in preaching your
word.
30 Stretch out your hand with healing
power; may miraculous signs and wonders be done through the name of your holy
servant Jesus.”
31 After this prayer, the meeting place
shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. Then they preached the
word of God with boldness.
32 All the believers were united in heart
and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared
everything they had.
33 The apostles testified powerfully to the
resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great blessing was upon them
all.
34 There were no needy people among them,
because those who owned land or houses would sell them
35 and bring the money to the apostles to
give to those in need.
36 For instance, there was Joseph, the one
the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (which means “Son of Encouragement”). He was
from the tribe of Levi and came from the island of Cyprus.
37 He sold a field he owned and brought the
money to the apostles.
ACTS 5 NLT
1 But there was a certain man named
Ananias who, with his wife, Sapphira, sold some property.
2 He brought part of the money to the
apostles, claiming it was the full amount. With his wife’s consent, he kept the
rest.
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, why have you
let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit, and you kept some of
the money for yourself.
4 The property was yours to sell or not
sell, as you wished. And after selling it, the money was also yours to give
away. How could you do a thing like this? You weren’t lying to us but to
God!”
5 As soon as Ananias heard these words, he
fell to the floor and died. Everyone who heard about it was terrified.
6 Then some young men got up, wrapped him
in a sheet, and took him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came
in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Peter asked her, “Was this the price you
and your husband received for your land?” “Yes,” she replied, “that was the
price.”
9 And Peter said, “How could the two of
you even think of conspiring to test the Spirit of the Lord like this? The
young men who buried your husband are just outside the door, and they will
carry you out, too.”
10 Instantly, she fell to the floor and
died. When the young men came in and saw that she was dead, they carried her
out and buried her beside her husband.
11 Great fear gripped
the entire church and everyone else who heard what had happenedRevelation 8
Revelation 8 (New International Version, ©2010)
Revelation 8
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
Revelation 8
The Seventh Seal and the Golden Censer
1 When he opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.
2 And I saw the seven angels who stand before God, and seven trumpets were given to them.
3 Another angel, who had a golden censer, came and stood at the altar. He was given much incense to offer, with the prayers of all God's people, on the golden altar in front of the throne. 4 The smoke of the incense, together with the prayers of God's people, went up before God from the angel's hand. 5 Then the angel took the censer, filled it with fire from the altar, and hurled it on the earth; and there came peals of thunder, rumblings, flashes of lightning and an earthquake.
The Trumpets
6 Then the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared to sound them.
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.
8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge mountain, all ablaze, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.
10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great star, blazing like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water— 11 the name of the star is Wormwood.[a] A third of the waters turned bitter, and many people died from the waters that had become bitter.
12 The fourth angel sounded his trumpet, and a third of the sun was struck, a third of the moon, and a third of the stars, so that a third of them turned dark. A third of the day was without light, and also a third of the night.
13 As I watched, I heard an eagle that was flying in midair call out in a loud voice: "Woe! Woe! Woe to the inhabitants of the earth, because of the trumpet blasts about to be sounded by the other three angels!"
Romans 8
Romans 8New International Version (NIV)
Life Through the Spirit
8 Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2 because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives lifehas set you[a] free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh,[b] God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering.[c]And so he condemned sin in the flesh, 4 in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
5 Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6 The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace. 7 The mind governed by the flesh is hostile to God; it does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so. 8 Those who are in the realm of the flesh cannot please God.
9 You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. 10 But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life[d] because of righteousness. 11 And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of[e] his Spirit who lives in you.
12 Therefore, brothers and sisters, we have an obligation—but it is not to the flesh, to live according to it. 13 For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.
14 For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God.15 The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship.[f] And by him we cry, “Abba,[g] Father.” 16 The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. 17 Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.
Present Suffering and Future Glory
18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that[h] the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerlyfor our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for usthrough wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[i] have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.30 And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified.
More Than Conquerors
31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us,who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? 33 Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. 34 Who then is the one who condemns?No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? 36 As it is written:
37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,[k] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers,39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Thursday, March 17, 2016
ACTS Chapter 2 ~ The filling with the Spirit
ACTS 2
1 On the day of Pentecost all the
believers were meeting together in one place.
2 Suddenly, there was a sound from heaven
like the roaring of a mighty windstorm, and it filled the house where they were
sitting.
3 Then, what looked like flames or tongues
of fire appeared and settled on each of them.
4 And everyone present was filled with the
Holy Spirit and began speaking in other languages, as the Holy Spirit gave them
this ability.
5 At that time there were devout Jews from
every nation living in Jerusalem.
6When they heard the loud noise, everyone came
running, and they were bewildered to hear their own languages being spoken by
the believers.
7They were completely amazed. “How can this
be?” they exclaimed. “These people are all from Galilee,
8 and yet we hear them speaking in our own
native languages!
9 Here we are—Parthians, Medes, Elamites,
people from Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia, Pontus, the province of Asia,
10 Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, and the areas
of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome
11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism),
Cretans, and Arabs. And we all hear these people speaking in our own languages
about the wonderful things God has done!”
12 They stood there amazed and perplexed.
“What can this mean?” they asked each other.
13 But others in the crowd ridiculed them,
saying, “They’re just drunk, that’s all!”
14 Then Peter stepped forward with the
eleven other apostles and shouted to the crowd, “Listen carefully, all of you,
fellow Jews and residents of Jerusalem! Make no mistake about this.
15These people are not drunk, as some of you are
assuming. Nine o’clock in the morning is much too early for that.
16 No, what you see was predicted long ago
by the prophet Joel:
17 ‘In the last days,’ God says, ‘I will
pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your
young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.
18 In those days I will pour out my Spirit
even on my servants—men and women alike— and they will prophesy.
19 And I will cause wonders in the heavens
above and signs on the earth below— blood and fire and clouds of smoke.
20 The sun will become dark, and the moon
will turn blood red before that great and glorious day of the LORD
arrives.
21 But everyone who calls on the name of
the LORD will be saved.’
22 “People of Israel, listen! God publicly
endorsed Jesus the Nazarene by doing powerful miracles, wonders, and signs
through him, as you well know.
23 But God knew what would happen, and his
prearranged plan was carried out when Jesus was betrayed. With the help of
lawless Gentiles, you nailed him to a cross and killed him.
24 But God released him from the horrors of
death and raised him back to life, for death could not keep him in its
grip.
25 King David said this about him: ‘I see
that the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside
me.
26 No wonder my heart is glad, and my
tongue shouts his praises! My body rests in hope.
27 For you will not leave my soul among the
dead or allow your Holy One to rot in the grave.
28 You have shown me the way of life, and
you will fill me with the joy of your presence.’
29 “Dear brothers, think about this! You
can be sure that the patriarch David wasn’t referring to himself, for he died
and was buried, and his tomb is still here among us.
30 But he was a prophet, and he knew God
had promised with an oath that one of David’s own descendants would sit on his
throne.
31 David was looking into the future and
speaking of the Messiah’s resurrection. He was saying that God would not leave
him among the dead or allow his body to rot in the grave.
32 “God raised Jesus from the dead, and we
are all witnesses of this.
33 Now he is exalted to the place of
highest honor in heaven, at God’s right hand. And the Father, as he had
promised, gave him the Holy Spirit to pour out upon us, just as you see and
hear today.
34 For David himself never ascended into
heaven, yet he said, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit in the place of honor at
my right hand
35 until I humble your enemies, making them
a footstool under your feet.”’
36 “So let everyone in Israel know for
certain that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, to be both Lord and
Messiah!”
37 Peter’s words pierced their hearts, and
they said to him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we
do?”
38 Peter replied, “Each of you must repent
of your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for
the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.
39This promise is to you, to your children, and
to those far away —all who have been called by the Lord our God.”
40 Then Peter continued preaching for a
long time, strongly urging all his listeners, “Save yourselves from this
crooked generation!”
41 Those who believed what Peter said were
baptized and added to the church that day—about 3,000 in all.
42 All the believers devoted themselves to
the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including
the Lord’s Supper ), and to prayer.
43 A deep sense of awe came over them all,
and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders.
44 And all the believers met together in
one place and shared everything they had.
45 They sold their property and possessions
and shared the money with those in need.
46 They worshiped together at the Temple
each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great
joy and generosity —
47 all the while praising God and enjoying
the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship
those who were being saved.
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