Friends in Christ Message for May 2, 2009

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Friends in Christ Weekly Message
May 2, 2009

The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander - everybody who was anybody was there. They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: “Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?”
With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I'll be completely frank with you - we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is 'the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.' Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
Acts 4:5-12 (Message*)

Those who are in high positions sometimes get upset when good things happen without their involvement. It threatens their power. The disciples of Jesus were boldly proclaiming his resurrection power. That power was dramatically revealed to the people by such incidents as the healing of a man crippled from birth.

Peter did not claim any power in himself. Instead, he pointed to Jesus as the one whose power had healed the man. Knowledge of Christ's power also made Peter and the other disciples bold in challenging the religious leaders of their day.

This resurrection power of Jesus Christ is as available to us as it was to Peter and John. Is it manifest in your life? If not, why not?

Bill Samuel