Devotion
By what power have you done this?
David Jacobs
I was involved in a physical altercation between two strangers that ended up with me getting in a bit of legal trouble. I was walking home in a busy part of the city where I was living when I noticed a large crowd in front of me. Everyone was watching something, and as I grew closer, I could hear two persons shooting. Suddenly I could see what the commotion was about: a man and a woman were arguing about something, and it appeared that he had hit her several times. I did not know these people, and I, and everyone else around me, hoped that the man would stop considering so many people were watching. Unfortunately, he did not stop, and I could not watch it continue. I was physically much larger than the man, so I came up behind him and took him to the ground. I held him there until the police arrived, and they took him away. However, because I was involved in the dispute and the man said I had hurt him, I also had to go to the station.
In that story, I knew there was a chance that there would be repercussions for my physical actions against a stranger. Luckily nothing happened to me, but there was a possibility. In the verses above, Peter and John are justifiably upset: in chapter 4 of Acts, they are arrested for healing the hand of a beggar outside of the temple. The priests asked Peter and John, "by what power, or by what name, have ye done this?" (Acts 4:7) They had had enough of this situation, knowing that they had done no wrong, boldly exclaiming that they were devotees of Christ, the man who they had killed. After learning that they were Disciples of Christ, Peter and John were freed.
Everybody has their limits. We must consider the meaning of our limits, however, making sure that they are in line with the teachings of Christ. They may not always be in accordance with the laws of nations, but we must remain loyal and obedient to the most noble power of all: God.
Prayer
Lord my Heavenly Father, grant me the strength to carry forward your word to those who need it most. Help settle my boundaries in accordance with your word, so that I do not overstep and assume to know on your behalf. Forgive those that know not of your teachings, and give me the courage to stand in front of them, proclaiming that you are the one true God. Amen.
Devotion
Abraham is Father of All
Frances Taylor
There are questions in every age about the importance of the Old Testament for Christians. Abraham is considered to be the Father of Faith for Jews, Christians and Muslims. We forget that it was Abraham who believed in the doctrine of only one God. It is through him and his descendants that this tradition comes down to us. Another fact that we can overlook is that Jesus was Jewish. He was born a Jew, lived as a Jew, died, rose and ascended into heaven as a Jew. Because we believe that he was the Messiah, the Christ, and we follow him, we are called Christian. Without the Old Testament, we wouldn't understand the promise of salvation; we wouldn't understand why it was important for Jesus to be of the family of King David. We would not understand his teaching either, because Jesus quoted from Scripture – the Old Testament – frequently. He told us that he came to fulfill the Scriptures, not to abolish them. In the same way, we can ...
Morning Prayer
Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.
Inspiration
We have a responsibility, as Christians, to abstain from the sinful practices we partook in before we became saved. While it may be a gradual process of change, we should ensure that we are putting in our best to play our part in resisting temptation. God enables us to resist temptation, but it is up to us to actually resist.
Prayer
Dear God, I pray that I will always be a person of action. Father, I take delight in my new life in you and I do not desire otherwise. I pray that in times of temptation, may I act on the strength you have given me to flee and/or resist. May I never rely on excuses or procrastination, Lord. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen.
