Acts 3–4
So far in the Book of Acts, we have seen the Holy Spirit come upon the disciples, and the first message of the church. In Acts 3, we read of the first miracle of the church and the resulting commotion. It is notable what the religious leaders realized after confronting Peter and the church’s leaders: that “they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). There was no doubting what God had done in their lives.
PRACTICAL PRINCIPLES
1. A person who has “been with Jesus” will boldly share their faith. Just months earlier, Peter had denied Christ three times. Now he was boldly declaring the truths of the gospel to a hostile crowd. Having spent time with Jesus, and being filled with the Holy Spirit, Peter was becoming like Christ (see Romans 8:29), stepping out in faith to share the Good News.
2. A person who has “been with Jesus” will be a person who knows Scripture. Peter was a fisherman by trade, uneducated compared to the religious elite. Yet he spoke with a clear grasp and understanding of Scripture. And what is the Bible? It’s our user’s manual for life. To get closer to God, we need to study His Word.
3. A person who has “been with Jesus” will be a person of prayer. After being reprimanded by the religious leaders, what did Peter and John do? They gathered with other believers and prayed (Acts 4:23–31). As a result, they were filled with the Holy Spirit, and spoke the Word boldly. When we are close to God, we will want to be in close fellowship with Him through prayer.
4. A person who has “been with Jesus” will be persecuted. When we stand up for our faith, it is a given that people will be bothered by it. Jesus Himself said that we should expect it (John 15:20). Being a Christian is not easy, but true persecution should not make us fold; it should make us stronger in our faith.
RELEVANT REMINDERS
It was a real step of faith for Peter to pull the lame man up to his feet, but God not only blessed it, He gave Peter an opening to preach the gospel. Three things to consider here: Peter saw the opportunity and ran with it; he was bold, preaching Christ and Him crucified; and he challenged the audience, telling them they needed to repent of their sin.
APPLICABLE ACTIONS
When others see you, can they tell that you have “been with Jesus”? Do they see His presence in your life? May the Lord give us the same power that He gave the first-century church so that we too can be bold in our faith and others will say that we have “been with Jesus.”
notes from Greg.
with love,
melody.
