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Tuesday,
February
16,
2021
Bryce Canyon winter (photo by Howard Blichfeldt)
"Considering
Their Threats"
Message summary: The
early church knew threats and persecution. Today let us consider those who live
with threats and sense the winds of persecution
coming as we read our Bibles and tune in regularly
to the news events.
Listen
to this message on your audio player.
"Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak Your word with great boldness" (Acts 4:29).
Several weeks ago I was talking to a friend and we were recalling times in life when we were bullies or we were bullied. In my life these are mostly junior high memories and not pleasant whether I was the bully or the one being bullied. I was bullied by the school bully who had threatened to beat me me up one day after school. (I have no idea why, he was just mean.)
For several weeks I lived in terror since at that time I was a skinny runt and didn't have much confidence in fighting anyone, let alone the notorious school bully. Well, I obviously survived that tumultuous period of life. I never had to fight him and several years later we moved from that area and I went to a new school. I can't recall the boy's name but I do wonder how his life turned out. As I recall he didn't seem very happy.
Today let us consider those who live with threats. All throughout the Islamic world our brothers and sisters in Christ are under extreme danger, enduring threats and persecution while many are dying daily for their faith. The cursed lie that theirs is a religion of peace must be exposed. Just consider the strife in so many countries that are Muslim-dominated. Consider the inability of Christians, Jews and other religions, to freely practice their faith even in "moderate" Muslim countries. Can anyone name a single Muslim-dominated country where people of faith are allowed to practice their Christian convictions safely and unhindered? Yet a prominent leader in our country proclaimed that 99.9% of Muslims are moderate and peaceful!
However it’s not only Muslim countries that threaten Christians. In China and in parts of India our brethren face persecution, as well as many other countries.
Here in America one can sense the winds of persecution coming as we read our Bibles and tune in regularly to the news events. Consider those who act in Biblical conviction regarding moral issues. Those who assert the Biblical teaching on marriage based on Scripture, ("Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh" Genesis 2:24) and biological gender ("male and female He created them" Genesis 1:27) are now labeled as hateful. Business owners who do not accede to the demands of activists are threatened with persecution. Focus on the Family was banned from Twitter for expressing the truth about gender. *
The early church knew threats and persecution. Within the context of the daily text Peter and John had already been imprisoned for their faith and, in the coming days, they would again be imprisoned and flogged. They did not know the outcome at the time and later Stephen would become the very first recorded Christian martyr.
In Acts 4:24-30 we have one of the great prayers of the Bible. Peter and John’s prayer petition was not, as we might expect, for God to remove the threat or opposition, nor was it an appeal for an easy life. Jesus had made it very clear they would face opposition and they were willing to pay the price. There is no mention in the prayer for protection or deliverance, which on the balance of Scripture is certainly appropriate, but they lifted an impassioned cry to heaven, "Enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness".
We belong to a worldwide family of believers. John, in the book of Revelation, records this about Jesus, “With Your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Today let us pray for our spiritual family, certainly considering their protection and deliverance from evil. But let us also pray that God will “enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness” (verse 31). Their prayer was answered as the Spirit-empowered disciples went forth and "began to speak the Word of God with boldness".
The next chapter discloses ongoing and increasing persecution and ends with this summary: “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ”.
Then the focus turns to Stephen who, instead of being on the defensive, boldly proclaims Christ through sharing his personal faith about Israel’s relationship with God from the Old Testament up to his present time when he refers to those who betrayed and crucified Christ. Stephen’s persecution and martyrdom is recorded in the Scriptures and the list goes on through the remainder of the New Testament, throughout the church age till this very day; the unsung heroes, both men and women, who are boldly standing for and declaring their faith in Christ no matter the cost.
We are all called to be a part of this faithful proclamation! We must ask, "Am I doing my part?"
All over the world, today, O God may your Word indeed be proclaimed with great boldness. “Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Listen
to this message on your audio player."Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak Your word with great boldness" (Acts 4:29).
Several weeks ago I was talking to a friend and we were recalling times in life when we were bullies or we were bullied. In my life these are mostly junior high memories and not pleasant whether I was the bully or the one being bullied. I was bullied by the school bully who had threatened to beat me me up one day after school. (I have no idea why, he was just mean.)
For several weeks I lived in terror since at that time I was a skinny runt and didn't have much confidence in fighting anyone, let alone the notorious school bully. Well, I obviously survived that tumultuous period of life. I never had to fight him and several years later we moved from that area and I went to a new school. I can't recall the boy's name but I do wonder how his life turned out. As I recall he didn't seem very happy.
Today let us consider those who live with threats. All throughout the Islamic world our brothers and sisters in Christ are under extreme danger, enduring threats and persecution while many are dying daily for their faith. The cursed lie that theirs is a religion of peace must be exposed. Just consider the strife in so many countries that are Muslim-dominated. Consider the inability of Christians, Jews and other religions, to freely practice their faith even in "moderate" Muslim countries. Can anyone name a single Muslim-dominated country where people of faith are allowed to practice their Christian convictions safely and unhindered? Yet a prominent leader in our country proclaimed that 99.9% of Muslims are moderate and peaceful!
However it’s not only Muslim countries that threaten Christians. In China and in parts of India our brethren face persecution, as well as many other countries.
Here in America one can sense the winds of persecution coming as we read our Bibles and tune in regularly to the news events. Consider those who act in Biblical conviction regarding moral issues. Those who assert the Biblical teaching on marriage based on Scripture, ("Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife and they shall become one flesh" Genesis 2:24) and biological gender ("male and female He created them" Genesis 1:27) are now labeled as hateful. Business owners who do not accede to the demands of activists are threatened with persecution. Focus on the Family was banned from Twitter for expressing the truth about gender. *
The early church knew threats and persecution. Within the context of the daily text Peter and John had already been imprisoned for their faith and, in the coming days, they would again be imprisoned and flogged. They did not know the outcome at the time and later Stephen would become the very first recorded Christian martyr.
In Acts 4:24-30 we have one of the great prayers of the Bible. Peter and John’s prayer petition was not, as we might expect, for God to remove the threat or opposition, nor was it an appeal for an easy life. Jesus had made it very clear they would face opposition and they were willing to pay the price. There is no mention in the prayer for protection or deliverance, which on the balance of Scripture is certainly appropriate, but they lifted an impassioned cry to heaven, "Enable Your servants to speak Your word with great boldness".
We belong to a worldwide family of believers. John, in the book of Revelation, records this about Jesus, “With Your blood you purchased men for God from every tribe and language and people and nation” (Revelation 5:9). Today let us pray for our spiritual family, certainly considering their protection and deliverance from evil. But let us also pray that God will “enable Your servants to speak Your Word with great boldness” (verse 31). Their prayer was answered as the Spirit-empowered disciples went forth and "began to speak the Word of God with boldness".
The next chapter discloses ongoing and increasing persecution and ends with this summary: “Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Christ”.
Then the focus turns to Stephen who, instead of being on the defensive, boldly proclaims Christ through sharing his personal faith about Israel’s relationship with God from the Old Testament up to his present time when he refers to those who betrayed and crucified Christ. Stephen’s persecution and martyrdom is recorded in the Scriptures and the list goes on through the remainder of the New Testament, throughout the church age till this very day; the unsung heroes, both men and women, who are boldly standing for and declaring their faith in Christ no matter the cost.
We are all called to be a part of this faithful proclamation! We must ask, "Am I doing my part?"
All over the world, today, O God may your Word indeed be proclaimed with great boldness. “Stretch out Your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus” (Acts 4:30).
Be encouraged today,
Stephen & Brooksyne Weber
Daily
prayer: Father, in this depraved generation,
darkness is broadly sweeping across the land. At one
time morality and virtuous behavior was applauded,
but we now live in a time where good is called evil
and evil is called good. Those who uphold Biblical
truths are seen as archaic, old-fashioned,
unenlightened. May we not be confused by where the
line crosses Your perfect will for our lives. We
know in our hearts that teachings or lifestyles that
defy Your holy Word is evil, not good. “Enable us to
speak Your Word with great boldness” like Peter on
the Day of Pentecost and Stephen prior to his
stoning. May we not be intimidated or allow
ourselves to be bullied into supporting a position
that contradicts that which is revealed in Your Holy
Word. We rely on the power of Your Holy Spirit to
boldly live out our lives in a way that honors You
and shows others the way to heaven. In Jesus’ name
we pray. Amen.Today's
Suggested Music and Supplemental
Resources
Note: In the message
I shared about being bullied. I also
recall shamefully bullying a fellow
student at the same time in Junior High.
His name was Sky Younger and I can't
recall why I would have bullied him except
that I was unconverted and had a mean
streak. Several years later after moving
from that area I committed my life to
Christ. After we married I received a
letter from Sky informing me he had also
committed his life to Christ but have
since lost contact. I tried to look him up
and although I can't be sure
but I think he now lives in the
Phoenix area and is an engineer. If he
comes across this and is the same Sky I
would sure like to hear from him!
Yesterday Edward Berkey, who
was my district superintendent 25 years
ago when I was a pastor in New England,
sent me the following note and a link to a
song he enjoyed. "A few years ago I heard
this song for the first time. As we draw
to the latter days of our journey (unless
Jesus comes sooner. Discerning
American Christians are crying "Even so
come quickly Lord Jesus) this song's
message has a powerful and penetrating
impact on you."Ed and his wife Gladys
celebrated 73 years of marriage last
September. He continues active in ministry
with a weekly 30 minute radio program
titled "Echos Of Grace".
"By and By When I look On
His Face" Video
Here's another song by the
same singer "Signs of the Times"
Video
We appreciate our older
believers continuing to let their light
shine which provides a model for us as we
move along in life. We met Richard and
Elnora Dresselhaus about five years ago at
a mutual friend's house in San Diego.
Richard writes a daily message called "One For The Road"
and Elnora posts her piano music to
YouTube. Here's a sample of a song we sure
don't hear much in our circles but I
really have been blessed by in the past. "I
Must Tell Jesus" Video
Five
years ago Brooksyne was enjoying her time
at the Steinway at our friend, Marilyn's
house in San Diego. She was excited to
find a second pianist in Elnora
Dresselhaus who stopped by to visit. They
began to play "How Great Thou Art"
together but it took only a few notes of
their playing to realize the pianos are
not set at the same tuning. It wasn't
quite the pleasant sound we had all hoped
for. Brooksyne backed off since we wanted
to hear the beautiful hymn as it should
sound. Elnora is a very gifted pianist and
has played on this piano over the years as she would visit in
Marilyn's home.
Today's lead photo was taken by our
friend Howard Blichfeldt. Several years ago we
visited Bryce Canyon and the views were
stunning (our photos here). But we
wondered how beautiful these western sites
would be in the winter. His winter gallery.
Send
a message to Stephen
& Brooksyne
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Weber".Scripture references are from The Holy Bible: New International Version. © 1984 by International Bible Society; NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE®, Copyright © 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, New King James Version (NKJV) Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. and the King James Version.
Personal Mission Statement: "I am created by God to bring Him glory. Through God's Son Jesus Christ I have been redeemed and make it my life's goal to please the Lord. My mission in life is to honor God through my faith and obedience and prepare myself and all whom I may influence for eternity."
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